THE UNITED CHURCH OF ZAMBIA

UNIVERSITY

CM 121- P 2: INTRODUCTION TO HOMILETICS

INTRODUCTION
The course is designed to survey the theology of Christian preaching. It tries to look at
the relationship between the sermon, the biblical text and the listeners. It generally
introduces a student to homiletics as a science and as an art. Characteristics of a good
sermon, types and styles of delivery in various contexts are considered.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The course aims at helping students to see that Christian preaching is central to what they
have been called to do. It ensures that each student is made aware that his/her sermon
should reflect his/her own relationship with God. At the end of the course the student
should be able to appreciate homiletical principles in his/her sermon preparation and
delivery. Each student should be able to be motivated to pursue the field at an advanced
specialized level.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS
The assessment of the course will include
1. Course Work
 Class participation 20 %
 2 class assignments 60 %
 Attempt one (1) Worship assessment 20 %
2 .Written Examination 100%

The average of the total course work and a written examination shall be taken as
overall mark.

INTRODUCTION TO HOMILETICS
a. What is Homiletics
b.Theological conceptualization of a sermon and preaching
c.The New Testament use of preaching, teaching and prophecy.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SKILL, GIFT OF GRACE AND
SCIENCE.
a. Definition of terms: Skill/Art/Craft 2. Gift of grace 3. Science
b.The scientific and spiritual nature of preaching: Rivalry of terms
1. SCIENCE – ART/STUDY
a. Theology as a science
b. Preaching as theology
c. Theology as Preaching
2. SPIRITUALITY
a. Revelation
b. Inspiration
c. Preservation
d. Illumination
e. Interpretation

PREACHING AND THE SERMON

a. What is preaching
b.The purposes of preaching and the preacher
c. Definition and sermon classification
d. Components of a sermon
e. Qualities of a good sermon

THE CRAFT OF SERMON OUTLINE

a. Definition and types of sermon outlines-Standard/Conventional and Special
b. Sermon preparation
c. Sermon preparation tools

HOMILETICAL HERMENEUTICS
a. Definition
b. Interpretation and Biblical interpretation
c. Approaches to hermeneutics – Isagogies
- Categories
- Exegesis
SERMON PRESENTATION AND DELIVERY
a. Presentation of the message
b. Methods of preaching
c. Sermon Delivery- Preacher – Sermon – Congregation
d. Things to mind about in sermon delivery
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Berth, Karl (1991) Homiletics John Knox: Louisville.

Eslinger, Richard L (1994) Intersections, Post-critical studies in Preaching

Eerdmans: Michigan.

Eslinger, Richard L (1996) Pitfalls in Preaching. Eerdmans: Michigan

Forsyth, P.T. (1949) Positive Preaching and the modern Mind. Independent Press
London.

Gibson, George Miles. Planned Preaching. Westminster: Philadelphia.

Jone, IT (1956) Principles and practice of Preaching: A comprehension study of

the Art of Sermon construction Abingdon Press: Nashville.

Kaiser Jr, Walter C. (2003) Preaching and Teaching from the Old Testament: A
Guide for the Church. Baker: Michigan.

Lischer, Richard. (1981) A theology of Preaching: The Dynamics of the Gospel.

Abingdon: Nashville.

Martyor, J.A (1980) Expository preaching: Principles and practice. IVP: Leicester.

Steward, J.S. (1955) Preaching.Hodder&Stoughton: London

Rice Charles.L (1991) The Embodied word: Preaching as art and Liturgy
Fortress: Minneapolis.

Sangster, W.E. The craft of Sermon construction

Wells Harold & McTavish John (1978) Karl Barth. Preaching through the Christian
Year. T & T Clark: Edinburgh.

Wilson, P.S. (1988) Imagination of the Heart: New Understandings in Preaching.

Abingdon: Nashville
INTRODUCTION TO HOMILETICS

The word “ Homiletics “ is derived from the Greek word “HOMILIA” ( singular) and
“ HOMILI” ( plural) which means an arranged conversation. And this is what
preaching is all about. It involves some sort of arranged written down presentation
known as a SERMON . The whole art of preaching and all its techniques is what is
known as HOMILETICS.

HOMILIA has several meanings : Conversation

Mutual talk
Set discourse

Homiletics therefore is that branch of theological study that treats the art and
science of preaching and sermon preparation.

To this end , we can safely say, there are two (2) major elements that constitute
homiletics that is Preaching and a Sermon.

There are three (3) things concerning every sermon. These are :
1. Sermon preparation – Bible addressed.
2. Sermon structure
3. Sermon delivery

THE CONCEPT OF PREACHING.

The word preaching comes from an English verb “Preach”. The word preach is
represented in the New Testament by a Greek word “KERUX” a root word for
KERYGMA which means to PROCLAIM. Proclamation is therefore understood as
HERALD. A herald is one sent ahead of the King to announce the King’s arrival or the
King’s decree to its citizens. A Herald is not the creator or owner of the message, he/she
is just a messenger or carrier. He/she is not there to keep it or to modifiy it. He/she
should not take it personal or be offended or disappointed when it is not accepted.
The message to be proclaimed is the good news represented by a Greek word
EUANGELION.
EU means GOOD; ANGELION means NEWS/MESSAGE/TIDINGS/LIGHT. This
were the English word EVANGEL is translated from.
PREACHING is therefore the proclamation of the gospel (good news). The good news
is that salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the good news which everyone
everywhere should be told (Acts 17. 30).

But we need to understand that every preaching is greatly influenced two (2) things i.e.
MAN and MESSAGE. When we talk about MAN we mean PERSONALITY, while
MESSAGE talks about what we call TRUTH.
That is to say, preaching varies in effects due to different personalities. The
personality of a preacher speaks more than the verbal message itself. By Message we
mean what “the preacher calls truth”. Is it truly “truth” to the preacher? The preacher
need to be honest/sincere and faithful to what he/she preaches. He/she must receive
the message first before he/she gives it away to others. The preacher must be convicted
by the message first before it convicts other people. It must change the preacher before it
changes others. Without this then preaching simply becomes an art or a science.
Don’t expect people to cry when you did not cry at the time of preparation. The two(2)
elements ( PREACHER'S PERSONALITY and THE PREACHER'S TRUTH )determine
the effectiveness or the ineffectiveness of the preacher's proclamation..

THE NEW TESTAMENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF PREACHING, TEACHING

AND PROPHECY

THEOLOGY OF PREACHING

The God of the bible and creator of the whole universe had a purpose for man’s creation.
If this is so, then it is proper to think that the same God would like to make His purpose
known to His creation. And so we see the God of the bible opening up to man in the
history of the Jews in the Old Testament and later to the Christian church in the New
Testament. In the Old Testament God used the Prophets to proclaim His will to the
people. This was God’s will proclaimed by people led by God’s spirit.

