Biblical Preaching (Homiletics) | Lecture 9 : BC204-BP-20260915

Okay. Um let's start. Okay. So we're looking at the fourth um kind of way in which we can study God's word that is the uh book study. Right? So we study the book of the Bible and uh we were looking at how uh how do we go about doing it. First step is we can make an outline. Okay, outline of the book. Now if you look at um a typical you know a book in the Bible, we see that it addresses different topics, right? Different themes are mentioned. Okay. Um let's turn to one Corinthians here. Just using that as an example. Okay. So just skim through and see what are the different topics that are addressed here. What are the different themes that are addressed here. Okay. I just want you to look into your Bible 1 Corinthians. Okay. The book of 1 Corinthians. And uh just write down what are the different themes, what are the different topics that are addressed in this book, right? What are the different subjects that Paul talks about? Okay. Just by looking at um you know some of the verses that he's mentioning there you can actually arrive at uh you can you can find out okay what are the what are what subject is he talking about is he talking about salvation is he talking about grace um what is he talking about so just go through the Bible and just write down 1 Corinthians Right? And write down what is the what is the subject that he's talking about. Right? What are the different things that he's talking about? Cuz some Bibles make it very easy. It's already kind of mentioned there. But um we see that uh even if it's mentioned as a paragraph certain subjects but we see that okay these this topic will be um you know across some chapters right? So yeah. Okay. You understood? No. Then you should Okay. Go to look at one Corinthians. Why don't you come somewhere here? Yeah. Why do you sit at the back? Both of you, you can put a table there and sit. No. >> Huh? You can Why do you have to sit right at the back? Okay. So um yeah just to just for clarity just read just go through the book of Corinthians 1 Corinthians and see what all topics Paul is talking about is he talking one Corinthians 13 it's about God's love right um 1 Corinthians 13 so what are the different topics that Paul is writing in his letter to the Corinthian church okay just write five or six maybe six let's look at six topics that um Paul is writing about. Okay. Online students also you can do the same thing. Okay. You don't have your Bible. Uhhuh. Okay. Done. Okay. Fine. Yeah. So can somebody just read out maybe you can use the mic also just read out what are the topics that you found. Um maybe you can just um yeah read two. >> Yes pastor. >> Uh here it says uh I did not come to baptize but to preach the gospel is one >> and the other one is I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. M >> yeah so these are kind of specifics right you is uh is specifically about um u certain incidents that he's talking about but generally you know if you if you actually zoom out and generally if you he's talking about several other things okay anyone else next yeah >> chapter two pastor Christ crucified >> and uh chapter nine a pattern of selfdenial. >> Okay, that is what is mentioned there. But um apart from that, >> okay, because that is mentioned there, right? Uh apart from that, what do you what do you see? What subjects is he addressing? >> Like next give it to Joseph. 1 Corinthians chapter >> sorry you don't have to give chapter just just say what is this >> what are the some topics that he is talking >> the church and its leaders >> church and its >> leaders >> leaders okay >> so what is he saying there >> Paul says Corinth >> no no when he's saying about church and the leaders what is he what is he talking about what is he saying >> unmature believers and mature believers about carnal and you know carnal carnality in the church, right? >> Yeah. >> Okay. Then >> mature believers should be able to understand. >> No, no, that is fine. That is one topic. Then what else is anything else that he is talking about? Any other subject? What is he talking about? Anything else that you wrote down? What else did you wrote? Did you write? Okay, give it to the next person. Yeah. Oh, it's um that's all now. It's Yeah. >> Sir, I am reading uh 1 Corinthians chapter 13. >> Tell me again. >> Yeah. 1 Corinthians chapter 13. >> Uhhuh. Huh? >> In that uh chapter uh main point is uh spiritual gift and faith, hope, love. >> Can you speak a little louder? >> I'm reading uh chapter 1 uh Corinthians chapter 13. >> In the chapter main point is uh spiritual gift from God and uh hope, faith, love. This is the main points that Yeah. What else? >> So, >> uh, >> pastor uh I was reading uh chapter six and it talks about like uh as you mentioned like uh in verse 19 it's saying like uh you don't know you are the temple of your body is the temple of God. So like uh behave like like this and uh in uh yeah in chapter yeah in chapter 12 he's taking a >> m >> fivefold ministry >> fivefold ministry ministry >> okay >> yeah and in chapter 14 he's sorry in chapter 11 he's talking about like uh how should we uh partake in the lord table >> to the corinthians >> about communion Right. Okay. >> And