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Integrating Doctrine and Expository Preaching

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Copyright © 2003 Joel Randall Breidenbaugh All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. INTEGRATING DOCTRINE AND EXPOSITORY PREACHING: A PROPOSAL AND AN ANALYSIS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy by Joel Randall Breidenbaugh December 2003 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. APPROVAL SHEET INTEGRATING DOCTRINE AND EXPOSITORY PREACHING: A PROPOSAL AND AN ANALYSIS FOR THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Joel Randall Breidenbaugh Date _-----=:...!IIc....!:./-+.1-=3+-I_u-=3 ___ THESES Ph.D. .B141i 0199701817579 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. To Annthea, my wife and greatest supporter, and to my parents, Carl and Constance, for their love and encouragement Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES. .. .. .... .. ... ... .. ..... .. viii LIST OF FIGURES. IX PREFACE.......................................................... X Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 Statement of the Problem ... 1 Thesis. 3 Methodology . 4 Background ................................................. 5 The Recovery of Expository Preaching. 7 In the Face of Thematic Preaching. 9 In Efforts to Be Biblical. .. 14 The Neglect of Doctrinal Preaching. .. 14 When Doctrinal Preaching Dominated ........................ 14 When Doctrinal Preaching Diminished . 18 The Audience of the Twenty-First Century. .. 31 The Rise of the Postmodem Mindset ......................... 32 The Failure of the New Homiletic. .. 34 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter Page The Changing Face of Evangelicalism, or Neo-Evangelicalism? . .. 38 Doctrinal Expository Preaching for the Twenty-First Century. .. 42 2. UNDERSTANDING DOCTRINAL EXPOSITORY PREACHING .............. .. 44 Defining Doctrinal Expository Preaching. 45 The Use of Adjectives in Discussing Preaching. 45 A Working Definition of Expository Preaching. 49 An Understanding of Doctrinal Preaching . 54 Doctrinal Expository Preaching . 57 Efforts at Combining Theology and Exposition in Preaching. .. 58 Contributions from the New Homiletic. .. 66 The Doctrinal Prerequisites of an Expositor .. .. 68 3. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DOCTRINAL EXPOSITORY PREACHING .............. .. 73 The Semantic Domain for Doctrine and Preaching. .. 73 Kerygma and Didache . .. 77 The Biblical Practitioners of Doctrinal Exposition .. .. 82 Old Testament Doctrinal Expositors. 83 New Testament Doctrinal Expositors 91 4. IMPLEMENTING DOCTRINE AND EXPOSITORY PREACHING............................... 108 The Theological Framework for Doctrinal Expository Preaching .. .. 108 Biblical Theology . .. 109 v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter Page Systematic Theology 115 The Relationship between Biblical Theology and Systematic Theology. .. 118 Deriving Doctrine from a Passage of Scripture ..................... 120 General Principles for Theological Interpretation ............... 121 Observing Specific Literary Genre. .. 128 Homiletical Methodology for Doctrinal Exposition. .. 138 General Principles for Keeping the Homiletical Form Doctrinally Focused . .. 138 Applying Genres in Doctrinal Exposition ..................... 141 Homiletical Principles of the Theological Product .............. 147 Two Main Kinds of Doctrinal Expository Preaching. .. 148 Textual Doctrinal Exposition- Exposition of a Particular Doctrine . .. 150 Consecutive Doctrinal Exposition-Pure Exposition with Doctrinal Substance. .. 152 5. DOCTRINAL EXPOSITORY PREACHING IN A POSTMODERN WORLD. .. 155 Truth in a Truth-less Society. .. 155 Taking a Stand on Truth. .. 156 Preaching Truth Is Not as Easy as It Used to Be ................ 159 An Entertainment-Driven Culture. .. 160 The Roles of Language, Image, and Story in Doctrinal Exposition .. .. 163 The Need for New Language? .............................. 164 The Need for Imagery. .. 169 VI Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Chapter Page The Use of Story in Doctrinal Exposition. .. 175 Application in Doctrinal Expository Preaching . .. 180 Knowing the Audience. .. 180 Showing the Relevance. .. 182 Features of Applying Doctrine. .. 183 Valuable Doctrines for Evangelicalism Today. .. 