BIBLICAL PREACHING AND TEACHING

A congregation is nurtured by the teaching of the word of God (1 Pet 1:23-2:3). Wise pastors will thus plan a curriculum of preaching and teaching, so that their people will become increasingly biblically literate and grow in their understanding of key teachings in the Old and New Testaments. This will require careful long-term planning and much effort – which will pay rich dividends for the church.

But what sort of preaching and teaching are required if a church is to grow spiritually as well as in numbers? South Asia has many religions and various traditions of preaching and teaching. Some involve philosophical discussions, others the retelling of traditional stories and myths, others emotional appeals. Elements of these approaches can also be found in Christian preaching. But what sets biblical preaching and teaching apart is its focus on God and his word, the Holy Bible. Such teaching is never merely a lecture on a particular topic. When preaching is focused on God’s word, God speaks to us and through us, enabling us to communicate his heart and his intentions to those who listen.

Preaching and teaching have a long history. In the OT, Noah, Moses, prophets, priests and kings preached and taught the people about how to serve God and how to conduct their daily lives. In the NT, Jesus said that he had been anointed to preach and he commissioned his disciples to preach (Luke 4:18-19, 43; 9:1-2). He also spent many hours teaching his followers – both during sermons in synagogues and when people gathered around him (Mt. 5:1-2; 9:35). In Acts, we frequently see Paul preaching and teaching (15:35; 18:11), and he continued to do so in the letters he wrote to the churches. Over the centuries since then, preaching and teaching have continued to have a prominent role in the church. Every first day of the week when Christians gather, preaching of the word brings them closer to God and to each other. It guides and comforts them as they face troubles and challenges.

But in recent years, there has been a decline in biblical preaching and teaching. In some churches, there may be only a ten-minute sermon in a two-hour service. In others, the sermon may last much longer, but little of its content comes from the Bible. All that remains is the pastor’s opinion or an emotional exhortation to positive thinking!

But our calling as Christian preachers is not to promote positive thinking but to teach our hearers so that they can grow in the knowledge of God (2 Tim 3:16-17). We need to revive biblical preaching and teaching if we want to fulfil our biblical mission. Here are some points that we need to bear in mind as we do so:

• Preaching and practising. One of the reasons for the disinterest in preaching and teaching is that the life of the one speaking does not always match what is being said. In that case, why should the hearers allow it to influence them? Life speaks louder than speech.

We need leaders who clearly strive to practise what they preach. In 1 Corinthians 9:27, Paul says, “I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

• Preaching with Prayer. In Acts 6:4, the apostles committed themselves to “prayer and the ministry of the word”. The Apostle Paul regularly prayed and appealed for prayer support for his ministry (Phil 1:3-6; Eph 6:19-20). If we ignore the importance of prayer and regard it as a waste of time, preaching and teaching become a human exercise. But human insight is limited; God’s

power is unlimited. Prayer is what makes preaching and teaching effective.

• Preaching with preparation. The Bible is not an ordinary book. It is a collection of sixty-six writings written by scores of authors over a period of some 1500 years. Each book was written with a specific purpose, in a specific situation, for a specific group of people.

Although the same Holy Spirit inspired all the writings of the Bible, each has a different subject. Biblical preaching and teaching involves communicating, with the help of the Holy Spirit, the biblical message in the present context after understanding it in its original context, so that hearers may apply the truth in their own lives. Without preparation, preaching and teaching will either be boring, repetitive or false.

• Preaching to people. In preaching and teaching, you are making a bridge between the Bible and the hearers. That’s why it is important to understand both shores, that is, the Bible and the people you are addressing. You need to know their language, culture and mentality.

And that is not easy to do. If you preach or teach without understanding the people, communication will flow only one-way, and your hearers will be bored. But if you do know both shores, your preaching and teaching will touch the hearts of people and transform them.

• Preaching with understanding of problems. Biblical preaching not only transforms life, it also teaches people how to live in the midst of various problems. It reveals an understanding of the context in which people live (including what they read in their newspapers and see on TV) and the challenges they face. It teaches them to see their problems from the right perspective, and how to handle them. For example, if addiction or greed is a problem affecting a certain community or church, it is important to understand the problem and then to preach. When we do that, people will relate to the preaching and they will accept it.

• Preaching with purpose. Preaching and teaching should have a purpose and a goal. The goal is not to show off your skills. Nor is it merely to communicate your message. Our focus should be on the transformation that we want to see in the lives of believers and the life of the church.

