Anabaptistica
Southwestern Journal of Theology
Volume 56, No. 2 – Spring 2014
Managing Editor: Terry L. Wilder
By Craig Brian Larson. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2012. 150 Pages. Paperback. $12.27.
Many religious men and women have attempted to prophesy about the world’s end. Others have attempted more daring predictions, such as identifying himself or herself as the coming Messiah or have predicted themselves ushers of a “New Kingdom.” Prophecy fails when those who attempt it forget the primary guideline needed: the Word of God. Prophetic Preaching, part of The Preacher’s Toolbox series, was written to provide a guide for those who preach prophetically detailing the need for sound expository analysis and good character. Craig Larson—using an interview, question-and-answer format—selected leading voices in today’s churches and seminaries to provide such a framework. The book serves valiantly as a necessary marker for prophetic preachers. This review will address several contributions, as well as one area this reviewer felt needed more specificity.
“Chan bases prophetic preaching on God’s Word—not the preacher’s personality, brilliance, or effort” (11). His emphasis on a text-primary approach is assuring and strong. The standard upon which preaching is drawn upon must be Scripture. Prophetic preaching is no different. Chan further emphasizes that although there are good preachers, there are also false prophets, for “when you look at the biblical warnings about false prophets, much of it has to do with their character: their greed, lack of love, self-centeredness, and pride” (13). Preachers must govern their lives with a watchful eye.
James MacDonald emphasizes the role of biblical authority in prophetic preaching. He writes, “I preach the authority of God’s Word without apology” (29). Biblical authority holds true to God’s words, and as such, wields the absolute truth and standard for our lives. Further, he adds that there are no excuses for a preacher not to engage the word, for “Christ also preached the Word without apology” (30).
John Koessler further develops the task of prophetic preaching. “Preaching,” he writes, “is the proclamation of God’s Word, but it’s also a form of two-way communication. It’s not just what you say; it’s how people hear what you say” (89). In order for the preacher to be effective, he must preach the whole counsel of God and be heard. He follows with two effective ways that test the authority of the audience today: “(1) Is the preacher saying anything that applies to where I am? (2) Did I experience God while the preacher was speaking?” (96).
Andrew Thompson’s chapter was especially enlightening; for it not only addressed the power of God’s word, but provided a systematic and structural approach to the Old Testament prophets. Thompson argues that tracing prophetic Scripture and its fulfillment in history leads the preacher to speculation, and suggests that “by focusing on the covenant context of a prophetic speech, preachers can apply such a passage to their own churches in richly textured ways that are faithful to the biblical authority’s intent while being helpful for building community” (121). Maintaining this focus leads the preacher to avoid speculation, and emphasize the character and plan of God. This recognizes the person and work of Christ as the primary thrust of prophecy.
In Buchanan’s chapter—“Preaching in the City of Man”—the contributor fell into a common vice that plagues many who preach the Old Testament Scriptures: moralizing the text. He glosses over the distinguishing items in the text and focuses on several major themes, such as love, purity, and morality. While none of the above themes are inconsistent with the Scriptures, proper hermeneutics demand that the preacher focus on the Word and words of God rather than merely the themes of God. Buchanan insists that preachers learn to develop a “Daniel spirit” in preaching, allowing for firmness and civility (26). According to Buchanan, maintaining a civil tone is crucial to the preaching task, for “if we don’t ‘get the tone right,’ we won’t lead anyone to Christ” (19). His point that the manner in which one preaches propheti- cally plays a major role in the manner in which he will be heard is well-taken, even if overstated. The power of preaching—prophetic or otherwise—lies neither in the preacher or his tone, but in the very Word of God.
Prophetic preaching appears to be missing in today’s culture and society. Often it is not well received because so many have focused on speculation and assumptions, rather than the truth of God’s Word. The contributions in Prophetic Preaching emphasize the vast importance of the inerrancy and efficacy of the Scriptures as foundational to the prophetic preaching task.
