Expository Preaching

Whether in preaching, teaching, lecturing, or leading seminars, whatever the duty might be, it is important to be at your best; therefore, exposition is needed where right, clear, and concise communication is a must.

1.2. Defend or attack the statement that the essence of the expository message must come from the Bible.

The source of all doctrines and duties is in the Bible. In the Christian faith there is one source, and that one source is the Word of God. This is one of the main differences between cults and the Christian faith. If anyone is to be a Bible expositor, then the person's chief source must be the Bible. This isn't brain surgery; however, many preachers and Christians seem to base some of their doctrine and beliefs on secular or non-biblical sources; such as personal experience or the experiences of some scholar or commentator. These sources should only be viewed as secondary. These sources in no way supersede Scripture, and the individual who exalts these to a lofty position is not an expositor, but merely an opinion teller. Power doesn't lie in the opinions of finite men, only in the revelation of the infinite God.

1.3. Discuss briefly the method you will use to guard Bible priority.

We pastors must get our messages from the Word of God, and then we should use helps (these helps are internal and external) in order to enrich the message that God has given us from His Word, but we must remember that the message is to be derived from the Scripture, not from the helps to study the Scripture. We must recognize the difference between the source and the resources... between the primary source and the helps, for we are called not to preach the helps but the source. So, we should get our message from God's Word, and then go to the helps in order that our message may be enriched and made more complete.

1.4. Write briefly concerning the value of the following in expository speaking.

(a) Observation,

Observation is valuable because an individual must observe the text in order to find the central idea. We must ask ourselves what subject the author is trying to communicate. We must "investigate" the passage. A good tool to use would be that of diagramming sentences. Also, a good idea would be to repeatedly read over the text to distinguish between the author's points and sub-points.

(b) Reasoning.

Reasoning is valuable because God inspired His Word with the purpose that His people would understand His Word. He gave it in words in which the finite could understand what the Infinite has revealed. To reason is to think rationally. Obviously, if the Greek word for "delighted" doesn't ever refer to anything sexual, it would go against reason for a homosexual "Christian" to say that Jonathon delighted in David had something to do with sex relations. This violates reason, and therefore, reason is extremely important. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest lacking aspects of interpretation among lay-people today, as well as some pastors.