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Simply teaching the Bible verse by verse produces a church that can tell you what's in, say, Nehemiah
It doesn't produce one that can answer the question "what does the Bible teach about... X?"
That requires us teaching that is systematic as well as expository
It doesn't produce one that can answer the question "what does the Bible teach about... X?"
That requires us teaching that is systematic as well as expository
I'm totally committed to expository preaching. But one of its weaknesses is that it tends to be light on doctrine, only picking up doctrinal themes in passing as they occur in the passage for that particular sermon
It's not the best method for a deeper dive into key core beliefs
It's not the best method for a deeper dive into key core beliefs
If you're wondering whether this is true for your congregation, ask yourself whether a normal member could say, when asked, something meaningful from the Bible about
The Trinity
The atonement
Sin
Heaven and Hell
The nature of Man
The authority of scripture
Etc, etc
The Trinity
The atonement
Sin
Heaven and Hell
The nature of Man
The authority of scripture
Etc, etc
My suspicion is that the answer is no, even in many churches where expository Bible ministry is highly valued
Of course, if we are unable to say *what* the Bible says about a subject or doctrine, it is impossible to discuss *why* it says it
Which means that when society at large strongly takes a different view it becomes very difficult to bring biblical truth to stop people embracing it
Which means that when society at large strongly takes a different view it becomes very difficult to bring biblical truth to stop people embracing it
Of course much of this discussion is dependent on whether people are deeply immersing themselves in the scriptures for themselves. Or whether they are treating Sunday ministry as their only weekly Bible input
If so, it limits the depth you can include in a sermon
If so, it limits the depth you can include in a sermon
