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Jim Fennell's avatar

I wonder if Ryan forgot that expository preaching is the result of expository teaching? For example, "But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him [Apollos], they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. ..." Acts 18:26. Dare I conclude that they used expository teaching with Apollos, and not feelings and emotions?

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Immutable Word's avatar

The Word is immutable! If you live your life based on your feelings and emotions, you’re doomed to fail. Our instructions are complete in the Word. They aren’t written to be conformed to the World’s and mankind’s “preferences.” The Word prophesied the End Times. When? Don’t know. God’s time is not our limited knowledge of time. But it definitely seems the World is on the path to fulfill Revelation!

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Lee L. Hinnant's avatar

I googled "expository preaching." It means beginning with passages from Scripture, and then explaining the meaning and application to our lives. And one would be critical of that because....why? Excellent question. And then "experiential preaching" is preferred instead. That means our feelings must be sympathetically considered and addressed. No, thank you. It is "experiential preaching" that is the golden calf idol.

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JB's avatar

Excellent article, Jeff. The first time I ever heard an expositor was Dr. John Bisagno in 1977 & I was hooked! In 1983 he also highly recommended John MacArthur & his New Testament Commentary on Hebrews & I was hooked again. Experiences & emotions change, God's Word does not. Only God's Word is truth & Truth Matters.

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Doug Hart's avatar

Good post, Jeff. But I have to ask.

You said, “But, as iron sharpens iron, sometimes friends must also speak plainly to one another when one of us has taken a wrong turn.”

Have you spoken directly to your friend?Does he read the Dissenter? If you did indeed speak to him about this serious flaw in teaching, what was his response?

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Graham Dugas's avatar

Public sin deserves a public rebuke.

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Doug Hart's avatar

Fair enough. But we are talking about good friends here. I was specifically asking if Jeff has spoken to him directly about his concerns and, if he had, what was his response. Going public with a rebuke of a friend without the benefit of face-to-face counseling with the offender first is lazy and not befitting a friend imo.

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Suzanne's avatar

My family heard a wonderful expository message at our Reformed Baptist church on 1st Corinthians 13 on Mother’s Day. It was moving and brought me and several others to tears. You’re right Jeff, preaching a dry, lifeless sermon without any sense of connection to the flock would be like parents providing all the necessary items to keep their children alive, but without love and affection for their children, they would not thrive. But the fact is, most pulpits these days are all about topics that the culture deems relevant, not the consistency of going through God’s written word so we can know it and be able to defend our hope in Christ.

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Ingemo Jonsäll's avatar

Amen and amen again. I´m in the middle of listening to a Swedish preacher, got questions about him. And although he reads the text, he wonders of to much fot my liking. But this seems to be how preaching is mostly done these days. And I sit there thinking I want more, cant you just dig in a little bit deeper on the text you´re preacing over. We really do need God´s word, even more these days when there are so much false flying around. God bless you and you´re work.

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