"Preaching through Bible Books" workshop by D. A. Carson (notes and audio link)
Help for Expository Preachers
Editor note: I posted this back in 2015 but updated the link and added a chatGPT summary of the transcript.
What are some strategic ways to prepare and preach through a book of the Bible?
D.A. Carson lectured on 12 points in preaching through a book of the Bible. This is from a conference in 2003 called, “Katoomba Christian Conference Centenary (Sydney, Australia).” You can listen to the audio by downloading the message here (audio link).
(These points assume you’ve already picked the book, though that is an important consideration in how to pick that. No particular order of importance among some of these 12 points.)
(1:38 ) – Read and re-read and re-read and re-read and re-read the book. – It’s a mistake to read the book once and then start reading commentaries (Read it in English and the original language).
(3:11) – Ideally start the process early. Give time to re-reading, meditation, and saturation.
(4:58 ) – Eschew the division of head and heart.
(6:14) – Early on attain sufficient grasp of the book that you can succinctly state (a) what the book is about, (b) what this book contributes to the canon that overlaps with what other books bring to the canon, and (c) what distinctive things this book brings to the canon. (All these things need to be thought about simultaneously. This is what brings clarity and precision). Scan biblical theologies on the book to get a large scale picture of the book.
(11:10) – At roughly the same time determine (a) the number of sermons you’ll devote to the book and (b) the large scale outline of the book insofar as it impinges on your text boundaries for each sermon (11:10).
(19:27) – Start working on individual sermon preparation (either in advance or week by week). Ideally work on the text first.
A. (23:26) – Ideally develop note taking techniques. This keeps your tools sharp and keeps your files for resources for future ministry (writing, preaching, evangelism, etc.);
B. (29:32) – from these detailed exegetical notes, start writing the sermon. (Note for young preachers: you must determine and discipline yourself to leave stuff out). You need to know what to leave out. The sermon is the best of the material and the highlights of what you learned. The aim is to think through what contributes to the burden of that text;
C. Work on the text’s structure. Work on it so that it is fresh and appealing and helpful.
(32:27) – Each sermon must simultaneously stand alone and constitute a part of the series.
(33:34) – Remember the different contributions of a Paul House (corpus/book) biblical theology and a Charles Scobie (thematic) biblical theology.
(38:11) – Recognize that there may be special study and focus necessary for certain books (historical, cultural, literary genre, etc).
(42:32) – Ideally try to make your sermon material reflect in some way the genre of the book you are treating.
(44:24) – Remember constantly that this is not an exercise in artistic creation. The sermon is not an end in itself, but it is a re-revelation of God to his people. This means that as you prepare you ought to be thinking about the people to whom you are ministering.
(50:28 ) – ideally keep revising, praying, preparing so that it is not so much that you have mastered the material as that it has mastered you. There is a way of preaching that projects an image of being an expert and an image of being captured by the text.
Here is a chatGPT summary of the transcript:
Here is a clear outline of Carson’s lecture. I kept his structure but organized it so you can quickly see the flow of his argument. The talk essentially gives 12 principles for preaching through a biblical book.
D. A. Carson — Preaching Through Bible Books(Outline)
Introduction
Goal: How to expound a biblical book faithfully.
Most of these principles are intuitive but worth articulating.
Focus: What to do once you have chosen the book (not how to choose it).
I. Immerse Yourself in the Biblical Book
1. Read the book repeatedly
Read the text many times before consulting commentaries.
Read it in:
English
Original languages (Greek/Hebrew if possible).
Repeated reading develops:
Familiarity
Intuition for structure and flow.
Illustration: William Fitch read a book 100 times before preaching it.
2. Start preparation early
Benefits:
Allows insights to emerge through reflection.
Gives time for meditation and prayer.
Helps gather illustrations from life.
Encourages praying the text into your own spiritual life.
3. Reject the head–heart dichotomy
Do not separate:
devotional reading (heart)
exegetical study (head).
Instead:
Do rigorous exegesis reverently.
Do devotional reading thoughtfully.
Preaching preparation should unite:
exegesis
theology
worship
pastoral application.
