Tuesday Trainings : Redemptive-Historical Preaching - 3

Redemptive-historical preaching is preaching every passage of Scripture, in light of its redemptive-historical context, showing how each passage relates to the grace of God which is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. This Christ-centered approach to preaching is much needed if one desires to see gospel-centered ministries flourish in our day and age. 

In his first part, Dr. Bryan Chapell, president of Covenant Theological Seminary, spoke about the necessity of Christ-centered preaching, if we are to be true to Christ’s own hermeneutic. Then, last week, he began to talk about how that Christ centeredness can be excavated from all the Scriptures. He talked particularly about that grace message in its various forms that either prepares for or predicts or reflects or results from the work of Christ. Dr. Chapell also discussed macro-interpretation and micro-interpretation. A “macro” way of looking at the text would be when we ask where a text fits in the grand scheme of Genesis to Revelation. “Micro” ways of looking at the text involve when we ask whether there is a doctrinal statement there that is reflective of the grace of God or whether there are relationships, either of God toward His people or them toward one another, relational reflections of God’s grace that will ultimately be more fully represented in the work of Christ.

In this third part on Redemptive-Historical preaching, Dr.Chapell moves to the issue of using redemptive principles in the application of Scripture in order to provide biblical motivation and enablement.  Dr.Chapell explores the many dominant themes that come from the excavating the grace from all of Scriptures and discusses how the Bible motivates believers to obedience and holiness. He discusses at quite a good length, what could rightly be described as a Christ-centered theology of change. Very insightful and beneficial for preachers to preach Christ-centered sermons with powerful application of Scripture that is inline with redemptive principles.

Christ-Centered Interpretation for Redemptive Application Read |  Listen  |  Download 

Tuesday Trainings : Redemptive-Historical Preaching - 2

Redemptive-historical preaching is preaching every passage of Scripture, in light of its redemptive-historical context, showing how each passage relates to the grace of God which is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ. This Christ-centered approach to preaching is much needed if one desires to see gospel-centered ministries flourish in our day and age In his first part last week, Dr. Bryan Chapell, president of Covenant Theological Seminary, introduced the redemptive-historical approach to preaching, its necessity, what it entails and how it is different from other approaches.

In his second part, Dr.Chapell deals with developing Redemptive-Historical sermons. He begins with a three-step basic process for preaching Christ from any text in the Bible. He then discusses interpretive approaches to be employed in Christ-centered preaching. His third and final section in this study is dealing with expounding historical narratives with Christ-centered lenses. He concludes with recognizing the entire bible as comprised of texts falling into four main categories  – 1. Predictive of the Work of Christ, 2. Preparatory of the Work of Christ, 3. Reflective of the Work of Christ and 4. Resultant of the Work of Christ.

Developing Redemptive Messages   Listen |  Download  |  Read

Tuesday Trainings : Redemptive-Historical Preaching – 1

Redemptive-historical preaching is preaching every passage of Scripture, in light of its redemptive-historical context, showing how each passage relates to the grace of God which is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ.  In Luke 24:27, our Lord Jesus Himself employed this approach to the Scriptures, while preaching to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and showed how beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, spoke ultimately about Him. Thus according to our Lord, “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” were pointing ultimately to Him (Lk 24:44). Hence to properly interpret the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is to see every text in its redemptive-historical context.

This Christ-centered approach to preaching is much needed if one desires to see gospel-centered ministries flourish in our day and age. Despite the many objections hurled against redemptive-historical preaching, it is the approach which the New Testament itself follows in interpreting and applying texts. Redemptive-historical does not mean no application for the listener, as some have opposed, rather it is applying the text  within the bounds of the redemptive-historical, Christocentric and eschatological nature of the text.

