• Welcome to Baptist Board, a friendly forum to discuss the Baptist Faith in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to all the features that our community has to offer.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Expository or Topical Preaching?

Some Rando

Active Member
He started in 1643 and he’s just about to start Matthew in about 6 or 7 years

Peace to you
He'll be dead before he gets to it.
When will the flock get any of the rest of the Bible?
Aren't we called to teach the whole counsel of God?
Acts 20:27
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
 

Ben1445

Well-Known Member
I read once of a Puritan Preacher (sorry can’t remember who) that preached in Ezekiel for 30+ years.

Peace to you
Some clarification, if it’s available please.

How many times a week did he preach a sermon?
How many sermons a week were from Ezekiel?
Did he ever use any other Scripture or did he exclusively use Ezekiel?
 

Ben1445

Well-Known Member
I’ve spent more than a year on one book (which is not long to spend). We didn’t get really deep in about a years time.

How many times have you heard your a particular passage preached?
More than one on the ten lepers?
More than one on communion?
More than one on Luke 2?
More than one on David and Goliath?

At some point, the same thing can be said of the topical preacher.
How many topics are there?
And the topical preacher never repeats?


I’m not on one side or the other. Both are scriptural and both are necessary.
 

Some Rando

Active Member
"Expositional" is about how you approach the Scripture.

You can spend 100 years belaboring one verse in Romans and pretend that you are an in depth "expository" preacher and brag that it will take you 800 years to get through your study of Obadiah....

If that is the case:
You are crap.

Either you read Scripture and construct your sermon based upon the text itself and let it take priority; or you read the Scripture and preach how it supports the Confession you already believe and import your Confession into it and belabor it in every verse of the text you are supposedly preaching on.
 
Last edited:

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
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?
Kinda both...or a mixture. Expository for bible studies, anyway. Preaching is probably most biblical as topical focusing on application.
 

canadyjd

Well-Known Member
Some clarification, if it’s available please.

How many times a week did he preach a sermon?
How many sermons a week were from Ezekiel?
Did he ever use any other Scripture or did he exclusively use Ezekiel?
Well, I’d have to do some more research, but my understanding is he preached exclusively in Ezekiel, every time he preached.

That’s not to say he didn’t reference other passages, especially concerning prophecy about Jesus, but Ezekiel is where he preached

Peace to you
 

Ben1445

Well-Known Member
I was at one church - Pastor was on Revelations Sun AM, Sun PM & Wed pm
I have heard of one who includes Sunday School also.
I don’t think it’s something I would do.
But I would add that if the only thing that the members are getting is the book of Revelation, they are starving themselves. At that point, the pastor should be giving them an appetite or at least telling them to cultivate an appetite for more Bible intake.

Out of curiosity, do you happen to remember their order of service? Did they read Scripture? Was it also from Revelation?
 

JonC

Moderator
Moderator
The question is: What does your congregation need?
This!!!

I have attended churches that approached Scripture as an academic exercise. But the problem is congregations do not need their pastor to be a mini-professor or the service to be a seminary lesson.

I think back to the "Hell fire and brimstone" sermons. The congregation loved those. Why? Because they were about other people, not the church.

Spiritual food is food that nourishes the congregation, that equips them, that uplifts them for kingdom work and kingdom life. It is always applicable.
 

Salty

20,000 Posts Club
Administrator
I have heard of one who includes Sunday School also.
I don’t think it’s something I would do.
But I would add that if the only thing that the members are getting is the book of Revelation, they are starving themselves. At that point, the pastor should be giving them an appetite or at least telling them to cultivate an appetite for more Bible intake.

Out of curiosity, do you happen to remember their order of service? Did they read Scripture? Was it also from Revelation?

This was 50 years ago! It was the typical "hymn Sandwich" service. Generally, we did not read any Scripture - other then the text of the service.
One other thing - we rented the blg for two hours - we began - so we had to be out by noon. So we were not able to have extended time.
 

Salty

20,000 Posts Club
Administrator
On the other hand, I visited a church a few times,
but for the morning service the pastor was teaching - as though it was a class to
obtain your Masters degree in Bible theology.
 

Scarlett O.

Moderator
Moderator
I've sat under both. I prefer expository, but never gave it much thought until my disabled brother came to live with me after mother died. My pastor has been on a topical preaching kick for a while and my brother has trouble going from scripture to scripture to scripture [about 7 to 10 per sermon] and he doesn't like me to reach over and help him. I stay a nervous wreck during the sermons. But my pastor teaches the truth and is very much appreciated.
 

Ben1445

Well-Known Member
I've sat under both. I prefer expository, but never gave it much thought until my disabled brother came to live with me after mother died. My pastor has been on a topical preaching kick for a while and my brother has trouble going from scripture to scripture to scripture [about 7 to 10 per sermon] and he doesn't like me to reach over and help him. I stay a nervous wreck during the sermons. But my pastor teaches the truth and is very much appreciated.
At least he is using Scripture instead of exclusively 7-10 anecdotes.

Edit.

I read that afterwards and it could be misunderstood. I don’t mean that I prefer one over the other.
But I don’t think much of motivational speakers who claim that they are preaching the Word when they only preach illustrations.
 
Top