(tTnurnrbiu
IDqrnlngirul jlnutqly
Continuing
Lehre und Wehre (Vol. LXXVI)
Magazin fuer Ev.-Luth. Homiletik (Vol. LIV)
Theol. Quarterly (1897-1920)-Theol. Monthly (Vol. X)
Vol. II May, 1931 No.5
CONTENTS
Page
Thesen zur kurzen Darlegung der Lehrstellung der Mis-
sourisynode .......... , ................................. 321
GRAEBNER, TH.: The Modern Church Looks at Society 336
DALLMANN, WM.: How Peter Became Pope......... . . .. 343
KRETZMANN, P. E.: Suggestions Concerning Courses for
Better Indoctrination... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 360
FRITZ, J. H. C.: The Sermon Methods. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 364
Dispositionen ueber die von der Synodalkonferenz ange-
nommene Serie alttestamentlicher Texte............... 368
Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches. . . . .. 381
Book Review. - Literatur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 392
Ein Prediger muss nicht allein weiden,
also dass er die Schafe unterweiae, wie
sie rechte Christen sollen sein, sondern
auch daneben den Woelfen wehren, dass
si. die Schafe nicht angreifen und mit
falscher Lehre verinebren und Irrtum ein-
fuehren. - Luther.
Es ist kein Ding, das die Leute mehr
bei del" Kirche behaelt denn die gute
Predigt. - Apologie, Art. !/4.
If the trumpet give an uncertain sound,
who shall prepare himself to the battle f
1 Oor. ~,8.
Published for the
Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States
CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.
364 The Sermon Methods.
The Sermon Methods. *
The three requisites for good sermonizing are: a thorough study
of the text, a good outline, and good delivery. Neglecting anyone of
these will result in poor preaching.
What is perhaps mostly neglected in sermonizing is that which
is most important: a thorough study of the text. A thorough study
of the text is absolutely indispensable for good sermon work. Without
it the preacher cannot make a good outline, and without it he can-
not be filled up with his subject, which he must be if he would deliver
well, for a preacher's delivery is influenced by his mastery of the
subject-matter and the conviction and the enthusiasm which it has
wrought in his own heart.
A thorough study of the text calls for the imploring of divine
enlightenment, the reading of the vernacular, the reading of the
context, the careful and painstaking study of the original text, the
looking up of parallel passages, and concentrated and intensive medi-
tation. Not until all this has been done, should the preacher decide
upon his sermon method and make his outline. Nor should commen-
taries and other helps be consulted before a tentative outline has
been made. By referring too soon to commentaries and sermon helps,
a preacher stunts his own mental activity and, as a result, fails
thoroughly to understand his text and become thoroughly interested
in it. If preachers neglect this important part of their sermonizing,
their preaching will soon become stale, and their hearers will get
little out of their sermons.
In his study of the text a preacher should be careful to find the
specific chief thought of that particular text, that thought by which
that text distinguishes itself from other texts which treat the same
subject. This is absolutely necessary for the construction of an out-
line that is homiletic ally correct, and at the same time it gives to
* Why sermon methods? I) The advantage of using any good method
is that it keeps one from doing something in a haphazard way, in a hit-
or-miss fashion. That in itself is reason sufficient for adopting and using
a good method. 2 ) Method in sermon work compels the preacher more
thoroughly to study his text and enables him better to understand it
and better to present it. 3) Method in sermon work puts variety into
preaching, the thing so much needed in order to arouse and hold the
attention of an audience, especially when a preacher must preach to the
same people year in, year out. The same text may be treated in different
ways. 4) Method in sermon work will, when once understood and used,
make sermon work a greater pleasure to the preacher himself by arousing
his interest in the possibilities of preaching and thus of keeping his
preaching from becoming stale. It will make of one a better preacher.
All this is reason sufficient why due attention ought to be given to sermon
methods.
The Sermon Methods. 365
sermons that variety which will insure renewed interest on the part
of the hearers. Because the specific truth treated in a certain text
is often overlooked or ignored, preachers fill their sermons with ever-
recurring platitudes, which in course of time become stale and fail
to give to the hearers the great wealth and variety of thought which
the Bible actually presents. Says Kleinert: "Ein besonderes Auf-
merken ist hierbei auf solche Hauptgedanken zu richten, welche dem
Text im Unterschiede von andern gleichartigen odeI' verwandten ein
charakteristisches Gepraege geben, seine Physiognomie bestimmen.
