Gal 3:28 – There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
It is a real shame that, as with a number of ‘problem texts’, there is a danger of losing the positive meaning in the flurry of controversy that surrounds it.
But controversy there is, and we must face up to it. For this verse has, in recent years, become the locus classicus for social egalitarians.…
What sorts of arguments might be raised (rightly or wrongly; fairly or unfairly) against preaching?
Here are some.
C.H. Spurgeon is known as ‘the Prince of Preachers’. It is worthwhile, then, enquiring about his attitude towards, and practice of, expository preaching.
Peter Masters considers this in an article entitled ‘Expository Preaching – Benefits and Pitfalls.’
Masters begins defines expository preaching as ‘preaching that draws the message from the biblical text, clearly and methodically, honouring the sense of the text, and the style of communication employed.’
He outlines some of the benefits of expository preaching:
Some things Jesus did for children
1. He took them in his arms and blessed them.
2. He provided for their physical wants in feeding the four and five thousand—”besides women and children.” He commanded that something to eat be given the raised daughter of Jairus (Mark 5: 43).
3. He healed them. How many were boys? (See John 4:46-54 and Matt. 17: 14-21.) How many were girls? (See Mark 7: 24-30 and Matt. 9:18-34.) Are there still others?…
Jesus had no interest in mere information. He was constantly calling others to action.
Consider some of the things he gave his learners to do.
Herman Horne notes that the Gospels present the disciples as individuals, and Jesus as treating them, and training them, as such.
Recall the characteristics of Peter and the way of training him used by Jesus.
The records represent Peter as having what William James calls “the precipitate will,” that is, he was impulsive, rash, impetuous, bold, of the motor type. Perhaps his foil in all these respects was Thomas. Peter’s name usually heads the list of the disciples, though he was not the first called.…
Jesus made extensive use of the concrete in teaching the abstract.
Consider the following:
| Concrete | Abstract |
| “Look at the birds” | Trust |
| “Consider the lilies” | Trust |
| “The wind blows” | The Spirit |
| “This little child” | True greatness |
| “The poor widow” | Sacrificial giving |
| “Show me a denarius” | Civic duty |
| “Who is my mother?” | Spiritual kinship |
| “Do you see this woman?” | True hospitality |
| “Two sparrows” | Providence |
| “The hairs of your head” | Providence |
| Foxes | Homelessness |
| Grapes and figs | Fruitful discipleship |
| “Fishers of men” | Personal evangelism |
| “The things you have seen and heard” | Data for John’s judgment |
| Ox in the ditch | Humaneness |
| Sheep in the pit | Humaneness |
| Camel and needle’s eye | Perils of wealth |
| The cursed fig tree | Penalty of hypocrisy |
| Log and speck | Large and small faults |
| “The narrow way” | The way to life |
| “The narrow gate” | The way to life |
| “Wolves in sheeps’ clothing” | False prophets |
| “Children of the bride-chamber” | Festal character of the Kingdom |
| “Lift up your eyes to the harvest” | Vision of human need |
| “Snakes” | Wisdom |
| “Doves” | Harmlessness |
| “Cup of cold water” | Service to fellow-disciples |
| “Reed shaken in the wind” | One view of John |
| “Light of the world” | ? |
Very often, Jesus’ words and actions were prompted by some particular situation, need, problem, or question.
Here are some examples:
| Occasion | Use |
| Finding the traders in the Temple | Cleansing the Temple |
| Nicodemus came to him | Teaching the birth from above |
| A woman of Samaria came | Transforming a life |
| The leper came to him | Cleansing physical life |
| The bringing of the palsied man | Spiritual and physical healing |
| He saw a man lying at the pool of Bethesda | Physical healing |
| Complaint about plucking ears of corn on the Sabbath | Teaching the true relation of man and the Sabbath |
| “Seeing the multitudes” | The Sermon on the Mount |
| The coming of John’s messengers | A message to John and a eulogy of John |
| Eating with Simon the Pharisee | Parable of the two debtors |
| The charge: “He is possessed by Beelzebub” | Teaching concerning the unpardonable sin |
| The coming of his mother and brethren | Teaching the supremacy of spiritual relationship |
| The disciples’ question, “Why speak in parables?” |
Places
These include: ‘the mountain; the lakeside; the synagogue in Nazareth, also in Capernaum and in many other towns and cities; the Mount of Olives, from which the Lament over Jerusalem was uttered; Bethesda, in Jerusalem; private homes; the open country; and the Temple.’
Occasions
‘Among such occasions are: The sight of the multitudes; a question asked by one of the crowd, receiving a longer answer than usual; a criticism passed upon some wonderful work of healing done; the sending forth of the twelve, and also of the seventy; the calumny that he had a devil, requiring refutation; the synagogue service on the Sabbath day; the departure of the messengers of John; the charge that he cast out devils by the prince of devils; the demand for a sign; a question from the disciples, requiring a full answer, concerning, say, the meaning of one of the parables, though only disciples heard such explanations.’…
We have noted before that Jesus asked a lot of questions.
What were his reasons for doing so?
Based on Horne, Teaching Techniques of Jesus, p48f.…