• Preaching with practicality. Preaching and teaching should be presented in words that are easy to understand and apply. If we allow ourselves to sound as if we are presenting a research paper, our hearers will be bored. But if we translate biblical language into the everyday language of ordinary people, our hearers will be in a position to understand and accept it. And they will begin to take an interest in it. Somebody has said that preaching should be so simple and practical that those who listen should think that they too could preach like that.

If we are to spread biblical teaching, we not only have to keep the culture of biblical preaching alive but also make it interesting and practical. Preaching and prayer go together. Christians will be healthy when churches make right and clear preaching their priority. And healthy Christians will build healthy churches.

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BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

Whenever we read anything, we have to interpret what it means. What is the author saying to us? The same question has to be asked when we read the Bible. But the task of interpreting the Bible is particularly complex because every book in it has two authors – God and the human author. The Bible is God’s inspired word (2 Tim 3:16) but those he inspired were human beings (2 Pet 1:21). They used everyday language to record what they heard from God, and thus each book of the Bible reflects the language, time, geography and culture in which it was originally written. The writers also had different styles and different levels of literary ability. Some wrote prose, others poetry. Some intended their words to be read literally, while others spoke in images and parables.

When we interpret the Bible, we need help to bridge the distance of time and culture between the text and our world today. That is why scholars have developed general rules and methods that we should use if we are to interpret the Bible correctly. The study of these rules is called hermeneutics.

There are three areas we need to focus on when we interpret the Bible: the readers, the exegesis (that is, the meaning of the words in their context) and the application.

The readers of a biblical text fall into two broad categories: the original readers, that is, the people to whom the biblical writer addressed his words, and readers today. For example, the original readers of the account of the exodus in the OT were Jews who needed to be reminded of what God had done for them and why they needed to obey his commandments. But for Dalits who read the story today, God’s liberation of the Israelites from Egypt is seen as a reminder of God’s deep concern for those who are poor and exploited. They see themselves in a similar position to the Israelite slaves and the oppressive upper castes as equivalent to Pharaoh and Egyptian political structures.

We need to remember that no one does interpretation in a vacuum. We all come to the Bible with presuppositions that affect the way we interpret what we read. Thus we need to acknowledge the context in which we attempt to explain Scriptures today. The type of reinterpretation of the text done by modern readers such as the Dalit theologians is perfectly valid. However, it must be done with caution and preparation. It is irresponsible simply to search for novel interpretations or interpretations that suit us without paying serious attention to the text itself.

This is the task of exegesis, in which we dig out the meaning that the author intended to convey to his original readers. It involves paying attention to the context and content of the message and the particular historical setting of the original readers. For example, Isaiah wrote the famous words, “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel” (Isa 7:14) in the eighth century BC.

The original readers were people whose nation was being threatened by a coalition of hostile kings. Isaiah’s prophecy encouraged them not to lose heart, because within the time it would take for a young woman to conceive and give birth to a child and teach him the difference between right and wrong, this coalition would be overthrown (Isa 7:3-16). The child was called “Immanuel” as a reminder that the Lord was with Judah. Many centuries later, Matthew remembered these words and recognised that they also applied in a different way to the circumstances of Jesus’ birth (Matt 1:22-23).

Because the writings and events recorded in the Bible span many centuries, the historical context will differ for each biblical book. We need to understand this context if we are to understand why, for example, the Israelites were commanded, “Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material” (Lev 19:19). Are we wrong to wear shirts made of a mix of polyester and cotton today? Why were tattoos forbidden (Lev 19:28)? Is the head covering Paul speaks of in 1 Corinthians 11:4-16 the same as a hat or veil? To be able to understand these texts, we need to investigate what these things signalled in the culture of their day. Many instructions in the Bible are culturally dictated and are not to be mistaken for commands that will always apply.

Often, the clue to the correct interpretation of texts is found within the book itself. We can also seek the help of a good Bible dictionary or commentary.

A second important issue in exegesis is the study of the literary context of the text. On the broadest level, this means the genre or style of the writing. Is the author writing poetry, telling a story, describing a historical event, or using the genre known as apocalyptic writing? Should we read the psalmist’s declaration “A thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by” (Ps 90:4) as a mathematical equation from which to calculate the age of creation? Or, should we recognise that the psalm is a hymn, using the poetic device known as simile (the word “like”) to celebrate the eternal existence of God?