Christian preaching was born in the resurrection of Jesus. It happened in this way; one
disciple, trembling, cried out in breaking, terrified voice, “Christ is risen!” And the
receiver of the message made it a sermon by completing the circuit and exulting, “He is
risen indeed!” Christ himself on His ascension day commissioned his disciples to go to
all nations preaching. On the day of Pentecost, Christ’s body was built upon the
uncompromised preaching of the Word

From the above we can draw five (5) theological points concern every faithful and honest
preaching:

1. Preaching is God’s Word, an offering of the incarnate Christ to the world. In

being God’s Word, it is clear, is not the preacher’s word, or the congregation’s
word, or the word of the world. The word of the world is so often a dead word
which promises much yet leads to darkness. Because preaching is God’s Word it
is light. It is a living word (Isaiah 55.11).When we preach we participate in a
unique way in God’s salvation history. We break open the biblical text and allow
God’s Word to move out into today’s world with the same transforming power ad
freshness as it held for the original hearers.
2. Preaching is a response to God’s Word, an offering of the preacher in service
to God. The responsive nature of preaching can be understood first in the
restricted sense of preaching being a specific command from Jesus (Mark 16.15).
“Response” also means that the reason we preach is because God’s Word in
Christ has encountered us and our lives have been transformed by the Holy Spirit.
We find ourselves called to preach, we do so not by any virtue of our own and not
because we have the right. We offer ourselves to serve God in this particular
manner because in our lives we have made choices that were inappropriate, we
are sinners, and because we have experienced God’s forgiveness and gift of
salvation. By grace we have been deemed worthy in Christ. It is by the same gift
of grace that we preach, allowing it to inform everything we say. And it is to that
goal of proclaiming grace that we dedicate ourselves in studying preaching.

3. Preaching is an offering of the people. It is this in addition to being an offering

of God and an offering of the preacher. As preachers, we do not stand against the
people, untouched by their temptations or struggles. We stand with the people, as
one of them, under the Word. The people are the church and they have set us apart
for a particular kind of ministry, to bring their lives into focus before God. In this
sense we could say that the “Office “of preacher is part of their offering to God
eve as the entire worship service id their work of praise and thanksgiving, offered
to God. We preach on their behalf. But their offering goes beyond this. Preaching
must not present God’s Word in general and abstract fashion only, but it must
apply the perennial truth of the gospel to the concrete circumstances of life. This
means that our people’s lives are as much an application of the gospel lived out in
faith as they are the lives to which the gospel is applied. The preacher will gather
up the events of the people as they have sought to live out their life’s dedication to
God, with all of the bumps and scratches, and will bring these lives forward
before the Word. I t will often be the particularity of their lives reflected in the
preaching that enables individuals to rededicate their lives in the course of the
worship service.

4. Preaching takes place in the context of worship. Something so obvious need

scarcely be said, except that the implications are often overlooked. This means
that the sermon or homily does not bear the entire weight of God’s Word. God
speaks through the prayers and hymns and all aspects of the service, but speaks in
a particular and indispensable way in the opening up of the scriptures for today
and in the breaking of bread and the drinking of wine. Similarly, neither sermon
nor worship service as a whole stand o their own but stand in the context of the
educational and healing ministries of the church. It is out of these that the worship
arises, week by week, and it is to these that the worship returns. No sermon or
homily is over when it is delivered. It is completed in the life of the people
throughout the week as they carry God’s good news to the world. Likewise no
service is complete in itself. It flows from those services before it and into those
that follow it as part of an unending celebration of Christian year, year after year.
Thus what is not said in the preaching may well be said in another way
somewhere else in the service and what is not said in one service as a whole
 perhaps may be trusted to another service. Preaching involves teaching but its
primary purpose is not to teach but to invite people into faith.

5. The responsibility for good preaching lies with both the people and the
preacher. There is need for the congregation to listen with expectation, the
expectation of encountering Christ. In other words, there is an appropriate attitude
to bring to the hearing of preaching. This attitude will be enhanced if the preacher
is a caring Pastor, and id the congregation and the preacher alike respect the time
and study necessary for good preaching. Preparation time should be honored.

Preaching is the work of God the Holy Spirit; he gives life to scripture and convicts
the listeners.
SERMON CLASSIFICATION

WHAT IS A SERMON?
A sermon is a manifestation of THE WORD by the SPOKEN
word (RHEMA) from a WRITTEN word. The manifestation takes place when God
the Holy Spirit illuminates or quickens the written word (BIBLE) so that it is made
comprehensible to the preacher who in turn inspired to communicate it clearly and
with power to the listeners.

The end product of this illumination becomes the WORD OF GOD called RHEMA.
This is never attributed to the Preacher but to God. When this kind of manifestation
Takes place then the sermon has been preached.

INTRODUCTION
The Apostles of Jesus Christ preached without any formal training. They seemed to have
heavily depended upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Nowadays we can no longer sit
back and expect the Holy Spirit to do the work for us. We need knowledge about
preaching if we are to preach logically.

Before we talk about sermon classification we need to remind ourselves what a sermon
is. According to Manning, “a sermon is a manifestation of the word by the spoken word
(Rhema) from a written word” Sangster Pg 41.

SERMON CLASSIFICATION

Sermon classification helps a preacher to realize the facets of preaching and can be done
as follows:
A.) ACCORDING TO SUBJECT MATTER.
B.) ACCORDING TO CENTRAL STRUCTURE.
C.) ACCORDING TO PYSCHOLOGICAL METHOD

A. CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO SUBJECT MATTER

This classification is based upon the context of the sermon. The following
is a typical example of a subject matter:

1. EXPOSITORY SERMON
This is where the message is laid bare. It comes from the word expose. The
passage is explained vividly and made clear. This is sometimes called THE
BIBLE MESSAGE. It is about revealing the truth from a given text e.g. John 19.
34. “It is finished!”

1. DOCTRINAL SERMON
This is a kind of a sermon based upon particular theological premises –
articulating a doctrine. The word doctrine comes from a word DOC or DOX
which means teaching. This is sometimes known as a BIBLE SUBJECT Sermon.
Trinity, Salvation, Grace, Sin, Love, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy
Spirit e.t.c.

2. SOCIAL OR ETHICAL SERMON

This is a kind of sermon which help society to check its moral behaviour. It
includes a number of human life experience areas e.g. economic, political, moral,
and culture. The word of God becomes a mirror through society is enabled to see
itself. It deals with social concerns of the people.

3. OCCASIONAL SERMON
This is a sermon tailored to meet the needs of the occasion. It is therefore
presented on special occasions e.g., Independence Day, Funeral, Memorial
service, Wedding Day, Remembrance Sunday e.t.c.

4. STEWARDSHIP SERMON :
This is one meant to teach or create awareness of God’s divine ownership on all
that they have. And so they should use them to the glory of God. Examples of the
same are: Time, Talents, Natural Resources, Wealth, Everyday Living and the
Body.

5. DEVOTIONAL SERMON
This is a sermon aimed at teaching people how and why they should devote
themselves to God and his will.

