Category Archives: interpretation

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Preaching Through Daniel (Part 2): Story First, Then Visions

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If you have read Daniel recently, you may recall that the book begins as a narrative or story. In my previous post I pointed out that Daniel gives us its purpose at the beginning and end of the book (the description of Daniel and his friends and also the description of all God’s people as they enter eternity).

In Daniel, the story comes first and then the visions follow. That means that the story forms the foundation for the meaning of the visions. Or, you could say it this way: the visions mean something in relationship to the story. The two sections are connected. And while the visions may be difficult to understand concerning their details, they function by urging God’s people to remain godly in an ungodly world.

There is no need to shy away from preaching the visionary chapters (7-12). And yet, as you can imagine, preachers are far more prone to preach chapters 1-6 (story) than to preach through the last six chapters (visions). That may be because we tend to separate the two sections.

Lord willing, in weeks to come I will move through the book of Daniel and show how these first two characteristics work:

1. The beginning and ending contain Daniel’s purpose (the same with Revelation)

2. The genre (type of literature) at the beginning of Daniel (narrative) provides the foundation for meaning for the visions. (In Revelation, the opening chapters containing the letters to the seven churches provide the foundation for meaning for the visions that follow.)

I hope this helps you if you are ever thinking about preaching through some of the apocalyptic books in the Bible.

Preach a good sermon, will ya?! And let’s do so so God receives glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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Preaching Through The Book of Daniel (What Was I Thinking?!)

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I began preaching through the book of Daniel on the first Sunday in June, 2015. I was hoping Jesus would return before then, but He didn’t.

For the next several posts, I will be sharing some of the things I learned from preaching through a largely apocalyptic book. The posts may help if you’re planning to teach or preach through Daniel some day. They will also help if your teaching and preaching plan includes preaching any apocalyptic material. Apocalyptic books seem to share characteristics, like this first one:

Pay attention to the way Daniel begins and ends.

The focus and purpose of Daniel is found at the beginning and end of the book. This is important because all of the incredibly difficult-to-understand visions in the final six chapters find their meaning in connection with the focus/purpose found at the edges.

So, in Daniel 1:4 the “youths” are described as “skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning…” Then, in Daniel 12:3 God’s people who will be delivered in the end are described as “those who are wise…”

Daniel is structured to signal all professing Christians to make sure that this description fits them. Those that remain godly in an ungodly world are the wise. These are genuine Believers. They understand what God is doing in the world and what He expects of them. These are the ones that know how to navigate a world where the ungodly are in power (more on that in another post). These are the ones that know what to do with information about the coming age of final salvation and final judgment.

Usually, I would end with a, “Before Sunday…,” assignment, but that will be a little more difficult with these posts. Unless, of course you’re teaching/preaching apocalyptic material. If so, check to see where your theme and purpose for the book comes from. Often the beginning and end will supply this critical information for biblical preaching so that God receives glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Preach a good sermon, will ya?!

Randal

P.S. A Christ-centered interpretation will show how Christ is “made unto us wisdom…”

 

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How Do You Handle All The English Translations Your Congregants Carry?

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Our parishioners have lots of English versions of the Bible to choose from. On any given Sunday I can count on our faith-family members to carry ESV’s, NIV’s, NASB’s, KJV’s, NKJV’s, and NLT’s. And I’m probably forgetting some.

Most weekends, I try to familiarize myself with how those translations read. I want to know what my congregants are reading while I’m teaching. Sometimes the differences are minimal; other times critical.

My training at Dallas Theological Seminary and post-doctoral studies at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia) equipped me to read Hebrew and Greek during my sermon preparation. This gives me a platform from which to understand why English translators are doing what they’re doing. Sometimes I pass that information on to our folks.

But that can create a problem. My attempts to explain why, for instance, the NIV is not the “best” translation of that word/phrase/verse, can give the congregants holding that translation the notion that their Bible isn’t reliable. I don’t want to do that.