uh one more chapter uh chapter 10. It's talk about uh it's talking about uh temptation. >> Temptation or >> uh morality like adultery. >> M >> Yeah. Okay. Yeah. >> So pastor chapter 3 verse chapter three watering working and warning. >> M >> and chapter five immorality defiles the church. M >> chapter 7 principle of marriage and from chapter 12 spiritual gifts >> and chapter 14 >> is it only chapter 12 that is spiritual gifts >> no no it's continuing from chapter 12 >> yeah and chapter 14 order in church meetings >> yeah yeah you can just pass it on yeah what Chapter 2, God's wisdom. >> Um, okay. >> And chapter 12, uh, live as you are called. >> Sorry, what? What? >> Live as you are called. >> Is that a topic or is that one instruction? just one instruction or is that you know the the whole topic or theme of those are many verses talking about the same thing. >> Chapter 7 uh versus 17 to >> uh so there is only one instruction right? >> Yeah. >> So so which means if he's giving several instructions then we group it as one topic. He's saying okay this topic he's addressing right. So all that comes under he's talking about the principles of marriage. He's talking about marriage, right? Whole chap whole of chapter 7. Anything else? Yeah. What else does he talk about? Does he talk about idol worship? >> Yeah. >> Is he talking about idol idol idol worship? Right. >> Yeah. >> You see in chapter 10 the same this thing um or chapter >> which which chapter does he talk about idol worship? Chapter 10 right? >> Yeah. >> H 14 onwards. uh and also chapter 11 you know where he again talks about the Lord's table he's talking about communion right okay okay fine okay so if you if you look at it you know just look into the Bible see it starts with greetings one Corinthians right okay last yeah what yeah can you also say no you don't have to use the mic I don't think it'll reach will it reach Yeah. >> Yeah. What did you give to him? Give it to him. Give it to him. Only him. Yeah. >> Yeah. Brother, why don't you come and sit here? Okay. Next class. Huh? Sit in the first row. Okay. Tell me. Yeah. >> Sir, my first point is uh the spiritual maturity. >> Okay. >> So, it's saying that uh putting everything. >> Okay. So, just the topic will fine. >> Okay. >> The love never fails. >> So, which means the topic is is talking about God's love. Yes. >> Anything else? uh the necessity of love. >> Okay, let's leave God's love. Any other topic? >> Anything? >> Any other topic that you able to write down? Anything that you understood? >> Our partial knowledge. >> Why do you say that? Because because it's saying that now we see dimly than face to face. >> No, no, no. Leave that. Leave one Corinthians 13. Is there any other topic that he's addressing? Any other subject that he's talking about in the whole book? >> Whole book? >> Um you didn't write down any other thing. Okay. Fine. Okay. Let's just let's let's just look at 1 Corinthians 13. Okay. Just look at the first chapter. Okay. So he starts with greetings, right? Yes or no? Okay. So he he starts with greetings then immediately goes about talks about division. Okay. So division in the church. So which means I think uh Sam you Samuel Sam mentioned church unity. He's talking about division. He's talking about unity, right? Disunityity in the church. He he's writing about that in chapter 3 also several places. Right? Okay. Then what does he write about? He talks about how immorality will defile the church. Right? Just like how disunityity defiles the church uh or divides the church. He talks about immorality. You know if you if you look at um you know if you just go through this you will see he will talk about several topics. Okay. How do we understand that? Okay. Um if you if you look at let's say uh chapter 7 verse one okay he says now concerning the things of which you wrote to me okay so then he talks about marriage okay from there then after that he he will write about verse chapter 8 go to chapter 8 verse Chapter 8 verse one. What does he write? He said, "Now concerning things offered to idols." Okay. So he's follow the verses following that he's he's going to write about things cons concerning you know what what people are offering for idols about idle worship. Okay. So he's addressing that and even within that you see there are certain things that he's talking about. For example, he's saying um after after he finishes that about uh offering food or eating food offered to idols which is from verse one to verse 13 in chapter 8 right he goes on to talk about something else right he's talking about himself right if you look at chapter 9 verse one what does he say right >> am >> I not an apostle right Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. So here he's talking about if you read the rest of the verses he he's talking about how he himself provides for the needs of his own personal life and for the needs of the ministry. He's talking about that right? He writes about that. Right? Then chapter 10 onwards. Moreover, brethren, so that also means, you know, in addition to all that I've said, he's saying, moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. And he's writing about um how one should live a pure life. We cannot be uh you know uh making God angry with our lifestyle. And he's talking about sexual immorality. He's talking about idolatry. He's talking about you know all those things. And um he's warning the people right in the Old Testament these these things happened and it happened there as an example for us for us to learn right again again chapter 10:14 he's talking about fleeing from idolatry run away from idolatry because it's a substitute of God right chapter 11 he's talking about head covering okay no I'm surprised no one mentioned that right because he's talking about head covering how you know women should cover their heads in in the church and he's talking about headship right 123 and 14 he's talking about gifts of the spirit chapter 13 of course he's talking about the love of god god god's love right 12 13 and 14 he's talking about the gifts of the spirit the entire chapter of 14 is he's specifically talking about tongues the use of tongues um uh you know prophecy right how how the right use of the gifts in the church right 15. Chapter 15 is very interesting. He's talking about the resurrection. Okay. He's talking about how Christ who was was was who came back from the dead was seen by so many people. He's giving know he's he's listing down. He was first seen by this person. Second he was seen by this group, right? He was seen by over 500 brethren etc. And then uh last of all he was seen by me also, right? He has he's talking about his encounter and then why is he saying all that? He's saying hey you know people are saying there is no resurrection no if there is no resurrection from the dead then our faith is actually empty right why are we still preaching why am I still being persecuted if there is no resurrection from the dead so that whole chapter in fact all the way up to chapter 15 verse end uh sorry the last verse he's talking about the resurrection from the dead the reality of resurrection from the dead and how uh you know when it's he's giving all those arguments right you know it is sown a physical body, natural body. It is raised a spiritual body and so on. Right? And the last chapter, chapter 16, he's talking, you're giving some personal instructions, right? He's coming to collect the offering that um that they have actually decided to give some of the saints in Jerusalem. And so he's coming to give that. And then he gives some instructions instructions about how they should, you know, host Apollos when he comes there. And uh then he gives some greetings again how he started the letter he gives. So he talks about all these different topics about marriage, about gifts, about uh disunityity in the church and all these different topics are in one book right so the one book is not one particular theme it's a letter and it's a letter addressing different topics right so we should be able to identify okay what are the different topics that he's talking about that is why that is what we mean okay what is the main what are the main themes in this episode, right? So once we understand that, we understand okay from this in this chapter or in these chapters, you know, some of these themes are not just chapter wise. It could be in the middle of a chapter also, right? It doesn't start in the beginning of the chapter. It could be in the fifth verse. It could be in the 10th verse. But that is where he's talking is he started to talk about that particular topic. Right? So when you understand that when you go through and we understand okay he's talking about this topic here so we what is he talking about it you know why is he saying that what is the importance of this and so on right so all this we learn when we learn when we do a book study so it's very useful right so when you study the book you you learn not to misquote a verse take a verse out of context you know we learn the verse in context the background of that verse Because it could some of these verses could be very controversial sounding, right? I do not permit a woman to speak in church. Let the women keep silent in church. Does he say that? He says, "Let the women keep silent in church." Then everybody is like preaching women keep silent in church. Don't raise your voice. Don't open your mouth. Keep silent. Then you go on to say you see the chapter he's talking about many times he's how we should keep silent in church. You know there are certain things if it's uh if you pray in tongues and don't have interpretation let that person keep silent in church. Let them just pray between him and God. He says that right? So there are several aspects to keeping silent in church not just for the women. And the reason why he tells the women is also a cultural thing which was specific for the Corinthian church because previously he says you know let the women pray that everyone pray right so we understand all this when we do a book study right um and it's also good to study the background of the church right some so who wrote this book we know apostle Paul from where did he write the book right and why did he write the book? So some of the information is there he writes this book because people have come from Corinth to talk to him and to uh mention that there are problems there. There are problems in Corinth. All