Dr. Bryan Chapell, president of Covenant Theological Seminary, is well known for his teaching of redemptive-historical preaching. His book Christ-Centered Preaching won "Book of the Year" from Preaching Magazine and has established him as one of the most recognized teachers of homiletics. In this first part of his teaching on redemptive-historical preaching, Dr Chapell introduces the redemptive-historical approach to preaching, what it entails and how it is different from other approaches. He bases this theology of preaching directly on the New Testament. Chapell says “Jesus Himself said.. in Luke 24:27. The scene is after the resurrection. Jesus was walking with the two disciples on the road to Emmaus. There we read, ‘Beginning with Moses and all the prophets he said what was in all the Scriptures concerning himself.’ For a biblical theologian, those “all’s” are all important. “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets he said what was in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” Since Jesus says that all Scripture is about Him, when we try to explain a text without explaining His redeeming work, then we neglect to expound the very thing Jesus said the text reveals. That is a rather amazing hermeneutical principle. He says it is about Him. So if we are explaining the text and fail to relate it to Him, then we have failed to say the very thing He said it is about. Not to relate the text to Jesus is to fail to say what the text is about… The point is not to force the text to mention Jesus. It is to identify where the text stands in relation to Jesus. Where does the text stand in relation to what God will be accomplishing in His Son?”

In light of this understanding Chapell calls redemptive-historical preaching as Christ-centered preaching. He says,  “The term “Christ centered” is synecdoche for all of God’s redeeming work that makes us know and depend on His grace, ultimately provided in Christ. A Christ-centered sermon does not attempt to make Jesus appear where the text does not speak of Him. It rather demonstrates the relation of the text to either His person or His work or both. Thus these are also referred to as redemptive messages or grace-focused messages. Our goal in Christ-centered preaching is not to make Jesus magically or allegorically appear in every text. It is rather to demonstrate the redemptive principles evident in the text that are most fully revealed in Christ’s person or work and are necessary for our growth in Christ-likeness”. Here is the first of this four part series and it is hoped that pastors and preachers will benefit much from this outstanding and significant contribution of  Dr. Bryan Chapell to homiletics. May much gospel-centered preaching be fueled and fostered by God in our day and age.  

A Redemptive Approach to Preaching  Listen | Download  |  Read

Three Types of Preaching

Dr. Derke P. Bergsma, Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology at Westminster Seminary California, has written a very helpful article on the three types of preaching, based on sermon content. He lists them as Moralistic Sermons, Doctrinalistic Sermons and Redemptive Historical Sermons. In each case, he explains what each does and also points out whether or not we should adopt it. To illustrate his point he takes the story of Joseph and shows how each of these types of preaching would interpret it. Thus he has reasons to not recommend merely Moralistic and Doctrinalistic sermons. He thus makes the case for why all preaching ought to be redemptive historical in nature.

Regarding Moralistic sermons, Dr Bergsma explains it as one in which we are involved in “discerning ethical teachings from biblical examples”. In this approach, the story of “Joseph serves as a powerful model of one who resisted temptation even when it cost him a prison term.”  Dr. Bergsma says, “One might call this approach a search for biblical guidelines for godly living. It is motivated by a sincere desire to encourage people to be more pious, loving, kind, generous, and faithful in their Christian lives.” Along with this commendation, however comes his reasons to not recommend it as the sole form of preaching in the church, the main objection being, “The Bible should not be treated as a source book for moral advice. That is not its purpose. It is the infallible revelation of God's gracious determination to save a lost world. It records God's saving purpose in real history, culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ in the light of whom all Scripture must be understood. Where moral admonition appears, as it certainly does, it must be clearly recommended as the response of gratitude from the Lord's redeemed people.” He has another 5 reasons to this list of objections against moralistic preaching.

Dr. Bergsma regards Doctrinalistic sermons as one which is attempting to discover “doctrinal implications from biblical texts”.  In this approach, “the biblical account of Joseph's experiences demonstrates the doctrine of providence.”  Dr. Derke admits that “Much preaching in churches that align themselves with the Reformed tradition has historically been of the doctrinalist approach”, however lists three major reasons as to why preaching in the church ought not to be merely doctrinalistic.  His reasons are, first of all, it tends to view a clear “understanding of Christian doctrine as an end to itself rather than to provide a life-changing and God-honoring body of truth.” Thus it can lead people to the danger of forgetting the fact that “knowledge of the truth, crucially important though it is, may never be a substitute for the humble surrender of one's heart to the Lord Jesus Christ.” Secondly, it tends to view “individual doctrines in isolation from the larger body of biblical teaching.” Thus the centrality of Christ in all of Scriptures’ doctrines is not sufficiently brought about in merely doctrinalistic preaching. Thirdly, Dr. Bergsma argues that this approach “easily tends to lose sight of the organic nature of Scripture.” Thus the coherence of the Bible story-line found only when  the centrality of the gospel is appropriately stressed, is lost in this approach. It thus makes the Bible a “static document” from which one merely distills “doctrinal teaching from individual texts”. However the Bible is “the infallible account of God's saving acts unfolding in salvation history, from bud to flower, from promise to fulfillment.” and our preaching ought to recognize this structure of divine revelation.