6. EVANGELICAL SERMON
This is a sermon whose emphasis is laid upon the proclamation of the Good news
with a hope of challenging people to accept Christ as Lord and Saviour. People
are invited to the way of salvation in Christ. Although this is confined to
Evangelism campaign, in broader sense it can be carried out in other areas e.g. in
an ordinary church service.

7. PHILOSOPHICAL AND APOLOGETIC SERMON

The philosophical sermon deals with specific faith questions e.g. Is God there?
 Does God care? Can l know God? Will he save me? Who is controlling the
world? Has God been conquered? These specific faith questions enable people to
think and eventually find answers to these questions.
The apologetic sermons are meant to justify why Christians believe what they
believe in. It is meant to defend the faith.

8. Biblical Interpretation: This kind of interpretation is based upon the

Bible in it the word is manifested to the extent that it becomes incarnate and
this perhaps why a sermon is looked at as a manifestation of incarnate word
from the Written word and spoken Word.

SERMON PREPARATION

INTRODUCTION
Sermon preparation is to most effective preachers an on going task. In order for any
preacher to develop his/her craft of sermon preparation techniques, there is need to
allocate time voluntarily merely for the purpose of sermon preparation and in addition
there is need for self preparation.

APPROACHES TO SERMON PREPARATION

In this lecture on this subject of sermon preparation we shall approach our subject by
considering the following:-

1. SELECTION OF THE TEXT OR GENERAL IDEA upon which one is

going to base their sermon. This is a starting point and without it one
finds it difficult to develop any theme.

2. SETTLING UPON A PARTICULAR OT SPECIFIC SUBJECT. There

are many ideas which comes to mind when one is preparing a sermon and
unless one settles upon a specific idea the will be wondering about.

3. MAKING A TENTATIVE OUTLINE: Biologically we understand that

our bodies have a skeleton to which the flesh holds, if there was no
skeleton there could be no shape and perhaps our flesh could just be like
a heap of flesh or a lump. To this end the outline in a sermon helps to
give it shape.

4. FITTING OF OUTLINE WITH IDEAS: In making a sermon one could

have many ideas but unless these ideas fall in the thought place there
can be no logic so what is filled in is done so under each point of a
sermon skeleton.

5. WRITING A SERMON IN FULL: Considering that one has got all the
material they need and have filled them in, what remains now is the
writing down of the whole sermon and this is done in full.
6. REVISING AND RE –SHAPING: Having written down the sermon,
the preacher remains with the task of going through it again and again
as a stone Manson cutting where there is need to cut, polishing where
there is need to polish, reshaping where there is need to reshape. This
is a Stage whereby what is not necessary is left out and what is
necessary is included.

7. MASTERING THE SERMON: Having done what is required and

having finished all outlining procedures with the sermon in front of the
preacher, the task that remains is that of mastering the sermon so much
that it becomes part of the preacher, so that when they deliver it, it
comes out naturally as part of them.

8. SELF PREPARATION: One can master the sermon so that they can
even breath it out, but unless there’s effective self preparation, the
sermon would lacks power and would be just like a lecture or speech.
the definition referred to here is spiritual. One has to dedicate
themselves to God and ask for his strength so that when they
preach, they are preaching in God’s power and wisdom. In this act
of self preparation, it is helpful for the preacher to also confess their sin
and realize their inadequacies.

SUMMARY
It is always difficult for anyone of us to outline a sermon the day before. Preparing a
good sermon takes many days or weeks; this is why one has to set up time to do this.

In the course of such a task, the dryness is experienced and when this happens, there is no
need to worry, one should just suspend the task for a while and come back with refreshed
mind full of fresh ideas. Prayer is not only needed after the preparation but right through
the whole process (Isaiah 40.31).

COMPONENTS OF A SERMON

In the science of biology, when one wants to learn about the ear, heart , or eye, they need
to dissect it and open it so that the different parts can be seen and realized. A sermon has
got many parts which are commonly known as Components. The following are parts of a
sermon:

1 TEXT : This is a chosen passage from scripture out of which one derives the
message. It is usually a short and sharp verse which ties the rest of the
verses together and sustains the theme throughout the process of
sermonizing. It is the one which is frequently said throughout the
 sermon so as to help drive the theme in the heard and finally in the heart
of a listener.
Most sermons have a text but not all .Where the text is missing one uses
a topic or a theme.

2 THEME : This is the central idea of the sermon- the main subject people need to
Take home e.g. In the text John 14.6

“Iam the way, and the truth and the life, no one comes
to the father except by me”,

The theme may be:

THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST TO OUR SALVATION’

3 INTRODUCTION :This is the opening part of the sermon which comes

before the preacher goes into the explanation of the text(s) and the
main body. The introduction must be short, sharp, interesting and
catching (hooky).But it should always be relevant to the theme. It should
be noted that the introduction is not a sermon in itself. It should begin
from where people are and be realistic.

4 EXPLANATION OF THE TEXT : The explanation of the biblical text(s) can

Be divided into two (2) parts namely:

SETTING OR BACKGROUND: This is where the text is placed in its

proper geographical, social, economic and religious context. These
elements have an impact on how people live and think. The bible was
written in a particular context (and to a particular people).This is what
we call the setting of the text or background.

EXEGESIS: This is the bringing out of the message from a given text(s)
.This message is understood from the perspective of the original
audience. The person doing exegesis is interested in knowing the
author’s intention in writing such. The exegesis is always informed by
the passage’s setting or background. Only the areas of interest need to be
exegeted.

5 MAIN BODY : This is the central section of any sermon consisting of more than
one points. Most sermons would have in their body two or three points
and these points form the body of the sermon. Each point should be clear,
distinct, precise and each should represent the main idea of the sermon
(theme). Usually the main body is divided into two (2) parts.

APPLICATION: Apply your exegesis to the present day life and world.
Look at the material with the lenses of the modern man. Compare and
 contrast.

APPEAL/CHALLENGE: This is the place where the preacher relates

the message to the lives of all listners.It is like bringing the main
message down to the realm of people’s life experiences, with a hope of
challenging them to see themselves in the light of the message. The
preacher here needs to challenge the people’s behaviour, wrong, attitude
s, experiences, ideas, values and thoughts by pointing out weaknesses.
People should be able to discover themselves.

6 CONCLUSION: Whatever goes up should come down. This sis the last part of
the sermon. Most preachers do it by repeating the text , theme and the main points
in summary form and then end up by leaving people with some kind of homework
related to choosing , doing, repenting, or offering themselves to the will of God.
The sermon can thereafter be concluded at a lower note or higher note.

SERMON DELIVERY

METHODS OF PREACHING

There are many methods in preaching the good news. The following are some of
them.
1. PROPHETIC METHOD: This is where the Preacher under the anointing
of the Holy Spirit becomes the bearer of God’s
burden concerning the ills being committed. The
preacher carries God’s agony and begins to speak
on behalf of God with boldness. He begins to speak
into life situations with a view to correcting them.

2. EVANGELICAL METHOD: This where one preaches in order to convince

people to make up their minds about their relationship
with Christ.