Es gilt, den Willen des Textes zu erforschen, del' in diesen charak-
teristischen Hauptgedanken zum Ausdruck kommt. Das ist wichtig,
um die Stoffindung gegen die Gefahr zu schuetzen, sei es, durch Be-
harren auf allgemeinen und ausgetretenen Bahnen die Darbietung
von vornherein des Interesses zu berauben, sei es, dem Text fremde
und verschiedene Gesichtspunkte aufzubuerden. Erst durch die
kraeftige Erfassung del' charakteristischen Hauptgedanken erhaelt
die Predigt die Kongenialitaet mit dem Text, die ihl' lebendiges
Interesse und den eindringlichsten N achdruck del' Schriftmaessig-
keit gibt."
After a preacher has thoroughly studied his text and is ready
to make his outline, he must decide upon the sermon method.
Although some homileticians speak of a number of sermon methods,
there are, strictly speaking, only two: the analytic method and the
synthetic method. What some call the expository method and the
homily are species of the analytic method. And although it is a fact
that the make-up of many sermons is not strictly analytic or synthetic,
but either synthetic-analytic or analytic-synthetic, yet these are not
two new methods, but merely combinations of the two methods, the
analytic method and the synthetic method. Homileticians writing in
English usually call the analytic method the textual method and the
synthetic method the topical (or inferential) method. This distinc-
tion is liable from the outset to convey a wrong impression, namely,
that the so-called textual method must be strictly in accordance with
the text, while the topical method simply takes a topic from the text
and then develops this topic without further careful consideration of
the text; and in fact some homileticians would have it so understood.
We should, however, always preach the text. The reading of the text
is in itself a promise to the congregation that the preacher will preach
that text. In other words, every sermon should be textual; as we
say in German, textgemaess.
While we prefer the'terms analytic and synthetic, used by German
homileticians, I am not quite ready to say that even these terms have
been well chosen. My reasons are the following: 1) Homileticians do
not agree in their use of these terms (the order is even reversed) and
are much perplexed to give a clear definition of the tt'l"IDS and present
366 The Sermon Methods.
an easy workable basis for sermonizing. Kleinert, in his Homiletik,
says; "Die Ausdruecke 'Analyse und Synthese,' 'analytisch und syn-
thetisch' werden in der Homiletik herkoemmlich ueberaus haeufig
gebraucht, erscheinen aber bei den verschiedenen Homiletikern mit
verschiedenen und nicht durchweg deutlichen V orstellungen ver-
knuepft. Man wird billig bezweifeln duerfen, ob diese Hereinnahme
beider Ausdruecke in die homiletische Formlehre der Klarheit dient
und dem Lernenden eine deutliche Direktive ueber den einzu-
schlagenden Weg gibt." 2) The terms themselves, if etymologically
applied, are somewhat confusing. The fact is that in every sermon
we have both analysis and synthesis. It would, perhaps, be preferable
to call the analytic the direct method and the synthetic the indirect
or inferential method; but for our present purpose let us abide by
the old terms, analytic and synthetic.
Let it be understood from the outset that, irrespective of the
method used, a thorough study of the text must form the basis for
the outline; the theme must be the chief thought of the text; the
divisions must also be taken from the text-the text must be preached.
The text dare never serve as a mere motto, a starting-point only.
Not on the basis of dogmatics or a commentary or on the basis of
parallel passages should the sermon be built, but on the basis of the
.sermon-text. A so-called topical outline that takes some thought
from the text and then ignores it is built upon lines that are homi-
letically not permissible. The sermon is not a dogmatic treatise which
is chosen for the lecture-room in a theological seminary or for a pas-
toral conference, nor a religious essay which makes profitable reading,
but it is a religious address, built upon a certain definite text of the
Bible, which is to be expounded and applied for the edification of the
hearers. That is the homiletic idea of the sermon.
