Book Review of Haddon W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2014).
Among the leading voices in modern Christian homiletics is the voice of Haddon Robinson. Well known for his “teaching on preaching,” the late Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary professor has literally written the book on how pastors communicate God’s word in a volatile modern world. In Biblical Preaching, Robinson lays out the case for the importance of returning to the centrality of both the Gospel message as well as the Pastor himself. Thus, Robinson’s intent in this book is to provide the reader with an essential framework for communicating God’s word from the pulpit, without resorting to scripted and canned illustrations and sermons. Essentially for Robinson, homiletics is as much of an art as it is a science, recognizing the necessity of the messenger along with the message. With all the insight of a seasoned preacher with a shepherd’s heart, Biblical Preaching, is Robinson’s attempt to restore the necessity of the preached word in the congregation without divorcing the proclaimed from the proclamation.
Robinson dedicates his first chapter to defining Biblical preaching and underscoring its necessity. He notes, “to the New Testament writers, preaching stood as the event through which God works” (15). Although the written word of God is powerful in and of itself, there is an added dimension to the word when it is preached through human beings. Robinson further builds his case by pointing out that the Biblical writers themselves spoke of the value of hearing the word preached in person in the midst of God’s people: “Paul realized that some ministries simply cannot take place apart from face-to-face contact. Even the reading of an inspired letter will not substitute. ‘I am eager to preach the Gospel to you…who are in Rome.’ (1:15 RSV). A power comes through the preached word that even the written word cannot replace” (15).
This recognition of the necessity of the preached word will serve as the cornerstone of Robinson’s homiletic philosophy. For him, God is living and active in the world. Human beings are, in a sense, God’s vessels, one of the instruments he uses to tend to his creation. God speaks to his church through the written word, interpreted and preached through his ministers in their expository preaching. “Something fills us with awe when God confronts individuals through preaching and seizes them by the soul” (17).
This is an important point. Many today think of God as distant and far-off. Having left us some of his thoughts in a book written 2,000 years ago, ministers are tasked with translating ancient thoughts to be applied to a world utterly foreign to the ancients. Robinson is right to note that Biblically, this is not the case. God is deeply and intimately involved in his creation. Through his spirit, his word is actively preached from the scriptures through the minister.
Robinson wraps up his explanation of expository preaching and its necessity in the life of the congregation and takes up a new task in the second chapter. Concerned that the congregation is in need of receiving a message that makes sense, Robinson endeavors to tackle the more technical aspects of a successful sermon. He notes that many parishioners will complain that sermons will often be perceived as too broad, containing an abundance of different segments which rabbit trail off and leave one with the sense that there was no true message being preached in and of itself. However, Robinson keenly notes that this is likely not a fair criticism: “Sermons seldom fail because they have too many ideas; more often they fail because they deal with too many unrelated ideas” (35). Thus, the problem lies in a fragmentation of the sermon, which ought to ensure that all parts be related to a whole idea, generally a “central idea” (36).
Robinson belabors this point and cites many preachers, and for good reason. Although from different traditions, each citation is given to drive home a central affirmation of the importance that the sermon be perceived as a message that the Christian can digest and take out into the world to be applied in their vocations. Robinson continues this trajectory by listing the Biblical evidence from both the New and Old Testaments. The prophets, for example, “preached a message, complete and entire, to persuade his hearers to return to God” (38). The New Testament Apostles “were without exception the proclamation of a single idea directed toward a particular audience” (38-9).
Robinson makes a convincing case that an effective sermon needs to be unified by a single idea. However, what exactly is meant by idea? Is it a theme? A proposition? Is it topical? These are common things that come to mind when thinking of the sermon as an idea, and only a little bit of reflection is required before one realizes that defining an idea is much more rigorous than perhaps first conceived. The definition of an idea has been deliberated and debated since Plato offered up his idea of forms which would be parsed out by philosophers and linguists for centuries. Realizing this, Robinson offers up a definition in the context of homiletics: “an idea, therefore, may be considered a distillation of life. It abstracts out of the particulars of life what they have in common and relates them to one another” (40). The idea, at least in homiletics, is the foundational unifying principle, that which holds all particular thoughts together so that it forms a single, cohesive message.