II. Understand the Book as a Whole
4. Determine the book’s message and canonical contribution
Ask three questions:
What is the book about?
How does it overlap with the rest of Scripture?
What is distinctive about it?
Example:
Matthew vs Mark:
Same events
Different arrangement and emphasis
Different theological “camera angles.”
Sources for help:
Biblical theology
Commentary introductions.
Goal: Develop a bird’s-eye view early.
5. Determine the sermon plan for the book
Decide early:
Number of sermons
Text divisions for each sermon
How each sermon contributes to the whole.
Factors affecting sermon length
Congregation’s maturity
Preacher’s skill
Literary genre
Overall preaching schedule
Whether preaching the whole book or selected passages.
Example:
Revelation can be preached by:
selected key passages
or the entire book.
Warning
If you do not plan ahead:
Sermon divisions become accidental
Structure becomes weak.
III. Prepare Each Sermon Carefully
6. Begin individual sermon preparation
A. Work on the text first
Before commentaries:
Study the text yourself.
Examine:
structure
argument
literary features
original language.
Then consult commentaries.
Reading commentaries wisely
Many are unnecessary.
Focus on a few that:
explain the text well
grasp theological flow.
Read books at different speeds:
slow reading
scanning
quick consultation.
B. Develop good note-taking systems
Carson’s method:
verse-by-verse loose-leaf notes
add pages as needed.
Benefits:
builds long-term resources
sharpens exegetical skills
helps future preaching.
Key advice:
devote deep study to at least one sermon each week.
C. Leave material out
Especially important for young preachers.
Danger:
sermons overloaded with research.
Principle:
The sermon should be the cream of the crop of your study.
Goal:
clarity
digestibility
focus on the text’s main burden.
D. Develop the sermon structure
Structure should:
reflect the text
be memorable
avoid gimmicks (e.g., forced alliteration).
Structure also varies by literary genre.
IV. Preach Each Sermon Within the Series
7. Each sermon must both:
stand alone, and
contribute to the whole series.
Requirements:
A sermon must have:
its own coherence
its own application
its own message.
But also:
connect backward and forward in the series.
Goal:
people grasp the whole book, not just isolated sermons.
V. Preach the Book Within the Whole Bible
8. Practice biblical theology in preaching
Two complementary approaches:
Paul House approach
Focus on each book’s unique contribution.
Charles Scobie approach
Trace themes across the entire canon.
Good preaching should do both.
Examples of themes to trace:
rest
priesthood
temple
exodus
exile.
Goal:
Help the congregation see how the book:
connects across Scripture
ultimately leads to Christ.
VI. Do Specialized Study When Necessary
9. Some books require special background study
Examples:
Galatians: North vs South Galatian theory.
Hosea: nature of Hosea’s marriage.
Apocalyptic literature: interpretive frameworks.
Important principle:
You may spend hours studying,
but only give the conclusion briefly in the sermon.
VII. Reflect the Literary Genre in Preaching
10. Let the genre shape the sermon
Avoid making every sermon sound the same.
Different genres require different approaches:
Narrative → tell the story.
Wisdom literature → reflect wisdom patterns.
Apocalypse → communicate its imagery and intensity.
Goal:
Let sermons sound like the genre of the text.
VIII. Preach Pastorally to Real People
11. Remember the sermon is for people
Preaching is not artistic performance.
Purpose:
God re-revealing himself to people through the Word.
Application should consider:
congregation’s background
cultural assumptions
emotional realities
diversity of life situations.
Application should often be woven throughout the sermon, not just at the end.
IX. Let the Text Master You
12. Be mastered by the text
Final goal:
not projecting expertise
but being captured by the Word.
True preaching shows:
reverence
humility
deep love for Christ
spiritual authenticity.
Carson’s Overall Philosophy (Summary)
Preaching through books requires:
Immersion in the text
Understanding the book’s big picture
Careful weekly exegesis
Strategic series planning
Canonical (biblical-theological) connections
Genre sensitivity
Pastoral awareness
Spiritual submission to Scripture
Ultimate aim:
“Not that you have mastered the material, but that the material has mastered you.”