In his commentary on Luke’s Gospel, Fred Craddock writes:

Some parishioners will need help with such textual variants lest the mood of uncertainty about the text become erosive to faith. The preacher and the teacher want always to give the Bible to the listeners, not take it away (p. 289).
How can we explain the different English translations of our Sunday preaching portions and still instill confidence that this is God’s Word?
  1. Remind them that translators are wrestling with original-language sources that read differently. Sometimes, just knowing that helps. Sometimes.
  2. Show them why their particular version works. Avoid saying, “Your version is wrong!”
  3. Tell them that choosing between these exegetical options is all good: “It’s okay. Relax.”

Before Sunday, check to see if you have any places in your preaching portion that require this kind of interaction. Give them confidence in the Word of God and contribute to His glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

And preach a good sermon, will ya?!

Randal

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“Some scholars believe…”: Harmless-Sounding Sermon Segments

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Sunda Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Gunung Leuser National Park, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Sunda Slow Loris (Nycticebus coucang), Gunung Leuser National Park, Northern Sumatra, Indonesia

Two Sundays ago, I preached on Hebrews 9:22-28. Verse 28 reads, “so Christ…will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.” Before that, I preached through the book of Daniel and encountered phrases like, “it would be for a time, times, and half a time” (12:7) or, “Blessed is he who waits and arrives at the 1,335 days” (12:12).

No, I’m not a sucker for punishment. I just happened to be in a series that forces me to explain and apply some very difficult Scripture.

But that makes me susceptible to saying things like: “Some scholars believe that before Jesus appears the second time on earth, He will…” Or, “Many believe that what the angel was saying is…” Or, “Others believe that the 1,335 days mean…”

At first these kinds of phrases might appear harmless. I means, let’s face it, what harm can it do to give congregants exegetical or interpretive options? The more I’ve thought about this habit of mine, the more I’ve come to think that those minutes are not as harmless as they look. Those minutes…

  • take me away from my primary task of announcing truth and urging faith and a worshipful response.
  • eat up precious time that I usually wish I had as the sermon comes to a close.
  • muddy the waters and distract listeners from their worship-response.

Before Sunday, examine your notes and see if such harmless-looking minutes exist. Decide whether those minutes help you complete your responsibilities to watch over souls.

And, for the sake of God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21), preach a good sermon, will ya.

Randal

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How Much Speculation Is In Your Exposition?

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Shortly after graduating from Dallas Theological Seminary, I preached a sermon in chapel at Appalachian Bible College. I was working at the time for, what used to be called, Washington Bible College/Capital Bible Seminary. I don’t remember the sermon, but vividly remember the late, beloved preaching professor of ABC, Dr. Paul Reiter, giving feedback.

He kindly urged me to get rid of phrases like, “I think…” or “I believe…” His reasoning was that these phrases took away from the authority of Scripture and from my responsibility as a preacher. I took his critique to heart.

Through over 20 years of preaching each Sunday, teaching preaching students, and listening to hundreds of sermons, I’ve come realize we preachers have a strong tendency to pepper our exposition with speculation. Instead of breaking news, we announce breaking speculation.
The fact that it happens frequently says something about the Bible and something about our understanding of preaching.
First, the habit highlights the need to carefully understand the doctrine known as the perspicuity (clarity) of Scripture. I believe in that doctrine, but also believe it downplays the difficulty of Scripture. It is the difficulty of Scripture that causes us to frequently announce breaking speculations in the form of, “Well, I think Paul is saying this…” or “Scholars believe that Paul is…”
In his commentary on 2 Corinthians, Harris writes, “Although Paul has not identified the ‘thorn,’ commentators have not been slow to attempt the impossible.”
And I am far too guilty of wasting valuable sermon time announcing breaking speculation. Never have I been so aware of this as while recently preaching through the book of Daniel. Imagine what our exposition of Daniel would sound like if we stuck with exposition sans speculation!
This habit also says a lot about our understanding of preaching. God didn’t authorize me to announce speculation, but His revelation. Dr. Reiter was right when he told me to preach, “This is what the Lord says, not what you think.”
Before Sunday, look over your exposition and see how much speculation is in it. Ask God to help you balance good scholarship with faithful preaching so He receives glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).
In emails or Facebook posts to my preacher friends, I’ll often end my note with the playful challenge, “Preach a good sermon, will ya?!” I consider you one of them, so…
Preach a good sermon, will ya?!
Randal
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“I do not think it means what you think it means”: Carefully Defining Your Definitions

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First, I hope you’ve seen the Princess Bride. But, that’s not important right now.