Redemptive Historical preaching is exactly that; preaching which takes into account “the essential nature of the Bible”. Dr. Bergsma explains, “The Bible is God's revelation of his saving purposes in real planet earth history, culminating in the life, death, and resurrection of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Every text in Scripture is part of the unfolding of God's sovereign plan to redeem a lost world, a plan that reaches its fulfillment in the person and work of the Savior. Therefore, the fullest meaning of a particular text can be discerned only in relation to him who is the Word made flesh. And obedience to the ethical demands of any text is possible only in dependence on the power and grace of our divine Savior. No sermon is complete unless its place in the history of redemption, which centers in Jesus Christ, is clarified.” Hence this approach can also be called “Christ-centered preaching from all Scripture”. In this approach thus, “Joseph's experiences become part of the grand drama of divine redemption. Joseph is himself an object of God's grace, who is chosen by God to be an agent for the preservation of a covenant people through whom the Savior of the world, in the fullness of time, would be born. Joseph is thereby an imperfect type and shadow of Jesus, who is the ultimate preserver and deliverer of a covenant people. Joseph's salvation-and ours-is secure only in Jesus. Whatever noble character traits he exhibits are the evidence of grace in his life, traits that are common to those whose desire it is to please God and who are submissive to his providential will. We, too, are eager to please God as the response of gratitude for what he has done for us in Christ. Even our desire to do God's will has its source in him whose will it is our delight to do.”  Dr. Bergsma concludes his article with a list of four recommendations for doing redemptive historical preaching in our churches.

Evaluating Sermons  Read

Footnotes  

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[1] Dr. Derke P. Bergsma, Evaluating Sermons, Modern Reformation Nov./Dec. 2000 Vol. 9 No. 6 Pg 25,28-29

Him We Proclaim

Redemptive-historical preaching is preaching every passage of Scripture, in light of its redemptive-historical context, showing how each passage relates to the grace of God which is ultimately revealed in Jesus Christ.  In Luke 24:27, our Lord Jesus Himself employed this approach to the Scriptures, while preaching to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and showed how beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, spoke ultimately about Him. Thus according to our Lord, “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms” were pointing ultimately to Him (Lk 24:44). Hence to properly interpret the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is to see every text in its redemptive-historical context. 

In this way, then, the Bible is seen, not as a collection of abstract moral principles, but rather as an anthology of the events of God’s great works in history. The Bible is dynamic, for it is the unfolding story of the coming Christ, progressively revealing more and more about him throughout salvation history. This, then, is to be the way in which the narratives are to be preached: with a view towards showing how the text points towards Christ.[1]

Dr. Dennis Johnson, author of the 2007 book Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ in All the Scriptures, speaks to Dr. Michael Horton on how we can preach from all the Scriptures, with Christ at the center.  Highly recommended for pastors and preachers, if you desire to be gospel-centered in your preaching ministry.

Him We Proclaim   Listen  | Download  

Footnotes  

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[1] Redemptive-Historical Preaching, Wikipedia

Comforting Covenant Theology

Covenant Theology is not just for theologians, it is for every single Christian. For it reveals the God of the covenants as the covenant keeping, faithful God. Pastors would do well in learning to apply covenant theology to their sermons, to not only show how the whole counsel of God hangs together, but also to bring forth the comfort of knowing the God of the covenants. Concerning the comfort of covenant theology, here is a brilliant excerpt from the Prince of preachers, Charles Spurgeon, who applied the truths of Covenant theology on his text from Genesis 7:16: 

The great door of Covenant faithfulness is shut behind the Believer and he is surrounded by the power and Grace of God, even as Noah was housed within the strong timbers of the ark. There is no crack nor cranny through which the floods of wrath can penetrate—Omnipotent Love has shut us in! And the Lord did this not only necessarily, but graciously. I call your attention to the change of the names in the text, a very significant change indeed—“They that went in, went in male and female of all flesh: as God had commanded him: and the Lord”—that is, Jehovah—“shut him in.” Elohim, as the Creator and Preserver, takes care of living things to preserve them, but the Lord, even Jehovah, the covenanting God, interposes in great mercy to protect His chosen servant!

