Saturday, September 16, 2006

Preaching the whole counsel of God

Perhaps I can clarify this by reminding you that it is obvious that in New Testament times, in the early days of the Christian Church, they did not preach in the manner that has become customary with us. They did not take a text out of the New Testament and analyse it and expound it and then apply it, because they did not have the New Testament. Well, what did they preach? They preached the great message that had been committed to them, this great body of truth, this whole doctrine of salvation. My argument is that this is what we should always be doing, though we do it through individual expositions of particular texts. This, to me, is the general relationship between theology and preaching. (Lloyd Jones, Martyn. "Preaching & Preachers." Zondervan: Grand Rapids, MI. 1971. p67)

"This is what we should always be doing . . ." The big picture, the kingdom of God, must always be in view. I find that many proponents of expository preaching (of which I am one) don't consider this unity that Lloyd-Jones defines for true expository preaching: the whole doctrine of salvation

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