Category Archives: argument

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Sometimes You Need Less Exegesis and More Biblical and Systematic Theology

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Psalm 58 requires less exegesis, which equals more communication.

I just completed my extensive review for tomorrow morning’s sermon on Psalm 58 and encountered something rare.

Because of the nature of what are called Imprecatory Psalms, the Psalms where songs are worded as curses on the wicked.

If you preach through the Psalms you and your congregants will already be aware of conception sin or birth sin (v. 3). Earlier Psalms are filled with descriptions of the wicked.

But as soon as you get to v. 6 your listeners may have a problem asking,

“O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O Lord!”

Normal exegetical practices won’t do either. What’s needed in rare cases like this is a way to argue from Scripture that prayers like this are still pray-able for Christians today.

Check out a book by Kit Barker, Imprecations As Divine Discourse (2016). You can skip to chapter 5, if I remember correctly, and read the way he presents a theology of imprecation to say, “Yes, they should be prayed.” You’ll resonate with reasons such as Jesus, Paul, and Revelation announcing the same kinds of curses on God’s enemies.

Finally–you’ve probably thought about this–asking God to judge the wicked is not incompatible with you and I loving our enemies and praying for them.

Anyway, the “fierceness” of men who care about justice demands this kind of prayer to God. If He doesn’t hear our prayer, there is no hope for the righteous. But we know from Psalm 58 that He does and there is hope!

Preach judgment texts like Psalm 58 and our Lord will receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. If you’re interested in a Christ-centered reading of Psalm 58 just remember that Christ didn’t pray this kind of prayer as He suffered and died for our sins and because He didn’t we can pray this prayer and experience the celebration of vv. 10-11.

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Preaching Reality: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Read to Sharpen Your Theological Thinking
and Add Depth to Your Preaching

Every so often these blog posts dip back into the early preaching of Jonathan Edwards. My purpose for reading Edwards is twofold:

(1) Rarely do I get to have someone preach to me and I benefit from hearing God’s Word from the outside.

(2) Rarely am I disappointed by the depth of Edwards’s theological thinking that always lands at detailed application.

Today’s insights come from Edwards’s sermon, The Nakedness of God, from Job 1:21.

In the introduction to the sermon, Kimnach writes,

“…an even more urgent matter for him here and in later sermons is the…issue of human reality….the problem for men is not one of coming to terms with truth, but rather with reality” (p. 400).

In the sermon Edwards states,

“All the world knows the truth of this doctrine perfectly well [that when a person dies they lose all earthly treasures], but though they know, yet it don’t seem at all real to them; for certainly, if it seemed a real thing to them that, in a little time, they must certainly have no more to do with the world, they would act wholly otherwise than they do [emphasis added]” (p. 406).

The difference is subtle–the difference between talking truth and talking reality. But I find that it is a helpful distinction. My experience is that listeners have to think differently about accepting truth versus accepting reality.

Tomorrow as you begin praying and prepping for preaching, remember Edwards’s observation: your listeners probably believe the doctrine is true. Challenge them with respect to whether they think God’s Word is real. And, of course, we work hard all week with God’s help to develop a sermon that urges them to act as if they believe God’s Word to be real.

And may our Lord continue to receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

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Ask a Lot of Great Questions: What I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’s earliest sermons

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If you want to keep your worshipers engaged during the sermon, then…

I can’t remember the source and it’s been years. But someone rated the best sermons and discovered that one thing that they shared in common was a noticeably greater number of questions than lesser rated sermons.

Jonathan Edwards’s sermon, Value of Salvation, could qualify for an effective sermon that effectively uses questions to keep listeners engaged.

In the Doctrine section, Edwards’s second particular is: “The whole world shall have an end with respect to every particular person at death…all worldly pleasure…come[s] to an end.” (p. 313 in Kimnach’s volume 10 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards)

After stating that particular doctrine, Edward bombards his listeners with seven straight questions. He leads off with, “To what advantage, then, will be bags of gold and silver?” (p. 313). Then, six more questions follow, often a variation of, “What good will it do him then that…?” (p. 314). The seventh and final question ends the second particular doctrine and comes directly from Luke’s parable in chapter 16 about the rich man who built more barns to store all his goods: “…then whose shall those things be…?”