It was Jehovah who entered into solemn league and Covenant with His servant, Noah, that He would preserve him in the ark and float him into the new world in it. And as Jehovah, the Covenanting One, He shut Noah in.There is no security like that which is given us by the Covenant of Grace. The hand which was lifted to swear our safety has also been outstretched to effect it! The everlasting Covenant, ordered in all things and sure, guarantees salvation to all who are represented by the great Head and Surety of that Covenant, even our Lord Jesus. Love and power cooperate with faithfulness and truth to keep the chosen from all danger. Dwell much upon the Covenant and note the immutable pledges by which it is secured and the immortal principles upon which it is founded! Try to suck out the delicious sweetness which is to be found in the hive of the Covenant, for if you are an advanced child of God, no form of the Truth of God can be more nourishing or refreshing to your mind.

The doctrines which spring out of the Covenant are peculiarly comforting to believing minds. The promises of God are yes and amen in Christ Jesus and can never fail nor change, since the Covenant stands fast forever and ever. Its tenure is free and Sovereign Grace and it cannot be disannulled. Here is a line of it, “I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me.” With such a promise does Jehovah shut us in with Christ Jesus in matchless kindness and unspeakable love. [1]

Footnotes  

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[1]  C.H Spurgeon, Shut In Or Shut Out, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, August 14, 1881.

Why Hermeneutics Matter For Pastors

During a new church plant function, a local Charismatic pastor from Kerala, India, told his church members that if they believed, God would cause miracles to be wrought through their handkerchiefs and aprons, just like God did using that of Paul, as written in Acts 19:12. While this was being taught by this pastor, in a nearby church, another local Word of Faith pastor, took the people to Genesis 1 and taught them how they can also create blessings by speaking out the word like God did, when He created all things by speaking out the Word.

Where have these two pastors gone wrong?

The answer to that question in technical terms would be - in their hermeneutics. In other words, it is in their interpretation of scripture that they went wrong.  Their science of interpretation also known as hermeneutics, does not see any difference between descriptive passages and prescriptive passages in the Bible. Both of them took passages in the Bible which are descriptive in nature and preached them as prescriptive. Thus what God does in creation is no longer descriptive, but prescriptive – something which we are also to do. Thus even though no believer in New Testament days imitated the apostles and sent their handkerchiefs to heal anyone, the passage in Acts 19 becomes a prescribed pattern for today’s believers.

Hermeneutics matters as God’s truth matters. The above mentioned error is a common error made by pastors, especially those who have no background in serious theological education – whether formal or not. This error has caused untold damages to Christianity. The constant hunger of Christian leaders to preach mere-moralistic prescriptions has lead to the development of many faulty understanding of and teachings from the Scriptures, especially in the area of sanctification.

In grammatical terms, these two natures – descriptive and prescriptive are explained in terms of verb moods, as indicative and imperative. All pastors should know the difference between the two while interpreting scriptures.

The mood of a verb designates the relationship of the verb's action relative to reality. The following is a simple list of moods of verbs in the New Testament and what they generally signify:

• indicative - mood of certainty, actuality

• subjunctive - mood of probability

• optative - mood of possibility

• imperative - mood of command

As the list indicates, the New Testament uses indicative statements when discussing what God has done, is doing or will do. Imperative statements are used when saying what we should do. It is important to realize, not only that both moods are present in the Bible, but that there is a specific relationship between these two moods in the area of sanctification. Namely, what God commands us to do (the imperative) is based upon what he has done, is doing or will do (the indicatives). God is signifying by this consistent pattern that sanctification depends on God, but involves human volition and cooperation. [1]

Examples :

In the following examples, the imperative mood is underlined, while the indicative is in italics.