From here, the chapter leads into a discussion of the formation of ideas. Robinson contrasts the way that subject and complement are utilized in both grammar and homiletics. Grammar can utilize the subject as a single word. Not so in homiletics. Single words are not precise enough and are always bolstered by a complement which “completes the subject by answering the question ‘what am I saying about what I am talking about?’” (42).
Robinson highlights the importance of this relationship not only in constructing sermons but also when we approach the scriptures. The seasoned preacher should be able to recognize the subject/complement relationship in the text parse out its application for preaching. Robinson pulls no punches here and gets right to the heart of the matter: “We do not understand what we are reading unless we can clearly express the subject and complement of the section we are studying” (48).
Like any great Biblical teacher, the author is right to stress the gravity of thorough Biblical exegesis when studying for sermons. If the subject is understood apart from its complement, the sermon could be wildly off base or so vague as to not communicate an effective message. This is so vitally important in our post-modern culture where meaning is often downplayed in favor of emotion. The job of the preacher is to combat this by delivering God’s word in truth as a unified message.
After laying out his philosophy of homiletics in the first two chapters, Robinson gets down to brass tactics in the third chapter. It is here that he begins to roll out the more detailed aspects of sermon preparation and some of the tools that should go into constructing an effective sermon. Robinson breaks this down into several stages. The first stage is concerned with choosing a Biblical passage to preach on. Here he notes that many traditions, Lutherans for example, use the western liturgical lectionary which generally provides a section of scripture to focus on for each service. For those that don’t, the expositor will need to choose a section of scripture from which to extract the idea of the Biblical writers.
The second stage is implemented once the passage is chosen. Here he provides a tool kit for the preacher to use for Biblical exegesis and application. He outlines the usefulness of the consulting different resources such as commentaries and encyclopedias as well as consulting the original languages of Greek and Hebrew which are all important in understanding the context of the passage in question. From here, we are ready to drill down deeper into the passage to examine the details more thoroughly. He writes: “Having placed the passage within its context, you must now examine its details. In the Epistles and in parts of the Gospels, this means examining the vocabulary and the grammatical structure of the passage” (64).
The third stage offers a better explanation of the relationship between subject and complement that was given in the second chapter. Here he gives us concrete examples of what this looks like when it is considered in the preparation of a sermon. “In doing this you must become aware of the structure of the passage and distinguish between its major and supporting assertions” (71). This may look different depending on which part of the Bible we are investigating. The Old Testament contains much poetry and wisdom literature and will be structured much differently than the epistles of the New Testament or historical accounts in the Gospels. Regardless, he correctly notes: “In whatever genre of literature you study, you will not only try to determine the writer’s idea, but you will also want to discern how the idea is developed in the passage” (75).
Robinson then moves to the next phase by asking the question “How do we get from the text to the sermon” in chapter 4. When considering this question, the preacher must simultaneous inhabit three different mindsets: “To preach effectively, therefore, expositors must be involved in three different worlds: the world of the Bible, the modern world, and the particular world in which we are called to preach” (80). That is, we must first understand God’s word as the original hearers would have understood it. This may look much different to our modern eyes. Our world and the world of the Bible are not the same. We also must consider our own world. “We must be aware of the currents swirling across our own times. Each generation develops out of its own history and culture and speaks its own language” (80). Lastly, we must consider the world as it pertains to this specific congregation. “The profound issues of the Bible and the ethical, philosophical questions of our times assume different shapes in rural villages, in middle-class communities, or in the ghettos of crowded cities. Ultimately we do not address everyone; we speak to a particular people and call them by name” (80).