these challenges are happening. People are saying there is you know they are saying I'm of Paul. I'm of Apollos. I'm of Peter. So there is disunityity. Gifts of the spirit you know it's full chaos that is happening there. Immorality in the church. Um and then about head covering there's some disputes there some questions there about the resurrection there is some wrong teaching. Right? All this is happening. So Paul is saying okay I need to address this. So he is saying now concerning this concerning this thing you ask me this you know then he writes one by one by one what according to the wisdom of God that has been given to him according to the leading of the Holy Spirit he is writing right and um he's quoting from old old testament scripture and he's you know writing that and giving so we understand why who wrote why Did they write this letter? Right? So we get a good understanding of the entire book. Right? Okay. So we looked at four, right? Word study, topics, topical study. Then third thing, character study and fourth one is book study. Right? Now the last one u another way of doing a study is the inductive study method. Okay? Inductive study method. Now in an inductive Bible study, how do we go about doing this? Right? So it can be a particular chapter, it could be a particular portion of scripture, right? Unlike a book, it is a maybe a chapter or we can actually take a section of uh a few verses, right, which talk about a separate theme and we do that. What are the step one? Step one is to observe right what is in the text that I'm reading what is mentioned there so obs read understand observe okay so observation is the first step second step is interpretation what does interpretation mean okay this is what is mentioned there let's look at some of the questions right what is this passage talking about okay so I read it now first We need to read it when we need to understand it. Okay, what is it talking about? Okay, this is what it says in the language, but what does it mean? Right? Some questions we can ask is this, right? If you're following in the notes, it's in page 20, right? What does this passage say? Okay, a very pertinent question. What does this passage say? Okay. Okay. This is what is saying the Lord is my shepherd. Let's say let's let's take for example Psalm 23. Okay, if you can turn to Psalm 23. Okay, six verses are there. Right. So what does this passage say? So you understand and try to answer that question. Okay, this passage talks about the Lord being our shepherd. This passage talks about how the Lord being our shepherd, how it affects me, right? How it changes me, how it uh affects me, right? Influences me, all that is mentioned there. Okay. What is God telling me? It's a very personal question, right? Even as I read through these six verses, what is God telling me in this? Is God telling me anything? So that's a question that we are asking ourselves, right? So which means that we are also praying, we are also leaning into what God is uh speaking to us by the spirit and we are trying to answer that question. What is God speaking to me in this? Right? So you see we are engaging with God even as we answer this. Right? We engaging with God's spirit. What is God telling me right now? Another question which will be help helpful is how am I encouraged? How am I strengthened? Right? Is there something is there some encouragement that I can take from this passage? Is there some strength that I can receive from this passage? Right? Uh even as we read Psalm 23, you know, maybe personally it can mean different things to different people, right? According to what God is telling you. So even as you read through um this passage you know let's try and answer this question okay personally ourselves now I'm not going to ask you to share um but you can answer okay let's say you can answer from question number three okay what is it for question number three what is God telling me right that's question number three right okay so read through Psalm 23 let's take some some time to do that and Let's see how we can answer that question. Right? You answer it to yourself. You write it down. Okay? You write it down. Say, "What is God telling me through this passage?" It could be just one point, right? Is God telling you anything through that passage? Whatever it is, you make a note of it, right? Okay. Okay. Done. >> Yes. >> Okay. Let's try and answer the next question. Like how am I encouraged and strengthened? Okay. So, is there something that we can draw encouragement from? Is there anything encouraging in these verses or are we being strengthened through these verses? What is it right? How am how are how is it? No, it's not just to say yes, I'm encouraged. Yes, I'm strengthened. But in what way? In what way is the encouragement there? In what aspect is the encouragement? In what way are we being strengthened? Right? when we read these six verses. Okay. Okay. Okay. The next question, question number five. Is there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed? No. you know that you know the thing is that um there is nothing in these verses that talk about sin right if you if you look at the six verses it doesn't talk about sin it doesn't say hey uh