Ephesians 4:32 : Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Philippians 2:12b-13 : work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

I Corinthians 5:7 : Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Romans 6:12-14 : Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.

Sinclair Ferguson exhorts pastors to preach the gospel imperatives as rooted in the glorious indicatives of the gospel. He says,

The great gospel imperatives to holiness are ever rooted in indicatives of grace that are able to sustain the weight of those imperatives. The Apostles do not make the mistake that’s often made in Christian ministry. [For the Apostles] the indicatives are more powerful than the imperatives in gospel preaching. So often in our preaching our indicatives are not strong enough, great enough, holy enough, or gracious enough to sustain the power of the imperatives. And so our teaching on holiness becomes a whip or a rod to beat our people’s backs because we’ve looked at the New Testament and that’s all we ourselves have seen. We’ve seen our own failure and we’ve seen the imperatives to holiness and we’ve lost sight of the great indicatives of the gospel that sustain those imperatives. Woven into the warp and woof of the New Testament’s exposition of what it means for us to be holy is the great groundwork that the self-existent, thrice holy, triune God has — in Himself, by Himself and for Himself — committed Himself and all three Persons of His being to bringing about the holiness of His own people. This is the Father’s purpose, the Son’s purchase and the Spirit’s ministry. [2]

This explains why most of the New Testament Epistles begin with explaining the doctrine and then moves onto practical applications of truth. Apostles first made the hearts of their hearers believe the doctrinal truth and then instructed their minds to apply it practically. In other words, indicatives first and as the foundation of the then coming imperatives.

Pastors do you follow this Apostolic pattern and gospel logic while you preach?

Footnotes  

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[1]  Gary DeLashmutt and Dennis McCallum, The Indicative and Imperative Moods

[2] Sinclair Ferguson, Our Holiness: The Father’s Purpose and the Son’s Purchase, 2007 Banner of Truth Conference.

Why Theology Matters For A Church

It is perhaps considered normal these days for churches to have a non-theological or even anti-theological stance. However this does have very many consequences, all of which are dangerous for the health of the church. Sure crowds can still be won and pews can still be warmed, however if 'church' is defined by the Scriptures, then to have that church, one needs to have sound theology. 

Here is an excellent excerpt from “The Quiet Revolution - A Chronicle Of Beginnings of Reformation in The Southern Baptist Convention” by Ernest C. Reisinger & D. Matthew Allen, where this point is driven home powerfully. Read the waterfall model of what the authors are proposing as the effects of having bad or weak theology.Though written in the context of Southern Baptist churches, the case is very much applicable for the wider Evangelical scene.

First, many of our churches have a weak theology. Consider, for example, the doctrine of salvation. In many Southern Baptist churches, regeneration (or being born again) has simply lost its meaning. No longer does it refer to a divine act of the Holy Spirit in giving a sinner a new heart and a new life, and bringing that person from spiritual death to spiritual life. Instead, being born again is simply a synonym for what happens when a person "makes a decision to accept Jesus Christ into his heart as personal Savior." Or worse, it means to "come forward" or "walk down an aisle."

This was driven home to one of us (Allen) forcefully recently when a friend casually mentioned that his brother-in-law wanted to get saved, but he had to wait until Sunday when he could go to the local Baptist church and "walk forward" to the front to receive Christ. It apparently did not occur to him that he could believe and repent and be converted in his own home. Still further, the common twentieth century Baptist view of eternal security is fundamentally flawed. We dip ‘em and drop ‘em, and take comfort in the fact that they are saved even though they never darken the door of a church again. After all, "once saved, always saved." In this way, we ignore – to the eternal loss of many – that the flip side of God’s preservation of the saints is the biblical teaching of the saint’s perseverance in Christ. We have forgotten the historic Baptist belief that those who do not persevere are not carnal Christians; they are not Christians at all!

