Preaching the Old Testament
Overview
Preaching the Old Testament, which can seem harsh and foreign to modern listeners, can be a challenge. In fact, many preachers abandon it altogether because of the difficulties in making it understandable and relevant to those in the pews. But to appreciate the full depth and beauty of New Testament teaching we must build our foundation on an understanding of the Old Testament. The insights of the Hebrew language, poetry, historical narratives, and prophetic offerings were important to the writers of the New Testament, and they should be to us as well.
Preaching the Old Testament equips pastors to keep up on the Hebrew language, prepare to preach the various sections of the Old Testament, and see how it can be interpreted in light of its context and of our world today.
The Logos edition of this work on preaching is fully searchable and easily accessible. Scripture passages link directly to your English translations and to the original language texts, and important theological concepts link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and the wealth of resources in your digital library.
- Provides guidance for pastors in preaching the Old Testament
- Offers help with basic Hebrew language study
- Presents viewpoints from a variety of authors
- “Challenges to Preaching the Old Testament,” by Scott M. Gibson
- “Keeping Your Hebrew Healthy,” by Dennis R. Magary
- “Preaching from the Historical Books,” by Carol M. Kaminski
- “Preaching the Old Testament Narratives,” by Jeffrey D. Arthurs
- “Preaching from the Law,” by Douglas K. Stuart
- “Preaching from the Psalms and Proverbs,” by Duane A. Garrett
- “Preaching from the Prophets,” by John H. Sailhamer
- “Preaching the Old Testament in Light of Its Culture,” by Timothy S. Laniak
- “Toward the Effective Preaching of New Testament Texts That Cite the Old Testament,” by Roy E. Ciampa
- “Preaching the Old Testament Today,” by David L. Larsen
- “Preaching the Old Testament Evangelistically,” by Robert E. Coleman
Top Highlights
“Walter C. Kaiser Jr. has two fundamental rules for preaching that he hammers home to his audiences at every opportunity. The first is, ‘Keep your finger on the text!’ (in other words, proclaim what the biblical passage actually says and let it be your authority). The other rule, not always directly stated but always modeled, is that the structure of the passage should determine the structure or content of the message.” (Page 101)
“The key is to structure the sermon like the original plot, moving listeners from disequilibrium to resolution.” (Page 78)
“Scary or not, we need the law. That’s because our main challenges are moral” (Page 88)
“Foils. A ‘foil’ is a deliberate contrast to the protagonist” (Page 81)
“2. The Old Testament is also replete with types or correspondences between earlier and later persons and events” (Page 176)
Preaching the Old Testament is an outstanding collection of insights for preaching from the two-thirds of Scripture that compose our Old Testament. Gibson has assembled a remarkable team of contributors whose work will be helpful to any preacher. This is a valuable resource that deserves a place on every preacher’s bookshelf.
—Michael Duduit, editor, Preaching magazine
This is the book I have been waiting for! Scott Gibson has assembled an all-star team of scholars who will help many students and pastors, not least those preachers who have been in the trenches for a few years or a few decades. Those who let these pages impact their preaching will better serve their congregations for having done so.
—Greg R. Scharf, associate professor and chair of pastoral theology, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Preaching the Old Testament is not primarily a book about how to prepare sermons. It is more about the ‘what’ of preaching than the ‘how.’ All the chapters are strong, and one can grow from interacting with them. Every writer carries the torch high for preaching the Old Testament as a Christian. The book’s scope ranges from how to brush up on Hebrew to treating the various sections and genres and preaching them in the light of their culture as well as choosing texts from the New Testament that cite texts from the Old Testament. It closes with how to preach the Old Testament today and how to preach it evangelistically. Its scope, depth, and readability recommend Preaching the Old Testament to us. We will be better preachers and teachers by attending carefully to what it says.
—Wayne E. Shaw, emeritus dean and professor of preaching, Lincoln Christian Seminary
Scott M. Gibson is the Haddon W. Robinson Professor of Preaching and Ministry, director of the Center for Preaching at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and one of the founders of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. He is the author or coauthor of several books on preaching and lives in Massachusetts.