Understanding the literary context also means recognising that sentences have meaning in relation to the preceding and succeeding sentences. So recognising units of thought helps us understand the author’s original intent. For example, many Christians use, “I can do all this through him who gives me strength” (Phil 4:13) to reassure themselves that they can succeed in some undertaking. But if we look at the immediate context, we discover that what Paul is talking about is the ability to be content regardless of economic circumstances.

It is also important to be aware of the meaning of the individual words in a sentence or passage. The words Isaiah or Paul used may not have the same connotations today. Moreover, the same word may have more than one meaning. If we do not recognise this, we will be puzzled by the apparent contradiction of how David can say that he is righteous (Ps 7:8) while Paul declares that “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10).

Finally, we must remember that we do not seek only theoretical biblical knowledge. Interpretation is not complete if we do not also look at the application of what we have studied to the present.

Interpretation should lead to transformation. The Bible should be used for self-examination, prayer, guidance, healing and sanctification. Our obedience to it and the transformation it causes in our lives should ultimately lead to transformation of the church and society.

We have scriptural justification for insisting on this. The Scriptures repeatedly claim that people glorify God by obeying or applying his word (Deut 30:11-20; Matt 7:13-27). The Bible also claims that its message is relevant for later generations, and not just for its original readers. Moses instructed his people to reread the laws every seven years (Deut 31:9-13). Later prophets applied to their own generations the messages given by earlier prophets (2 Sam 7:12-16; Jer 33:19-22). Paul told the Romans: “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope” (Rom 15:4). Therefore every reader should try to find what bearing the biblical message has on life in general and on our personal lives.

We should also make sure that our interpretation of any one text is in line with what is taught in related texts across the whole Bible. For example, careful study makes it clear that we cannot interpret 3 John 2 as meaning that God has willed financial prosperity for all who believe in him. Sometimes we will find texts that seem to be in opposition to one another, but careful study helps to ease these tensions and assists us to interpret Scripture with Scripture.

While our application should be solidly rooted in our study of the text itself, every text can have a number of applications. Its significance for one person may be different from its significance for someone else. Obedience to the Great Commission (Matt 28:19-20) may involve one person becoming a missionary, another witnessing to neighbours, and a third doing something else. Thus the meaning of the Great Commission, while singular, has numerous implications and invites different applications in different contexts.

Finally, we should not underestimate the role of the Holy Spirit in biblical interpretation. The Spirit’s role is to convict, convince and arouse sluggish hearts by applying the truths perceived in the texts to the lives of individuals. The Holy Spirit, who was active in the process of writing the Scriptures by working along with the biblical authors, was also involved in the recognition that these books should be included in the Bible. Today that same Spirit is involved in guiding every reader in a lifelong interpretative process. Therefore, every reader of the Bible should pray that the Spirit will help us to recognize the truth of the text and show us which of its implications apply particularly to us and our situation.

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Elements in Preaching

Three important elements in preaching

Any sermon is divided into three main headings:

1.     Introduction

2.     Main Body

3.     Conclusion

1. Introduction: The word introduced coming from the Latin word “inter” which means in and then Dicer ‘to lead’. That which leads in side is intro. Introduction which helps the preacher to moves smoothly in the main body of the sermon. Good intro a sermon to the audience in a simple and attractive

• The good intro arose the interest of the audience and stimulates their curiosity
• Intro prepares to lead the audience in the sermon
• The intro must introduce the theme of your sermon
• Intro builds the good RAPO between you and audience

Mark of good introduction

1.     Introduction should be simple clear and brief.

2.     Introduction should be interesting.

3.     Introduction should be tune with the spirit of your sermon

4.     A preacher should use the verity of approach to introduce his or her sermon.

5.     Introduction should lead the preacher easily and naturally into the sermon.

6.     Introduction should meet the need of the congregation.

Mark Bad Introduction

1.     Posting oneself in the Introduction

2.     Do not start your sermon with the loud voice.

3.     And do not become emotional in the beginning of the sermon.

4.     Do not share the entire sermon in the Introduction

5.     Do not apologies people in the beginning.

6.     People will find out the preacher did not prepare. Because lack of confidence and lack of boldness.

Types of Introduction:

1.     Introducing sermon using scripture

a) You can read a text twice, and start the sermon explaining the text.

b)     You can use the bible story to introducing the sermon

c)    You can also use the historical and geographical background of          the text

d)   You can also introduce the sermon with facts and archeological         finding

e)     Start with author and purpose of the text

f)      You can also select the one word the text and start explaining it.

g)     You can also describe the contain of the passage of the text

2.     Using introducing the Sermon true incidence, story, etc.

a)     Use story

b)     Use personal experience

c)     Use a proverbs or a Quotation

d)     Use also the common experience. Newspaper, Television, Etc.

e)     Use the events or a short story about the well none person

f)      Use new development of the country

3.     Introducing sermon using question

We have to always ask question in the beginning to grasp the attention of the audience.