Each question drives home the point of doctrine. And if you and I ask the right questions at the right time, we are forcing our worshipers to engage.

There’s a reason why the best sermons contain the most questions. Engaging preachers and teachers engage their listens with great questions.

Lord willing, tomorrow many of us will begin preparing for the fourth Advent Sunday of this year. As you write your orascript, think about the kinds of questions you can ask your listeners to force them to think along with you about the greatest gift of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And may our God receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) by our attempts to bring our listeners into heartfelt worship.

Randal

P.S. And one more thing, when you ask questions during the sermon, ask them in a way that lets them know you really expect an answer. I actually expect them to answer, but whether you do or not, it’s critical to ask the question so they know you want them to think with you.

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Learning the Goodness of God in Joining Happiness to our Duty: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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What obeying God’s commands feels like unless we consider…

It still surprises me that Edwards’s first recorded sermon might be, Christian Happiness. That’s the last thing I expected out of such a serious Puritan!

What I now do expect from Edwards is rigorous theological thinking that urges me to love God supremely for all the right reasons.

Since God says in Isaiah 3:10 that it shall be well with the righteous person Edwards reasons, “They certainly are the wisest men that do those things that make most for their happiness.”

Makes perfect sense. When temptation strikes and I feel the pull toward unrighteousness, I am headed for unhappiness. Obedience to God–righteousness–seems very difficult. Edwards’s fourth inference is:

“Hence learn the great goodness of God in joining so great happiness to our duty” (p. 303, emphasis added).

It’s one thing to be motivated to right living by eternal happiness or it’s opposite, eternal torment. But Edwards says God has motivated us in a number of ways pertaining to this life now including…

“…but the thing required of us shall not only be easy but a pleasure and delight, even in the very doing of it. How much the goodness of God shines forth even in his commands!” (p. 304)

And, finally…

“All that he desires of us is that we would not be miserable, that we would [not] follow those courses which of themselves would end in misery, and that we would be happy” (p. 304).

Edwards has helped me see the importance of following God’s example of motivating obedience from the angle of our own happiness. And may our Lord use our efforts so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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The Two-Sided Benefits of Finding God: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Learning to Preach Both Sides…

In Kimnach’s volume 10 (The Works of Jonathan Edwards), he includes a Fragment: On Seeking.

Even though we can’t read the usual doctrinal section, we have this fragment of a sermon application that shows Edwards preaching the two-sided benefits of seeking and finding God.

The two sides are: “…if you find God….

  1. You will find a Savior, and an everlasting sure defense from all evil…which when obtained, will effectually deliver one, and when delivered will eternally preserve and defend one, from all manner of evil.” (p. 382)

Edwards does his best to prove to his listeners that they would certainly seek after something that would do that in the physical realm (such as seeking after a medicine that would protect from a disease–think COVID-19!)

But it’s the second answer that helped me the most in my preaching.

2. “But second, if you find God, beside that you will find all good; you will not only be freed from all evil, but be brought to the possession of all good.” (p. 383)

And this is exactly what every one of our listeners is listening and looking for. And, of course, this is what temptation promises to give: ultimate happiness.

Edwards is a master at convincing his listeners that it is in their best interest to love God supremely. So, he defines God as “an infinite, self-sufficient, all-sufficient, essential, overflowing good: he is the source of all good.” (p. 383)

Thanks to Edwards I’m learning to preach both sides, protection from evil and possession of good.

May our Lord help us preach both sides of the same coin so He receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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“‘proved’ through Reasons”: What I’m Learning by Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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The Importance of a Future State
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the judgment.”

One benefit of reading Edwards’s early sermons is seeing how he “proves” the doctrine of Scripture through reasons. He is really teaching me how to think.

Kimnach explains that “The term ‘reason’ is actually a generic term for all ‘proofs’ under the Doctrine” (p. 38). And Edwards goes to great effort to prove everything and I mean, everything.

He will often appeal to other Scripture, something you and I probably do pretty well. Edwards’s second kind of proof is “appeals to human reason and commonplace experience” (p. 38). I need some work on this one and reading Edwards is helping.

For instance, here’s how he proves that there is a future state:

“Who can suppose that God made man to glorify Him so miserably as we are capable of in this life, and enjoy some little communion with Him for about sixty or seventy years, and then the man is annihilated, and the glory of God and the enjoyment of him is at an end forever? Who can think thus?” (p. 359).

