Whether I am listening to someone teach Scripture, or doing it myself, my preferred style is book by book, verse by verse, line by line. I think it helps make the most sense of Scripture, provides the overall context of passages and hard-to-understand texts, and forces teachers to speak about things that they normally might skip over and avoid.

When I was a pastor, I often quoted Isaiah 28:10-13 as proof that God’s preferred method of teaching was also line by line, precept upon precept. Also, I once wrote an entire book attempting to prove that this is how Jesus probably taught (No, the book has never been printed anywhere, or even posted on this blog, but you’ll get a summary of it in the next post or two).

But in the last three years, as I have begun to question and challenge certain elements of how we “do church,” I decided to seriously examine Isaiah 28:10-13 for the first time in my life.

I came away shocked with what I read. This verse does not prove that expository book by book teaching is God’s preferred method.

How To Translate Isaiah 28:10-13

First, it is important to recognize that there is some disagreement on how to translate verses 10, 13. Traditionally, they have been translated “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” or something similar to this.

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We are looking at what the Bible says about preaching, and how the modern practice doesn’t really match up with what the Bible reveals. Yesterday, we saw that preaching is more of an announcement or proclamation of what God is doing in the world. Today, I want to build on this, and show how preaching differs from teaching.

Preaching Was Short and Pithy

In preaching, when the herald went through the streets and marketplaces proclaiming the message from the emperor or king, those who heard the proclamation frequently asked questions, and often, the herald would answer them to the best of his ability. Furthermore, because he wanted to get as many people to hear his message as possible, it was usually short, pointed, and memorable so that people could take what they learn and spread the news.

With John the Baptist and with Jesus, the message they preached was “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” We often think this is the summary of this message, which in a way, it was, but it may also have been the totality of their message as well. For example, John may have gone into a marketplace or other area where people gathered, and simply walked around, shouting, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” This was preaching.

When was the last time you heard “preach” a sermon that was only nine words?

For Jewish people living under the rule of the Roman Empire, this was a message that got people’s attention, and which spread far and fast. Of course, it also generated many questions, such as when the Kingdom would arrive, who would be the King, how the new Kingdom would look, and how people should prepare for the kingdom. We read of John answering these sorts of questions in Luke 3:10-17.

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When I say that pastors should stop preaching, it might be helpful to understand what I am talking about. We all need to be “on the same page” about what exactly preaching is.

What is Preaching?

Everybody thinks they know what preaching is. Even people who don’t go to church know what it is. Most believe that preaching is when a person stands in front of a group of people and speaks to them about the Bible. Most often the speaking is performed inside a church building, from a stage, and behind a pulpit. The preaching lasts anywhere from 15 minutes to over an hour, and is delivered in speech format—one person talks while the rest listen.

Would you add or subtract anything from this definition? It is a common understanding of preaching.

So if everyone agrees on the definition of preaching, why do we need to define it? Because the Bible does not agree. When the terms for preaching are studied within their cultural context, a much different picture emerges.
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