I am still culling through old files. Today, I found a copy of a handout I created to help my students distinguish between what they need to do in their studies and what they need to do in their pulpits. Thanks to Dr. Walt Kaiser and Dr. Haddon Robinson, for their books, Toward an Exegetical Theology: Biblical Exegesis for Preaching and Teaching and Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages respectively. These two men, more than any other shaped my thinking on the topic along with Dr. Gary Stanley, Dr. Klaus Issler, and Hebrew professor Dr. Don Parker.
Below is an Outline of the handout I once gave to my students at the International School of Theology.
Difference between the Exegetical and Homiletical Big Idea
I. Exegetical Big Idea
A. Subject: The complete and definite answer to the question:
“What is the text talking about?” (What is the author talking about?)
B. Complement:
“What is the text saying about what it is talking about?”
C. Key: The focus in your study is on the text first and foremost
II. Homiletical Big Idea
A. Subject: The complete and definite answer to the question:
“What am I talking about?” (What am I saying is the subject of the Biblical author?)
B. Complement:
“What am I saying about what I am talking about?”
C. Key: The focus is now on BOTH the text AND the congregation.
III. Overall Perspective
A. Both the exegetical and homiletical ideas are talking about the same things.
B. The exegetical idea (subject/complement) captures the meaning of the text for the expositor
in his study. It is appropriate for his study and in some teaching contexts.
C. The homiletical idea (subject/complement) captures the same meaning but phrases it with
the needs of the contemporary audience in mind.
D. The bottom line: The faithful expositor will not abandon the task after finishing his exegesis.
He will continue to think and struggle with how to communicate the author’s meaning to the
contemporary audience. Neither task is done faithfully unless and until the author’s truth
intentions are clearly explained and applied to the contemporary hearer.
E. The biggest failure of much preaching is caused by pastors leaping to their “message points”
too early in the process and not working hard enough in their study to first understand the
word before they preach the word.
Pray that pastors will “do the work” so that they will actually have something to say. But pray too that they would continue to work hard to so that can do what Solomon sought to do. “
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