Evidently, nobody. But, I confess that I have never thought about it like that.

After a few more reasonable proofs, Edwards boldly claims: “Thus I have proved a future state and another world from the light of natural reason” (p. 360).

Then Edwards turns his attention to what happens to those who are “judged in the other world” (p. 366). He writes,

“They shall not be pardoned then if they would. If they would not be pardoned when God would, they shall not be pardoned when they would; if they would not answer when God called, God will not answer when they call, but will laugh at their calamity and mock when their fear cometh” (p. 366).

Edwards concludes his reasoning about the judgment on the wicked by stating:

“They will never have another trial….God will never try them again….They shall never have Christ offered to them more….They shall never more have the Bible in their hands…” (p. 367). I am in a Bible Church so that one really got to me.

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading Edwards’s method of providing good reasons for a future state and the judgment and that this kind of thinking will help us bring God glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Developing Your Rhetorical Strategy or Extra-Exegetical Material: What I’m Learning from Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Photo by Vlad Sargu on Unsplash
How do you determine your next move?

One of the values of reading sermons is that you are able to learn something you can’t from a good commentary: how a pastor/theologian creates their rhetorical strategy.

Along with obvious exegetical/theological developments, sermons contain evidence of rhetorical strategy. Preachers show you how they logically move from minute to minute, major/minor point to point, or move to move.

For instance, in Edwards’s third recorded sermon in Kimnach’s volume 10 (The Works of Jonathan Edwards), Wicked Men’s Slavery To Sin (based on John 8:34), Edwards states the obvious doctrine: “Wicked men are servants and slaves to sin.” The verse says that much. But his opening move is labled:

“[Query] I. How does it appear that wicked men are servants and slaves to sin? Perhaps you may think with yourself, ‘I don’t see but that wicked men are happy, and live as free as the best men in the world.’ Or it may be you may object in your mind that you are very wicked yourself…” (p. 340)

As you can see, Edwards anticipates the response of his listeners, something Buttrick called, a contrapuntal. He expects pushback from his listeners right from the start. So before he does anything, he wants to make sure everyone knows that this verse/doctrine is reality.

You may have also noted that Edwards is acutely aware he is addressing some wicked people and this means anticipating their response.

I am more geared to filling message minutes with exegetical data, but Edwards aims at proving God’s Word to be true. He develops three proofs for this first Query, the last of which is:

“Thus, if sin requires them to steal, swear, defraud, or commit fornication, it is done; if sin command them to do that which tends to their own ruin and destruction, it is done” (p. 342)

In order to preach like this, Edwards must know what God says elsewhere in His Word about this subject matter (i.e., the ability to cross-reference in a way that develops his argument). Even before that, he has been trained to think in the direction of what I’m calling for now, extra-exegetical insights.

Before Sunday, you might explore places in your sermon where your listeners may not all be on board yet and need some coaxing.

And may our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) through your efforts.

Randal

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Add “powerful arguments” to Your Exegesis: What I’m learning from reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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The Part We Play in Persuading our Listeners to Worship Each Sunday

Some of you may recall that my first observation about Edwards’s preaching was that his sermons lacked the kind of exegesis I was used to. I was trained and practice exegesis that is heavy on word studies. To my surprise, Edwards’s early sermons so far show little lexical work.

The second recorded sermon in Kimnach’s book is, The Value of Salvation, based on Matthew 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul, or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

When Edwards arrived at his Exhortation, he states an obvious implication/application: “Let us take utmost care that we don’t lose our souls” (p. 329). He then restates Matthew 16:26 and writes,

“We have now heard the most powerful arguments in the world to persuade us [to] take care of our souls [emphasis added]” (p. 329).

Edwards was right: everyone in the house had heard the most powerful arguments in the world to persuade them to take care of their souls. How did he do it?

Glancing back into the sermon I picked up on two things.

  • Edwards had a comprehensive knowledge of Scripture so he could pull together key texts that spoke to his subject matter. In this case, Edwards relied on verses that spoke of the end of all earthly things.
  • Edwards was a careful observer of life with all its realities. For instance, Edwards reminded his audience that “Worldly good things are very uncertain” (p. 314). Speaking of our best earthly loves, “How uncertain are friends and relatives; their being dear to us won’t keep them from being take from us” (p. 316). So true. The same with, “And what rich man has there ever been whom riches have made happy?” (p. 318).

