EXPOSITORY PREACHING OF THE NT - WHY?

Expository Preaching of the New Testament - Why?

Our blessed Lord and Paul His greatest apostle were expository preachers of the Old Testament (Luke 24:47, Acts 17:3). And by this method they unfolded the whole counsel of God (Luke 24:27, 44; Acts 20:27). The immediate results were not always large, but they were genuine and lasting. And wherever this method has been used similar results have been achieved. Now that the New Testament is in the hands of men and women, this body of material, more than ever, deserves such treatment, and for the following reasons:

I.   Its place in the Biblical system argues for exposition. To the apostles Christ prophesied the completion of revelation. "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13). In this statement provision was made for the writing of the New Testament. The Old Testament was charged and surcharged with anticipation of the coming of Christ. The great historical foundation for the coming of Christ was laid in the first division of the Old Testament, the five books of Moses. In the second division, commonly referred to as the Writings or the Psalms, one feels the deep aspiration of God's people for the coming of Christ. In the third division, known as the Prophets, the full prediction of the coming of the promised Messiah is set before God's people. Longing hearts, though, are painfully aware that the Old Testament revelation is incomplete. And not until the New Testament is opened to them do they find realization of all their anticipations in the actual appearance of Christ among the sons of men. In the first division of the New Testament, consisting of the Gospels and Acts, the manifestation of Christ is before the reader. In the second division, the Epistles, the interpretation of His coming is set forth. In the final division, the book of Revelation, the grand consummation of Christ's coming is unveiled before the reader. These truths exposition alone will unfold.

II.   Its place in the theological system also argues for expository treatment of the New Testament. Since the New Testament completes written revelation, it is therefore obvious that it completes the theological system. That is what Paul meant by his exhortation to the Hebrew Christians. "Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection" (Heb. 6:1). He found this people, because of their sore trials in the flesh, contemplating return to the Old Testament grounds of Judaism. This would have been tragedy, for Judaism was an imitation and not the original (Heb. 8:5); it was shadow and not substance (Heb. 8:5); it was outline and not fullness (Heb. 8:6). A recession from New Testament truth to Old Testament truth would have been sheer apostasy from the faith. The Old Testament was true insofar as it went. But its imitation, shadow, and outline were designed to lead men to the original, substance, and fullness of New Testament truth in Christ. Unfortunately, many in that day, and since, and today, are tragically unaware of this fact and, therefore, there is greater need than ever before to explain the New Testament. Many methods of preaching may pass the bar of approval, but expository treatment alone will unfold the New Testament and make men aware of the completion of the theological system.

III.   Its place in the spiritual system is still another reason for expository treatment of the New Testament. Directly conditioned upon the availability, the appropriation, and the application of New Testament revelation is the growth and maturity of the believer. Paul found the Hebrew Christians mere babes in Christ. This was not accidental. This was because New Testament revelation was not available to them as it is today, because they did not appropriate all the revelation there was available, and because they did not apply all the revelation they did appropriate (Heb. 5:11-14). It was necessary for him to write an epistle to them and urge them to leave the milk of the Old Testament revelation and feed on the meat of New Testament revelation (Heb. 6:1-2). This alone will enable believers then and since to grow from infancy into manhood in Christ. The presentation of the facts of Christianity in the Gospel and the Acts provides a firm foundation for the believer's thinking. The interpretation of these facts in the epistles guides the believer in the way of truth and guards him against error. The consummation of the facts in the Revelation not only warns the believer of destruction upon the disobedient, but it also provides the great incentive for righteousness and growth in the present life. It is therefore in order to insist that exposition alone will unfold these blessed realities and apply them to hungry human hearts. "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them" (John 13:17)