Predictably, this weak theology leads to weak evangelism. Much of what is called evangelism in our Baptist churches is shallow, manipulative and decision-focused. The principal tools of the trade are altar calls (in which the pump is primed by well-placed counselors who set the example in walking to the front of the church) and the "sinner’s prayer," in which the person "invites Christ into his life." Then, we give immediate assurance to the person who prays the "sinner’s prayer" that he or she is eternally secure in salvation. Never mind the life and practice tests of 1 John. (Cf. 1 John 5:13; "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.").

Of course, the inherent result of a weak soteriology and weak evangelism is a weak membership. We base membership on a "profession of faith," rather than evidence of a changed life. Our churches baptize preschoolers and accept professions of faith from couples living in open sin. By inviting so-called carnal Christians into our fellowships, we populate our rolls with unregenerate church members.

The result of a weak membership is a demand for weak worship. Our congregations have not learned to go beyond the pabulum of shallow praise choruses so prevalent in our worship services today. The self-centered nature of these choruses is manifest. The one doing the praising is more central than the one praised in such choruses as "I Bless You," "I Just Want to Praise You," "I Only Want to Love You" and so on. This is not God-exalting worship! It is man exalting! Woe to those who are more impressed with our "love for God" than God’s love for us!

One newspaper advertisement for a church in Tampa, Florida boasts of its "casual worship." What an oxymoron this is! How can worship – acknowledging the "worth-ship" of Jesus Christ, the Holy One, God of very God, light of very light – be casual? This type of worship approach is defended as an attempt to be all things to all people. What it really represents is an attempt to co-opt the world’s values. For churches that have lost their biblical moorings, adapting worship practices to the world is not an irrational response to a worldly church membership. The problem, of course, is that it is an acutely unbiblical response.

Given these appalling facts, is it any wonder that the greatest segment of converts to the Mormon church comes from Southern Baptist congregations? And, is it any wonder that most of our Southern Baptist churches have a stagnant or declining membership? The Wall Street Journal reported in 1990 that, of the 14.9 million members of Southern Baptist churches (according to an official count), over 4.4 million are "non-resident members." This means they are members with whom the church has lost touch. Another 3 million hadn’t attended church or donated to a church in the past year. That left about 7.4 million "active" members. However, according to Sunday School consultant Glenn Smith, even this is misleading, because included in this "active" figure are those members who only attended once a year at Easter or Christmas. The only conclusion to be drawn is that our Southern Baptist Convention is a denomination of unregenerate church members!

This, then, is the diagnosis: contemporary evangelical churches as a whole, and a large number of Southern Baptist churches as a subset (dare I say the majority?), are devoid of biblical and theological thinking, have abandoned a high view of the sufficiency of Scripture, and have traded in biblical values for modern notions of modernity. In our judgment, evangelicalism is collapsing of its own weight. [1]

Thus weak theology leads to weak evangelism, which in turn leads to weak membership, which determines the worship of the church, which thus ultimately affects the glory of God in the church. Thus theology matters as the glory of God in the church matters. For those who are indifferent to the theological shallowness of the Evangelical pulpit and does not see it as a grave issue, remember  the glory of God is at stake. If the glory of God is not worth fighting for, then there remains nothing worth fighting for.

Footnotes  

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[1]  Ernest C. Reisinger & D. Matthew Allen, A Quiet Revolution A Chronicle Of Beginnings Of Reformation in The Southern Baptist Convention,  Ch. 2

Preaching Christ From the Old Testament

Fred Malone is the pastor of First Baptist Church, Clinton, Louisiana. He received the MDiv degree from Reformed Theological Seminary (1974) and the PhD degree in New Testament from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (1989). He is the author of A String of Pearls Unstrung and co-wrote with Ernest C. Reisinger the introduction to the republished version of Abstract of Systematic Theology by James P. Boyce. Dr. Malone is a Board Member of Founders Ministries, the Midwest Center for Theological Studies, the Institute of Reformed Baptist Studies, and serves on the Administrative Council of the Association of Reformed Baptist Churches in America.

Here is Dr. Malone on the importance of and how to preach Christ from the Old Testament.

Preaching Christ From the Old Testament (Audio)  Listen | Download

What Is The Bible All About?