If you’re an expositor, you spend a lot of sermon time defining key terms in your preaching portion. For instance, how many times over the years have you explained that grace is God’s unmerited favor? That is a good starter-definition, but it needs some fleshing out.

For instance, what is the “favor” part? We probably do a better job explaining the “unmerited” part. But the “favor” part is very important. Especially since the word, “grace,” to most of our listeners doesn’t do anything to them. Grace does something for them (even though they might not know exactly what that is).

So, I try to be careful to define my definitions as much as possible/needed. In the case of grace, for instance, I want to make sure everyone in the house knows that the unmerited “favor includes things like God’s forgiveness and cleansing and supernatural assistance to live for Him. Stuff like that.

Carefully defining our definitions is especially helpful with very familiar Christian terms like grace, mercy,  and salvation.

Before Sunday, see if your sermon contains key terms that needed extra special attention. Look for those terms that you keep using in the sermon and make sure your definitions are defined. This will add another layer of theological depth and clarity to your preaching. Plus, you may find there are some well-known definitions that could use a makeover.

Preach well for the sake of God’s reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

 

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When God Repeats Himself: Discovering the Meaning of Luke’s Record of Post-Resurrection Appearances of Jesus

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Often, repetition is a key to the meaning of Gospel narratives. Meaning the main idea of my sermon needs to match the meaning conveyed through repetition. That’s important to remember in long narratives like Luke 24 where Jesus approaches two men who were walking toward Emmaus.

Among so many promising ideas, is the repeated idea of recognizing or not recognizing Jesus.

V. 16 “But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.”

V. 31 “And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him.”

V. 35 “…and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

So, the sermon centers on this idea of being able to see Jesus. There was a reason why they couldn’t see Him. They didn’t believe in His resurrection from the dead. More importantly for us is why we can’t see Him at times. We live in a time when we follow Jesus without seeing Him. That means we have to believe in Him as recorded in Scripture. We know we’re on track because Jesus “interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (v. 27).

Read to see Jesus; read to believe in Jesus.

Also important for us is noting that they finally did see Jesus during a Communion service. God opened their eyes while they were eating with Him. Every Sunday, the Word and the Lord’s Table (if you’re fortunate enough to celebrate it each Sunday) provide opportunities to see Jesus.

Whatever else you feel you need to say about these scenes, the repetition guides our exposition.

Before Sunday, see if there are repeated concepts in your preaching portion that are significant enough to yield dominant meaning. In the case of narratives, significant repetition is repetition that is connected to the storyline.

Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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You Need To Read: Reading Backwards

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I’m always looking for books that help me preach Christ while maintaining the integrity of the meaning of the preaching portion. I’m also always looking for books that help me understand how the New Testament human authors reread the Old Testament and how their rereading affects the meaning of the Old Testament.

Richard Hays’ book, Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness, helped me do both (Hays did not intend for his book to do the latter).

You’ll enjoy and profit from the book if you do much preaching in the Gospels. Hays does a superb job showing how the four Evangelists used the Old Testament Scriptures to show the divinity of Jesus. And his commentary various passages in all four Gospels is extremely insightful.

For instance, there is much talk today about Jesus being the kinder, gentler God who is much more palatable to post-moderns. Hays writes, “The OT focuses our understanding of Jesus’ role as an eschatological prophet of God’s judgment. The sweet, infinitely inclusive Jesus meek and mild, so beloved by modern Protestantism, is a Jesus cut loose from his OT roots” (p. 12). So, while a particular Gospel scene might show Jesus being kind to sinners like the woman “caught” in adultery, that doesn’t mean that’s the only reaction He has to sinners, especially in the eschaton.

Anyway, I highly recommend the book. If you are as serious as I am about hermeneutics and homiletics, this is a good read. And, as I said at the beginning of the post, an important, probably unbeknownst-to-Hays benefit of the book is how his analysis leads to fresh insights about how to interpret the OT Christologically.