4.     Start with Singing

It is unique way to start a Sermon with singing but not often.

5.     Introduce with your own Message

Sharing goal, what you want to achieve and desire can be a good start.

2. Body:

The core of homiletics is the sermon body, which serves as the "meat" in which the main point is explored, examined, and bolstered by structured, "chewable" portions. It maintains the sermon's thematic integrity while converting exegesis into a compelling, pertinent message that captivates the audience with concise arguments.

• Development of the Central Idea: The body is where the main homiletical idea (derived from scripture) is argued, explained, and illustrated, turning raw text into a coherent, persuasive message.
• Organizational Structure: It provides a structured flow—often divided into two or three major points—that prevents audience disengagement and ensures the message is easy to follow.
• "Chewable" Content: The body breaks down complex theological truths into practical, "chewable" chunks, ensuring the audience understands key words and concepts.
• Supporting Evidence and Application: It integrates supporting scriptural evidence, illustrations, and practical applications for daily life to ensure the sermon is transformative rather than merely informative.
• Cohesion and Focus: According to studies on (PDF) The Importance of Homiletics and Communication and the What Is Homiletics? An Intro to the Art & Science of Preaching, the body ensures the sermon remains focused on a single, core truth rather than becoming disjointed or borin

3. Conclusion:

It is very important part of Sermon. One Scholar says ‘Conclusion decide the Conflict’

• Conclusion should provoke the audience
• Conclusion should reflect and it should emphasis is the main ides of your sermon.
• Conclusion should have an application in our life.
• Conclusion should be short, precise, clear with no confusion.
• Do not introduce any new point in your conclusion.
• Do not generalize in conclusion.
• Do not announce end of your sermon.
• Time should important.
• Eye contact is very important.
• We can also share stories, events and experiences that can touch the audience.
• Facts and figures to challenges for audience.
• Conclude with confidence and boldness.

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Illustration and Tips in Preaching

‘Great Preacher are the master of the Art of Illustration”

Jesus Christ set the values of Illustrations in Preaching, He always tells a stories with the Kingdom of God. Illustration is a great help to an audience which help them to carry home. Illustration also important to arouse the audience from sleepiness and interact with them. They are the light which makes the subject lively and clear. According to Cooper “To Illustrate is to light up or Illuminate” It also make the subject plain and simple (as Jesus did). Preacher should use Illustration to make the Sermon interesting.

The source of illustration:

1.  From everywhere. Jesus picked up from day to day life. He was a good Observer.

2.   Preacher must keep eye open. He also should be good observer.

3. Our Culture, Community from the age that we are living, Our practices-habits, customs.

4.  Newspaper-important source, it has events, situations, facts, figures articles, etc.

5.  History- a good source that can be

6.   Poetry

7. Biography-biblical, missionaries, great preacher, great personalities, etc

8.   Science, art and invention

9.   Three kingdoms: animal, vegetable and mineral. Sheep, goat | wine, grapes, wheat | salt, gold

10. Children

How to use the illustration:

1.    It should be simple

2.   Understood by all people

3.   It must not be lie

4.   Preacher should not make a point just for the illustration or the story.

5.   It should illustrate.

6.   There should not be too many illustration.

7.   Preacher should know his illustration well, the value that he wants to communicate.

8.    Preacher can file his illustration to keep his record.

Tips on sermon delivery:

1.     The use of the precise words. Words must be simple and clear, always use appropriate words to communicate effectively.

2.     Try to use different words to create or image in the minds of the audience.

3.     Sentences should be short.

4.     Always pronounce the words correctly.

5.     Preacher can take effort to learn new vocabulary.

The use of voice-tone:

1. The speed in preaching. 120-160 words per minute. Fluency in preaching.

2. Volume: it is the sound you produce when you preach. It is also up and down when you preach.  

3. Intensity: the preacher can change the intensity according to the need of the sermon. The volume also change.

4.  Pitch- There are two types of Pitch

a.      Normal Pitch – normal sound

b.     Optimum Pitch- Using at the best

The Pauses in preaching: Creating Silence in between, To know what nest

Monotonous preaching:

Non-verbal communication in Preaching:

1.     Gesture: it is the posture where you express yourself, behave on the pulpit, you action and other things. Hand and fingers for body language. It is suggested not to hold the pulpit for the whole preaching. Your arms, finger, hands, legs to move according to the scripts. Standing Position should be mindful.

