A course of lectures on preaching - Dabney - X - Lecture 10 (Constituent members of the sermon cont.)

Required reading
A course of lectures on preaching by RL Dabney (Available from Amazon or free here) - Read Lecture 10 (Constituent members of the sermon cont).

My summary
Today Dabney continues to teach us about the constituent members of a sermon.  Last week he said a sermon should have:
(i) an introduction;
(ii) an exposition;
(iii) a proposition;
(iv) a main argument;
(v) a conclusion.

So having discussed the introduction last week, this week Dabney focuses on the exposition and proposition.

Firstly Dabney teaches us about how to exposit the text by advising the following:
(i) have a strict integrity of mind to guide you in the selection and use of a passage of the Scriptures as a text;
(ii) the explication of the passage on which you preach should be plain and convincing;
(iii) avoid especially every trait of pedanty and of literary coxcombry.

Then Dabney encourages the use of a proposition in your sermon.  A proposition 'states explicitly what is the precise subject or assertion which the preacher designs to discuss.'

What grabbed me
Dabney made an important point about criticising English translations - in his context the King James: 'The most reprehensible pedantry of all is that which delights in criticising and amending the received English version. Instead of seeking for opportunities to point out errors in this precious work of our ancestors, its credit should be carefully sustained before the people, whenever this can be done without an actual sacrifice of our integrity and of the truth of the text. The general excellence of the translation merits this treatment. Such were the learning and labour of its authors, that he who is most deeply acquainted with sacred criticism will be found most modest in assailing their accuracy in any point. But it is far more important to remark, that this version is practically the Bible of the common people the only one to which they can have familiar access. If their confidence in its fidelity is overthrown, they are virtually robbed of the written word of God. Hence, if to bring out the truth of your text, a correction must needs be made in the phraseology of this version, let it be made in such a way as not to impair its credit. If there be actual error, let it not be causelessly paraded.'

It may not be as important to say today when we have such a number of good quality English translations, but being overly critical of English translations can cause people to doubt their translation in its entirety.  Thus robbing them of the word of God.

Next week's reading
Read Lecture 11 (Constituent members of the sermon cont).

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.