It is of little wonder that most pulpits today lack preaching flavored with the aroma of the gospel, when pastors to a great degree do not have any clue on how to put their Bible together. This is the reason why, at least in some circles of Christendom, preaching is merely an articulation of ethical and moral imperatives and has nothing to do with gospel indicatives. There is no exegetical faithfulness in making distinctions between descriptive and prescriptive passages.  Little or no thought is given to what unifies the whole Bible. Some even question whether there is any such unity, even venturing to speak against the Old Testament.

 We need to rediscover and appreciate with deeper levels of insight the bond between God’s partial and preparatory words of promise spoken through Israel’s prophets and his final word spoken in Jesus, the Son who is the Word (Heb. 1:1–2; John 1:1, 14). The contemporary sense of estrangement of the Old Testament from the New Testament is an anomaly in the history of the church. From the apostolic period through the Church Fathers, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Reformation, the church maintained a hearty confidence that God’s role as the primary author of Scripture, speaking his message infallibly through distinctive human voices, secures the harmony and unity of the Bible’s message from Genesis to Revelation. Admittedly, some like Marcion denied that the Lord who addressed Moses on Sinai is the Father of our Lord Jesus. The church, however, condemned such aberrant repudiation of the Old Testament as contradictory to the teaching of Jesus himself. Others failed to recognize the diversity within the Bible’s unity, especially the fact that the Messiah, in bringing Old Testament promises and institutions to fulfillment, also has transformed God’s covenantal modes of relating to his people. Nevertheless, despite such anomalies in relating the Old Testament to the New Testament, the heartbeat of the church as a whole has coincided with Augustine’s pithy maxim: “The old is in the new revealed, the new is in the old concealed.” [1]

The answer to all of these is given by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself in Luke 24, when He expounded the Scriptures to the disciples on the road to Emmaus and showed how the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms were all about Himself. Pastors would do well if they realize how the whole Bible is all about Jesus Christ. We need preachers who are committed to a redemptive-historical reading of the Bible and expounds its central theme – the person and work of Lord Jesus Christ, the full and final revelation of God.

How would a Christocentric reading of Scriptures look like? How would preaching Christ from all of Scriptures look like?

Here is an interesting short clip of Tim Keller giving us a feel of how Christ is all though out the Old Testament. He thus shows how the Bible is basically not about us, but primarily about Jesus Christ. The video ends with an implication for preachers. May those of us who are called to preach Christ take heed.

 

Footnotes

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[1] Dennis. E. Johnson, Him We Proclaim: Preaching Christ From All The Scriptures, Pg 4

Proper Biblical Interpretation

Gerald Bray on the hermeneutics of John Calvin notes, 

“Biblical interpretation passes through three distinct but related phases. If any one of these phases is omitted, the text will not be interpreted properly. The three phases are exegesis (represented by his commentaries); dogmatics (represented by his Institutes); and preaching (represented by his sermons). . .

Perhaps the best way to appreciate the necessity of holding these three things together in harmony is by looking at what happens if one of them is left out. [1] Exegesis and dogmatics without preaching are dry and academic; there is no application. [2] Exegesis and preaching with no dogmatics are subjective and contentless; a passage of Scripture will be interpreted without regard for its proper context in the Word of God as a whole. [3] Finally, dogmatics and preaching without exegesis are mere propaganda; they are not based on a proper assimilation of the facts. Only as all three are held together in proper balance can the message of Scripture be properly applied to the life of the church, and God’s people be edified as they are meant to be.” [1]

Footnotes

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[1] Gerald Bray, Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present (IVP, 1996), Pgs 203-4

No Other Gospel

Today Crossway releases a new book on Galatians, No Other Gospel: 31 Reasons from Galatians Why Justification by Faith Alone Is the Only Gospel by Josh Moody, senior pastor of College Church in Wheaton, Illinois. Josh Moody (PhD, Cambridge University) is the author of several books, including The God-Centered Life: Insights from Jonathan Edwards.

