Preaching for Mission: Ancient Speeches and Postmodern Sermons
In her essay, “Preaching for Mission: Ancient Speeches and Postmodern Sermons,” Mary E. Hinkle raises the practical and today’s relevant issue of preaching the sermon from the book of Acts. She illustrates how the speeches dominate the actions in the Acts. In other words, the long speeches in Acts also engaged the speakers and the audience. Therefore, the author, who is both a preacher and a teacher, presents her main idea that speeches can communicate powerfully, much like stories, and can reveal realities that the audience may not have known before. In addition, the author discusses the significance of contextualized speeches for preaching in a postmodern world.
To begin with her biblical material or biblical themes in Acts, Hinkle introduces a varied collection of speeches from Acts. By hearing or reading these speeches, we can see how they change, agreeing with the context or remaining the same, while the elements of the preaching event, like the speaker, the setting, the audience, and the audience’s familiarity with the scripture, change. The author further states that the apostles in Acts narrate the story from Israel’s scripture in their speeches. At the same time, they also contextualize their speech with their own experience with Jesus and welcome the response from other people regarding the resurrection of Jesus. In fact, the objectives of the apostles’ speeches are to include narrative stories of God’s interaction with his chosen people and his creation, along with the Promised One, Jesus Christ, to save his people. The apostles immediately include the hearers as part of that story.
Basically, Hinkle introduces these two objectives with some examples of speeches from Stephen, Barnabas, and Paul. All three speeches provide insights that are relevant for contemporary preaching in today’s modern era. These speeches explain what stories the apostles include in their speeches and how they make the stories realistic and relational to the audiences. Firstly, the speech of Stephen to the Sanhedrin addresses the Jews who are familiar with the scriptures. Stephen opts to use first-person plural forms throughout his speech. The selection of proper words connects his hearers with him in the story he is telling. They all become a part of the story. Then, he blends past events with present events to conclude by highlighting God’s work in their lives and their negative responses toward Him. As soon as he closes the speech, he persuades his hearers to locate themselves in the story to know who they really are.
Secondly, Paul’s speech to the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch remains the same as the speech of Stephen. The elements of the preaching event only change. Paul commences his speech from the promise of God in the past for his hearers and now the work of God in their lives at present. Paul’s speech invites his hearers into a discussion of current events. Paul tells them how Jesus’ sacrifice fulfilled God’s promise and urges them to react positively to the story. Paul also closes his speech with a direct address of warning to his hearers to make them aware of the prophecies. The group of characters in the story of Paul’s speech divides into two streams—a character of promise, keeper of God, and a character that discards the will of God and his messengers.
Thirdly, the speech of Paul and Barnabas to the gentiles at Lystra is a thoroughly different speech than the previous two speeches. The preaching changes, and the elements of the preaching also change, as the audience of Paul and Barnabas are pagans who worship idols. The speech centralizes on God’s interaction with the audience and the role of God in the creation. The speech invites the hearers to turn back from idols to the living God. Paul and Barnabas include their hearers in the story by arguing that their story is the story of Lyconians, too. The direct address of this speech provides the interpretive frame for each hearer to find himself or herself through his or her own experience in the story of Paul and Barnabas.
Similarly, the author plainly observes the ancient speeches of the apostles. They simply narrate the story of God’s interaction with his people, with his creation, and with Jesus Christ in their speech. Moreover, the apostles create the healthy environment for their hearers with context, or an interpretive frame for their current experiences, to determine their position in the story. They encourage the audience to find themselves in their own world, culture, and tradition in terms of that story. Ultimately, the story demands a response from the hearer to bear witness to God’s work in their lives. Thus, the speakers in Acts are uncomplicatedly telling the story of the living God to all kinds of people groups.
Hinkle suggests the contemporary preachers create worlds of context for the hearers so that they may find themselves within the story. She further says that we should contextualize the story of Jesus in the context of our audience so that they can relate the story to our lives. The apostles were not hesitant to tell the story of Jesus and proclaim the resurrection of Christ beyond the borders. But the postmodern Christians feel shy and reluctant to speak about Jesus.
In brief, the author concludes with the presentation of Stephen’s death at the outside wall of the city and Paul’s preaching in the synagogue. She tries to show how these people proclaim the truth of God in speeches and live their lives true to the scriptures. Hinkle claims that if we live our lives accurately with our speech, our own story may become the most persuasive speech for other people in the postmodern context.
