Preaching the Book God Wrote (Part 1)
May 28th, 2007
(By John MacArthur)
We believe in biblical inerrancy. So what? How does the truth of biblical inerrancy and the authority of God’s written revelation affect what we preach and how we minister? There’s little point in defending the inerrancy of Scripture if we’re unwilling to bow to the authority of Scripture in our approach to ministry.
This article is adapted from a paper written by John MacArthur at the height of the inerrancy debate in the early 1980s.
The theological highlight of 20th Century had to be evangelicalism’s intense focus on the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. [1] Much of what was written defending inerrancy in the 1970s and ‘80s represented the most acute theological reasoning our generation has produced.
Yet it seems our practical commitment to inerrancy is somewhat lacking. The modern evangelical’s commitment to the authority and inerrancy of the Bible doesn’t always flesh out in ministry. Shouldn’t our preaching reflect our conviction that God’s Word is infallibly authoritative? Too often, it doesn’t. In fact, there is a discernable trend in contemporary evangelicalism away from biblical preaching, and a corresponding drift toward experience-centered, pragmatic, topical messages in the pulpit.
How can this be? Shouldn’t our preaching reflect our conviction that the Bible is the verbally inspired, inerrant Word of God? If we believe that “all Scripture is inspired by God” and inerrant, shouldn’t we be equally committed to the truth that it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work”? [2] Shouldn’t that magnificent truth determine how we preach?
Clearly it should. Paul gave this mandate to Timothy: “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.” [3] Any form of preaching that ignores the intended purpose and design of God is seriously deficient.
J. I. Packer has eloquently captured the pursuit of preaching:
Preaching appears in the Bible as a relaying of what God has said about Himself and His doings, and about men in relation to Him, plus a pressing of His commands, promises, warnings, and assurances, with a view to winning the hearer or hearers…to a positive response. [4]
The only logical response then to inerrant Scripture is to preach it expositionally. By expositionally, I mean preaching in such a way that the meaning of the biblical text is presented entirely and exactly as it was intended by God. Expository preaching is the proclamation of the truth of God as mediated through the preacher. [5]
Some who are known as expositors don’t even believe in biblical inerrancy. It might also be the case that most who affirm biblical inerrancy don’t practice expository preaching. (Again, the most popular trend among evangelicals these days is decidedly in the opposite direction—toward preaching driven by “felt needs,” and other topical approaches to the pulpit ministry.) These are baffling inconsistencies, because an inerrantist perspective demands expository preaching, and a non-inerrantist perspective makes expository preaching unnecessary.
Putting it another way, what does it matter that we have an inerrant text if we do not deal with the basic phenomena of communication, e.g. words, sentences, grammar, morphology, syntax, etc. And if we don’t, why bother preaching it?
In his landmark work on exegetical theology, Walter Kaiser pointedly analyzed the anemic state of the church due to the inadequate feeding of the flock:
It is no secret that Christ’s Church is not at all in good health in many places of the world. She has been languishing because she has been fed, as the current line has it, “junk food”; all kinds of artificial preservatives and all sorts of unnatural substitutes have been served up to her. As a result, theological and Biblical malnutrition has afflicted the very generation that has taken such giant steps to make sure its physical health is not damaged by using foods or products that are carcinogenic or otherwise harmful to their physical bodies. Simultaneously a worldwide spiritual famine resulting from the absence of any genuine publication of the Word of God (Amos 8:11) continues to run wild and almost unabated in most quarters of the Church. [6]
The obvious cure for evangelicalism’s spiritual malnourishment is expository preaching.
The mandate is clear. Expository preaching is the declarative genre in which inerrancy finds its logical expression and the church its life and power. Stated simply, inerrancy demands exposition as the only method of preaching that preserves the purity of Scripture and accomplishes the purpose for which God gave us His Word.
Or, as R. B. Kuiper succinctly stated it: “The principle that Christian preaching is proclamation of the Word must obviously be determinative of the content of the sermon.” [7]
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Endnotes:
[1] The doctrine of biblical inerrancy is “the claim that when all facts are known, the scriptures in their original autographs and properly interpreted will be shown to be without error in all that they affirm to the degree of precision intended, whether that affirmation relates to doctrine, history, science, geography, geology, etc.” Paul D. Feinberg, “Infallibility and Inerrancy,” Trinity Journal, VI:2 (Fall, 1977), 120.
