Donald L. Hamilton - Homiletical Handbook

As the preparation of this manuscript nears completion, I am reminded of several people who have been partners in the effort, sometimes unknowingly. They deserve special thanks for their advice and encouragement.

First, I am grateful to my wife, Joyce. She has been both my sweetheart and best friend for almost three decades of marriage. She has encouraged me faithfully through both good and bad times and has been especially patient through the many months when writing and editing lessened our time together.

I am appreciative to the administration of Columbia Bible College and Seminary (Columbia, South Carolina) for the opportunity of devoting a sabbatical to the writing of this book. Likewise, my colleagues on the seminary faculty have been an encouragement. I am especially thankful for a teaching faculty that holds the ministry of preaching in high regard. Their classes, though often in other disciplines, enhance the ability of our students to preach the Word with biblical authority, clarity, and power.

Rev. Greg Holladay, a long-time friend and former copastor, carefully proofread the manuscript and interacted with many of the ideas contained in it. I am grateful for his generosity in the use of his time to help in this way.

Finally, I must acknowledge the many people in my past who have contributed to my growth, first as a Christian, then as a preacher. These include former pastors, classroom teachers, colaborers in the ministry, and church members. Some of these, not surprisingly, have had a greater effect than others. As I reflect on my own development as a preacher, and then as one who teaches preaching, it is not difficult to isolate the one person whose influence has had the greatest impact on my understanding of the preaching task. That person is Lloyd M. Perry, former professor of preaching at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

Much of what is found on the following pages can be attributed to my understanding of Dr. Perry's philosophy of preaching, as well as his homiletical methods. Some of his methods are borrowed almost verbatim. Others only distantly reflect his methodology. In either case, his philosophy of the preaching task was seldom far from my thoughts as I worked my way, hesitantly at times, through old and new ideas in sermon methodology.

I am truly grateful for the positive influence of Dr. Perry on my life and ministry.

When wise Solomon complained that of making many books there is no end (Eccl. 12:12, NIV), he could easily have been writing prophetically about modern publication of books on preaching.

Why, then, yet another such attempt? Are there not already enough publications about the preacher, the nature of the preaching task, sermon construction, sermon delivery, and other related themes? Is another book on preaching simply an unnecessary redundancy?

Perhaps. Yet, as I have read and pondered many books on preaching, I have concluded that relatively few are thoroughly helpful. Some are based on highly questionable views of Scripture. Weak bibliology, faulty hermeneutics, and unrestrained higher criticism hinder the truthful proclamation of the Word of God. Some books offer helpful insights into the theoretical aspects of the preacher and the message but offer little help in actual sermon construction. Some fail to apply homiletical methods to sample texts or to recognize that various kinds of biblical literature exist. Some teach only one method of sermon structure with the result that variety in the pulpit seldom occurs. Some books on preaching try to cover too many facets of the task and end up generalizing rather than dealing with specific issues.

This handbook does not discuss everything related to the preaching task. It does not, for example, address the subject of the preacher's personal life, although the reader must understand that personal and spiritual qualifications are foundational. Neither does the handbook speak to the matter of sermon delivery, for that subject is too large to cover adequately in a few pages.

Rather, this volume is meant to dwell on homiletics, the science of sermon construction. The book is divided into three sections: the first part is introductory and definitional; the second presents methodological ideas for specific homiletical arrangements; and the third makes some applications of these homiletical methods to the various kinds of literature found in Scripture.

This book is primarily intended to be an introductory treatment of homiletics. It is anticipated that beginning preaching students will benefit most from reading this book. Yet, much of this material has been used productively with experienced preachers who have desired to broaden their understanding and practice of the task.

No higher calling occurs among the people of God than to declare His Word to others. The task deserves to be done well. Hopefully, these pages will instruct and encourage others in that direction.

Preachers invest much of their lives in thinking about sermons. If they preach regularly, they are all too aware that their praying, Bible reading, planning, studying, outlining, writing, practicing, and delivery involve a major time expenditure.

The typical evangelical pastor preaches two sermons weekly. He may also be responsible for other presentations, such as a Sunday School lesson or a brief devotional message for a midweek service. Even if he possesses the keenest of minds, the pastor will find that the major part of his work week is spent in study and sermon/lesson preparation. The preacher will most certainly ask himself on occasion, Is it really worth all the effort?

Apparently, most preachers believe it is. The extensive Gallup Poll conducted for Christianity Today in 1979 indicated that a large majority of American pastors (56 percent) felt that preaching was one of the most important things they did. (The second closest item was the administration of the sacraments or ordinances, marked by only 15 percent of the respondents.) However, in the same poll, only 10 percent of those surveyed mentioned preaching as being especially successful. Evidently, pastors want to preach well but feel they are not very effective at it.

In his book A Primer for Preachers, Ian Pitt-Watson titles his first chapter What comes first. He explains that he is using these words as a statement, not as a question. Just as he argues that what? must necessarily precede the how? issue, so it should be understood that what? must also precede the why? question. If we correctly understand what preaching is, then we can better understand why it should be done and how.

The biblical concept of preaching is centered in one word from the Old Testament and four from the New Testament. Other words come into play, but these predominate. The Old Testament word is naba, which translated into English means prophesy; it is used over 110 times. In the New Testament we find kerusso (to proclaim, about 60 times), euaggelizo (to declare good news, 50 times), kataggello (to tell thoroughly, 17 times), and didasko (to teach, 97 times). In addition, the New Testament word parakaleo (to beseech, comfort, exhort, 103 times) is sometimes used in the sense of preaching, although this is not its usual meaning.