I had a difference of opinion with a colleague about preaching. He commented that a sermon application of mine is a little beyond the passage (stretched an example too far). I commented that an exegesis of his is a little beyond the passage (stretched a point too far, a point not within the passage). He commented that that's what a sermon is supposed to do. I commented that mine is what a sermon should do.
Example: 1st Corinthian 13 (a famous passage about the importance of love in the use of spiritual gifts)
Preacher A: extends this concept of love to also include Forgiveness (in application), stretching "it keeps no record of wrongs"
Preacher B: extends this concept of love to also include the love relationship between Christ and the church, stretching this passage to link with chapter 12
Who is right?
2 comments:
What preacher A did is acceptable in my books but I think preacher B has stretched it too far.
Exactly! Application has room for extrapolation, but exegesis should just stick to the text.
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