For many evangelicals, the new standard in homiletics is Bryan Chapell’s Christ-Centered Preaching, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2005). Chapell, a Presbyterian minister (PCA), is president and professor of Practical Theology at Covenant Theological Seminary. Chapell declares the direction of his project in chapter one in a paean of praise to expository preaching.
The fact that the power for spiritual change resides in God’s Word argues the case for expository preaching. Expository preaching attempts to present and apply the truths of a specific biblical passage. Other types of preaching that proclaim biblical truth are certainly valid and valuable, but for the beginning preacher and for a regular congregational diet no preaching type is more important than expository (30).
Expository preaching seeks “to communicate what God has committed to Scripture in order to give God’s people his truth for their time.” (31). The word cannot be separated from the preacher and his life, because “the inside is always on view” (37).
In chapter two Chapell looks more closely at the sermon, noting that “statements of truth, even biblical truth, do not automatically make a message for the pulpit. Well-constructed sermons require unity, purpose, and application” (36). Expository preaching requires a central theme, “the Bible’s theme” (46), which can be the organizing principle for the sermon’s subordinate points (48). With this background in mind, Chapell introduces his Fallen Condition Focus which becomes the “key concept” to the way he structures the sermon (48). He explains, “The corrupted state of our world and our being cry for God’s aid. He responds with the truths of Scripture and gives us hope by focusing his grace on a facet of our fallen condition in every portion of his Word. . . . The Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) is the mutual human condition that contemporary believers share with those to or about whom the text was written that requires the grace of the passage for God’s people to glorify and enjoy him” (50, emphasis his). There may be more than one FCF in a passage, but there should be a specific FCF for a particular sermon to a particular congregation (52). In light of the FCF, the sermon is intended to transform (53) as “biblical preaching moves from exegetical commentary and doctrinal exposition to life instruction” (54). It is through application that God is able “to restore his people with his Word” (57).
Chapter three discusses the selection of the text (60-71), tools for interpreting the text (71-75), and principles of interpretation (75-81). Chapter four looks at the “Components of Exposition.” Chapell finds a pattern for expository preaching embedded in the Scripture itself (86-87), though he acknowledges this is not the only pattern (88). He says, “though a normative order does not appear in Scripture, the features of exposition occur with enough frequency to suggest a common approach to expounding God’s truth: present the Word; explain what it says; and exhort based on what it means. This is expository preaching” (88). Chapell further suggests that expository preaching consists of explanation, illustration, and application (89), though these may be proportioned differently depending on the sermon and the congregation (91).
Chapter five looks at the explanation of the text and notes that it is necessary to “exegete our listeners as well as the text to construct a sermon that most powerfully and accurately explains what the text means” (106). The process of explaining the text is foundational to the sermon, but “an exegetical outline ordinarily is not a homiletical outline” (116 emphasis his). The preacher needs to exhaust the text, though that does not mean that “everything has to be covered in equal detail” (119). The propositional character of expository preaching is reflected in the section, “The Light of Presentation,” which makes a number of references to proving the truth, proving one’s point, or presenting one’s argument (120-127).
Chapter six argues for a classical outline structure for the expository sermon which “takes its topic, main points, and subpoints from a text” (131). Chapell does say, however, “there is not one right way of shaping expository sermons and there are always exceptions regarding general principles as well as specific features” (142). He laments that “large numbers of contemporary preachers have turned away from this disciplined approach to the text” (132-3) and asserts that expository sermons using a traditional outline “still communicate well if preachers understand the principles to which key features of the outline must adhere” (135). The bulk of the chapter consists of a detailed and useful explanation of how to outline the traditional, expository sermon. Chapell addresses the contributions of the “New Homiletic,” (162-166) but warns against the underpinnings of narrative preaching: “The philosophical ground from which modern narrative theory sprouts is that propositional truth is not transcendent or transferable” (166). He suggests taking that which is useful without embracing their distrust of propositional truth (167). The last short section of the chapter (168-173) evaluates mass communication preaching and compares the “Traditional Expository Model” with the Mass Communication Model, concluding that “preachers are best equipped for a lifetime of leading God’s people when they know the variety of tools available to help them construct messages faithful to his Word” (172).
Chapter seven, “The Pattern of Illustration,” is the most interesting chapter and displays extensive reworking of the original 1994 chapter. Chapell says the “mind yearns for and needs the concrete in order to anchor the abstract” (178). He surveys the “crisis in preaching” (179) and the “currents of culture” (181) and notes that preaching must take into account the experiential nature of our age (182). “Listeners who experience concepts—even vicariously—actually learn more than those who consider words and ideas in the abstract” (185). He says, “Although the gospel is logical, it is also spiritual, visceral, and impressionistic” (185). Indeed, “illustrations that engage the whole person . . . are powerful, biblical instruments of learning and motivation” (186). The preacher who chooses not to use illustrations works most ineffectively (186). More important than human needs or a preacher’s effectiveness, however, is the simple fact that the use of illustrations comes to us with an impeccable Biblical basis. “Relating truth through illustrative narratives, parables, allegories, and images was Jesus’ method of communicating” (187). The remainder of this chapter includes excellent discussions on how to use illustrations (190-200) and concerns about the proper use of illustrations (200-207).
Chapter eight discusses application, which “fulfills the obligations of exposition” (210) and focuses “the exposition according to a text’s priorities” (212). The remainder of the chapter unpacks the nature of application, the structure of application, and difficulties attendant to application. Chapter nine is a discussion of “Introductions, Conclusions, and Transitions.” The last two chapters include “A Redemptive Approach to Preaching,” chapter ten, and “Developing Redemptive Sermons,” chapter eleven, followed by a series of Appendices. This book has many excellent features, not the least of which is the Fallen Condition Focus, and should be high on the list of those wanting a clear and thorough presentation of classical homiletics. The second edition, with its largely revised sections on narrative preaching and illustration, provides helpful correctives that will enable expository preachers to add new tools to their homiletics arsenal—if they have ears to hear, that is.
No comments:
Post a Comment