What should I preach? That is the question that often haunts preachers. It is a little easier if you are preaching on a particular occasion or by invitation for a themed conference. But if you alone are the one deciding the text or topic, choosing one is a difficult task. There are after all only thousands of verses in the bible each filled with spiritual and hermeneutic riches. So, what should I preach?
For this first term I have chosen a very well known passage, Romans 12:1-2. My reasons are that first it is well-known and second it is a didactic passage. I find that these are the easiest passage to use when learning to preach. Didactic passages are those that teach. Generally the epistles are the sayings of Christ in the New Testament can be considered didactic. Some of the Old Testament contains this kind of material. There are a number of biblical genres and we assume you are familiar with them. If not, take a look at Fee and Stuart’s How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth at Amazon.
The next question is where to we begin and end the passage. It is important to start by selecting a well defined passage. There are a few things to consider. How long will we have to preach? How much of the text can we manage in that time? How in depth will we have to get with our audience? How much can we assume they already know? These are all important questions to consider.
As you read the text in your printed word, there will likely be headings every few verses or so. Some also have paragraphs marked. These can help but should never be the only factor in picking a passage. Scholars helped the Bible printer come up with these headings and paragraphs. So don’t discount them. But don’t rely only on them.
As a general rule I read the passage in its context. If it is in a shorter work like one of the shorter epistles, read the whole book in one sitting. If it is in a longer book then read at least the chapters before and after the passage. For example, in reading Romans 12:1-2 it would be a good idea to at least read the first part of the book if not the whole thing. You can read all 16 chapters in a morning. This will help you get the feel for the overall flow of the book. Then close your bible and walk away. It is good to let this simmer in your brain a while. Have lunch or deal with some other administrative work. Stop thinking about the passage.
Next read it in its immediate context in as many translations as possible. This is where the “digital” part of this comes into play. Fire up your Bible Study software and get the translations lined up either side by side or in an interlinear fashion. I use BibleWorks 7 for this task, but any Bible Study software with at least 5 good translations will do. If you don’t have one, stop now and go over to www.e-sword.net and download it and install as many modern translations as possible and read it in that program. I always read it in the King James Version, New International Version, New American Standard Bible, Holman Christian Standard Bible and English Standard Version. I also like to use Young’s Literal Translation. If you do not have access to the modern translations mentioned here because you are using only the free version of e-Sword, then read it in KJV, the Modern King James Version, Revised Standard Version, English Standard Version and Contemporary English Version.
Reading all these translations helps you see the text from many different viewpoints. Sometimes there will be more difference than others. But re-reading helps you get familiar with the text. By now you should begin to see the beginning and the end. This is called delineating the text. We will discuss this more in our next post. For now, go back to your Bible Study program and begin to get familiar with it. Read the help files or go through any tutorial videos. This is your tool and get good at using it. If you have not yet selected one and are willing to pay for it go to some of the various sites to see which is best for you. I will soon have a page that gives links and mini-reviews of the most popular programs. For now check out some of the archives at Christian Computing Magazine.
