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Expository or Topical Preaching?

Tea

Tea

Active Member
When discussing preaching styles, two prevalent approaches are expository and topical preaching. Expository preaching entails a sequential examination of the Bible, while topical preaching gathers various verses to illuminate a specific subject.

Which style do you prefer, and why?
 
S

Some Rando

Member
Both: as long as your "Topical" preaching is done in an expositional manner.

I've seen "Expository" preachers pretend to "exposit" a passage but, do nothing but drone on for an hour on said passage and accomplish nothing more than completely explain it away, and explain why it doesn't actually mean what it quite clearly and obviously means.

Some things need to be covered topically. (We need "instruction in righteousness") Many times one passage can be expounded upon in order to address said topic because it is covered thoroughly by that passage.

Exposition is more you about your approach to the Bible and sermons in general and not really a "style".

If preachers simply preached "The Word" and allowed it to be exalted instead of getting in the text's way by inserting our "sermons" we would be vastly better off.
 
S

Some Rando

Member
KenH said:
Expository. For example, at Grace Baptist Church of Ruston, Louisiana, currently, we are going verse-by-verse through the book of Ruth in the Sunday School, and we are going verse-by-verse through the book of 1 John in the worship service.
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My larger point:
Simply "going verse by verse" is not proof that there is any real Bible exposition occuring at all. <(Not suggesting that is the case at your Church.)
Simply preaching on a Bible doctrine "topically" is not proof that Biblical exposition is not what is actually occuring.

Either your preacher is preaching a sermon he wrote and using Scripture to back his sermon up.
Or, he is preaching the text of Scripture and his sermon is organization, explanation, and illustration of what is actually in the text.
Favoring one "style" over the other is to miss what exposition is.
 
Reynolds

Reynolds

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Tea said:
When discussing preaching styles, two prevalent approaches are expository and topical preaching. Expository preaching entails a sequential examination of the Bible, while topical preaching gathers various verses to illuminate a specific subject.

Which style do you prefer, and why?
Click to expand...
Expository 95 percent of the time, but topical has its
limited place.
 
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37818

37818

Well-Known Member
Hebrews 6:1, . . . not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, . . . .
Hebrews 9:14, . . . purge your conscience from dead works . . . .
Ephesians 2:9, . . . Not of works, . . . .
 
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37818

37818

Well-Known Member
37818 said:
Hebrews 6:1, . . . not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, . . . .
Hebrews 9:14, . . . purge your conscience from dead works . . . .
Ephesians 2:9, . . . Not of works, . . . .
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I have been using the topical Bible study method since 1968.
 
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canadyjd

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
KenH said:
Expository. For example, at Grace Baptist Church of Ruston, Louisiana, currently, we are going verse-by-verse through the book of Ruth in the Sunday School, and we are going verse-by-verse through the book of 1 John in the worship service.
Click to expand...
I read once of a Puritan Preacher (sorry can’t remember who) that preached in Ezekiel for 30+ years.

Peace to you
 
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shodan

shodan

Active Member
Site Supporter
37818 said:
Hebrews 6:1, . . . not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, . . . .
Hebrews 9:14, . . . purge your conscience from dead works . . . .
Ephesians 2:9, . . . Not of works, . . . .
Click to expand...
Hebrews 6. As always CONTEXT: Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings,[a] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
 
B

Ben1445

Well-Known Member
Salty said:
when did he preach the rest of the Bible?
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I’m not saying that he was right or that he had not failed to preach the whole counsel of God’s Word. This is the first I’ve heard of him.

I know of a couple different people who take their time through different books. Both of them cover a wide amount of material because of the way they do it. In a way, their topical content is just coming from where they are. If atonement or baptism come up in the text, time is spent on the individual topics.
 
37818

37818

Well-Known Member
shodan said:
Hebrews 6. As always CONTEXT: Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings,[a] the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do if God permits.
Click to expand...
What do you see the point of this CONTEXT? Summary of the Old Covenant or of New Covenant milk of the word?
 
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V

Van

Well-Known Member
Site Supporter
Tea said:
When discussing preaching styles, two prevalent approaches are expository and topical preaching. Expository preaching entails a sequential examination of the Bible, while topical preaching gathers various verses to illuminate a specific subject.

Which style do you prefer, and why?
Click to expand...
At our church our Pastor mostly teaches verse by verse, chapter by chapter, book by book. But on special occasions, he preaches topical sermons, such as near Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving.

But the two types are put together in a similar fashion. When you study a verse, you look at the other verses where the same or similar topic is presented, and when you teach a topic, you look at all the verses presenting the topic.

The real divide is between sermons based on what scripture says, and sermons based on how people have understood those verses.

Scripture plus tradition is not my cup of tea.

Every year we look forward to our beloved Pastor regaling us with his efforts to decorate his house with lights. Over the years we have come to the conclusion he is not very good at it. :)

God uses broken or bent reeds...
 
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