In our discussion on context last week, Scott brought up some interesting questions. He said:
What I wonder is this: when we see the sermons in the Bible (Peter, Stephen, Paul – all in Acts) do we not see topical sermons using scripture from various areas? Is not the very point made – that Paul’s letters have a clear message and should not be broken down into single verses – show that he has a topic, a theme in his writing of that letter? And could not the same imagery be applied in this instance – using certain threads of scripture to knit a complete message?
He also goes on to say that he had been taught that topical preaching was “wrong.” These are issues that I’ve discussed with others over the years of my ministry. Let me offer some observations:
- I don’t think that topical preaching is wrong. However, I read the other day where a brother said that he typically uses 70 or more verses in every sermon he preaches. It’s hard for me to see how any concept of context can be given around that many verses, though I haven’t actually heard this man preach. Topical preaching has a place, a valid place, in our preaching. In fact, I think churches need a mix of topical and expository preaching. (Apparently expository preaching is playing the bad guy role in contemporary preacher training, much as topical preaching did in my day)
- I think that topical preaching can be done contextually, sort of a combination of topical and expository. That is, when I’m asked to speak on a topic, I always try to hang that topic on two or three passages that can be looked at in depth.
- As for the New Testament writers, I believe that they enjoyed a guidance from the Holy Spirit that we don’t. When we start playing cut and paste with what they’ve written, it’s almost like saying that we know better than the Holy Spirit how to address certain topics. To me, an excellent example is Titus chapters 2 and 3. In those chapters, the point is driven home that to spur people on to good works, you need to teach about grace. I don’t know that you arrive at that conclusion by doing a piece by piece study of the text; you’ve got to grab the large chunks.
Before asking for your opinion, I wanted to share one last context story that I happened to remember yesterday. Years ago, I was at a church service where an older brother got up to lead the closing prayer. During the prayer, he said, “As Peter said on the Mount of Transfiguration, ‘It is good that we were here.'” Nothing like quoting something that earned someone a healthy rebuke.
Now I’ll ask. How does topical teaching fit in with the idea of context? Is it legitimate, as Scott says, to take threads from many different places and sew them into one garment?
A couple of quick thoughts…
First, there will always be a place for some topical preaching. What should be avoided is the forcing of scripture to fit a topical thesis. Second, I wouldn’t say that Paul had a specific topic in mind when writing. I think it’s more like Paul was pastorally applying the gospel & scripture to specific situations and issues in the local churches he was ministering to. Preachers/Ministers today must do the same thing in the churches they serve too and do so to situations and issues that may not even be directly dealt with in scripture. What we must be careful to do is to understand what the gospel is first and what the scripture says in its own context and then allow it to speak faithfully into our own context, calling us back into the world of scripture and the gospel it proclaims.
Grace and Peace,
Rex
I appreciate your article. I sometimes struggle with topical preaching. I heard a preacher quote a bunch of verses from the KJV on a topic, not even considering that a visitor would have heard a contradiction because the word changed meaning over years.
I can see a place for it but I prefer to examine texts on a topic rather than go everywhere preaching the word. So I do agree with how you approach. If we do do topical preaching, we certainly need to keep the contexts in mind.
I think it is important that even when doing topical preaching we take a holistic approach to the texts. Not taking anything out of context to prove point, opinions, or change the intended subject to something not intended. I strive to to read, study, and preach holistically. Proof texting can be dangerous. Can’t it? Can we get into proof texting when doing topical sermons?
Just to be sure that this is understood – I believe that proof texts wrench the meaning from the text. When developing a topic (which God has presented in His word) we need to pay attention to context. Otherwise we cannot understand.
My point was simply that topical preaching is something that we do see in the NT. When Paul goes to the synagogue, he preaches specifically about Jesus being the Christ and he proves this from the scriptures (i.e. Acts 13 in Antioch). And, indeed, we see that Paul, Stephen, Peter, Barnabas, or Philip explain context. Of course, the preaching that we see in Acts is preaching to people who are not yet Christians, preaching the gospel to them.
I will continue to preach on the Christ, on the gospel of grace, on redemption and how we can and should live holy lives – and I will use scripture within its context. The beuaty of the Word is revealed in its entirety.
In Him,
Scott