“And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration
of the Spirit and of power …”(1 Cor. 2:4, NKJV)
In his book, The Empty Pulpit, Clyde H Reid hits the nail on the head with his statement that the contemporary sermon can warm the hearts of the congregation, challenge their intellect, awaken their emotions, address the will and choices of the listener, but that it is only really as effective as a stimulant – the long term effects are seldom seen. All of us who’ve spent a lifetime on church benches can testify how little our retention of sermon content is, how short the period of influence was, and how much of the seed of the Word was aborted over time. “Much is preached, but little ever lands. Most of it is aimed at the frontal lob. Contemporary pulpiteerism generally fails to get beyond disseminating information and on to equipping believers to experience and use that which they have heard.” (Viola & Barna, p. 99).
In the light of this it is important to look at what the role that preaching and teaching in the gathering of the ecclesia should be.
Jesus is interestingly enough presented as “a teacher … from God” (John 3:2), and from an early age he is found “sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions” (Luke 2:46). In the first Acts churches this calling was also practised, as there is specific reference made to the teachers “in the church that was at Antioch” (Acts 13:1). Paul notes that he was appointed by God to be “a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles” (2 Tim. 1:11).
In the New Testament ecclesia the teacher and evangelist play vital roles as part of the five-fold ministry (Eph. 4:11). But formalised teaching, especially in the preaching tradition as we are familiar with it today, was not what the Bible meant with preaching the Word in the congregation. Our preaching tradition originates in the Greek-Roman culture, which placed a very high premise on the ability to speak well; the ability of the dramatic orator was praised (Hatch: Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages; Brilioth: Brief History of Preaching). The manipulation value of the speaker’s monologue was much more important than the truth of the message (Norrington: To Preach or Not). The listeners did not participate, but merely listened to the monologue presented (Oates: Protestant Pastoral Counselling). The focus fell on the sermon as artefact, and how well-speaking and inspired the artist (here the preacher) is (Soccio: Archetypes of Wisdom: An Introduction to Philosophy).
[Following this tradition it is then still the case today that after a sermon people will adoringly say to the pastor: “That was such a beautiful sermon, Pastor!” What could this mean? Beautiful? Does it deserve a round of applause? If it draws an emotional response, complete with all kinds of tonal gimmicks, poetry, beautiful words, etc, it has quite possibly lost its primary goal.]
Through the immense influence of Aristotle’s philosophical guide, Aristotle’s Poetics, the three-part structure of the rhetoric strongly impacted the construction of sermons. Each sermon thus has a Beginning, Middle and End, and the Middle section usually has three main points. The nature of the preaching which had earlier flown freely in the churches, and which was interrupted throughout for questions and congregational participation, was replaced by a formalised text presented by a professional speaker. It is not difficult to see that this was then also the origin of the clergy, as they also had to receive formal education in the field. The scientific field that thus developed is still presented in universities and seminaries today: homiletics. Douglas’ New Twentieth Century Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge then also fittingly defines it as: “(a) science, applying rules of rhetoric, which go back to Greece and Rome” (p. 405)!
Over time there were thus more and more liturgical traditions that came into being, and this changed the whole nature of the service to one resembling theatre. No one, especially not the general believers (or the laity), spoke during the service. When it came to teaching, as well as the practising of spiritual gifts and collective fellowship, the congregation became quiet. Interestingly enough Martin Luther referred to the church as a Mundhaus (a mouth house), as the elocution of the orator’s mouth was the core of the activity (Niebuhr & Williams: Ministry in Historical Perspective). John Calvin transferred his pre-conversion research style about Seneca’s secular literary works onto his study of the Bible, a style which had been closely followed by the Puritans, and which still has a strong impact in the church (White: Protestant Worship). The methodical systematics of the use of the pericope which leads to a verse-to-verse interpretation, was at the order of the day (Allen C. Guelzo, in his article: ‘When the sermon reigned’, in Christian History, 1994).
Following the Great Awakening of the Methodists, and later especially the evangelists, as well as the fire-and-brimstone preachers, and the Pentecostal movement with their oratorical presentation with great shouting, strong emotional contrasts and dramatic appeals were found (Pearse & Matthews: We Must Stop Meeting Like This). This style is for instance clearly not what was presented by a great teacher such as Paul, even though he was thoroughly schooled in Greek oratory (Acts 22:3): there was no “fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else” (1 Cor. 2:5, Msg), also devoid of “excellence of speech or of wisdom” (1 Cor. 2:1). Paul knew that “the kingdom of God is not in word but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20).
The styled nature of the message may never jeopardise the content of the teaching or preaching, and must always include the Body. It needs to be a time during which the teacher/evangelist speaks about what God has placed on his heart, but with definite participation of the other believers. In Heb. 5:12 this appeal is made to believers: “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God …” It can’t be stated clearer than Paul in 1 Cor. 14:26: “How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” Thus the following will take place: “Yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers” (Isa. 30:20), and thus “a teacher of righteousness … will make descend unto you the first rain and the later, as at the beginning” (Joel 2:23, MSTC). And thus the myth that preaching is the core of the church gathering, at the cost of congregational participation and the true growth of all believers, will be destroyed.
- Selah: How should large churches handle this matter? Or does the problem lie exactly here?
- Read: 1 Chr. 3-5; Ps. 116; 77-78.
- Memorise: 78:2