[2] 2 Tim 3:16-17
[3] 2 Tim 4:1-2, emphasis added
[4] James I. Packer, “Preaching As Biblical Interpretation,” Inerrancy And Common Sense, ed. Roger R. Nicole and J. Ramsey Michaels (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1980), p. 189.
[5] D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1971), p. 222.
[6] Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Toward An Exegetical Theology (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1981), pp. 7-8.
[7] R. B. Kuiper, “Scriptural Preaching,” The Infallible Word, 3rd rev. ed., ed. Paul Woolley (Philadelphia: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1967), p. 217.
(To be continued tomorrow)
Thank you for republishing this article by Dr. MacArthur…
I just posted this at my site last Friday…I believe you will see how Dr MacArthur’s observations 20 years ago has translated into damaged reality of today…
God bless, Jim
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The Commencement Season
http://watcherslamp.blogspot.com/2007/05/commencement-season.html
Families across the country will celebrate their children’s graduations from high school and college. As a father of a graduating senior, I look back and am amazed at where the time has gone, and how fast it goes.
My daughter has attended school under the threat of the Beltway Sniper, suffered through the loss of a close, teen-aged friend to suicide, and watched her high school community grieve the loss of a former graduate in the Virginia Tech tragedy.
She also has watched her SBC church transition to the seeker sensitive model. She watched how men surround and protect their pastors, out of fierce political loyalty, void of Biblical authority. She watched her father plead for doctrinal purity. She watched her family struggle to recover from the public shame of her father being removed as a Sunday School teacher. She watched her family leave the very church she was baptised in 7 years earlier.
When my daughter looks back on these disturbing memories, she will also see the Hand of God in each situation. His grace and mercy. His truth and love. His power and might.
My daughter can testify to the reality and power of Jesus Christ as revealed in His Word, and as demonstrated by His indwelling Holy Spirit. She also knows when someone is pretending the do the same. She knows how smoke and mirrors can be used to create the illusion of God’s power and presence.
Why would any pastor spend what precious little time there is on anything but teaching the whole counsel of God to fight the very real giants that threaten our children and our churches?
Joel 2
28 “And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.
29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
30 I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke.
31 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
Posted by Watcher’s Lamp
This article by John MacArthur changed my preaching, in the early 1980’s. Fundamentalist learned to preach topical and generally preaching was about the preacher”s experiences and ideas. While always believing the Scriptures were inerrant, the idea of relying on what God said about Himself and His doing and about men in relation to Him was not an logical response to how I was preaching.
Then John’s articles, (the Shepherd’s Conferences) brought about this idea of teaching the Word of God book by book.
The idea of expository preaching allowed me to say to the church body that I believed in the idea of Biblical inerrancy
And the best way to find the church’s life and power was in the preaching/teaching of God’s Word, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, word by word. Rather than given the preachers experiences, let the Word teach God’s truths.
IF you believe the Bible is really God’s Word and is about Him and His purpose for mankind and His Church, you will allow God’s Word alone to be the foundation of your teaching to the church.
The Bible is God’s word. The NASB, which Macarthur uses, is a highly perverted Satanic deception. Too bad Macarthur apparently has no discernment.
Hmm…seems like Ruckmanism is alive and well. Although I am given to the usage of the King James translation, I am also cautious as to what I would ascribe Satanic deception to.
On what Basis would you say something like that Mark? I think the NASB is an excellent translation of God’s Word. Highly Accurate and easily understood. How dare you question Dr. John MacArthur’s discernment. He has dedicated his life to studying God’s word and I have a tremendous respect for him. How long have you studyed God’s word Mark? Let me guess you are a KJV or nothing kind of guy right?
Hello Mark Shriver, I have, in the past, also made comments which I later regretted. Perhaps this is the same for you. You said, “The Bible is God’s word. The NASB, which Macarthur uses, is a highly perverted Satanic deception. Too bad Macarthur apparently has no discernment.”
On what do you base this comment? You gave no background, referenced no source for your current belief. Please lay some groundwork for your statement. At this point we can only call it “unfounded” rhetoric for the comment on the NASB as well as against the person of Mr. MacArthur.
Please be gracious in your reply as befits all who name the name of Christ.
Yours in His Name,
Pat
I attended GCC in the early 80’s as a new believer and very young man. At the time, I thought ALL churches were like this. I had NO idea!
Coming from a Catholic background, I never heard the Bible TAUGHT before. I heard portions of the Bible weekly, but never expositionally taught. It was only when I left Grace to attend seminary did I realize how unique my experience was. I would go as far to say that sitting under John and the other skilled teachers (most of which have much more skill than the average pastor) was like having an undergraduate degree in theology. In some cases, a graduate degree if you really applied yourself.
