Careful Preparation Produces Confident Preaching
Chapter 5: Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Study Method for Faithful Preaching
John MacArthur
The apostle Paul was about to die. Incarcerated in one of Rome's most dreadful dungeons, the faithful apostle knew that his execution was imminent. "I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come," he wrote to Timothy in his final letter. From an earthly standpoint, Paul's situation was bleak. His coworker Demas had betrayed him; others had abandoned him; he was cold and forsaken in prison. He had been alone at his trial, falsely accused of insurrection by his enemies, and subsequently sentenced to death.
But the apostle was not disheartened. "The Lord stood by me and strengthened me," he wrote. In the face of death, Paul was triumphant: "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom."
Faced with the abandonment of his friends, the accusations of his enemies, and the anguish of an impending death sentence, Paul remained unflappable. From an earthly perspective, it seemed as though his life would end in failure. But Paul knew differently: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day."
His life was not one of popularity, prosperity, prestige, or social power. It had not been successful by the usual measures of earthly success. But he had been faithful. And from God's perspective, faithfulness is success. He could look forward to death with confident expectation because he knew the Savior was waiting for him. After a life of faithfulness, he could rightly anticipate hearing the Lord say, "Well done."
The Call to Expository Faithfulness
Significantly, it is in this context that Paul charged Timothy, his son in the faith, with this straightforward command: "Preach the Word!" Earlier in the letter, the apostle had similarly exhorted his apprentice, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15).
As a workman Paul was not ashamed, because he had been faithful to his ministry. First and foremost this meant that he had been faithful to the message God had given him (cf. Titus 1:3). He had kept the faith, guarding "that which was entrusted to him" (cf. 1 Tim. 6:20). Now he was exhorting Timothy to do the same.
The church was not yet one hundred years old. Yet there were already plenty of lazy, unfaithful, hypocritical preachers to be found. Some were in it for the money (1 Tim. 6:3-10), others for the popularity (2 Tim. 4:3-4). As a result, the truth was being watered-down, twisted, and forsaken. In their pursuit of worldly success, these false teachers continually demonstrated their spiritual unfaithfulness.
Timothy was to be different. He was to handle the Word with precision, from pure motives, for the glory of his Lord. To restate Paul's words, he was to present himself to God as an unashamed worker who interpreted the Word of truth accurately.
Paul's charge to Timothy rings as true today as it did in the first century. Those ministers who long for true success, meaning the Lord's approval, must work hard to handle his Word with precision. They must give maximum effort in the study and imparting of God's truth - so that their sermons will present the Word of the Lord as accurately, articulately, and authentically as possible.
The aim of their ministry will be to present themselves to God as those who are approved. Their congregation may number in the thousands. Their messages may air on radio and television. Their books may top bestseller lists. But unless their preaching is approved by God, they are failures in the only sense that matters. True success is faithfulness, not popularity. And faithfulness in the pulpit demands diligence in the study.
Those who are lazy in their study, undisciplined in preparation, and careless in proclamation will one day be ashamed. But not faithful workmen. Like Paul, they will one day stand with joyful confidence before their gracious Master.
The Mark of a Faithful Teacher
The faithful workman must divide the word of truth rightly. The Greek term Paul used literally means "to cut straight." It referred to a craftsman cutting a straight line, a mason setting a straight line of bricks, a farmer plowing a straight furrow, or a workman building a straight road. Metaphorically, it was used of carefully performing any task. Because he was a tentmaker by trade (Acts 18:3), Paul could have had in mind the careful, straight cutting and sewing of the many pieces of leather or cloth necessary to make a tent.
The careful exegete and expositor of God's word of truth must be meticulous in the way he interprets and pieces together the many individual truths found in Scripture. His love and reverence for the Author of Scripture demands it. No faithful ambassador wishes to misrepresent the wishes of his King.
Thankfully, the message of the gospel is abundantly clear in God's Word. The student of Scripture need not fear that its message is unknowable. Rather, he can rejoice in knowing that God revealed himself and his plan of salvation in a way that men can understand. Not only does the Scripture repeatedly claim that God revealed what is written within its pages (over 2,000 times in fact), it also describes itself as that which gives light (Ps. 119:105; 2 Pet. 1:19a), is profitable (2 Tim. 3:16-17), explains salvation (2 Tim. 3:15b), addresses common people (cf. Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:37; Eph. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:2), can be understood by children (Deut. 6:6-7; Eph. 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:14-15), and should be used to test the validity of religious ideas (Acts 17:11; cf. 2 Cor. 10:5; 1 Thess. 5:21-22). It is the truth (John 17:17) that sets men free (John 8:31-36). Thus, to deny the clarity of Scripture is to call into question not only the Bible's own self-claims, but also God's ability to communicate clearly.
It is because "the words of Scripture are objectively God's revelation [that] one person can point to the content of the Bible in seeking to demonstrate to another what the correct understanding is."33 Moreover, because God's revelation is clear:
Scripture can be and is read with profit, with appreciation and with transformative results. It is open and transparent to earnest readers; it is intelligible and comprehensible to attentive readers. Scripture itself is coherent and obvious. It is direct and unambiguous as written; what is written is sufficient. Scripture's concern or focal point is readily presented as the redemptive story of God. It displays a progressively more specific identification of that story, culminating in the gospel of Jesus Christ. All this is to say: Scripture is clear about what it is about.34
Because God has revealed himself in an understandable, clear way, in keeping with the normal means of human language and communication, the student of Scripture can rightly interpret God's message in the normal sense in which human language and communication is interpreted. Whether preaching poetry, prophecy, or Paul's epistles, the student of Scripture is correct if he approaches Scripture with the confidence that God revealed it clearly, and he did so using the normal features of language.
But the clarity of Scripture does not mean that diligent study is unnecessary or unwarranted. In fact, just the opposite is true. Rightly dividing the Word of truth demands great effort. This is true for several reasons. First, because its author is God (2 Pet. 1:21), the message of Scripture is as infinitely profound as it is simple and straightforward. As Thomas Scott explained, "The things that are absolutely necessary to salvation, are few, simple, and obvious to the meanest capacity, provided it be attended by a humble teachable disposition: but the most learned, acute, and diligent student cannot, in the longest life, obtain an entire knowledge of this one volume."35 Thus, diligent study is needed to draw out the deep truths of God's Word.
Second, because it was originally written many years ago in very different contexts, today's exegete has to work hard to bridge the gaps of language, culture, geography, and history. He must also do his best to understand the flow of the argument, as it would have been understood by its original readers, and as it would have been intended by its original human author. Few ills have done more damage to the contemporary church than the proliferation of sermons that base misguided application on misinterpreted or spiritualized texts. The faithful workman will be careful to keep context in view.
Third, because error is so plentiful in the church today, the diligent expositor must approach the text carefully, testing all things to see whether or not they measure up to the truth (cf. Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:21-22; Jude 3-4). Doctrinal error is an eternally serious matter, and no faithful minister would ever knowingly invite it into his ministry. Sound doctrine, on the other hand, is to be guarded and taught (2 Tim. 1:14). The faithful workman, then, studies diligently, "holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict" (Titus 1:9 NKJV).
Since nothing is as important as the Word, no energy expended by anyone in any field should surpass the effort of an expositor seeking to "rightly divide the Word." Yet this is too seldom the case. As Jay Adams correctly observes:
I have had the opportunity to hear much preaching over the last few years, some very good, some mediocre, most very bad. What is the problem with preaching? There is no one problem, of course. . . . But if there is one thing that stands out most, perhaps it is the problem I mention today.
What I am about to say may not strike you as being as specific as other things I have written, yet I believe it is at the bottom of a number of other difficulties. My point is that good preaching demands hard work. From listening to sermons and from talking to hundreds of preachers about preaching, I am convinced that the basic reason for poor preaching is the failure to spend adequate time and energy in preparation. Many preachers - perhaps most - simply don't work long enough on their sermons.36
If one truly believes God inspired every word of Scripture, how can he justify treating it with any degree of triteness or superficiality? And if the Word is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12) and the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16) and sanctification (John 17:17), how can anyone invest more trust in stories and clever insights than in Scripture? A man once said to the Puritan preacher Richard Rogers, "Mr. Rogers, I like you and your company very well, only you are too precise." "Oh sir," replied Rogers, "I serve a precise God."37 And God has not lowered his standard of precision to accommodate a dumbed-down society.
The Basics of Bible Study
At the foundational level, there are three familiar basics for Bible study: observation, interpretation, and application. The exegete must familiarize himself with the text (observation), identify the intended meaning of the text (interpretation), and determine how to appropriately respond (application).
Observation
Observation is the initial step in Bible study. The interpreter must avoid jumping to conclusions before first familiarizing himself with the content and context of the passage. He must resist the temptation to plunge immediately into commentaries and other study helps before living in the passage himself. Nothing can replace firsthand observation. And thus he should devote extended time to this crucial practice. Robert A. Traina defines observation as "essentially awareness . . . the general function of observation is to enable one to become saturated with the particulars of a passage so that one is thoroughly conscious of their existence and of the need for their explanation. Observation is the means by which the data of a passage becomes part of the mentality of the student. It supplies the raw materials upon which the mind may operate in the interpretive process."38
It includes a broad awareness of the terms, structure, and literary form of the passage. It should be careful, systematic, and persistent. Martin Luther likened his Bible study to gathering apples: "First I shake the whole tree, that the ripest may fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch and then each twig, and then I look under each leaf."39
Observation begins by reading and rereading the passage until the exegete is saturated with its content; it allows the Bible student to answer the questions Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How? The interpreter should also note the significance of certain textual markers, such as verbs, connecting words, repeated terms, comparisons and contrasts, commands and exhortations, or words and phrases the biblical author has used elsewhere. By observing what the text itself says, the preacher has an objective basis upon which to propositionally state the truths of God's Word - rather than just subjectively asserting that "this is what such and such means to me."
After making general observations regarding the structure and flow of the passage, the exegete should identify key words and phrases within the passage - noting their lexical and syntactical relationships to one another. Since God chose to communicate using human language, the preacher can best understand the meaning of a passage by identifying the key words and phrases therein.
William D. Barrick notes seven aspects involved in this identification process:
1) Ask, "To what is each word, phrase, clause, sentence, and paragraph related? In what way? For what purpose?"
2) Ask, "Where is the prominence or emphasis?" Pay attention to word order and the employment of emphatic words.
3) Determine what idioms are being employed in the passage.
4) Determine the literary form (genre) of the passage. Is the text narrative, poetry, prophecy, or something else?
5) Determine what literary devices (chiasms, repetition, inclusion, assonance, parallelism, etc.) are being employed.
6) Perform a word study for each key word in the text. Keep in mind that many words have no great "golden nugget" of expositional truth outside of their usage within the text's proposition.
7) State the argument and/or the development of the theme succinctly and in your own words.40
Interpretation
As the exegete familiarizes himself with a given text, he should always keep in mind one simple question: "What does this mean?" It is irresponsible to read the text and jump directly to some application; the essential issue for the expositor is to discern the meaning, so that no application is illegitimate.
After this exercise, the exegete should turn to the available resources, such as commentaries, lexicons, Bible dictionaries, theologies, histories, and concordances. In this process new observations may surface, and most of the exegete's original questions should be answered and observations expanded. Granted, the interpreter should emphasize research on interpretation in conservative commentaries, while recognizing that liberal commentaries may provide insight related to technical matters in regard to the original language and its usage.
GAPS TO BRIDGE
As briefly noted earlier, there are four gaps that the contemporary student of Scripture must bridge in order to rightly understand what it means. First, the expositor must be equipped to bridge the language gap. Since the Bible was originally written in Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic, the meaning of a word or phrase in the original language is often the key to correctly interpreting a passage of Scripture. Even if a pastor is not fluent in the biblical languages, he should draw from trustworthy sources to aid him in interacting with the original text.
Second, the preacher must overcome the culture gap. The Bible must first be viewed in the context of the time and place in which it was written. For instance, without an understanding of first-century Jewish culture, it is difficult to understand the Gospels. Similarly, Acts and the Epistles must be read in light of the Greek and Roman cultures and history.
A third gap that needs to be closed is the geography gap. Biblical geography makes the Bible come alive. A good Bible atlas is an invaluable reference tool that can help you comprehend the geography of the Holy Land. Of course, nothing does this more than visiting the land firsthand. But even those who have never been to Israel should do their best to familiarize themselves with it as much as possible.
Finally, students of Scripture must also bridge the history gap. Unlike the scriptures of most other world religions, the Bible contains the records of actual historical persons and events. An understanding of Bible history will help the expositor place the people and events in it in their proper historical perspective. A good Bible dictionary or Bible encyclopedia is useful here, as are basic historical studies.
PRINCIPLES TO UNDERSTAND
In addition to the gaps that must be bridged, exegetes should allow four principles to guide their biblical interpretation: literal, historical, grammatical, and syntactical. These principles have already been briefly mentioned. But they bear reiterating here since they are absolutely foundational to the exegete's task.
The literal principle asserts that Scripture should be understood in its normal and natural sense. This is not to say that Scripture contains no figures of speech or symbols. Certainly it does, and they should be interpreted as such, in keeping with the normal rules of language. The faithful interpreter must allow it to speak for itself, without inventing allegorical, spiritualized, or fanciful interpretations.
The historical principle compels the student of Scripture to interpret God's Word in its ancient context. As those who will explain God's truth to a current generation, expositors must first ask what the text meant to the people to whom it was originally written. In this way the interpreter can develop a proper contextual understanding of the original intent of the passage.
The grammatical principle requires that exegetes understand the basic grammatical structure of each sentence in the original language. What are the action and the tense of the main verb? To whom do the pronouns refer? How do the various elements of the sentence relate to one another? Often by asking some simple questions like those, along with diagramming the sentence, the meaning of the text quickly becomes clear.
The syntactical principle is what the Reformers called the analogia scriptura. It means that the Bible cannot contradict itself, based on the fact that its Author cannot contradict himself. If the student arrives at an interpretation of a passage that contradicts or opposes a truth taught elsewhere in the Scriptures, the student's interpretation cannot be correct. The right interpretation will always be consistent with the rest of God's revealed truth.
Application
Having read and interpreted the passage, the expositor should have a basic understanding of what it means by what it says. But examining the Scriptures does not stop there. The exegete's ultimate goal is to release the meaning of the Word so as to convict and encourage his own heart, enabling him to grow spiritually by personal application.
From the expositor's personal application flows corporate application. Having embraced the truth in his own heart, the expositor is now ready to preach it to his congregation. In general, it is usually best to emphasize the meaning of the text, then the theological truth it teaches with general application, allowing the Holy Spirit to fill in the specifics for individuals. Though there is only one meaning in each text, there are many applications. The specific nature of those applications depends on the individual circumstances of each member of the congregation.
Application answers the question, "How does this text impact me?" The following questions will help apply the truths discovered in Bible study:41
1) Are there examples to follow?
2) Are there commands to obey?
3) Are there errors to avoid?
4) Are there sins to forsake?
5) Are there promises to claim?
6) Are there new thoughts about God?
7) Are there truths or doctrines to further explore?
8) Are there convictions to live by?
Meditation is also an important part of the application process, since God's people are called to think upon his truth and its implication in their own lives. Meditation entails focusing the mind on one subject, involving reason, imagination, and emotions. It is a natural overflow of the discovery process in Bible study. Concentrated meditation on the truths of God's Word weaves those truths into the fabric of life. Perhaps Paul had this meditative process in view when he told Timothy to be "constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine" (1 Tim. 4:6 NASB).
Careful Bible study skills are the foundation upon which all good expository sermons are built. The expository preacher is, by definition, a skilled handler of Scripture. He interprets it accurately, applies it personally, and then proclaims it to his congregation so that they can understand and act upon God's Word, as well as instruct others with what they have learned.
A Personal Word on the Study Process
Every expositor should have a careful and deliberate plan for putting these principles to work routinely in preparation. Such will increase both confidence in his study and consistency in his preaching. The following method is the one I usually follow in my own study. It is included here in the hope that it will be helpful to others in their own exegetical preparation.42
Read the Book
Because I generally preach through entire books of the New Testament, I always begin by reading the whole book. It is imperative for the expositor to be familiar with the overall message and flow of the book before he begins preaching any passages from it. As I have grown in my own preaching ministry, I have come to realize how important this step is. When I was less experienced, I sometimes found myself assuming an interpretation was correct because I lacked familiarity with all that would come later in the book, leading to serious difficulties later. For example, in 1 Thessalonians, God's eschatological wrath is mentioned in 1:10 and again in 5:9. The expositor should make sure that his interpretation of wrath in both of those passages is consistent.
Context is the most important hermeneutical principle. By reading and familiarizing himself with the entire book, the expositor can relate each passage to the overall context of the book. Putting together a general outline of the book and identifying key verses is also helpful in grasping the overall flow.
At this point I also read the introductory sections in several good commentaries. Through this I become familiar with the author of the book, the addressees, the book's theme or purpose, the date of its writing, and other important background material. General introductions for New Testament books along with Bible encyclopedias are also useful sources for finding background material.
Read the Passage
I read whatever passage I am working through repeatedly in my English Bible until it is pretty well fixed in my memory. I try to do that early in my preparation process so I will have plenty of time to meditate on it before I begin my exegesis. Once I begin concentrating on my sermon text, it dominates my thinking, conversation, and reading during my time of preparation. This is a foundational part of becoming familiar with the text. I rarely consciously memorize Scripture, but by the time I finish preparing the sermon, I usually have the text pretty well memorized.