3. CONVERSATIONAL METHOD : This is the dialogue method of preaching

where two or more people or characters stage a
conversation in a dramatic way in the presence of the
listeners.

4. TEACHING METHOD : This is a method where by a preacher approaches

his or her preaching in a teaching way.

5. OTHER METHODS : There are several methods of preaching among which

some are known as Persuasive Method and Psychological
 method.

PREACHING AS AN ART OF COMMUNICATION

Preaching is communicating the gospel to the people. And this is done whenever
anyone of us is delivering a sermon. According to the unknown Black American
Preacher who thought of the PULPIT, and the PEW, the PREACHER and the
PEOPLE he said something like this:

“IF YOU GONNA PREACH,

READ YOURSELF FUL,
THINK YOURSELF CLEAR,
PRAY YOURSELF HOT, AND
THEN LET YOURSELF GO “.

In this quotation preachers are reminded that in order for them to preacher effectively
we need to be GOOD LEADERS, CLEAR THINKERS, and PRAYERFUL
PEOPLE. (1Thess 5.17)

In order for anyone of us to preach or deliver the gospel we need to have faith in
God… and faith comes by hearing…. The word of God (Rom 10.17 – 18) which is
preached to us before we preach to others.

So good preachers when delivering the message would share with his/her listeners
what he or she has experienced about God.

SERMON DELIVERY AS COMMUNICATION

If people are to hear the word of God, they need to receive adequate communication
and this comes about in the process of sermon delivery.
Historically speaking even during the time of Aristotle one of the Greek philosophers
stated that the crucial elements of communication were:

a) The Speaker or Preacher

b) The Speech or Sermon
c) The Audience or Congregation

a). THE SPEAKER

In homiletics we are talking about the Preacher who stands before the people to deliver
the message about God’s wonderful love. Such a preacher is seen as a channel through
whom God speaks to the people more or so when he/she delivers the message.
 b). THE SPEECH
Here we are talking about the sermon which contains all that the preacher would like to
say on behalf of God the father.

c). THE AUDIENCE

Here we are talking about the congregation consisting of people men/women who have
come to listen to the word of God.

THINGS TO MIND ABOUT INSERMON DELIVERY

1. THE VOICE
One should always think about the size of the church building and protrude their
voice in such a way as to enable people to hear them. Where the church building
is small there is no need for the preacher to shout but where the building is big
there’s need for a speak up so that everyone can hear what they are saying.

2. THE LANGUAGE
In sermon delivery one should always use their language and avoid taking people
for granted in thinking that they would understand everything one says. One
should understand not to use long and difficult words, familiar phrases, affecting
words or sarcastic words as these may put people off. Instead one should use
simple language.

3. THE SPEED
One should watch their speed in order to avoid leaving people behind when it
comes to the way one talks. A good preacher would always watch the speed of
his/her talking and at the same time avoid being too slow so that people are not
sent to sleep.

4. THE TONE OF THE VOICE

One should not pitch the voice too high and remain at the same tone throughout
the sermon delivery but instead have variations in the voice level.

5. THE POSTURE
This speaks of one’s assumed position in the pulpit. The leaning forward,
backwards, to the right and to the left hand sides do communicate some message
to the congregation.

6. THE GESTURES
This is usually thought of as hands and arms movement but actually the entire
body is capable of gesturing.
 7. THE EYE CONTACT
Eyes are able to send messages. Their proper use will supplement on what verbal
utterances strive to accomplish. Snappy looks suggest admiration, shyness,
pretence, hiding something or cunningness. Prolonged looks makes one
uncomfortable. Moderate looks makes one feel considered or important.

8. IMPRESSION MANAGEMENT
Make sure you establish a positive impression to your audience. Remember “the
first cut is the deepest “. This then calls for proper impression management. Bad
mannerisms are to be arrested through and through. Ensure that your front stage
supersedes your back stage throughout your sermon delivery process

LECTIONARY AND THE CHRISTIAN YEAR

1. LECTIONARY: This is a chart design after the church calendar or the

Christian year. It will usually display a particular Date,
Bible readings for that day (One from the Old
Testament, the other two from the New Testament of
which one should always be a gospel while the second one
will either be a Historical book or a Prophetic book) and a
theme. Good lectionaries will suffice in providing the text,
Call to worship and the Hymns for that day.

2. CHRISTIAN YEAR: According ti the Christian faith which has been

handed over from generation to generation there are special
moments when we remember events that follow the circle of
christian activities. This circle is popularly known as a
Christian year. The question is what are these events? In
answer to this question we shall look at the following:

ADVENT: This is the time set aside for Christians to remember the
the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some Christians
begin celebrating this period with messages of judgment but
later on they come to think about the coming of into this world
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Passages like Isaiah 9 and 11 become
appropriate but John1.11 can also be used. The colour used is
Purple.

CHRISTMAS: This is the day when we think of the birth of our

Lord Jesus Christ. The date of the celebration which is 25th
Dec originated from pagan worship which the Christians
turned to Christmas day. It is said by some historians that it
may not have been the actual date when Jesus Christ was born.
 However despite varying opinions it is now accepted to most
Christians churches including the pagan world. On this
particular day of Christmas Christians celebrate nativity
highlight the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels.
The seasonal colours are white.

EPIPHANY: The word Epiphany derives from Greek language

and simply means “ the showing force”. It refers to the
showing Christ to the Gentiles e.g. to the wise men.
During this period most Christians think of mission work
which involves the showing force of Jesus Christ to the whole
world. The seasonal colours are green.

SEPTUAGESMA: This is the time of the Christian year when

Christians think about the struggle nbelievers go through as
they are tempted by the devil, the Apostle Paul calls it many
names e.g. he calls it a fight , a race and contending with the
devil. Books like the Pilgrim progress by John Bunyan
remains to be a living example of this struggle.

QUNGUAGESMA: This is the Sunday when we think of the

meaning of love and its implications in our everyday life.
messages could be based upon e.g. Mark 12. 29 – 31.
Colours are blue.

ASH WEDNESDAY: This comes from middle ages practice of

putting ashes on foreheads as a sign of repentance. It falls in
March on the first week.Colours are blue.

LENT: This is a period when we commemorate the temptations of

Jesus Christ with reference to Matthew 4. 1ff
Colours are blue.

PALM SUNDAY: This is the Sunday before Easter and helps us to

commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into
Jerusalem prior to his death. Luke 19.28 - 44.
Colours are blue.

HOLY WEEK: This is the week which is full of main events of the
life of Jesus. Events of dramatic nature like the cleansing of
the temple, cursing of the fig – tree, the communion and his
death on the cross. Out of these dramatic events, Christians
draw many things which can help them reflect upon their own
lives in view of what God has done for them.

GOOD FRIDAY: This is the day when Christians celebrate the

 dramatic death of Jesus Christ on the cross, seriously taking
into consideration his last words and the meaning of God’s
love as people survey the wondrous cross. Brown/ Grey are
used for colours.

