Exegesis by opinion poll

Perry Noble is going through a series of posts where he describes how he prepares his sermons–in case you ever wanted to preach like Perry.

It took a while for Scripture to enter the conversation, but it made a cameo appearance yesterday as a subpoint under his main point about being creative.

After acknowledging that “correct theology must drive our methodology,” he describes a methodology that is about as theologically driven as my dog’s breakfast.

I bring others into a meeting to discuss the scripture passage because there are people at different stages of life that will see scripture through a different lens.

You would be amazed at some of the conversations that take place in some of our meetings for example I will bring in women who point out, “You know what Perry, that is the fourth sports illustration you’ve used this week. It’s not really connecting us.” Or…I’ll bring in singles and ask how they believe this passage applies to where they are in life.

In fact…I will bring in people that may be different on some minor theological issues that I would happen to think of because I want to take an all-around view of scripture.

This, perhaps, explains why he couldn’t decide whether he was pre- or post-millennial for his end-times series.

The Bible is to be read through the lens of Scripture, not that of whoever happens to be in the room with the pastor that morning. If different people see different things in the Bible, who is to decide which one is true, or which one is God’s word for the church that week? It’s a methodology that will produce unfaithful, weak, man-centered and inconsistent preaching.

How should it be done? The Westminster Confession gives us useful advice.

The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself: and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. (WC I.IX)

Truth through focused study, not focus groups.