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The Goal of Preaching

Writer's picture: Dr. Ray E. Heiple, Jr.Dr. Ray E. Heiple, Jr.

I shall delight in Thy statutes; I shall not forget Thy word. – Psalm 119:16


This morning we look at Question 159 of the Larger Catechism, which asks, “How is the word of

God to be preached by those that are called thereunto?” It gives the answer, “They that are

called to labour in the ministry of the word, are to preach sound doctrine, diligently, in season

and out of season; plainly, not in the enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of

the Spirit, and of power; faithfully, making known the whole counsel of God; wisely, applying

themselves to the necessities and capacities of the hearers; zealously, with fervent love to God

and the souls of his people; sincerely, aiming at his glory, and their conversion, edification, and

salvation.”

What is the goal of preaching? Considering the vision and mission statements of many churches,

the answer to this question is often expressed in terms addressing the perceived improvement of

human society. Phrases like “Urban renewal,” “alleviating poverty,” “social justice,” “cultural

revitalization,” “radical inclusiveness,” “fostering diversity,” “racial reconciliation,” “global

transformation,” “community formation,” “encouraging people,” “building relationships,”

“personal empowerment,” and many similar ones are common. In addition to being man-

centered, all of these phrases have at least one other thing in common: they are all non-Christian.

That is, there is nothing distinctively Christian in them. They could refer to good works done by

faithful Christians, but unbelievers could be a part of and practice every one of them as well. So

while in some particular instance, it might be a good thing to try to alleviate poverty (it might

also be a bad thing if it involves giving someone bread who refuses to work: 2 The. 3:10), it can be

done entirely apart from Christianity. Many adherents of false religions and atheists can boast of

close relationships, mutual encouragement, friendly communities, diversity, poverty programs,

and the like. Moreover, each of these activities can be defined in such a way that is hostile to our

faith. Urban renewal is often pursued through racism against whites; radical inclusiveness can

mean forced acceptance of various expressions of sinful sexual practice.

Much of today’s preaching reflects this man-centered, world-bettering emphasis. Here God’s

Word is valued as an effective tool to bring about “improvements” in human society. Rather than

allowing God’s Word to show us what we should be believing and practicing, man’s already held

beliefs are brought to bear on God’s Word, and Scripture is abused to reinforce the values and

emphases of our secular society. Liberation theology openly boasts of practicing EISEGESIS,

which means reading a desired meaning or already held belief INTO Scripture. Yet notice how

the Westminster divines refute this man-centered emphasis of preaching. First, we are to preach

sound doctrine. Sound doctrine refers to the teaching of Scripture that is actually and objectively

being communicated by the words. We seek it by the practice of EXEGESIS: the meaning we find

is already there, it is the one intended by the Holy Spirit in the words themselves, and we seek to

bring only that meaning OUT OF the text and apply it to our lives. How do we discover this

correct meaning?

Hermeneutics refers to the science of interpreting texts. Reformed Theology has historically

practiced the grammatico-historical method of interpretation. That is, we ascertain the meaning

of a passage by studying the original languages of Scripture according to the definition of the

words themselves as used in that time and place. We also take into account the larger context of

the passage, in accordance with its genre, its human author and audience, the occasion on which

it was written, and the purpose or goal of the writing itself. Finally, we check our derived meaning

against other passages of Scripture in what is called the analogy of faith or the analogy of

Scripture. Since we know God’s Word is infallible and inerrant, the meaning we believe we have

found in a passage cannot contradict any known teaching of the Bible. This process might

sound complicated but we do the exact same thing whenever we read anything today: we

interpret texts according to the definition of words, the context of the article, its purpose, etc.

And this is the way the Word of God must be preached. We set forth what it actually says,

seeking first and foremost to be faithful to Him, and trusting in His power to go forth in and

through it to accomplish His purposes. The goal is to glorify God by proclaiming His truth and

calling all to believe it and to obey it. The result might not be the positive things of the modern

church’s mission. We might have to break certain relationships, exclude some practices, be made

sorrowful unto repentance, accept responsibility for our failures, admit our lack of power, etc. It

comes down to whose kingdom are we seeking to build: God’s or the world’s? In whose wisdom

do we really trust? Ask God for the grace to allow His Word to judge and determine everything in your life!

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