Find the Main Point
In approaching the text, my primary interpretive goal is to find and articulate the main point the passage is teaching. This "big idea" (also known as the thesis or proposition) is very often connected with the main verb in the passage, though not necessarily so, especially in a parable or narrative passage. I ask myself questions like, "What is the primary message of this passage? What is the central truth? What is the main expositional idea?" Once I have found it, I write it out in a complete sentence because it is crucial that the main idea of the passage be clear in my own mind. Subsequent development of the text hinges on it.
Clearly explaining the main point of the passage is the target I aim for in my preaching. It is the primary message I want my people to retain after they hear the sermon. So it is crucial that the proposition be articulated carefully and clearly. Everything else in the sermon serves to help, impress, convict, and confront the hearer with the main truth. From the introduction to the conclusion, it all connects to the main truth.
Organize the Passage
After I find the main point, I begin to look for the subordinate points that support it. They will often be connected with the subordinate verbs, participles, or infinitives. This is the first step in outlining the passage. It also provides a confirmation of the main point. If the main thought I have determined for a passage is not broad enough to include all the other thoughts or is not fully supported by them, I need to rework it.
Let me illustrate the process of finding the main and subordinate points by looking at Matthew 28:19-20. The main verb is "make disciples," while "go," "baptizing," and "teaching" are all participles modifying the main verb. The main point, then, might be "how to make disciples." The subpoints would be "going," "baptizing," and "teaching." The sermon explains how to make disciples by fulfilling those three duties.
Analyze the Structure
After reading the passage and discovering the main and subordinate points, the next step is a detailed analysis of its words and grammar. I work through the passage in detail in the Greek text, taking notes on a legal-sized note pad. I look first for any problems in the passage, such as an important textual variant, an unusual word, or a difficult grammatical construction. At this point, I begin to use study tools such as linguistic keys, lexicons, concordances, word studies, and exegetical commentaries.
I also find it helpful to diagram the passage. I no longer write out the diagram since I can usually visualize it mentally. Diagramming each sentence helps make me aware of the grammatical structure and the relationships between different words and phrases within each sentence. When studying the grammar of a passage, I pay special attention to prepositions and the case of the nouns. After all, rightly understanding the passage may hinge on correctly identifying the direct object, the indirect object, and whether something is in apposition to something else. A working knowledge of English grammar is essential for this process.
At this point I also read as many good commentaries as I can to assist in the interpretation and to garner cross-references and theological insights.
Put Together an Exegetical Outline
As the final step in the study process, I put together a preliminary outline. It is not the outline I will preach from but is rather an exegetical outline drawn directly from my study of the text. It is not alliterated, and I may write down several different ways of stating each point. I purposely place this step toward the end of the study process. Doing even a preliminary outline before the detailed study of the passage increases the danger of forcing the text to fit our preconceived ideas. We must be careful to let the text speak for itself, rather than trying to bend it to fit an outline of our own creation. Placing the other steps first in the study process helps avoid this tendency.
Add Illustrations
After the outline is refined, I search for the best illustrations. I prefer biblical illustrations because they teach the Word while they illustrate, because they are God's choice of illustrative material, because Scripture interprets itself best, and because they have divine authority to go with human interest. Other illustrations can be added to these. Finally, I write the introduction and conclusion. I wait until the end to do this, so that I know exactly what I am introducing and concluding.
Careful Preparation Produces Confident Preaching
By studying diligently, thoroughly, and precisely, the expositor can be confident that he is rightly dividing the Word of truth. Having prepared properly, he can enter the pulpit with confidence - not only before his people, but also before his Lord - knowing that faithfulness to the message brings honor to the Master.
Rightly dividing the Word of truth, then, is the central mark of a truly successful preacher. In the end, when he stands before the Chief Shepherd, only one factor about his ministry will ultimately matter: Was he faithful? He may have been a dynamic orator, a master storyteller, and a winsome communicator. His church might have been large and his ministry well known. But if his own faithfulness is absent, all of those externals are merely wood, hay, and straw (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15). Only that which is done out of loyalty to Christ will be rewarded.
True success, then, is found in pleasing him. For pastors and teachers, this begins with guarding the truth by interpreting it accurately and proclaiming it articulately to the flock. Though it ends in the pulpit, such a stewardship begins in the study, as the man of God illumined by the Spirit of God studies the Word of God for the glory of God.
May we therefore approach our privileged task with sobriety and reverence, knowing that as teachers we shall receive a stricter judgment (James 3:1).