Page after page exhibits this foray into the minds of his listeners. And all for the purpose of getting them to this place:

“…let us take no thought for this present any otherwise than as the means of the good of our souls…” (p. 330).

There’s still a place in sermons for dictionary definitions of key terms. But I am learning from Edwards that lots of sermon space is needed for logical, theological, philosophical arguments that urge our listeners to their proper worship response to God’s revelation. It’s almost as if Edwards were saying, “Only a fool would not value the salvation of their soul!”

May we also be so forthright with our faith-families so God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21),

Randal

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Our Salvation Is That Good! What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Edwards makes our salvation look so good!

The second recorded sermon recorded in Kimnach’s volume 10 of The Works of Jonathan Edwards is, The Value of Salvation. It’s based on Matthew 16:26 “…what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Of course, you’d make sure your listeners answered, “Nothing!”

And Edwards makes sure they see the “inestimable worth” of salvation (p. 322). He does this by focusing our attention on what it means to be delivered from all evil.

He writes, “There shall be nothing to interrupt the happiness of believers: there shall be no evil approach the gates of heaven” (p. 322). Edwards is teaching me that that’s not specific enough as he continues with…

“They shall be perfectly delivered from sin and temptation. The saved soul leaves all its sin with the body; when it puts off the body of the man, it puts off the body of sin with it. When the body is buried, all sin is buried forever, and though the soul shall be joined to the body again, yet sin shall never return…” (p. 323).

That is going to be a great day for anyone who is plagued by temptation in this life. The more godly your listeners, the more their ungodliness bothers them. Any of your sermons/lessons aimed at defeating temptation in this life are enhanced by thoughts of how happy the next life will be when evil is erased.

For instance, “there shall [be] no more assaults of lusts to be resisted….They shall no more be tempted by the shining vanities” (p. 323).

What a day that will be!

Edwards was a master at showing all the reasons why the salvation of the soul is of inestimable worth. And he was a master at using the rewards of the gospel to motivate his listeners to godliness.

May our Lord receive glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21) as we follow his example.

Randal

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The Consummate Persuader: What I’m Learning From Reading Jonathan Edwards’s Earliest Sermons

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Three things you can do to an idea: explain it, prove it, or apply it.
John 8:34 needs a strong dose of the second one.

In Edwards’s sermon, Wicked Men’s Slavery To Sin, his title comes directly from his text, John 8:34 “…Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” Pretty straightforward.

And his first statement of doctrine is also straightforward: Wicked men are servants and slaves to sin (p. 340, Kimnach).

In my previous post I pointed out how Edwards anticipates push-back from his listeners. He instinctively knows that some will not agree with this portrayal of reality. So, Edwards goes to work convincing his audience that God’s statement is true.

What I find fascinating about Edwards’s preaching–and I feel the same when I listen to Tim Keller–is that he knows the ways of the wicked so well. For instance, he writes,

“Wicked men generally think that the way of holiness and religion is much the hardest, and theirs to be much the easiest” (p. 341).

And the wickedness inside all of us thinks the same way. Is it because of our default setting? Or because our appetite for sin is stronger than our appetite for God? Or is it because of deception? Or all of the above? It’s the kind of theological thinking Edwards is very fond of.

Edwards goes on to show that serving God is far easier than serving sin. He quotes from the NT and Jesus’s yoke being easy, for instance. Then he shows the opposite by quoting from OT wisdom literature that lists “The leech” and “Three things [that] are never satisfied” (Proverbs 30:15-16). Obviously, whatever you have is never enough (think of lust and covetousness).

The second thing Edwards says is that “Wicked men are very obedient servants to sin” (p. 342). Whatever sin requires them to do, they do it, even if it means their destruction.

This kind of argument leads to genuine pity and compassion for those that are enslaved to sin. It also leads to the desire to serve God, not sin.

I hope that as you preach and teach you will follow Edwards’s example of reasoning with your listeners so that God receives glory in the church and in Christ Jesus as they believe God’s reality to be true (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal