Philip Arthur Bence PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

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futile human attempt--but to be a channel through which
God can speak. God does not need homiletic wizardry. In
fact, a preacher's attempts to entertain or impress a
congregation often hinder God's Word."--!.. Similarly,
sermon introductions and conclusions detract from the
unity of the message, a unity drawn directly from the
Scripture text.73.5
Barth offered other specific suggestions for sermon
preparation, all of which point the preacher to the
service of God's Word:
1. Preach from longer texts. This tends to prevent
thematic (non-Biblical) preaching. The movement of the
text guides sermon development.'
2. Preach from texts chosen purposively to cover
the body of Biblical truth. This too prevents the
preacher's own thinking from overshadowing the Word.'5s
3. Study texts in original languages before
consulting translations. In order to preach revelation,
the preacher should begin as close to it as
4. Interact intensively with the text to learn its
parts, order, and movement.6.°
5. Consult commentaries, but only after first-hand
study of the text. Read the historico-critical works to
understand the Biblical writer and his setting. Consult,
also, earlier commentators who saw Scripture as God's
Word, in order to see Scripture from their
perspective.1