This became apparent when I listened to others reason about life away from Grace. There wasn’t that fundamental background. I see this today as I reason with others. Without a strong fundamental background, there is a naïve view of the spiritual life giving rise to less than best methods of ministry.
Without a solid background, one’s ability to reason is very limited…and one doesn’t just wish for a solid background, it takes a lot of work. If you were blessed as I was, sitting under strong bible teaching for six years as a hungry new believer in college made the route to understanding was much easier…probably because I didn’t know better!
My only warning to the strong expositional church is this–at times (sometimes more than not) there is such a high view of God and His Word and fight against a compromising church culture that the people of God take a back seat.
There is a degree of being naïve to what’s really going on inside the heart and mind of the flock, settling for more intellectual conversation over heart-felt sharing. The result is little deep communion and connection with an “out-of-sight, out-of-mind” tendency.
This mindset can be seen on most bible colleges. Students become so exposed to bible teaching they get numb to it and it becomes an academic endeavor. Same in the strong bible teaching church. In short, shepherding can be weak and the deeper meaning of CHURCH lost as many seek to quench their thirst for knowledge and don’t grow proportionally in wisdom.
I believe the Nouthetic counseling model allows one to get involved without really getting involved. It is naïve to think because one has a seminary degree (knowledge) that they can then counsel. This is a Greek model over the Hebrew. Knowledge is important (strong doctrine) but it MUST penetrate the heart before one can really act (will). This was Paul’s model of ministry based on Romans 6:17.
It is great to have a high view of God and His Word. This in truth should cause us to walk in love towards one another and in wisdom (obedient application of all this bible understanding).
“But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you”
–KJV…want to communicate to all here lol
Let us not waste our time on foolish comments like Mark’s. Men, this is an awesome subject, what brings men to saving faith, Ezekial was commanded to prophesy to the valley of dead bones, not stand and tell them to excercise their free will and come as they are publicly and accept Christ into their hearts (They had no heart, no skin, and no sinknew on their joints, no breath at all), no, God commanded that Ezekial prophesy to the bones and that is what all of us are to do to the dead bones in our office, our neighborhood, our childrens soccer game at the YMCA, and so on, Faith comes by hearing the words of Christ (NASB Rom 10:14,17), When we proclaim the shepherds words, the elect sheep will follow the voice and they will come…Oh that we would pray to the Lord to send workers for the harvest, as the fields are ready….I too came to faith at an expository church after dating a false chuch (social club) for several years. I had no idea that the word of God when understood, would change me this way, John’s ministry has been instrumentally used by God for this pile of dry bones, as John was faithfully proclaiming God’s word, God breathed life into my dead bones!
I don’t want to start a KJV-only debate but I do have a question for Mark. What translation do people read who cannot speak English? Some only speak Japanese, German, Hindi,etc. Must they learn the King’s english before they can read the Bible?
Hello to all in the name of Christ Jesus.
I can honestly say that my listening to John Mac Arthur has only blessed me. I have been a Christian for 47 years and for most of that time I have read the A.V. I would always vote for the A.V. in a contest as I believe it is time honoured by God. However I have on my shelves almost every version of the Holy Scriptures. I find no objection at all with modern language for Christ Himself spoke in the modern language of His day as did His Apostles. My greatest concern is that a number of the versions Particulary the NIV leave out an awful amount of Scripture, and this does worry me. To Mark Shriver I would say be very very careful what and who you declare to be satanic, the Pharisees said this about Christ, and make no mistake God will judge you on your remarks. I firmly believe that whatever version of the Word of God is used, God will use that version sovereignly in His calling of His elect and not one will be lot because they were called by another version other than the A.V.
It was very interesting to read Frank Leonard’s remark about those nations who speak the hundreds of different languages, it would be almost imposible to translate from the original codexes the language of the A.V. For example in some places they don’t know what a white sheep is or a black sheep so how would you translate something like this to those who did not know or have never heard let alone seen sheep.
Be careful Mark before you declare anything satanic, the Word of God says in 2 Tim 2:24 “be gentle to all, able to teach, patient in humility correcting those who are in opposition,”
My prayer is that many more men like John Mac Arthur are raised up by our Gracious God that many more of His elect may be brought into His Eternal kingdom. May God bless him and men like R.C.Sproul Who incidently uses the E.S.V. Would you say he was satanic as well just because he does not use the A.V.? I HOPE NOT.
May God’s blessing be upon all those who love the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen