3 September 2015 A.D. Theology Thursday: Packer on Preaching
3
September 2015 A.D. Theology Thursday: Packer on Preaching
Percival, John. “Theology Thursday: Packer on
Preaching Posted.” Church Society. 3 Sep 2015. http://churchsociety.org/blog/entry/theology_thursday_packer_on_preaching.
Accessed 3 Sep 2015.
Theology Thursday: Packer on Preaching Posted
by John Percival, 3 Sep 2015
When did you last hear a sermon that spent 50% of
the time on application? J. I. Packer has insightfully analysed contemporary
and historic approaches to preaching over his years as a pastor and scholar. In
this featured article, drawn from the summer edition of Churchman, Benjamin
Dean outlines Packer’s approach to preaching.
Dean writes, “For Puritan homiletics Packer regards
the following principles as axiomatic:
1) The ‘primacy of the intellect’ (hence the
priority of teaching the word of God).
2) The ‘supreme importance of preaching’ (thus the
imperative of substantial sermon preparation).
3) The ‘life-giving power of Holy Scripture’ (thus
the centrality in pastoral work of feeding people with text-based address):
‘The only pastor worthy of the name…is the man whose chief concern is always to
feed his people by means of his preaching with the enlivening truths of the
word of God.’
4) The ‘sovereignty of the Holy Spirit’ (once
suitable instruction and exhortation is supplied, it is God’s special arena to
make the message effective in lives).”
Packer makes a careful distinction between preaching
and teaching: “If preaching is one of the main public means by which God
impacts lives, good preaching will necessarily make Christian teaching directly
relevant for Christian living. It will deliver ‘God-taught information set
forth with God-given freedom and forthrightness in a God-prompted application.’
It will be directed at the entire person and his or her whole being, ‘for
whereas one lectures to clear heads and ripen minds, one preaches to change
lives and save souls.’”
So what is application?
“Packer delineates four kinds of application: to the
mind (education, correction, expansion), to the will (addressing behavioural
implications, positive and negative), to motivation (offering sufficient
reasons for patterning life one way or another), and to a person’s present
condition in connection with the various truths under discussion.”
Dean then explores the place of systematic theology
in Packer’s view of preaching. Some may worry that having a well-defined system
acts as a straight-jacket to faithful biblical preaching. The very opposite
should be the case: “On the basis of exegesis, discerning wider patterns within
and across the whole of the Bible helps us to interpret the details and parts
more accurately and responsibly. At the same time, close attention to detailed
reading of individual texts will challenge us to rethink the great truths so
often taken for granted. To work systematically is less about building a system
to contain the parts, and more about moving back and forth between the parts
and the whole, so that the presentation of things like atonement and salvation
becomes clearer, finer, more authentic and satisfactory.”
Dean closes by acknowledging what hard work goes
into preaching: “Systematic theology is taxing intellectually and spiritually,
but preaching consistently well is in many respects more so, because it
combines deep biblical-theological knowledge with sharp historical awareness,
cultural sensitivity and unvarnished spiritual stature. Only thus will
preaching impact the hearts, habits, opinions, affections, and lifestyles of
individuals and communities with moral force and intellectual persuasion.”
The article contains much food for thought, so do
get hold of this edition of Churchman to read the full text.
Dean, Benjamin. ‘Packer on Preaching: A
Recommendation’, Churchman 129/2 (2015):131–147.
John Percival is Curate of All Souls Eastbourne. -
See more at: http://churchsociety.org/blog/entry/theology_thursday_packer_on_preaching#sthash.YpuQlv6K.dpuf
Comments
Post a Comment