Robinson uses this to catapult him into his fourth stage. Here he invokes the use of another triad when he says “To develop a thought, however, we must do one or more of three things. We must explain it, prove it, or apply it” (84). When explaining a particular idea, it is important that we are precise. Robinson warns that those of us coming out of Seminaries with theological training may be great theologians and exegetes, but may be very poor communicators: “Theological jargon, abstract thinking, or scholars’ questions become part of the intellectual baggage that hinders preachers from speaking clearly to ordinary men and women” (88).
Heeding this, we move on to attempt to prove the idea by asking “is this true?” It is the process by which we attempt to bolster the explanation of the passage we are giving. This is important as many of us take this as a given. If it is in the Bible then it must surely be true, we assure ourselves. While this may be natural for Christians, it is not the default position of our culture, as Robinson explains: “We assume that an idea should be accepted as true because it comes from the Bible. That is not necessarily a valid assumption. We may need to gain psychological acceptance in our hearers through reasoning, proofs, or illustrations” (88).
If we successfully back up our original explanation by establishing validity, a response might be “so what? Who cares?” For this reason we must be able to explain why it should make a difference in our lives. A lot can go into this and its importance is stressed in the following statement: “In order to apply a passage accurately, we must define the situation into which the revelation was originally given and then decide what a modern man or woman shares, or does not share, with the original readers. The closer the relationship be-tween people now and people then, the more direct the application” (97). Robinson thoroughly unpacks this by listing several helpful questions that the expositor must ask himself if he is to create legitimate application and drive home the point for why the listener should care, as Christians are called to live in light of God’s word.
Robinson continues to drill down in chapter five which he titles “The Arrow and the Target.” Here, his goal is to distill a broad idea into a single, targeted sentence that can be easily memorable and applicable for the congregation. This statement needs to be in language that congregants are used to. It should be contemporary in its style and tone, as Robinson puts it: “This sentence is your homiletical idea. Remember that you are not lecturing to people about the Bible. You are talking to people about themselves from the Bible”. This echoes his previous statements about not approaching your sermon as if you’re delivering a thesis statement at an academic conference.
Stage 6 is introduced here, which is concerned with the idea of the sermon’s purpose. In other words, what is it that the expositor expects the hearer to take away from the preaching? Robinson helpfully uses the illustration on contrasting a sermon with an essay: “A purpose differs from the sermon idea, therefore, in the same way that a target differs from the arrow; as taking a trip differs from studying a map; as baking a pie differs from reading a recipe. Whereas the idea states the truth, the purpose defines what that truth should accomplish” (119). In other words, a purpose is what animates an idea and brings it to life. This purpose is determined in the midst of your exegetical research by understanding the purpose used by the original author. In a nutshell, “You must first figure out why a particular passage was included in the Bible, and with this in mind decide what God desires to
accomplish through your sermon in your hearers today” (121).
The discussion then moves on to the seventh stage in the sixth chapter. Once your purpose is determined, we must determine what form our sermon will take. Here, Robinson, perhaps unhelpfully, rolls out three technical options by which we can approach shaping a sermon: “Sermons develop in three major ways: deductively, semi-inductively, or inductively” (128). These are different logical forms a sermon may take. A deductive sermon is concerned with the propositional truth intended to be communicated in the idea taken from a Biblical passage. A semi-inductive sermon is subject focused, as Robinson explains “This sermon form depends on a key word that holds the points together” (141). Inductive sermons, which tend to resolve toward the end of the sermon where we approach a thorough fleshing out of the idea. The early portions of the sermon should be a string of points which will inevitably lead the hearer to the same conclusion you come to.
Robinson then moves on to step 8: creating an outline of the sermon, which can be seen as the “bones” or “blueprint” of your sermon. The utility of the outlined is explained by Robinson as solely for the purpose of the preacher as “Congregations do not hear outlines. They hear a preacher speaking” (149). It serves the preparation of the sermon by allowing one to tie together loose ends as well as view the sermon at a high-level, as “you will recognize the places in your sermon that require additional supporting material that must be used to develop your points” (149). Undoubtedly good advice, however tedious it may seem when examined.
Chapter seven introduces us to the ninth stage. It is where we put flesh on the bones of our outlines and “amplify, explain, prove, or apply your ideas and make them understandable and appealing” (158). At this step we refine our sermon. We restate the important information. We are careful to define our terms and give thorough explanation as we apply our voice and narration to illustrate our message. Robinson gives a lot of practical advice to help preachers in this process.
For instance, he recommends keeping an “illustration file” where one can store things that come up in every-day life that can serve to help the expositor fill out his illustrations. He also leverages the use of technology: “This is the twenty-first century. Another way to file supporting material is on your computer. There are several different software programs that can be adapted for a preacher’s use. Now that computers have become smaller and therefore portable, you can carry your system with you” (186). Although different traditions will utilize and apply these principles differently, this can be very helpful and practical for preachers across all different traditions.
Once our sermon begins to fill out, we are ready for the tenth step which is introduced in chapter eight. Here, we have to create what is perhaps the most important part of the sermon in developing our introduction and conclusion. These are perhaps the most important as it is the first thing your congregation will hear and the last thing they will hear before they go back out into the world. There are some wise words here, as Robinson states: “The opening words of a sermon therefore need not be dramatic; they need not even be plain; but they must go after the minds of the hearers to force them to listen” (192). It is not so much about saying something profound as it is piquing the interest of your hearers so that they follow you where you are taking them.
The way we approach our conclusions can also be counterintuitive. “our conclusion should be more than a swipe at getting out of an awkward situation: ‘May God help us live in the light of these great truths.’ It should be more than asking the congregation to bow in prayer so you can sneak off the platform when they’re not looking. You should conclude, and the conclusion should produce a feeling of finality” (205). In other words, our conclusion should be just as much a part of the sermon and serve the purpose of actually concluding. This is a very astute observation as many use the conclusion as a way to get out of the sermon and will often feel very disjointed.
Robinson draws his work to a close in the final two chapters where he addresses the voice, style, and delivery of the sermon. As he states, “An expository preacher professing a high view of inspiration should respect the power of words” (214). It is here where Robinson’s experience as an expositor really shines, and really gets into the finer points of the use of language and nuance. Here, Robinson offers more practical advice on transitions, sentence structure, use of words, and other things which are hallmarks of experience and are invaluable to those who are just beginning. This is where Robinson is at his best as a teacher, offering sound, useful advice as opposed to some of his more abstract ideas about the philosophy of homiletics and sermon preparation.
Robinson wraps up his work in chapter 10, where he takes a step back and looks at the sermon as a congregant would and offers more practical advice for putting a final polish on our sermon. He makes the point here that the sermon is more than just what the person hears, it is also the delivery which incorporates all the senses. Much of our communication is non-verbal, and this is especially true for preachers, as he states: “Not only do your voice and gestures strike the audience’s senses first, but your inflections and actions transmit your feelings and attitudes more accurately than your words” (234).
Thus, the way we deliver our sermons is just as important as the sermon content itself. It is also helpful that Robinson addresses what is often overlooked: the way we dress and groom as preachers. He notes: “Because grooming and dress make a difference in how listeners respond to us, they should make a difference to us as well” (239). Therefore, we should have a sense of awareness when we preach and dress for the type of congregation we are speaking to.
In Biblical Preaching, Robinson delivers all but a manifesto on expository preaching. It is full of great advice and fresh takes on different aspects of sermon preparation and delivery which are invaluable for the expositor at any stage of ministry. However, it should also be noted that much of what Robinson talks about is not intuitive. It may be more difficult for some individuals and some traditions to apply all of what Robinson recommends. It is also true that only experience can teach some of what Robinson discusses. One should not enter the pulpit with the idea that your sermon will be perceived the same way by everyone in the congregation and will feed everyone equally. As Robinson notes in his final comments with all wisdom: “Only Jesus Christ through his Spirit can do that” (261).
