When a preacher comes to the text to prepare his sermon, he ought to come as an agnostic.
That doesn’t mean he should be uncertain regarding God and His Gospel. He ought to be very certain about these things, or else he shouldn’t preach at all! Nevertheless, when it comes to the individual text he is to expound, the preacher shouldn’t be certain of the meaning beforehand, nor should he come preprepared with his message. He will do his work best when he assumes there is still something for him to learn.
The Advantage of Humility
If we think we know what the Scripture says, the likelihood is that we do not yet know as we ought to know. (See 1 Cor. 8:2.) A preacher may come to his sermon with a gilded outline, prewritten based on impressions and memories of the Scripture, but leave the real treasure unmined. The healing of the paralytic (Mark 2:1–11) may thus become a parable about invitations to church: “Look how hard these fellows worked to bring their friend to Jesus!” Meanwhile, the congregation misses out on the rich truths about God’s free forgiveness, the divine identity of the Lord Jesus, and the danger of a hard heart. Instead of being encouraged by the deep truths of Scripture, they feel guilty for not having lived up to a superficial application.
Many preachers will find that it is the unfamiliar passages that bear the richest fruit for them and their people—the passages about which they begin by saying, literally or with genuine humility, “I don’t have a clue what this means.” Then, through skillful study, thoughtful reflection, and zealous prayer, they are able to fill up their empty heads and carry the Word to the people as they proclaim the Scriptures.
The Danger of “Blessed Thoughts”
When the preacher comes to the text as an agnostic, he is able to ask the basic questions: “What is this actually saying? Why is it saying that? Why is it saying it in this way?” Then he can allow the truth of Scripture to set the agenda of the sermon and address the hearts of the hearers.
The dangerous alternative is that the pulpit becomes a parody of an unskilled home Bible study. The questions become “How does it make you feel? What does it remind you of that you’d like to share? How would you have said it? And what, if anything, would you like to change?” Perhaps some people would find all of that an interesting thought experiment, but it is not the preaching of the Bible.
If the pulpit has that kind of flavor to it, then it has lost the conviction that in preaching, God’s people have an encounter with God through His Word. It has become “reflections on the Scripture” or “blessed thoughts” rather than God’s Word proclaimed, addressing the consciences of the hearers. It has ceased, in other words, to be preaching.
“Speak, O Lord”
Bob Fyall has written, “Preaching … is a unifying activity where the whole Christian body, preacher as well as hearers, come together to hear what the Lord is saying.”[1] It is God who speaks through the Scriptures, which is why we sing,
Speak, O Lord, as we come to you
To receive the food of your Holy Word.
Take your truth; plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in your likeness.[2]
Either we believe that, or we don’t believe it. And if we believe it, then we ought to take the time to actually listen to what the Scriptures say. This sets the Scriptures forward and sets Jesus as the ultimate Preacher: “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”[3]
This article was adapted from “Lessons for Handling the Scriptures” by Alistair Begg.
[1] Bob Fyall, “How Shall They Hear Without a Preacher?,” reformation21, April 20, 2011, https://reformation21.org/how-shall-they-hear-without-a-preacher-php.
[2] Stuart Townend and Keith Getty, “Speak, O Lord” (2005).
[3] Psalm 95:7–8; Hebrews 3:7–8, 15; 4:7 (ESV).
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