Richard Holland (M.Div., Master’s Seminary; D.Min., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) is an Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry at Master’s Seminary. In the article, “Expository Preaching,” Holland claimed that the robustness of a preacher’s bibliology is the source of the power and authority in their preaching. Therefore, he asserted, “a robust bibliology will logically lead to expository preaching as its homiletical expression” (Holland 2011, 20).
Holland supported his claim, mentioned above, as he began with at discussion about the post-modern ideology and its affect on hermeneutics and homiletical practices regarding the authority of the Bible. However, post-modernism is not the first opponent to challenge the authority of the Bible. After describing post-modernism influence, Holland then unpacked historical challenges the Bible, regarding its authority, has faced: textual veracity, supernatural/scientific plausibility, social relevance, and moral accountability. Once the different challenges were
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First, it claims that there is a correlation between one’s theology of the Bible and their homiletical expression. As previously noted, this is important to expository preaching, since the Bible is the source of sermon content and ideas. If one is going to ascribe to expository preaching, then they should have a healthy view of Scripture. Second, “Expository Preaching” addressed the use and benefits of inductive sermon form. Holland suggested that the inductive form serves to help listeners answer “life questions” using narratives and stories in the Bible. He cautioned that all questions proposed should be answered from the text. This practice places authority in the Word of God rather than the listeners. In a post-modern world, expository preachers must not only have a high view of Scripture, but must also be able to communicate its truths in a way that connects with the
“Theology is not superior to the gospel. It exists to aid the preaching of salvation. Its business is to make the essential facts and principles of Christianity so simple and clear…that all who preach or teach the gospel…can draw on its stores and deliver a complete and unclouded Christian message. When the progress of humanity creates new tasks…or new problems…theology must connect these old fundamentals of our faith and make them Christian tasks and problems.” (WR 6)
The Bible is read and interpreted by many people all over the world. Regardless, no one knows the absolute truth behind scripture. Walter Brueggemann, professor of Old Testament, wrote “Biblical Authority” to help people understand what he describes as six different parts that make up the foundation to ones understanding of scripture. He defines these six features as being: inherency, interpretation, imagination, ideology, inspiration, and importance. As Brueggemann explains each individual part, it is easy to see that they are all interconnected because no one can practice one facet without involuntarily practicing at least one other part.
In sociorhetorical context of writing theology, asking the right questions is essential, for examples: asking the author “who,” asking the subjects as “what” and inquiring the audience as “to whom” and finding the purpose of the letter as “why.” At one point, asking those quest...
At the time of Edwards’ sermon, the height of the great awakening to Christianity had peaked (Farley ). Considering this period and his audience, Edwards use of the Bible as evidence for his arguments is practical. His cla...
When looking at the common theme that Barth develops in God Here and Now, it becomes apparent for the need of congregation to justify, ratify, and promote the Bible as the living word of God. When and where the Bible constitutes its own authority and significance, it mediates the very presence of God through the congregation. Encountering this presence in the Church, among those whose lives presume living through the Bible’s power and meaning. Barth states that the Bible must become God's Word and this occurs only when God wills to address us in and through it. The Christ-event is God's definitive self-disclosure, while Scripture and preaching are made to correspond to him as a faithful witness becomes the perfect statement according to Barth (Barth, 2003, p. 61).
Throughout the first 400 years that Christianity was present in the world it changed dramatically. It started small in an area near the eastern Mediterranean area but within these 400 years, it grew to encompass the whole of the Mediterranean and its surrounding. Throughout this time of growth, there was also much change within the beliefs of Christianity with the main belief centering around Jesus Christ. While Christianity grew and made it to new areas it was introduced to new people that interpreted the different scriptures and preaching of what it meant to be a Christian. Some of the most influential writings in these years came from Irenaeus of Lyons, a second-century writer, Christian, theologian, and bishop. He expressed his beliefs of what made a Christian a Christian within his writing. One of his most famous writings, The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, highlights the idea of the Holy Trinity and the Rule of Faith in the interpretation of the bible. Irenaeus believed that the Rule of Faith was ultimately necessary and required when reading and interpreting the word of Christianity saying, in the words of Isaiah, “If ye believe not, neither shall ye understand” (paragraph 3). In the eyes of Irenaeus, the Rule of Faith is one of the main things that makes a Christian a Christian.