you know if you're doing this then it's uh it displeases God it doesn't say that but as you read through you can ask God is there something that I don't believe is there something that I'm doing, you know, which is which which hurts you. Uh is there something that I've, you know, not acknowledged you? If you're leading me, have I not followed you? Right? Um if you're the shepherd, you know, have I not believed in you? So things like that, right? So is there anything that we have not done or we have not we have done that hurts the shepherd? Right? So we can think about that and write that down. Right? And and repent of it. Right? So that's question number five. Is there sin in my life for which confession and repentance is needed? Okay, then let's um answer the next question. Question number six. How can I be changed? So I can learn, so I can grow. Okay. What areas in my life that I can change so I can learn and so I can grow? And we're talking only about these six verses, right? What these six verses are teaching us, what we are understanding from these six verses about our God being our shepherd, right? And what is it about our lives that we need to change? And what is it that we can learn? What is it that we can grow? Okay. Uh I'm I'm just going to skip a few questions and um look at question number eight. Right. How does this apply to me? Psalm 23. How does this apply to me? What what does God want me to do about it? Or what will I do about Psalm 23? Right? This truth that is there. Now, how do I apply it in personally in my life? Um that is something that you can write. Right? Right. Okay. Okay. So, some of these questions, you know, you I I think it'll require more time for us to just reflect and write, right? Um but but this is this is how we get to the interpretation part of the passage. So, you see it's more applicationoriented, right? So, that's how an inductive study is. We we read it, we go to the specifics of it, and it's more to do with okay, how can I is is God speaking to me through this? How can I change? What do I need to change in my life? And how do I apply it? How do I obey? If there's an instruction to obey, how do I obey? If there are some things that God is saying, okay, I should not do what are some things that I should not do. Is there anything that I need to repent of? You know, so it's it's more of a very reflective and something that I can take action, right? Uh in my own life. So you see that it's not just head knowledge. Okay, these are the facts. This is the information. It's not just head knowledge but it goes into very experiential application right so you're thinking yeah how does it apply to me and uh you be it's becoming part of you God's word God's instruction is becoming part of you know like um like the psalmist who says thy word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you know this is we are taking the word and making making it part of our lives, right? So out of that there are so many things that happen right. So one of the thing is okay strength to refuse temptation and to stand strong that is just one of the things but then so many other good things do happen right okay so this is you know this is the these are these maybe you can add more questions also to it like this is interpretation third one the third step is application okay so when it comes to applying the p applying the truth of the passage obviously again we need to interpret it correctly Right? In order to apply it, right? In the beginning itself, right? Right from the first chapter, we looked at how we looked at hermeneutics, right? Interpreting the scripture so that we can understand it correctly. When we interpret it correctly, we'll understand correctly. When we understand correctly, we will apply it in the right manner. Applying means following, obeying, like all that, we will do it in the right way. Right? So now we need to understand that certain scriptures scripture portions are difficult right there are these exemptions right and uh it becomes a it becomes a problem it becomes a challenge and but we need to understand it right we need to see okay how do I approach this um difficult passages how do I approach or how do I you know when I read these difficult challenging passages how do I do it right and how do I apply Right? And so one such passage was this 1 Corinthians 10 that we read right 1 Corinthians 10 we read that okay this whole thing of covering of head um and and we also saw that it was not something that is for entire scripture but it was for a cultural uh it had a cultural meaning to it because of culture um sorry 1 Corinthians 11 not 10 1 Corinthians 11 right so we understood that. Okay. In the same way, um what are some other things that we can talk about, right? If you look at 1 Corinthians 14, okay, 1 Corinthians 14. 1 Corinthians 14:34. Okay. Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak, but they are to be submissive as the law also says. Okay? And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home. For it is shameful for women to speak in church. So now we can actually do a word study and find out what does it mean when he says speak in church. Right? When we do a word study, we understand that he's using no a different word. When you say speak, there are no different kinds of words. One is logical organized speech like a teaching the other one is just a random conversational speech right and he uses different words to me mention that so here he's talking about not talking about organized logical serious study of the subject but he's talking about just random conversations casual conversations right so what was happening there first of All the women were having casual conversations in the church gathering, right? There was a church gathering and they're speaking and they're talking about se several things and they're also, you know, making noise asking certain doubts and questions. Yes, it's good to ask certain doubts and questions, but uh, you know, they were actually shouting and asking these questions. So he's addressing this because the the Corinthian culture or the the ladies in the culture were like that. So they he's addressing that. The second thing also is keep silent. Right? So we need to understand how many times does he use that? Does he say this only for the women or does he say elsewhere also? Right? So we see this if you see see the passage um let's look at 1 Corinthians 14 and verse 28 right the same chapter verse 28 we looked at 34 now we looking at 28 which is going back looking at 28 says but if there is no interpreter let him keep silent in church so he's addressing the person what is the what is that uh what is the situation here the person is actually speaking in tonesues. He's just not speaking or praying in tonesues, but he's giving a message in tones. That is what we see earlier, right? You have a message in tongue. And then if you're having a message in tongue, let there be interpretation. But if there is no interpretation, then he's saying if there's no interpreter, let him keep silent in church and then speak to himself and to God. Okay? So silent in church with regard to tongues is not just keeping mouth shut. He's saying you don't give a public message but you speak to yourself and to God. That is dense right? Chapter 20 verse 28 he says let him keep silent in church and let him speak to himself and to God. Okay so that is verse 30 again it says silent. Now here he's talking about prophecy right? Let two or three, verse 29, let two or three prophets speak and let the others judge. Verse 30, but if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. Here he's talking about being quiet, giving the the honor for the person who has a prophetic word. Okay? And doing things in order in an orderly manner. Right? So we see that at least three times he uses that word keep silent. Keep silent. Keep silent. Right? So here again keep silent doesn't mean that okay um should women not prophesy? Right. Should women not um have a tongue? Yeah. You have a question. As I have a question that um according to this verse that I have seen many churches even um in south India and some of the churches in north India also uh they don't allow womens to preach uh from the pullpit. So >> uh what will you say about this? Because >> uh they are thinking it's based on their culture >> and also uh when we see in the biblical context it was not the thing which what they are thinking. >> Yeah. But it was the thing that uh Paul is telling keep quiet do not discuss >> you know when we read the background of it. So they were discussing with the husbands and all. >> So what will you say why is it like this not allowing women to preach in the churches? >> Yeah. So it's a it's a wrong emphasis. >> Yes. >> See it's a wrong emphasis. Um it's a wrong understanding wrong application. So that's why we have that situation because if you look at the rest of scripture right for example Philillip's Philip had daughters and they prophesied it's mentioned very clearly Philip's daughter Philip the evangelist his daughters they prophesied so whom do you prophesy to you prophesy to another person where do you prophesy anywhere and particularly in a gathering where God's spirit is moving so there were others other women who you know if you look at Romans chapter 16 the last chapter there you see that there's a whole lot of that list lot of women are mentioned there women apostles are mentioned so then we understand that hey it's it's he's not talking about just women to be silent in the sense keeping quiet in the church he's talking about the problem there he's addressing a particular problem in the Corinthian church >> and also pastor nowadays let's if we will try to fix it this problem solve. >> How can we uh if we want to fix that problem? So how can >> to solve the problem? If solve the problem is is um to talk about the problem is easy. >> Solving the problem is difficult because it's years and years and years of conditioning right it's become part of the church. So one should be bold and courageous and also I think people need to understand the truth. One is teaching to look at it and say okay this is what the word of god says so since the word of god says this can be changed right it's the teaching and people should be humble enough to receive that teaching so it don't take happen in a day it'll take time yeah okay so we'll stop here and then we'll continue next class right thanks