185 Distinguishing between Primary and Secondary . .. 185 Preaching Primary Doctrines . .. 187 6. CONCLUSION............................................... 192 Reasons for Doctrinal Expository Preaching ..... .. 192 Goals in Doctrinal Expository Preaching . .. 195 Some Benefits of Doctrinal Expository Preaching. .. 198 Dangers to Avoid in Doctrinal Exposition. .. 201 Aids for Doctrinal Exposition Today . .. 204 Planning Doctrinal Expository Preaching. .. 207 Summary . .. 208 Appendix 1. THE PROCESS OF DOCTRINAL EXPOSITORY PREACHING. .. 216 2. IMAGE AND WORD IN WORSHIP. .. 217 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................... 218 Vll Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Key Old Testament Tenns for Preaching. 75 2. Key New Testament Tenns for Preaching. 76 3. Distinctions between the Exegetical, Theological, and Homiletical Processes. .. 148 4. Exegetical, Theological, and Homiletical Propositions. .. 149 V111 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. The Relationship between Kerygma and Didache . 82 2. The Interpretive Contexts of Biblical Theology. .. 114 AI. The Funneling Process of Doctrinal Exposition. .. 216 A2. The Relationship of Image and Word in Doctrinal Exposition. .. 217 IX Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. PREFACE The reader may observe the somewhat frequent references to Internet sites and CD-ROMs. In nearly every case, I have verified the information by checking books and journal articles in the library. Because I did most of my research two hours from the main campus in Louisville, I simply left my footnote documentation "as is" to avoid making numerous changes. In a few cases, changes were in order, in which I cited the original work. Any other deviation from the original work is an oversight on my part. This dissertation is by no means a solo effort. Many people aided me in this project with words of instruction, encouragement, and prayer. I would like to thank several of these people by name. First, I am grateful for my supervisory committee-Drs. Hershae1 York, Tom Nettles, and John Polhill. Dr. York has provided invaluable guidance throughout my Ph.D. studies. I have often looked to him for wisdom, and his advice from years of experience in the pastorate and in preaching has been an asset in my own educational endeavors. Dr. Nettles always challenges me to think more analytically and write more clearly. Dr. Polhill exhibits a rare blend of a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart, and I am better for having sat under his instruction. Having begun my doctoral studies while working in the HVAC department of Southern Seminary, I am thankful for my boss, Greg "Big Daddy" Edelson, as well as the entire crew. Even when we were backed up with work, Greg was always willing to let me adjust my schedule in order to put the finishing touches on seminar deadlines. x Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Moreover, I would like to thank the members of Bethel Baptist Church in Henderson, Kentucky. All of my three and one-half years of doctoral work were spent as a student pastor. The people at Bethel were kind and gracious in allowing me to balance several demands outside of the pastorate, and several lifted my spirits in prayer. Furthermore, I have grown to appreciate my family and in-laws more and more as each year has passed. Surely, whatever may be commendable in me is a direct result of the discipleship from my parents, grandparents, and parents-in-law. My studies often cut our gatherings short and many times kept us from getting together at all. Yet through these years, I have received innumerable blessings from them-spiritually, financially, and emotionally, to name a few. The family member I am most thankful for is my wife, Annthea. Every day of our married lives have been spent in Bible college or seminary. She pours her life into our kids-Hannah and John Mark-and I am convinced that they could have no finer teacher. With our training days behind us, we are now coming to a new chapter in our lives. I cannot wait to see what God will do through our years together. Finally, words cannot express my love and gratitude for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who would have imagined that God would be gracious enough to transform a prideful boy from the farmland
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