Preaching by the Book—Pace

INTRODUCTION

The greatest calling on earth is a call to proclaim the matchless Word of God. Preaching is the corporate means for the church’s health through the believer’s sanctification. Yet, God entrusts this immense privilege and responsibility to weak and faulty men. The divine preaching assignment should humble and motivate a man to enhance his preaching skillset. Dr. Scott Pace writes Preaching By the Book to provide a foundational framework for developing and delivering a text-driven sermon.

Simplicity and brevity are two invaluable communication skills. Dr. Pace accomplishes both in Preaching by the Book. In his book, the author summarizes the foundational and functional themes of biblical exposition while stressing that the preacher’s singular purpose is to deliver the divine message of the text. This text-driven approach to preaching comes from his conviction in the necessity and infallibility of the Bible. Dr. Pace’s concise yet clear explanation of text-driven preaching is a rare accomplishment in the homiletic genre.

The preacher’s singular purpose is to deliver the divine message of the text.

DEVELOPMENT OF THE METHOD

Several exegetical and homiletical concepts are developed in Preaching by the Book. For instance, Dr. Pace explains the importance of genre awareness in exegetical study. He encourages the discovery of the “big idea” in relation to the text’s main point—an idea that should serve as the sermon’s main point. Additionally, the author addresses the preferred pattern of book-based sequential preaching for contextual integrity and biblically guided topic selection. After providing these and other insights on the preparatory exegesis of the preaching text, Dr. Pace lists a seven-step strategy for sermon development that includes (1) heart preparation through prayer, (2) familiarizing yourself with the passage, (3) discerning the meaning of the text, (4) examining the significant words and the supporting concepts of the passage, (5) bridging the historical text to the contemporary context by discerning the timeless truths and directing a God desired response to the truth, (6) practically applying the passage to yourself and your audience, and (7) concluding the process by formulating an outline that considers the audience and the occasion in relationship to the text. The concise development of exegetical and homiletic instruction is the chief strength of Preaching by the Book.

THEOLOGICAL EMPHASIS

Additionally, Dr. Pace’s emphasis on theologically saturated preaching uniquely contributes to the topic. While expository preaching is rooted in the historical-grammatical preaching heritage, Dr. Pace encourages preachers to consider the “specific ways God’s character is actively displayed” in the text (45). He wisely adds, “Through the doctrinal truths [of the text], we can understand how God works in our world and how we can access and experience the timeless truths the text reveals about him” (45). He counsels against the danger of preaching “the Bible as a set of lifestyle principles” because the Bible is, first and foremost, the revelation of God (46). By stressing consideration of the theological implications of the text, Dr. Pace adds an insight into preaching that, when added to a grammatical-historical conviction, will enhance Bible exposition.

The Bible is, first and foremost, the revelation of God.

WEAKNESSES

Indeed, brevity is the strength of Preaching by the Book, but it also may be its weakness. In the reviewer’s opinion, Dr. Pace inadequately addresses “Christ-Centered” preaching. While brevity is admirable— being “a twin concept closely associated with clarity,” the Christocentric biblical theology of the Bible must be central in any preaching book, and it is not a clear emphasis in Preaching by the Book (60).

The book also lacks an emphasis on the moral and spiritual development of the preacher—likely another casualty of brevity. Nevertheless, preachers must embody the message that they deliver. The minister’s life will either enhance or detract from the gospel he preaches. Indeed, as a sinner, no minister is beyond the ongoing need of God’s grace. Nevertheless, spiritual maturity is required to effectively deliver the text-driven sermon that is the subject of Dr. Pace’s book. It would have been helpful if the author emphasized the necessary soul care and spiritual formation of the preacher.

CONCLUSION

Preaching by the Book is a concise and faithful overview of text-driven preaching. Therefore, the book is a commendable resource for growing expositors. While it may not be as thorough as some books on biblical exposition, Dr. Pace’s book excellently summarizes the essential concepts of text-driven preaching. If what the author has written were applied in every pulpit, the Church’s preaching ministry would be greatly enhanced. For this reason, I would highly recommend this resource to all gospel ministers.