After the preacher has thoroughly studied his text on the basis
of the original text, the context, the parallel passages of Scripture
(Scriptum Scripturam interpretatur), he must, if he would preach
his text, as he indeed ought to, do one of two things; he must either
use what the text says in so many words, expressis verbis, although
he need not say it in the very words of the text (analytic method),
or he must use what the text does not state in so many words, but
what is nevertheless implied in the text and at which he arrives by
way of deduction or inference, by way of the porisma (synthetic
method). There is no third thing that a preacher can do with a text.
The text Matt. 5, 14-16, when analyzed, has the following
thoughts; 1) Ohristians are the light of the world; 2) Ohristians
should let their light shine by doing good works; 3) Ohristians
should let their light shine that men may see their good works and
glorify God.
Oombining these three thoughts into one proposition, we may
The Sermon Methods. 367
express it thus: Christians should let their light shine before men.
That is the theme. That will give us the following analytic outline:,
The Lora:s Admonition to All Ohristians: "Let Your Light Shine
Before Men." 1. Christians, being the light of the world, can let their
light shine. 2. Christians should let their light shine by doing good
works. 3. Christians should let their light shine that others also may
glorify God.
In the meditation on this text the following thoughts may be
arrived at by 'Way of deduction: Since only Christians are the light
of the world, a member of a congregation who is not a Christian can-
not let his light shine and is therefore a hypocrite; and, again, if
Christians fail to let their light shine, they cause the world to believe
that they are not sincere in their Christianity. One may, then, arrive
at the following synthetic outline: Why the World Often Oasts
It into Our Teeth that There Are Hypocrites in the Ohurch.
1. Because in the outward church organizations there are members
who pretend to be Christians, but are not. 2. Because. Christians at
times neglect to live as Christians in this world.
Or in the course of the meditation the thought will impress itself
upon the preacher that great stresss is laid upon the doing of good
works by Christian people and that a Christian becomes guilty if
he does not do good works. By 'Way of deduction he will then arrive
at the following synthetic outline: Of What Is a Ohristian Guilty
'Whenever His Life Does Not Oonform to His Oonfession? 1. He is
not true to what God has made him, vv. 14. 15. 2. He is not only
missing an opportunity to lead others to Christ, but becomes
a stumbling-block on their way to salvation, v. 16.
The text 2 Tim. 4, 1-5, when analyzed, presents the following
outstanding thoughts: 1) The Christian minister is charged to preach
the Word of God: only, at all times, in the right manner. 2) This
charge is very necessary because many will not endure sound doctrine,
but turn to false teachers and their fables.
When the apostle says to Timothy, "Make full proof of thy
ministry," he sums up, or combines, these thoughts into one statement.
The preacher therefore will decide upon the following analytic out-
line: The Lord's Oharge to a Ohristian Pastor: "Make Full Proof
of Thy Ministry." 1. How a Christian pastor should do this:
a) Preach the Word only, v.2 a. b) Preach it at all times, v. 2 b.
c) Preach it in the right manner (Law and Gospel), vv. 2 c. 5.
2. Why a Christian pastor should do this: a) Because God has com-
manded it,. vv. 1. 2; b) because of the great danger that some will
turn away from sound doctrine and lose their salvation, vv. 3-5 ;
c) because ministers must give an account to God of their work, v.l.
In his meditation upon the text a sermonizer finds that the
368 :tliS.pofitionen tibet dne 6etie uHteftamentficl)et :teJ;te.
preacher who faithfully preaches the Word of God will meet with
opposition and will perhaps become discouraged, while at the same
time he will :find that God has commanded him to preach and that
God will call him to account. By way of deduction he may arrive
at the following synthetic-analytic outline: Why Should a Ohristian
Pastor Not Become Discouraged when, though Faithfully Preaching
the Word of God, HeM eets with Opposition? 1. Because by faith-
fully preaching the Word of God, he does what God has called him
to do, vv. 1. 2. 5; 2. because the Lord has foretold that a time would
come when people will not endure sound doctrine, vv. 3-5; 3. because
in the :final analysis not man, but God, will be the preacher's Judge
and his Reward, v.L
A de:finition of the two sermon methods may be given in the fol-
lowing words: -
The analytic sermon method uses the express statements of the
text, expressa 1,erba textus, although not necessarily in the same
words or always in the same order. Usually the parts, which are
those given by the text, are found :first, and the summary of these
form the theme, or proposition. The analytic method proceeds from
the parts to the whole.
The synthetic sermon method uses the deductions or inferences