Step #6 - Understand the message in the contexts of canon and redemptive history.

Step #6 - Understand the message in the contexts of canon and redemptive history.

Canonical interpretation - What does this passage mean (not just in the context of the book, but) in the context of the whole Bible?

Redemptive-historical interpretation - How does the redemptive-historical context from creation to new creation inform the contemporary significance of this text?

Christocentric interpretation - What does this passage mean in the light of Jesus Christ? And what does this passage reveal about Jesus Christ?

Goldsworthy diagram - leapfrogging from OT to application today (bypassing Christ)

The Bible is not a “self-help” book

Because we are fallen, Scripture is not telling us what we must do to complete ourselves or make ourselves acceptable to God - for then we would not be truly fallen. We are not being instructed here about what we can do, or should do, to make ourselves better or more acceptable, as though we could lift ourselves up our own bootstraps. The Bible is not a “self-help” book. All the Scriptures are about one, consistent, organic message. They tell us how we must seek Christ who alone is our Savior and source of strength to do the things God says must be done. To preaching these “musts” apart from the source that enables their accomplishment is to warp the biblical message. Christ is integral to every passage (Bryan Chapell).

David Helm: “The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the unifying interpretive center of the Scriptures according to the Scriptures.”

Key Passages

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

1 Corinthians 1:23–24 ESV

but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 2:2 ESV

For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

John 5:39 ESV

You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me,

John 5:46 ESV

For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.

Luke 24:27 ESV

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Luke 24:44 ESV

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”

Matthew 5:17 ESV

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

Hebrews 1:1–3 ESV

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

When we preach a sermon it is important to ask ourselves, “Would this be an acceptable sermon in a synagogue or a mosque? If it would then we are not being faithful to our charge to preach the gospel. The distinguishing mark of Christian preaching is the cross (“Christ and him crucified”). By that we mean a message of free grace and total dependence upon God’s provision in Christ to live the Christian life. If my sermon would be acceptable to the average Muslim or Jew today, then it is an anthropocentric sermon and not a Christ-centered sermon.

Any attempt to reduce the message of the Bible to morality and the mere imitation of Jesus ignores the centrality of the cross...The work of Christ should be the magnet that draws our interpretative applications of all texts to the gospel. — Graeme Goldsworthy

What is Redemptive Preaching?

The intent of Scripture is not primarily to give moral guidelines for Christian living but rather to tell the “Redemptive Story of God”. Redemptive preaching is simply an approach to sermon preparation, which recognizes this fact and seeks to develop biblical sermons that are not only relevant to the audience but also accurate to the biblical theology of the text. The goal then of sermon exegesis and preaching is to understand the theological message communicated by the text and how it fits into the overall biblical story of God’s redemptive plan.

Redemptive preaching is…

A recognition of all Scripture as one coherent history of God’s redeeming work revealed and climaxed in Christ. Thus all Scripture has Christocentric focus.

An acknowledgment that all persons and events in Scripture relate to this one history.

A conviction that correct interpretation of any text requires the preacher to recognize how the text being exegeted relates to the whole of redemptive story.

Values of the Redemptive Historical Approach to Preaching

Its view of the essence and effect of preaching. Redemptive preaching is biblical preaching not only because it speaks of God’s past redemptive acts but also because it acknowledges God’s present redemptive purposes. Scripture is seen not as a “static Word” of Old Testament examples but as a redemptive Word for us today.

Several Scriptures which speak of God’s redemptive acts for today would be:

1 Thessalonians 2:13 ESV

And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.

Romans 1:16 ESV

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Whenever preaching takes place in accord with Christ’s command, it becomes a redemptive event and the Kingdom of God forges ahead…It is Christ himself who leads the way…He it is who comes along in Spirit and in power (Sidney Greidanus).

Its focus on theocentric preaching versus anthropocentric preaching. The goal of the Bible is to relate the mighty acts of God so people can respond to him with repentance, commitment, faith, hope and obedience. All preaching if it is to be true to the goal of biblical revelation must therefore be theocentric (God-centered) rather than anthropocentric (man-centered).

Much preaching today is man-centered as can be seen in the following types of sermons:

Moralizing sermons

Psychologizing sermons

Spiritualizing sermons

Legalistic sermons

1. Moralizing sermons – seek to isolate from the text a few elements that have universal moral validity in order to transfer a few “dos and don’ts” to hearers today. Example: the story of David and Absalom and what not to do in fathering.

2. Psychologizing sermons – seek to concentrate on elements that describe what happens to the Bible character’s soul. Example: Elijah doubted and then say “don’t we doubt sometimes, too?”

3. Spiritualizing sermons – seek to change physical realities of past into spiritual realities of the present. Example: physical blindness into spiritual blindness

4. Legalistic sermons - focus on what we must do (imperatives) and neglect why we must do it (indicatives) (that is, the gospel as foundation, ground and motivation for living the Christian life).

Bryan Chapell: It is true that each of these sermons has elements that we need to address in our preaching (like the commandments of God). But we will fail to be biblical when we ignore the original purpose of the text and the author. The true purpose of the text and the author is to speak of the mighty acts of God and to call people to respond to him. By focusing on God, we ask, “What does this passage say about God and his will for his people?”

If we fail to keep our focus on God we will invariably focus on man. However, sermons that exhort a person to “be holy” or “be like Christ” or “be more disciplined” do more damage than good, if Christ is not preached as the one who changes and empowers the believer for obedience.