Reading Backwards: Figural Christology and the Fourfold Gospel Witness

Preach well for the sake of His reputation in the Church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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How Evangelistic Encounters in the Gospels Speak to Christians

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It is important to remember that the evangelistic encounters we preachers encounter in the Gospels are designed to speak to Christians, not non-Christians (at least not primarily to non-Christians).

So, for instance, in Luke 19:1-10 Jesus meets Zacchaeus. In this narrative Zacchaeus becomes a Christian. Jesus announces in verse 9, “Today salvation has come to this house…”

It would be very easy to preach this narrative as an evangelistic sermon. You might reason that since it shows Zack getting saved, it should function well as a sermon geared toward seeing non-Christian listeners come to faith too.

I suggest two alternatives:

(1) Stick with the overall purpose of the Gospel and focus on the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Luke 19:1-10 does tell us about who Jesus is and what He came to do: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” (v. 10). These narratives are a time to remind Christians what Jesus has done for them. In the process of doing so, any non-Christians overhearing worship have an opportunity to hear the Gospel and respond with saving faith.

(2) Focus attention on what the narrative says about what saving faith is. Zack’s reaction to Jesus helps us see that saving faith includes repentance. In a day when easy-believism continues to show itself in our congregations, we do our Lord and His people a great service by fleshing out what it means to believe. In verse 8 Zack says, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” Was that necessary? Could Zack have been saved without this radical change? Now, we all have an opportunity to assess whether our faith is working like Zack’s.

Before Sunday, see if your preaching portion contains any information about becoming a Christian. Then, look for similar ways to show how that information speaks to Christians about their Savior and their relationship to Him.

Preach well for His glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

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“Meaning of verse uncertain”: What To Do When Biblical Data Is Difficult

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Puzzled male shrugging wearing lab coat

The title of this post comes from footnote “a” in the Jewish Study Bible for Genesis 4:7. The note simply states, “Meaning of verse uncertain.” I have no idea why the authors decided that note was necessary.

However, if you have practiced preaching through books of the Bible or even large sections of books of the Bible, then you have hit verses or phrases within verses that were difficult to interpret.

In his excellent little book, Reading The Bible Wisely, Briggs writes, “Alongside this doctrine [of the “clarity of Scripture”] I would like to set the difficulty of Scripture, which is not, to my knowledge an equally well-known theological position, but which can certainly be maintained alongside a view of ‘clarity'” (p. 54).

So, for instance, the JSB’s translation of Genesis 4:7 reads, “Surely, if you do right, there is uplift. But if you do not do right sin crouches at the door…” (uncertain verses in italics).

What’s a preacher to do when coming face to face with uncertain meaning?

  1. Place less focus on the lexical meaning of individual words (in this case, “uplift”). Scan the range of meaning provided by scholars, but don’t agonize too long there.
  2. Place more focus on the larger context. You already know how important context is to meaning. It’s especially important when dealing with difficult biblical data. Simply read the story of Cain and Abel and you’ll discover that Cain has the opportunity to be like his younger brother if he does right. Cain could gain God’s attention like Abel did, but Cain must do the right thing. “Uplift” has to have something to do with Cain’s status before God. Briggs writes, “Scripture is clear, let us say, on the macro level. On the micro level it is persistently difficult to pin down” (p. 66).
  3. Place most emphasis on what the passage is designed to do to the Church. Emphasize how Believers respond to this preaching portion as an act of worship.
  4. Be clear about the Gospel so Believers can believe before they obey.
  5. Finally, don’t be afraid of partial interpretations. Virtually every Sunday I come away knowing I could have done more research and come to better conclusions (about some minutia). I am content with partial interpretations (without being satisfied with shoddy work!).

Before Sunday, see if your preaching portion has a place where the footnote above would fit. If so, I hope these suggestions might help you preach with Spirit-given confidence in your partial interpretations.

Preach well for the sake of God’s glory in the church and in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:21).

Randal

P.S. If you haven’t read Briggs (Reading the Bible Wisely: An Introduction to Taking Scripture Seriously. Revised Edition.), you’ll enjoy the 100-page paperback. It’s rare that a small book delivers such large insight.