Biblical Preaching by Robinson Book Review

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Haddon W. Robinson first published Biblical Preaching in 1980. The book quickly became a classic in its field because of Robinson’s straightforward writing style and his ability to synthesize the necessary ingredients for an effective, scripturally grounded but also emotionally strong sermon. The seminal text to guide, instruct, and inspire existing and aspiring preachers, Biblical Preaching is currently in its third edition. Most of the original material in Biblical Preaching has been preserved, and the author has added additional prefaces to update the message and reach a new generation of spiritual advisors, leaders, and communicators. With few if any overt flaws, Biblical Preaching contains an unparalleled wealth of wisdom that can easily be blended with other approaches to sermon development and exegesis. Although certainly not the first book on expository preaching, Robinson’s (2014) is essential reading for pastors, Bible instructors, and Christian community leaders. Biblical Preaching is divided into ten chapters, plus the prefaces, a concluding chapter or “final word,” several appendices, and two indexes. The text’s substantive nature and its reliance on primary source material from the Bible ensures its enduring credibility and appreciation among both scholarly and practicing audiences. Biblical Preaching offers concrete tools and techniques to distill and disseminate Biblical wisdom in relevant and meaningful ways.

The prefaces to the third edition of Biblical Preaching are written in a first person voice using a familiar tone. Introducing the reader to the concept of expository preaching in a personalized way breaks the ice, putting the reader’s mind at ease when tackling potentially challenging material. Many readers will approach the text with some trepidation, knowing only that they have a calling to preach or teach the Bible, but not know exactly how to go about bringing their dream to fruition. Some readers will be mystified by the concept of preaching, believing it to imply a degree of magic or special skills. While Robinson does speak of the skill development required to become an effective expository preacher, the author also helps to demystify the art of preaching. Material is immediately presented in a way that is understandable even to a complete newcomer to public speaking or to leadership in a spiritual community. The prefaces to Biblical Preaching remind readers that pastors and preachers are people, too, with faults, foibles, and failings. There is no such thing as a perfect preacher, but there is a way for each individual to perfectly hone their skills so that they can effectively communicate Biblical messages. The prefaces also address issues like self-doubt and fear, and the responsibility that preaching entails.

From these helpful opening words, the author launches into a first chapter that defines the concept of expository preaching. Entitled “The Case for Expository Preaching,” the first chapter also defends preaching as a whole, and expository preaching in particular. Robinson claims that preaching has gone out of vogue, but many readers will disagree. In fact, Robinson goes so far as to say, “preachers are no longer regarded as the intellectual or even the spiritual leaders in their communities,” (p. 17-18) The author’s assumption that preaching is unfashionable may be based on his own experiences, or on the fact that the first chapter was written over thirty years ago. Regardless, many readers will feel almost the opposite, having been drawn to Biblical Preaching precisely because their spiritual communities hunger for a fresh voice on the pulpit. It is true that some models of preaching are outdated, and that some congregations know nothing else but bland delivery. Robinson is also correct to say that preaching has become tainted by commercialism and mass media. Without referring directly to new media, because the book was written so long ago, Robinson still talks about the effect that television has had on preaching. Unscrupulous leaders of money-driven churches may also have marred public opinion on the role of preachers.

Therefore, the opening chapter provides what the author believes to be a necessary apology for a presumably lost art. Robinson seems skeptical about the incorporation of multimedia elements into sermons, but only because the author wants a technologically savvy reader to judiciously incorporate multimedia into preaching. The media should not be the message; the Bible is the message. Cultural and historical contexts do change the nature of preaching, though, and Robinson remains well aware of this fact. The author admits that many members of a modern congregation will be smitten with science, and that “some ministers in the pulpit feel robbed of an authoritative message,” (p. 18). Yet many members of modern congregations easily balance their ascription to science and reason with their faith and spiritual practice.

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It is possible to reframe scripture for a contemporary audience without sacrificing scriptural integrity. Robinson also mentions briefly the role of the preacher in paralleling or even stimulating political and social activism. Some audiences in the congregation will search for meaning in their sermons, not just related to their personal lives but also to the world around them and the suffering they see on the news each day. Expository preaching captures the main idea of each Biblical passage, book, or scripture as a whole and applies those main ideas to current events and needs.

Preaching needs to real defense, given that the Bible urges ministry as a spiritual duty. As helpful as new media can be in delivering sermons, there is no substitute for face-to-face contact. Therefore, all preachers should at some point aim to hone their public speaking skills and preach to a live congregation. Podcasts, videos, and published newsletters can accompany the preaching that takes place in person, but not fully substitute for it. “God Himself spoke through the personality and message of a preacher to confront men and women and bring them to Himself,” (Robinson, 2014, p. 19-20). One of the reasons why face-to-face preaching is important and effective in delivering the word of God is that emotions cannot be communicated well in any other way. Expository preaching does not rest on the rhetorical strategy of emotionality or pathos, though. As Robinson points out, expository preaching blends the best of intellectual analysis of scriptural messages and meanings with the best of passionate rhetorical strategy. God speaks through the Bible, and the preacher “carries the force of divine authority,” (Robinson, 2014, p. 20). Expository preaching is far from a dry or boring analysis of a Bible passage; it is the preacher’s ability to hone in on the gist of the Bible passage and show the congregation how that message applies to them. The gist of the passage is called the big idea.

Chapter 2 of Biblical Preaching covers how preachers can recognize, distill, and communicate the big idea. From here, Robinson launches into a meaty discussion about the “tools of the trade,” in Chapter 3. The preacher first chooses a passage from the Bible to focus on in the sermon, and then studies that passage in depth through correspondences and systematic exegesis. The preacher acts like a scholar in this sense, delving into the language and context of the passage, researching what scholars and theologians have said about it, and reflecting also on the historical and cultural context in which the original text was written. What makes an expository sermon expository in nature is that it is not just a free-flow rambling of vague spiritual ideas or notions that are personally meaningful to the preacher. While the preacher should eventually relate the Biblical passage to the personal lives of contemporary people, an expository sermon begins as a Bible study. The goal of expository preaching is to effectively ground all sermons in the Bible, or to transform a Biblical passage into language and semiotics the audience understands. Chapter Four, “The Road from Text to Sermon,” continues the discussion on exegesis. Performing exegesis does not necessitate a background in theology and Biblical scholarship, but an academic approach does help firm the foundation of the expository sermon.

Chapter 5 of Biblical Preaching is entitled “The Arrow and the Target.” The target is the goal: the intended purpose of the sermon, which is closely linked to the big idea. However, in Chapter 5, Robinson talks about the homiletical idea, which is the big idea of the homily. When preparing the sermon, the preacher moves from the process of Biblical exegesis, towards the discovery of the big idea contained in the passage, towards the cultivation of a purpose-driven or thesis-driven homily. The homiletical idea is the preacher’s reinterpretation of the Biblical passage, within the structure of a purposeful sermon. Robinson advises readers to use language as precise as possible when developing the homiletical idea. Even the slightest change in wording can alter the semantics, the meaning of the homily. It is important to remain loyal to the Biblical text, as well as to the homiletical idea, which is why the author uses the analogy of the arrow and target. Precision is key. When shooting an arrow, the archer needs to take into account multiple variables like wind conditions, the weight of….....

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