2 Timothy 4:2

I've been listening to Christ Centered Preaching from Covenant Seminary. Dr Chapell regularly reminds his class that we are not just exegeting the Scriptures, but we must exegete our audience as well.

Obviously, words are empty if preached without love (1 Corinthians 13:1). Paul appealed to his relationship with churches many times. Each epistle is a loving support and a direct confrontation of the views and actions of the recipient church.

But how do we exegete the audience? Paul offers:

Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.--2 Timothy 4:2

Paul's focus is not one the audience, it is on the Word. In fact, Paul immediately contrasts what audience centered preaching looks like:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.--2 Timothy 4:3-4

We cannot exegete the audience by looking to the audience. In fact, Paul says those who do not endure sound doctrine will expect to be the focus of the preacher. They want to be dazzled. They want to be impressed. They want to hear something they will like to hear. With this in view, Paul says the focus should be on the Word.

Does Paul believe we should not exegete the audience?

No, Paul knows that the way to exegete the audience is in the Scriptures. Consider why the Scriptures better exegete the audience than we do:

1. Every member of the audience is a sinner.

Without Scripture, we may be tempted to see someone else as good. But Christ reminds us that there is no one good but God. The Word reminds us that each man stands before God in the same condition...guilty before God.

2. Only God can see the heart.

I truly have no clue where people stand before the Lord. I get so annoyed when I hear a pastor state that they changed their message because they knew only saved people were in the attendance. Just how do they know what??? They really don't. Only God can see the heart.

3. I can't trust myself

One reason I cannot adequately assess my audience is that I can't adequately assess my own heart. Without the Word of God, I would not even know my own condition.

4. The power is in the message of Christ, not in the method of presentation.

I would suggest there was no tougher audience to preach to than the Corinthians. The city was known for its oratory skill. People loved to discuss and debate. Yet Paul did not feel pressure to really polish his style. He saw that the power was in the content, not in the form.

5. The results are out of your hands.

It's foolish to look to the audience for results, since you can't control the results. If Christ Jesus would preach to an audience and see them walk away (John 6), I must release that I cannot draw a person to Christ.

6. The Word of Christ produces faith.

Mere desire to see someone saved does not produce salvation (I doubt anyone cared as much as Paul!), the person must hear the Word of Christ.

7. Similarly, Scripture is what God uses to train His elect.

Illustrations, action points and witty stories do not conform us into His image. If our words are not centered on a passage (within its context) they ring hollow and without power.

We do not preach in a vacuum. We preach to people. However, we know how to preach to people, not by looking at them, but by looking at the Book. We open the Bible to exegete the text, and we keep it open to exegete our audience.

Otherwise, we may end up just tickling ears.