EASTER SUNDAY: This si the day when we celebrate the rising

from dead our Lord Jesus Christ . The Jews called it the first
day of the week. The Christian church celebrate this day as the
day of victory over sin and death. White colours are used.

AROGATION SUNDAY: This is the Sunday when Christians pray

for crops. It does not seem to be common in Africa but in most
western countries where planting time is in May or June. In some
places they call it farmers Sunday. White colours are used.

ASCENSION: This day comes after Easter Sunday forty days (40)
later. It is a day when Christians commemorate the spectacular
departure of our Lord Jesus Christ from his disciples. Such
departure is looked at from physical point of view and yet in
Spirit Christ has never parted from his followers. White
colours continue.

WHIT SUNDAY: This si the day when Christians celebrate the

pouring down of the Spirit according to Acts 2. 1 – 13. On this
day followers of Jesus Christ were anointed with the power of
the Holy Spirit and as a result a Christian church was born..
This is also called Day of Pentecost. Brown/Red and Grey
colours are used.

SUMMARY: The above mentioned events form the Christian year

and its up to each one of us Christian leaders to help people
to make use of the events in order to benefit and reflect upon
events which have enriched fellow Christians who have
gone before us . This can be done by way of outlining such
evernts and including them in our preaching plans. We can
also help the situation by teaching about these spiritually
enriched events

5. CHURCH CALENDAR: A church calendar is a listing of events

which need to be observed by all member churches of
a particular denomination so as to promote uniformity
and unity of purpose in the way things are done. The church
calendar is never the same for all denominations though most
times the church calendar will always take into consideration
the Christian year events. Examples of church calendar
events e.g. Theological Sunday, HIV Sunday, Youth, M.C.F,
 WCF Sunday e.t.c.

HOMILETICAL HERMENEUTICS

INTRODUCTION
In his account of the risen Lord’s walk tp Emmaus, Luke relates that Jesus ,
reproved the disheartened disciples for not believing what the prophets had
spoken ( Luke 24.27)

“Explained” is the Greek “DIERMENEUO”, meaning “To unfold the meaning

of what is said; to explain, expound; to translate into one’s native language.” The
root of this word is HERMES, the Greek deity known to the Romans as
Mercury. Hermes was the god of Science, invention, Eloquence, Speech ,
Writing , and Art. It was Hermes who brought the messages of the gods to the
mortals. From these words comes the English “Hermeneutics”, the science of
interpretation.

2 Peter 1. 20 says that there is only one interpretation of any passage of scripture,
and that is the Bible’s own interpretation. Christian are confused today about
Biblical Interpretation in part because they do not know what the word
“interpretation” means.

INTERPRETATION
In English, “Interpret” can be defined at least in two ways:
In its oldest sense, “Interpret” means “To explain or tell the meaning of “. In a
secondary sense it means “To conceive in the light of individual belief;
judgement, or circumstance; to construe”.

In the study of the Bible – as in most of life- the first sense of this word
applies. The plain literal interpretation of anything spoken or written is what the
speaker or writer is what the speaker or writer means by what he says; it is not
what the listener or reader thinks or feels about the message he receives.

EXAMPLE
When an air traffic controller gives landing instructions to the pilot of an
approaching aircraft, there is only one “interpretation” of his directions that
matters. The pilot has a vested interest in making sure that he understands exactly
what the controller meant by what he said.

The statement, “There are many ways to interpret this, is as dangerous – to the
homiletician as it is to the pilot of the airplane. The only interpretation the pilot is
after is the controller’s; the only interpretation the homiletician is after is bible’s.
The first goal of biblical hermeneutics is to determine what the Bible meant by
what It says. This is biblical interpretation.
“It is the first business of an interpreter “, said John Calvin, “ to let his author
say what he does instead of attributing to him what we think he ought to
say”. That is not so difficult a task as most people think.

BIBLICAL INTERPREATTION
Biblical interpretation, like mathematics, is an exact science. We know that
1+1=2 in every country in the world. No matter what language the formula is
translated into, 1+1=2. Thirty-five Thousand years ago, one plus one equaled two.

The bible says that Moses lived 40 years in the palace of Pharaoh, 40 years in the
desert leading the people through the wilderness, a total of 120 years. Is it
amazing that clear back in the time of Moses, they were somehow able to add 40
plus 40 plus 40 and come up with120? Of course it is not amazing; it is
mathematics. No one would say of the conclusion that 40 + 40 + 40 = 120,
“That’s just your interpretation, “because an absolute science can not be tampered
with.
When we work with the science of hermeneutics, we are working with the science
dealing with something more absolute than mathematics; the word of God. Before
mathematics was, the word existed. Long after mathematics is forgotten, the word
will still stand. When the rules of systematic bible study are followed, the
interpretation of any passage is the same, whether the person studying is living in
21st Century America or Fourth Century Africa.

APPROACHES TO HERMENEUTICS
The Science of hermeneutics demands that we approach any study of the word of
God from three (3) perspectives. The Isagogics (Historical), The Doctrinal
(Categories) and the Grammatical (exegetics).

1. THE HISTORICAL (ISAGOGICS)

Isagogics is a word that has all disappeared from the English
language dictionaries. It is from the Greek “EIS” = “INTO” and
“AGO “= “TO LEAD”.

In English, an “ISAGOGE” is an introduction.“Isagogic” is defined in the

1955 Oxford English Dictionary as“introductory studies, especially that
part of theology which is introductory to exegesis”

Isagogics is therefore the study of the historical, geographical,

economic, religious, social and cultural background of biblical
passages.

The bible must be interpreted in the light of the time in which it

was written. All scripture was written for every believer but not
all scripture was written for every believer. If our goal is to
understand what the writer wanted his readers to understand, then
 we have to know something about history.

EXAMPLE 1.
Though the four (4) gospels are similar, each was written to a
different audience for a different purpose.
 Matthew wrote primarily for Jews, to present Christ as King;
 Mark wrote for Romans, to present Christ as servant;
 Luke wrote for Greeks, to prove the humanity of Christ;
 John wrote to the whole world, to prove the deity of Christ.
Certain words and phrases are used in each which uphold these
themes and different historical conditions are relevant to the study
of each book

EXAMPLE 2.
1 Corinthians 8 – 10, can not be understood apart from some
knowledge of idol worship in Corinth. The City of Corinth was
dominated by the temple of Aphrodite, where gluttony,
drunkenness, sexual immorality were a regular part of worship.
Most of the Christians in Corinth had been raised in this system,
and some were having a hard time getting out of it. In these
chapters Paul is not just talking about meal; he is talking about
meat offered to idols.

2. THE DOCTRINAL (CATEGORIES)

A category is a specific area of Bible doctrine. The Bible is one book, inspired
by one spirit, with one unified message progressively revealed. To fully
understand the biblical teaching on any subject, we must take into
consideration all that the bible has to say on that subject.

EXAMPLE
What does the bible teach about divorce? Anyone who attempts to teach on
the subject can not hope to give an accurate picture of the biblical teaching on
divorce by only considering Matthew 5. 31 – 32. Balance requires that equal
weight be given to other passages such as Deuteronomy 24. 1 – 4; Matthew
19.3 – 12, and 1 Cor 7. 26 – 28. (On this subject, it is also important to
understand the historical setting and, for Matthew 19, to have some
knowledge of the Rabbinical teaching of the day).

We will never have a proper interpretation until we take all the passage on a
subject and put them together. That is contextual, categorical study; it is time
– consuming work, but it is absolutely necessary for accuracy in teaching. The
approach to the word must also be dispensational. God has divided history
into ages or dispensations. So, for example, in the Old and New Testament the
 application of faith is different. It is the same faith, the same focus on the
Messiah, but under the New Covenant we do not sacrifice lambs. Why? A
dispensational approach to scripture tells us that animal sacrifice is not
necessary today. Many of the promises in the bible are dispensational in
Character. Unless we understand that and know how to tap into the power of
God.

1. THE GRAMMATICAL (EXEGETICS)

“Exegete“ is from the Greek “Ek”, meaning “out”, and “hegeomai “, “to
lead out or go before”. To exegete is to lead or bring out of a passage what is
there.

Exegesis refers to the grammatical study of the word of God. This means
the study of individual words and how words are put together in
sentences and paragraphs.

Because the bible is inspired by God the Holy Spirit, every word in the bible
is important. In the book of Galatians Paul builds an entire doctrine of Grace
on the fact that one word in a passage in Genesis - “ seed “ – is singular
rather than plural in the original text. Exodus 20.13 is another place where the
exact word used in the passage matters.

‘RATSACH` is one of 10 Hebrew words that means “to kill “. It is used only
for premeditated murder. The commandment is, “Thou shall not commit
homicide.” Knowing that makes it easier to understand that God did not
contradict himself when he commanded Israel’s leaders to kill their enemies
in military situations.

It is important to be able to go back to the original Hebrew anf Greek words in

Bible study, and books are available that makes that easy to do. But in most
cases apparently obscure words can be clarified by studying the immediate
context.

Probably the most important rule to remember in bible study is to study in

context. To understand words, study the sentences and the verses that
surround them. To understand the verses, study them in light of the chapters
where they are found. Think about where they fit in the scheme of the entire
book. Consider whether they are in the Old or the New Testament.

THE BIBLE: This is a library of 66 books written by over 40 writers from different
walks of life, written over a period of about 1500 years. Some of them were statesmen,
kings, fishermen, tax-collectors, shepherds, physicians, e.t.c. Some parts were written in
prison cells, on the island, homes, in exile, in the palace, in the caves, wilderness e.t.c.
Most of the authors never knew nor see each other. Some were illiterate while others
were educated.

THE BACKGROUND TO THE BIBLE

It is a historical fact that world civilization began in two places, that is, in Mesopotamia
(around river Tigris and Euphrates) and in Africa (Egypt) it was along river Nile. The
main activities in these places were farming – which also attracted other activities. This
made these two (2) places to be known for trade – Barter system.

In Mesopotamia area, there were primitive communities of people who knew God by
various names. Some used to call God Yahweh and so they were called Yahwists. Others
called God Elohim or Lord God, we call them Elohists. Others believed in the offering of
sacrifices and in doing priestly activities and so they are called Priestly writers. While the
last group of these communities was the Deutoronomists, these were law- keepers.

It is believed that under the influence of the Holy Spirit, THE ONE AND ONLY TRUE
GOD started to reveal Himself to each of the above grouping of people in their localities
at different times. And each community started to pass on these stories from one
generation to another until they started to put them in writing using parchments made of
animal skin , tree-barks or baked clay tablets. These were carefully preserved and passed
on from generation to generation.

The Egyptian Pharaohs became interested in the collection of religious works especially
those which talked about deities (gods).He had collected a lot of stories about Egyptian
gods. But he was amazed when some of his subjects who had gone to Mesopotamia to do
business told him about the existence of Jewish works, especially those which talked
about the beginnings of the world and people. He therefore asked them to buy such
collections for his palace archives. And so most of the writings of the Yahwists, Elohists,
Priestly writers and the Deuteronmists were bought and brought to the Pharaoh’s Palace
archives.

Years past until the Ancient Semitic times when God called Abraham to establish a
covenant with him and his descendants. Abraham was given a child – Isaac who later also
had two (2) Sons, Jacob and Esau. Jacob (later named Israel) had twelve sons who found
themselves in Egypt due to the famine which struck the entire world. After the death of
Jacob and Joseph the children where taken for cheap and forced labour. And because they
were multiplying at an alarming rate it was decreed to have all men babies killed upon
birth lest they become many and take over Egypt.

Moses was born during the same time. Moses’s mother decided to hide him in the reeds
by the river Nile and instructed Miriam to keep an eye on him. But Pharaoh’s daughter
came to the river to take a bath and came across the basket in which Moses was and
instructed to see what was in the basket. The basket was brought and there was a baby.
She liked the baby and adopted it. She gave it a name Moses and asked for a nun-the
mother of Moses was taken on unknowingly. When Moses had fully grown he became
Pharaoh’s favourite and was ear-marked to be the next Pharaoh. As a matter of
orientation to royal traditions Moses was given access to the rich traditional heritage
found in the palace archives. It was from the archives that he came across the Jewish
ancient works of the Yahwists, Elohists, Priestly writers, and the Deuteronomists. He
therefore started to compile them together to make the first chapters of Genesis and then
learnt from his mother the lineage of Abraham. The remaining parts of Exodus he wrote
them himself, while the other parts after his death other people took over.

The bible is divided into two (2) parts; the Old Testament and the New Testament. The
Old Testament tells us about the covenant God made with Israel as a nation. This
covenant was deeply rooted in the circumscion of the Jews and the blood of animals
offered to God. Obedience to the law was emphasized as opposed to the God’s grace. The
New Testament is about the covenant which God has established with the whole world
anchored in God’s love expressed in the shedding of His Son’s blood at Calvary. The
New covenant emphasizes God’s grace rather than the strict observance of the law

The OLD TESTAMENT is further into four (4) parts:

BOOKS OF LAW: These are the books believed to have been
compiled by Moses. These reveal the holiness of
God. They are sometimes known as TORAH or
PENTATEUCH. They are five (5) in number.

POETICAL BOOKS: These tell us that our God is a God who

shares with us joys, sorrows and our day to day life.
They are five (5) in number

HISTORICAL BOOKS: They tells us about God’s dealings with the

Isrealites. When they obeyed God they had to
rise as a nation but when they sinned they went down. They
are twelve (12) in number.

PROPHETIC BOOKS: These tell us that our God is a God of

destiny. He knows the future and does direct the affairs of
the world. The prophets are categorized into two (2), minor
major Prophets. There seventeen (17) in all

The NEW TESTAMENT is divided into four (4) parts:

GOSPELS: These present the fulfillment of the promise which was
made in the Old Testament. It tells us of the birth,
work, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Though the Gospels may seem the same they were written
by different authors each addressing a particular audience.
The Gospel according to Mark being the oldest. There are four
(4) Gospels in all each trying to present Christ in a particular
way best understood by his audience.e.g. Matthew wrote primarily fo
 Jews to present Christ as King; Mark wrote for the Romans , to present
Christ as a servant; Luke wrote for the Greeks , to prove the humanity
of Christ; while John wrote for the world, to prove the deity of Christ.

HISTORICAL BOOKS: It tells us about the birth and growth

of the early church. It is just one (1) in number

LETTERS: These are letters sent to different churches and

individuals explaining what Christianity is all about
as presented by the gospels. They are commentaries
on the gospels. They were written as responses to the many
queries asked by individual churches in various geographical
localities. They are sometimes known as Epistles and they are
twenty-one (21) in number. Most of them written by Paul except were
the author is specified.

PROPHETIC BOOKS: It tells us about the future happenings in

world and the destiny of the church of Jesus Christ.
It is one (1) in number and was originally written to
encourage persecuted Christians who had were
scattered throughout the world

SERMON OUTLINING TOOLS

In order to come up with a good sermon one needs to use several tools. The following are
some of the recommended sermon outlining tools.

1. THE BIBLE: This is a library of 66 books written by over 40 writers

from different walks of life written over a period of about 1500
years. It is divided into two (2) parts, the Old Testament and the New
Testament.

The OLD TESTAMENT is further into four (4) parts:

BOOKS OF LAW (5): These reveal the holiness of God.

POETICAL BOOKS (5): These tell us that our God is a God

who shares with us joys, sorrows
and our day to day life.

HISTORICAL BOOKS (12): It tells us about God’s dealings with the

Isrealites. When they obeyed God they
had to rise as a nation but when they
sinned the went down.

PROPHETIC BOOKS (17): These tell us that our God is a God of

destiny. He knows the future and does
 direct the affairs of the world.

The NEW TESTAMENT is divided into four (4) parts:

GOSPELS (4): These present the fulfillment of the promise
which was made in the Old Testament. It tells us of the
birth, work, teachings, death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ.

HISTORICAL BOOKS (1): It tells us about the birth and growth

of the early church.

LETTERS (21): These are letters sent to different churches and

individuals explaining what Christianity is all
about as presented by the gospels. They are a
commentary on the gospels.

PROPHETIC BOOKS (1): It tells us about the future happenings in

world and the destiny of the church of
Jesus Christ.

Every preaching has to be bible based.

2. PREACHING PLAN: This is schedule showing the name of the

Preacher and place where the preaching will be
done, and the date

3. LECTIONARY: This is a chart design after the church calendar or the

Christian year. It will usually display a particular Date,
Bible readings for that day (One from the Old
Testament, the other two from the New Testament of
which one should always be a gospel while the second one
will either be a Historical book or a Prophetic book) and a
theme.Good lectionaries will suffice in providing the text,
Call to worship and the Hymns for that day.

4. CHRISTIAN YEAR: According ti the Christian faith which has been

handed over from generation to generation there are special
moments when we remember events that follow the circle of
christian activities. This circle is popularly known as a
Christian year. The question is what are these events? In
answer to this question we shall look at the following:

ADVENT: This is the time set aside for Christians to remember the
the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. Some Christians
 begin celebrating this period with messages of judgment but
later on they come to think about the coming of into this world
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Passages like Isaiah 9 and 11 become
appropriate but John1.11 can also be used. The colour used is
Purple.

CHRISTMAS: This is the day when we think of the birth of our

Lord Jesus Christ. The date of the celebration which is 25th
Dec originated from pagan worship which the Christians
turned to Christmas day. It is said by some historians that it
may not have been the actual date when Jesus Christ was born.
However despite varying opinions it is now accepted to most
Christians churches including the pagan world. On this
particular day of Christmas Christians celebrate nativity
highlight the birth of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels.
The seasonal colours are white.

EPIPHANY: The word Epiphany derives from Greek language

and simply means “ the showing force”. It refers to the
showing Christ to the Gentiles e.g. to the wise men.
During this period most Christians think of mission work
which involves the showing force of Jesus Christ to the whole
world. The seasonal colours are green.

SEPTUAGESMA: This is the time of the Christian year when

Christians think about the struggle nbelievers go through as
they are tempted by the devil, the Apostle Paul calls it many
names e.g. he calls it a fight , a race and contending with the
devil. Books like the Pilgrim progress by John Bunyan
remains to be a living example of this struggle.

QUNGUAGESMA: This is the Sunday when we think of the

meaning of love and its implications in our everyday life.
messages could be based upon e.g. Mark 12. 29 – 31.
Colours are blue.

ASH WEDNESDAY: This comes from middle ages practice of

putting ashes on foreheads as a sign of repentance. It falls in
March on the first week.Colours are blue.

LENT: This is a period when we commemorate the temptations of

Jesus Christ with reference to Matthew 4. 1ff
Colours are blue.

PALM SUNDAY: This is the Sunday before Easter and helps us to

commemorate the triumphal entry of Jesus Christ into
 Jerusalem prior to his death. Luke 19.28 - 44.
Colours are blue.

HOLY WEEK: This is the week which is full of main events of the
life of Jesus. Events of dramatic nature like the cleansing of
the temple, cursing of the fig – tree, the communion and his
death on the cross. Out of these dramatic events, Christians
draw many things which can help them reflect upon their own
lives in view of what God has done for them.

GOOD FRIDAY: This is the day when Christians celebrate the

dramatic death of Jesus Christ on the cross, seriously taking
into consideration his last words and the meaning of God’s
love as people survey the wondrous cross. Brown/ Grey are
used for colours.

EASTER SUNDAY: This si the day when we celebrate the rising

from dead our Lord Jesus Christ . The Jews called it the first
day of the week. The Christian church celebrate this day as the
day of victory over sin and death. White colours are used.

AROGATION SUNDAY : This is the Sunday when Christians pray

for crops. It does not seem to be common in Africa but in
most western countries where planting time is in May or June .
In some places they call it farmers Sunday.
White colours are used.

ASCENSION: This day comes after Easter Sunday forty days (40)
later. It is a day when Christians commemorate the spectacular
departure of our Lord Jesus Christ from his disciples. Such
departure is looked at from physical point of view and yet in
Spirit Christ has never parted from his followers. White
colours continue.

WHIT SUNDAY: This si the day when Christians celebrate the

pouring down of the Spirit according to Acts 2. 1 – 13. On this
day followers of Jesus Christ were anointed with the power of
the Holy Spirit and as a result a Christian church was born..
This is also called Day of Pentecost. Brown/Red and Grey
colours are used.