2. Eye Contact: Looking directly the eyes of the audience. Not focusing to one direction or one particular place but moving around from corner to corner, place to place.

3. Facial Expression: Depending upon the scripts the feeling should be visible.

4.  The whole personality should be shown.

5.  Dress: The way we dress also important.

Plan your sermon well ahead. You can also memorise the quotation.

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ESSENCE OF PREACHING

THE ESSENCE OF PREACHING
A. The stage fear:

1.   Awareness that the preaching is being evaluated
2. A fear of committing mistake before the large crowd
3. The ides becoming the fool when we commuted mistake.
4.  The feeling that the message will stop in the middle and it may not be effective.
5.  The presence of highly qualified in the audience
6.  When we informed the audience more than you.

7.  When you are the new person we will fear.

What happened?

The stage fear it is an artificial that was created by the preacher. Is an imaginary fear that the preacher actually developed.

a.      Using of wrong words

b.     Committing of grammatical mistake.

How to overcome the stage fear:

1.     Choosing the favorite theme and passage.

2.     Write down the quotation and important points

3.     The preacher need to be on the pulpit

4.     Medically take a deep breath

5.     Write down the opening sentence

6.     Build your confidence

7.     New language

8.     Memories the vocabulary

9.     Read books

10. Pronunciation- Try to pronounce the different word to pronounce it correctly.

11. Practice the sermon frequently

12. Prepare short sermon in the beginning

13. Listen to some of the great preacher

14. The preacher should always willing to work hard.

B. Two Kinds of collecting Material.

1.     Defensive study: this is an ordinary method to collect the material just before delivery sermon. In this preacher, start collecting the material after getting the topic. The preacher will lack the quality of preaching. The effectiveness also will not be there.

2. Offensive study: in this method the preacher collect the material systematically. The preacher collects illustration information explanations and expositions for various sources for a long period. In this study the preacher maintain the record of the collected material.

C. The call and the qualification of the preacher:

1.     Spiritual: the preacher should be a regenerated believers.

2.     He/ she need to be spiritual person

3.     He/ she need to be Christian character

4.     He/ she need to be prayerful person

5.     He/ she need to be student

6.     He/ she need to be clean life

7.     He/ she need to be fit for the work spiritually, physically and mentally.

8.     He/ she need to be man and women of god

9.     He/ she need to be man and woman of the word of god.

D. The process of preparing the sermon:

1.   Selecting of the text- a text may be verse, it can be short paragraph, and entire chapter.

How to selecting the text:

1. Consider the time that is allotted to us for preaching.

2.     Learn some spiritual lesson

3.  Text should express the complete thought and idea.

4.  Understand your own limitation and capacity to the text

5. Keep your audience in mind when you are selecting the text

6.  Select the text according to the event and season in your church calendar

7.  According to the event that are happening in the world and nation

How to Study the text:

1.     Spending quality time in understanding the text

2.     Read the text several times

3. Apply the text to principle of bible study. Observation interpretation and application.

4.     Determine the central idea of the text

Dig idea:

1.  Focusing on the big idea that you have understood in that particular text

2. It is Dominion thought or central idea of the passage.

3.  Dig idea is a single concept that you deal in your sermon

4.   Each sermon should have dominion thought

5.   We should have other idea to dominion

a)  The preacher should ask the question about what I am talking about.

b)  What exactly I am saying about and what I am talking about.

E. The application of Sermon:

What is Application? Application is the process by which a divine idea or a truth is brought to a relevancy to a person everyday life. Application is also a task of relating what God has said to a modern man.

Important Points in Application:

a.  Considered the need of the audience and also the original purpose and function of the passage that you’ve selected.

b. You can determined the message of God in the passage and convey it to your audience.

c.  Don’t distort the original meaning of the passage while applying it. Keep the truth intact.

d.   It should lead audience to make spiritual decision.

e.  The audience should find their answers for their problems.

Remember in Application

a.    Application is not a conclusion

b.    Don’t’ wait for your application till conclusion

c.   Application can be made after every sub-division or main division.

d. Preaching and application should go together (hand in hand)

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