In No Other Gospel, Pastor Josh Moody writes, “we tend toward human gospels”  and hence believers must constantly battle to maintain the purity and simplicity of the gospel. Paul was acutely aware of this as he wrote his letter to the Galatians. He was writing to an established church—experienced believers who had started to slip in their gospel witness. Moody finds in Galatians particular relevance and parallels to many churches today. Stemming from a series of sermons delivered to his church, he examines thirty-one reasons Paul gives for this gospel. Moody writes this book with a pastor’s heart, addressing important topics such as “The Gospel Not Moralism” and “The Use of Gospel Freedom.” Paul’s message is foundational to the Christian faith, and thoughtful readers will benefit from Moody’s exposition. [1]

D.A Carson notes, “Paul’s Letter to the Galatians so strongly and passionately articulates the gospel of grace that it has proved transforming in many generations of preachers from Luther to Wesley and beyond. Here Josh Moody reinforces that heritage for the twenty-first century.”

“These expositions are clear, well-organized, exegetically careful, and theologically faithful.”, says Senior Pastor, Kevin DeYoung, “They're also filled with good illustrations, personal application, and a proper dose of British wit. These qualities make for very good preaching and a very good book.”

Again noted New Testament professor Douglas J. Moo endorses this book saying, “Josh Moody’s No Other Gospel blends attention to the text, theological insight, and pastoral application in a model of Scriptural exposition. His focus on Galatians is a great choice, since this letter addresses so clearly the nature and importance of the gospel – a critical matter in an age when so many Christians and so many churches are confused about the gospel and its centrality.”[2]

Here is Josh Moody and Justin Taylor having a small chat on the book:

Flip through to view an excerpt from this book below or Download a pdf of the excerpt

No Other Gospel: 31 Reasons from Galatians Why Justification by Faith Alone Is the Only Gospel

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 288

ISBN-10: 1-4335-1567-9

ISBN-13: 978-1-4335-1567-5

Size: 6.0 in x 9.0 in

Weight: 14.1 ounces

Published: January 31, 2011

Footnotes

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[1] Publisher write up for No Other Gospel, Crossway.

[2] Endorsements, Crossway.

Our Fourfold Duty To The Gospel

More than forty years ago, John Stott expounded the second epistle of Paul to Timothy, to emphasize the different aspects of a gospel-faithful ministry.  Stott in his introduction says :

In each of these four chapters, the Apostle Paul seemed to emphasize the different aspects of Timothy's responsibility. In chapter 1, Timothy was told to guard the gospel. He was to protect it, pure and undefiled. In chapter 2, he was told to suffer for it. In chapter 3, he was told to continue in it, to abide in it, and not to deflect from it to the right hand or to the left. And in chapter 4, he was told to preach it, to make it known.[1]

Stott’s exposition is straightforward and marked with excellent observations and reflections. He sticks to the passage and brings out the essential meaning of the passage.  At the end of his first address, while concluding his exposition of the first chapter, he summarizes as follows:

The gospel is good news of salvation. It was promised from eternity, was secured and purchased by Jesus Christ, and is now offered to friends. First, we must communicate it faithfully, we shall undoubtedly suffer for it. And when we suffer for it, we shall be tempted to trim it and to eliminate the elements that provoke opposition. So then, third, and above all, we must guard it against every possible corruption, keeping it pure whatever the cost. Guard it faithfully, spread it actively, suffer for it bravely - that is our threefold duty.[2]

Though given many years ago, this excellent exposition is still worth reading in our day and ministers would benefit by taking time to read these gospel meditations.  At the end of the series, Stott outlines a gospel-centered ministry, from this epistle, as follows :

Guard it--the gospel is a treasure;

Suffer for it--the gospel is an offense to the people;

Continue in it --the gospel is profitable;

Proclaim it - the gospel is good news.[3]

It is a pity that the thing that is most missing in today's Evangelical churches is the biblical gospel. May the Lord foster biblically faithful and gospel-centered ministry in His church.  It is hoped that these expositions would serve as an instrument for this purpose.

2 Timothy 1 : The Charge to Guard the Gospel             Read | Download

2 Timothy 2 : The Charge to Suffer for the Gospel        Read | Download

2 Timothy 3 : The Charge to Continue in the Gospel     Read | Download

2 Timothy 4 : The Charge to Preach the Gospel            Read | Download

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[1]  Guard the Gospel: 2 Timothy 1, Urbana 1967

[2]  Ibid

[3]  Preach the Gospel: 2 Timothy 4, Urbana 1967