Authority of Scripture reconciles the community with God and can transform our lives. To participate in the fuller blessing of understanding, it is important to view Scripture with historical and literary sensitivity, interpret theocentrically, ecclesially, and contextually. I realize each of these can be overwhelming to the average person who is seeking direction for a specific concern in their life. Therefore, Migliore reminds us, interpreting Scripture is practical engagement in the living of Christian faith, love, and hope in a still redeemed world. When we listen carefully to the voices of the past, from a worldwide culture, and guided by the Holy Spirit, we will open ourselves to those transformational opportunities.
For centuries now Christians have claimed to possess the special revelation of an omnipotent, loving Deity who is sovereign over all of His creation. This special revelation is in written form and is what has come to be known as The Bible which consists of two books. The first book is the Hebrew Scriptures, written by prophets in a time that was before Christ, and the second book is the New Testament, which was written by Apostles and disciples of the risen Lord after His ascension. It is well documented that Christians in the context of the early first century were used to viewing a set of writings as being not only authoritative, but divinely inspired. The fact that there were certain books out in the public that were written by followers of Jesus and recognized as being just as authoritative as the Hebrew Scriptures was never under debate. The disagreement between some groups of Christians and Gnostics centered on which exact group of books were divinely inspired and which were not. The debate also took place over the way we can know for sure what God would have us include in a book of divinely inspired writings. This ultimately led to the formation of the Biblical canon in the next centuries. Some may ask, “Isn’t Jesus really the only thing that we can and should call God’s Word?” and “Isn’t the Bible just a man made collection of writings all centered on the same thing, Jesus Christ?” This paper summarizes some of the evidences for the Old and New Testament canon’s accuracy in choosing God breathed, authoritative writings and then reflects on the wide ranging
Thus, an effort is made to highlight how Bible interpretation – through its publication – has developed in the history of Christianity.
In conclusion you can tell by my breif reasearch that exegesis is a large area of study. I wish that I had more time to study it. I plan to on my own time keep up on this subject and keep my memory fresh. Doing research for this paper has helped me in my exegetical view of scripture. I plan to become a pastor some day and exegesis will be a big part of my message and proclaimation. All in all exegesis was designed to give us a better awareness of God's Holy Word. If we apply it to our lives we will be better for it.
Is the language in the New Testament problematic for the modern world view? Rudolf Bultmann’s argument in the article, “The Task of Demythologizing,” in Philosophy and Faith: A Philosophy and Religion Reader, believes it is. He challenges the theologian to strip away the elements in the language of the mythical world image and the event of redemption, and then, suggests theology needs to examine the truths in the New Testament. Theology must discover whether the New Testament offers people a better understanding of themselves leading them to a genuine existential decision. Keeping in mind, the New Testament was written for humankind’s comprehension of the world view during the pre-scientific age, Bultmann stipulates theologians may want to
Preaching That Connects is the book for all who seek to hone their craft to communicate the truth of the gospel effectively. The authors acknowledge the fact that each person is different and everyone has different techniques and approach in preaching the word of God.
It may seem a little bit strange, but my favorite place in town in none other than this beautiful Evangelic Church. However, it wasn’t always so.
Westphal, M. (2009). Whose Community? Which Interpretation?: Philosophical Hermeneutics for the Church. Baker Academic. 107
In the first chapter of the book the author explains what preaching is and why it is needed. The author claims “that preaching is the process in which God uses to make himself known in the world.” The world is full of evil and preaching is a way God takes on the evil in this world. The next two chapters in the book deal with the preacher and the audience.