SUMMARY: The above mentioned events form the Christian year

and its up to each one of us Christian leaders to help people
to make use of the events in order to benefit and reflect upon
events which have enriched fellow Christians who have
gone before us . This can be done by way of outlining such
 evernts and including them in our preaching plans. We can
also help the situation by teaching about these spiritually
enriched events

5. CHURCH CALENDAR: A church calendar is a listing of events

which need to be observed by all member churches of
a particular denomination so as to promote uniformity
and unity of purpose in the way things are done. The church
calendar is never the same for all denominations though most
times the church calendar will always take into consideration
the Christian year events. Examples of church calendar
events e.g. Theological Sunday, HIV Sunday, Youth, M.C.F,
WCF Sunday e.t.c.

6. AUXILARY BOOKS: These are books written by Bible scholars,

historians and Archeologists to help bible interpreters
with basic knowledge needed for such a task. These are

1. BIBLE DICTIONARIES: This is a collection and explanation of

selected words or names of places and people used
in the bible. These words are treated in terms of their
origin and application. Most of the Bible dictionaries
endeavours to explore the word usage in the ancient
languages like Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin.
The Bible Dictionary is arranged alphabetically i.e.
A to Z. Some Bible dictionaries will suffice also in
the provision of geographical, social and economical
data.

2. BIBLE COMMENTARIES: This is a book which tries to present

the scholars understanding on a particular verse, or a group of
verses. This is arrived at after a thorough study. It is believed
that God has never stopped speaking through people. Bible
commentaries are arranged in the same way as the Bible
beginning with Genesis to Revelation if it is a complete
bible commentary. Some commentaries simply deals with a
particular book.. For a fair treatment of the word of God, it
is advisable to consider more than one commentators. No
commentator is infallible hence the need to be checked.

3. BIBLE ATLASES: This is a book which gives the geographical data

of a given place. The drainage, vegetation, climate,
population distribution of people e.t.c. is given a fair
treatment. Good atlases will also give information on
 the statistics, social, economic, and religious activities
of the people in a given area.

4. BIBLE ALMANACS AND BIBLE ENCYCLODEDIAS: These are

books which give us recent discoveries and latest
information on a particular subject. Most of these books
deal with factual data.

1. BIBLE CONCORDANCE : This is a book which has alphabetically

arranged a number of selected words and names
showing where these words have been
mentioned in the bible starting from Genesis to Revelation.
This is a very helpful tool for those who are not good at
memorizing verses.

6. OTHER BOOKS

7. MASS MEDIA
1. RADIO
2. TELEVISION
3. NEWSPAPERS
4. INTERNET SERVICES
5. OTHER ELECTRONIC MEDIA

8. SOCIETY/COMMUNITY – INTERACTION
1. MARKET PLACES
2. STREETS
3. HOMES
4. HOSPITALS

9. NOTE BOOK/SERMON FILE/FOLDER

10. PEN/PENCIL

PUBLIC SPEAKING SKILLS IN PREACHING

Preaching is the propagation of the gospel. And propagation of the gospel involves
Communication sciences of Para – Language and Kinesics.

PARA – LANGUAGE
This Communication Science which involves voice qualities is known as Para –
Language. Here we are concerned on how you say something and not what you say.
The voice qualities that are dealt within para – language are : Volume, Rate , Rhythm,
Pitch and enunciation.
1 . VOICE : Volume conveys meaning especially when it is
combined with rate. How softly and how loudly
you say something matters.
2 . RATE : How slowly or how fast you say something also
matters. An increase in the rate of speaking
indicates anger, impatience or anxiety from the
person sending the message. A decrease in rate
indicates thoughtfulness, boredom or lack of
\interest. Affecting and sarcastic words should be
avoided as these may put people off instead one
should use simple language. One should watch
their speed in order not to
avoid leaving people behind when it comes to
the way one talks . A good preacer would always
watch the speed of their talking and at the same
time avoid being slow so that people are not sent
to sleep.
3 . TONE OF THE VOICE : One should not pitch the voice
too high and remain at the same tone through
the same tone throughout the sermon delivery
but instead have variation in the voice level.
4 . PITCH : Here we are talking about how sharp , high tone
voice and how deep some ones deeper. Some
one’s voice is when they are talking . Sharp
voices will usually indicate anger while deep
one’s indicate boredom or patience.
when you consider voice qualities the major
point to note is a change or deviation from the
speaker’ normal quality.
The major function of para – language is to
express emotions and researchers have
demonstration that its possible to communicate
several emotions using para – language.

KINESICS

The communication science through body movement and is the second major category of
communication.
The face and the eyes are the most important here. Research has shown that (10) classes
od basic meaning can be communicated by facial expressions. These are:
Happiness, surprise, Fear, Anger, sadness, interest,
Contempt, disgust, bewhelderment and determination.
The ability to interpret facial expressions correctly is very important because it can
facilitate or hamper feedback.

1. EYE CONTACT: This is one of the most powerful forms of

 Non – verbal communication. Research
Has shown that authority and intimate
Relationships are initiated and
Maintained by eye contact. Some of the
Messages that can be interpreted
Through eye contact are as follows: -
i. Looking directly at the person you are talking to
shows OPENNESS and HONEST. People tend to
trust someone who looks straight at them.
ii. Avoiding eye contact can signal DISHONEST
and LACK OF CONFIDENCE.
iii. Prolonged eye contact can signal admiration or
interest while BRIEF EYE CONTACT signal
ANXIETY.
iv. Eye contact of MORE THAN (10) SECONDS
can sometimes cause discomfort.
2. GESTURING: This is usually thought of as hand and arm
movement but actually the entire body is
capable of gesturing There are five (5)
of body gestures.
1. EMBLEM: Commonly known as sign language and
is equivalent to words and phrases in
meaning e.g. Raising of the THUMB is
equivalent to saying “OKEY” Raising
of a FIST may indicate STRENGTH?
or GOOD HEALTH.
2. ILLUSTRATORS: These illustrate the words as the
speaker is speaking. E.g. Holding up
three fingers as saying, “l have three
children”.
3. REGULATORS: These gestures control oral
communication by alerting the speaker
to a need to hurry up, slow down,
repeat something e.t.c. e.g. Frequent
glances at your watch or running the
finger on the table like in debate may
indicate to the speaker that he has gone
beyond time.
4. AFFECTING DISPLAY: They indicate ones
emotional state e.g. Anger or
embarrassment. They differ from the
ones above because we have little
control over them e.g. White’s face turn
red, while blacks eyes turn red.
5 . ADAPTORS: These indicate emotional state and we
have little control over them e.g.
 Clasping of the hands to the face is an
example of fear, stiffening of a yawn.
3. POSTURE
This refers to the positioning of the body. Posture can
Express a number of meanings.
i. Someone sitting forward in their chair and looking at the speaker directly is
probably interested in the talk.
ii. A person sitting well back in the chair looking at the floor is probably not
interested and not concentrating.
iii. A person sitting in a “closed posture” suggest a defensive or threatened
attitude.
iv. Someone seated in an “Open posture” e.g. leaning back in the chair with hands
crossed behind the head suggest extreme confidence. Changes in posture
suggests changes in mood e.g. If someone pushes his chair back from the table
during a conversation, suggests disengagement. If someone leans forward over
a talk this suggests that something personal of confidential nature is about to be
said.