A challenge to holiness must be accompanied by a Christ-focus or it is only man-centered religion. That said with the best of motives to help, actually hurts if Christ is absent. If you wound, even unintentionally, you are obligated to heal. No one can do what they are told to do, apart from him. Lead all instruction to him who alone can do it. “Be strong in the power of his might.”

Values of the Redemptive Historical Approach to Preaching

Its view of the historical progression of salvation history. Redemptive history sees God working mighty acts of salvation in human history, not all at once, but progressively (e.g. Genesis 3:15 and the seed of the woman). This progression is not only one of history but also of revelation itself. That is to say, that the biblical story is an unfolding story which takes on fuller clarity and sharpness as it climaxes in Christ.

This is significant in preaching because it means that all Old Testament texts must be understood in the context then (what the original hearers would have understood) and in the context now based on the fuller revelation that we have in Christ. To be faithful to an Old Testament text I must both preach the message of the text which was understood then and the message of the text as it reveals, or is fulfilled in Christ. This redemptive, Christocentric focus is in fact what we observe when we see the New Testament writers interpret the Old Testament.

Developing a Redemptive Sermon

If the goal of redemptive preaching is to preach Christ in every sermon then the logical question to ask when preparing a sermon is, “In what way does this text reveal Christ?” Not every sermon that has preached Christ however has done so legitimately.

Developing a redemptive sermon is not

1. Allegorizing to Christ

2. Paralleling to Christ’s example or experience

3. Leapfrogging to Christ

“The goal for Christ-centered expositors is not to ‘look for Jesus under every rock,’ but rather to find out how a particular text fits into the whole redemptive story that culminates in Christ.” ~ Tony Merida

Developing a redemptive sermon seeks to recognize the place of the biblical story within the overall story of redemption. Thus we preach Christ by showing how the text reveals Christ. All biblical texts will reveal Christ in one of three ways.

1. Text – the text itself will speak of Christ or his messianic work like in the Gospels, messianic Psalms, epistolary references, and messianic prophecies.

2. Type – Christ’s redemptive work is represented in an Old Testament type, like the temple, the Passover lamb, or King David.

3. Context – Seeking to identify where this passage fits in the overall revelation of God’s redemptive plan.

In its context, every passage either is:

a. Predictive of the work of Christ – speaking of what the Messiah will do/accomplish (prophecies, Messianic Psalms, OT sacrifices)

b. Preparatory for the work of Christ – somehow the text prepares us to understand or accept the future work of Christ (Old Testament narratives, see Gal. 3:24, Rom 4:23-25, John 5:39-40, 46)

c. Reflective of the work of Christ – showing God’s character which prompts the gracious work of Christ and/or our character which requires the gracious work of Christ for salvation, justification and continued sanctification.

* God’s nature, or attributes, which provide the work of Christ (Rom 15:4). Old Testament narratives reveal God’s justice, deliverance, sure promises, mercies which all find its demonstration on the cross. Genealogies show his faithfulness and grace leading to the coming of Jesus.

* Our nature or attributes which require the work of Christ (Chapell calls this the Fallen Condition Focus of the text) (Mark 7:6; 1 Cor. 10:5, 6, 13). Note the poverty of the biblical saints. Almost every Bible example reveals a terribly flawed character in need of redemption, showing us our need of a Redeemer.

d. Resultant of the work of Christ

Note: Almost all the imperatives of the epistles are preceded by the indicatives of a believer’s position “in Christ.” If we are going to preach the “be’s” and “do’s” of the Epistles we must be sure that we also preach the enabling “am’s” of a believer’s identity in Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, etc.

² There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:1-2 ESV

² Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:12-13 ESV

² Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV

² You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Timothy 2:1 ESV

Graeme Goldsworthy, According to Plan:

Few would argue with the statement that we are converted by believing the gospel. But how does the gospel figure in Christian growth and sanctification? Examination of the New Testament documents shows that growth is not stepping out from the gospel, but rather stepping out by and with the gospel. The problems dealt with in the epistles arose from a failure to apply the gospel to some aspect or other of life. The solution to this one problem is to restore the gospel to its rightful place at the center of our thinking and doing… — Graeme Goldsworthy (285-286)

…What God has done for us in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the only basis of our acceptance with God. (286)

…the whole of Christian existence is the application of the gospel to every part of our lives...Christian existence is shaped and motivated by the gospel and by the consummation of the gospel. (302)

Seven Way to Preach Christ from the Old Testament

The way of redemptive-historical progression

The way of promise-fulfillment

The way of typology (discovering specific analogies along the axis of God’s acts in redemptive history as revealed in Scripture)

The way of analogy

The way of longitudinal themes

The way of New Testament references

The way of contrast

Example: Genesis 22

Preaching Christ from the Old Testament: A Contemporary Hermeneutical Method The Way of Contrast

The seven ways have opened up several inspiring possibilities for preaching Christ from this Old Testament passage. Naturally we should not use all of these roads and clutter up the sermon: in preaching, less is often more. We should, therefore, select a few key ideas that support the theme that “the LORD provides” and that help to accomplish the goal of the sermon. Out of several possible combinations, I favor a blend of the typology of the substitute offering (ram-Christ), of the longitudinal theme of substitute offerings (ram, Passover lamb, temple sacrifices, Christ), and the New Testament references regarding God himself offering his only Son (John 3:16; Rom 8:32).66 But the final decision on this will have to wait till we are outlining and writing the sermon.