The Most Neglected Book in the Bible...

Macabees

 

Makes me wonder if this is not a good argument for expositional verse by verse through the Bible preaching? What do you think?

Joseph Botwinick

 

We've been doing and expositional, verse by verse study, in chronological order. It has been quite rewarding for some. Others don't like it because they have to think. We've been working on it for about a year and a half, and we've almost finished the baptism of Jesus. If all goes according to schedule, we will be going into his temptations by Satan in a couple of weeks.

 

Absolutely! Expositional preaching is the only way to go in my opinion. </font>[/QUOTE]Yup, I agree fellas.

 

In 1653, William Jenkyn published his lectures on Jude. These lectures, printed in very small type on large pages with double columns comprise 360 pages. In 1658 Thomas Manton published his 376 pages commentary on Jude. And, of course, very many commentaries have continued to be published on Jude. Considering that there are only 25 verses in Jude, it would seem to me that it has gotten more than its fair share of attention by students of the Bible, and I would suspect that pastors who are students of the Bible have probably given it more than its fair share of attention. However, since the theology of Jude clashes so severely with mainstream Baptist theology, I suspect that it is not preached a whole lot from the Baptist pulpit.

 

Our Baptist pastor preached from Jude last week. Wonderful message.

 

Whoops! My dog tried to post again. Sorry about that!

 

Absolutely! Expositional preaching is the only way to go in my opinion. </font>[/QUOTE]Yup, I agree fellas. </font>[/QUOTE]

I'm sure glad that the Apostle Paul didn't think so. Just think where the church would be today if all we had from Paul were his sermons on the Old Testament.

 

Heh! Heh!
Ed

 

I have preached several times on Jude and have studied in Sunday School as well.

It is my favorite book of the New Testament and I think some of the most powerful 25 verses in Scripture.

 

I would say that Lamentations is the most neglected book in the bible. I have heard jude preached and we have done a study in sunday school.

 

Neglect of individual Bible books is tied to the local Christian culture.
If a local church goes for literal interpretations and victorian sensibilities they'll probably neglect the Song of Solomon a little.
A church that feels heavily persecuted will find more use for Lamentations than a church that is into the whole prosperity gospel thing.
A church in which the members have the tendency to mix up Jude and Judas Iscariot will make little use of that catholic epistle.

 

What a wealth people miss when the skip Lamentations, here is a taste.

My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
- Lamentations 3v20-26

 

Spurgeon was undoubtedly the Prince of Preachers . The Lord used him to the conversion of thousands in his time up through the present .And I am sure his writings will be used for the conversion of multitudes as well as the edification of saints until the Lord comes again .

However he was not expositional in his preaching as Dr. L-J was in the 20th century . In the semons of CHS you can see some significant gaps ( note esp. in Lamentations ) . Not many men are gifted to preach with a text from varous books in every sermon . They need to preach consecutively .

Without naming a specific book , Spurgeon said the following : What a storehouse the Bible is , since a man may continue to preach from it for years , and still find that there is more to preach from than when he began to discourse upon it . What pyramids of books have been written upon the Bible , and yet we who are students find no portion overexpounded , but large parts which have been scarcely touched ... there are hundreds of texts which remain like virgin summits , whereon the foot of the preacher has never trod . I might almost say that the major part of the Word of God is still in that condition : it is still an Eldorado unexplored , a land whose dust is gold . ( Fullerton pages 177 and 178 )

 

I've heard several sermons from Jude, although it probably is among the least discussed NT books, along with 2 & 3 John. And who's ever heard a sermon from Obadiah?

 

Hi guys,
I'd have to agree with those who name the "Song of Solomon" as one of the most neglected. I don't believe I've ever heard it preached or taught. Probably has something to do with the ultra-conservative area in which I live; given the sensual imagery found in the text.

Just my 2 cents!

In Christ,
Word Walker

 

I have at least two messages from Obadiah, the key one being about pride.

I would have to say Song of Solomon would be my guess as most neglected.

 

C4K
Bernardus de Clairvaux managed to produce 4 volumes of sermons about the Song of Songs.
He isn't the only one, at least one Dutch professor whose name escapes me at the moment also managed to publish a multivolume set of sermons covering that book as well.
It's not that it isn't fertile material for preachers, it's just that for some reason some find it very inspiring and others completely not.