young preacher

 Q - I'm a young preacher. What should preachers know and do in order to handle the studying and preaching of the Word in the best possible way?

A - Aside from the spiritual anointing, or on just the practical side, responsible preachers would:

1. Know what the text says.

2. Know what the text meant to the original

a. speaker/writer.

b. hearer/s.

3. Know the historical, cultural, literary, political, artistic, religious, etc. meanings behind every idea in the text.

4.Know the purpose for which the text was delivered /written.

5. Know the history of the text; how it was written, rewritten, copied, recopied and edited by copyists, editors, redactors and other powers that used and could have misused/abused the texts.

6. Look out for human error, inaccuracies, inconsistencies, bias, agenda, etc. in the perception and teachings of speakers /writers and beware of them.

7. Know/Study the text in original language it was written in or in a language closest to it. Access the important original words in the original manuscripts and study their meanings, contexts, connotations and denotations.

8. Choose the/a Bible version/translation that renders the meanings closest to the original languages. THERE WON'T BE A BLANKET "BEST" VERSION. Each version has strengths and weaknesses. Use at least three versions: one formal (word-for-word translation), one dynamic translation that translates ideas and not words, and another popular, contemporary version.

9. Contextualize the text and the spirit of the verses to the reality (situation, culture, needs, understanding, values, etc.) of the present audience.

10. Prepare the preaching in processed, concentrated, distilled, condensed "pills" or "drops" that could be served within a 40-50 minute window, the usual length of a church "sermon". HERE LIES THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. The preachers in Biblical times had all the time in the world to preach/teach. Theirs' was the only show in town. Not now. When preachers breach the 40-minute window, the audience begins to be impatient! People used to 30-second, even 5-second TV /internet commercial spots expect to be taught, fed, healed, strengthened, transformed, encouraged, inspired and even "saved" in less than an hour of preaching once a week!

IT TAKES so much disciplined and competent study to prepare a sermon and deliver it

1. Faithful to its original content and intent, and

2. Efficiently so it gets understood.

The preacher is first and last a DILIGENT STUDENT. Dedicated to rigorous research, study, analysis, synthesis and contextualization of materials that are very, very distant in terms of time, place and cullture.

Then, or course, preachers are expected to master communication skills and methods in order to convey clearly what they have set to communicate.

- Ed Lapiz