I agree with the main point and the conclusion of the author. She asserts that sermons have the potential to engage diverse audiences and direct their focus towards the reality of their lives, thereby revealing their current state of existence. Of course, we can reach out to every tribe and nation with the sermons in the postmodern context. Indeed, while people enjoy hearing narrative stories, we can also make a significant impact through well-organized sermons. We should follow the apostles who contextualize the gospel in the context where they preach. We should simplify sermons so people can relate to the Bible’s stories and experiences.
The three examples of sermons in Acts are realistic and powerful throughout the book. Each sermon has a distinctive lesson for us. Though the results of the preaching differ, Stephen’s sermon to the Sanhedrin and Paul’s sermon to Pisidian Antioch have some similarities. Both sermons are for Jews who know God, his promise, and his interaction with their ancestors and are waiting for the Messiah. Ironically, both sermons end up with rejection from these Jews; they oppose their deliverer and reject the message of God too. However, both of these sermons demonstrate that the Jewish audiences are integral to the story being shared by the apostles.
The sermon of Paul and Barnabas to the pagan gentiles in Lystra is entirely different from the previous two sermons. In this case, the receptors are no more acquainted with the scripture. There is not any alternative way for these two apostles to address these gentiles unless the apostles change the contents of their sermon in the gentiles’ context. Without judging the audience, the speakers present the story to show their present state and who they are. The hearers also find their role fitting in the story accordingly. All these sermons are excellent and skillfully presented by the apostles. The sermons specifically interpret the role of the hearers in the story. They realize who they are and what they are doing in the story.
I find this article very helpful for the ministry, as the author has addressed the current issue of preaching sermons in the context of the auditors. The sample sermons also teach us how to contextualize the speech. These speeches coach us to preach the sermon in different contexts without avoiding the main theme of the story of God. To achieve this goal, we simply should include the salvation plan of God and our response toward God. The particular sermon examples in the journal prevail upon the culture and traditions and cross all the barriers because the speakers confront all the realities of the audience. The success of the speech depends on how the speakers address the issues of the audience. Once they, whether they believe the sermon or not, find themselves in the story, it stirs up the characters of the story. All these examples can be a gift of preaching for us to extend the kingdom of God through our lives.
In my life, I have had a difficult time hearing sermons that are poorly organized and prepared. Usually, this kind of sermon becomes dull. And I do not feel comfortable with a man talking for a long time. Everyone dislikes an unfruitful sermon, which is similar to one’s travelogue or monologue. The sermons should address the present situation and issues of the church, society, and the world.
In my own experience, I learned to present the sermon in the context of the hearers. During ministry, I got the privilege to reach out to many ethnic people groups in Nepal. In many parts of the country, I had to mingle with other people whose language, culture, faith, norms and values of life, and worldview were completely different from mine. Although they can speak Nepali, an official language, I could hardly understand their accent. But it was my duty and opportunity as well to share the story of God and his grace with them, though they did not know their role in the story. It was not possible until I contextualized the story in their own local setting and culture and understood the morals of their lives. In order to get them involved in my story, I contextualized my speech so they might feel familiar with the words, terms, and settings. My ultimate goal was to help them to find their backstage identity in the light of the Gospel. That experience became my lifetime achievement in the ministry.
For example, I am somewhat familiar with some Nepalese cultures, traditions, and norms and values of the society. When I speak from the story of the prodigal son to my audience whose sons have left them, I contextualize the meaning of the biblical text without distorting the original text. It should not be like my reflection monologue or just a fairy tale. With no haste, I illustrate the relevant story of the heavenly father whose children also have revolted against him. People in my audience typically come from large families. However, the recent trend of single families has influenced the present generation. Therefore, sons ask for their inheritance from their fathers and leave them after receiving possession from the fathers. The fathers feel that their hearts are torn due to the rebellion and separation of their sons.
After some years, many of their lives get worse, and they come back to their fathers. No matter how wicked their sons are, their fathers love, forgive, and accept them. This is the wonderful story of love, forgiveness, acceptance, and reconciliation that every father desires to come to be true in his life. Without any delay, I contextualize this story to the local settings of my audience with the intention that they might find themselves in what they are doing against the heavenly father. My ultimate goal is to draw the audience into the story by connecting it to their own experiences and feelings, illustrating that the Father in Heaven is also waiting for them to return, just as they wait every day for their sons to come back.
