Preaching the Bible—and Doing It Biblically:
The Form and Function of Biblical Texts

By Thomas E. Phillips

continued from the Lent/Easter 2003 issue (click here for previous article)

From the previous issue:

“In both the ancient and the modern world, the form of literature determines its function. To truly preach biblically, one must understand the form and function of the biblical text from which the sermon is drawn. The hallmark of good preaching is that the form and function of the sermon are faithful to the form and function of the biblical text so that the biblical text can refunction within the contemporary community. In the remainder of this article, I want to discuss six of the forms found in scripture in order to illustrate how asking these three basic questions about the form and function of Scripture can help us to preach more biblically.”

A Prayer (Philippians 1:9-11)

And I pray this: That your love may increase more and more in knowledge and all insight so that you may be able to understand what is worthy of being a priority, that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.

What kind of literature is this text? It is a prayer.

How does this prayer function? Prayers are addressed to God and typically offer petitions to God in behalf of some person or persons. In this prayer, Paul makes two requests which are introduced by that. His first request is for the Philippians’ love to increase. For Paul, love is not primarily an emotion or a feeling, but rather love is a disposition of character that empowers proper decision-making. In this first petition, therefore, Paul is praying for the moral transformation of his congregation. Paul’s second request expresses his desire for the Philippians to be found pure and blameless in God’s sight. Paul reminds his readers that he is praying for the spiritual well-being of his congregation.

How do we refunction this prayer? If we want to preach this text biblically, we need to preach in the mode of prayer. We shouldn’t call for the people to love another. In fact, if we want to refunction this text, we shouldn’t even speak directly to the congregation. Rather we should address God and allow our community to overhear our prayer as we, in following Paul’s example, lay out our spiritual vision for the community and plead with God that our community would be found “pure and blameless” at the time of Christ’s return. Rather than demanding moral transformation from our hearers, we should show them that we are praying for their moral transformation. After we have preached from this text, our congregation should leave the service thinking, “Wow, that pastor is my spiritual advocate. My pastor really is praying for me and my spiritual well-being.”

This text calls for preaching in the mode of prayer.

A Parable (Luke 10:25-37)

And behold, a certain lawyer stood up, testing him, saying, “Teacher, what must I do in order to inherit eternal life?” Then he said to him, “What has been written in the law? How do you read it?” But answering, he said, “You shall love the Lord your God out of your whole heart, and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind and your neighbor as yourself.” Then he said to him, “You answered correctly. Do this and you will live.” But because he wanted to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

In reply, Jesus said, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell into the hands of thieves, who stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half-dead. Then by coincidence, a certain priest came down the same way and when he saw him, passed by on the other side. And, likewise, a Levite was coming along the place and went by on the other side when he saw him. But a certain Samaritan was traveling and went down to him and had compassion on him when he saw him. When he came to him, he bandaged his wounds and poured oil and wine upon them. Then when he placed him upon his own donkey, he led him to an inn and cared for him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Care for him and whatever you may spend, I will repay you upon my return.’ Which of these two does it appear to you became a neighbor to the one who fell into the hands of thieves?” Then he said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”

What kind of literature is this text? It is a parable.

How does this parable function? This parable calls for action, as Jesus emphasizes with his closing admonition, “Go and do likewise.” What exactly does Jesus want the lawyer to do? He must go out and “become” a neighbor. Jesus has skillfully taken the lawyer’s question (“Who is my neighbor?”) and answered it in terms of “becoming” a neighbor. The lawyer was seeking to narrowly define who was—and more, importantly, who was not—his neighbor. The lawyer was willing to fulfill his obligations to his neighbor in order to inherit eternal life. He wanted eternal life and he was willing to pay the price for it, so he demanded that Jesus set clear limits on exactly what was expected from him. But Jesus didn’t think in terms of setting boundaries and limits. Instead, Jesus told the lawyer about a Samaritan who went beyond the barriers of social and religious restrictions and “became” a neighbor even to his enemy. Then Jesus required that the lawyer “go and do likewise.” That is, this text calls for the lawyer to go out and actively become a neighbor to anyone in need.

How do we refunction this parable? In order to refunction this parable, we must help our congregations to look beyond those whom they normally regard as neighbors and then challenge them to go and do like the Samaritan did. We must remind our communities that Christians are called to go out and become neighbors to those persons outside of their normal sphere of influence. In order to be true to the form of the parable, however, we should do by telling the story (or stories) of those who stand in need just on the other side of the road. As a community, this parable calls us to go out and become neighbors to the wounded persons around us, particularly those who are outcasts from our normal circle of friends and acquaintances.

Doctrinal Instructions (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)

We do not want you to be ignorant, brothers and sisters, concerning those who are asleep in order that you may not grieve as the others who do not have hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, then we also believe that God through Christ will bring with him those have fallen asleep.

For we say this to you in the word of the Lord, that we who are alive who remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep, that the Lord himself will come down from heaven in the clouds, with the voice of the archangel and the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then, we who are alive and remaining will be caught up in the clouds together with them to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will ever be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words!

What kind of literature is this text? It is doctrinal instruction.

How does this doctrinal instruction function? Paul opens this passage with a disclosure formula (“we do not want you to ignorant”) which was a standard way for a teacher in the Greco-Roman world to introduce the content of his or her teaching. Paul followed this literary pattern and used this disclosure formula to introduce his Christian teaching about the dead in Christ. The content of Paul’s teaching is clear: The dead in Christ will not miss out on Christ’s second coming simply because they happened to have died before Christ’s return. These dead will be resurrected so that they enjoy heaven with those who are living. The function of Paul’s discussion is equally clear: Those who believe in the resurrection of Christ should take great comfort in the certainty of the resurrection that Christian dead will experience at the second coming of Christ.

How do we refunction this doctrinal instruction? We refunction this text by creating a sermon that comforts those whose loved ones have recently died. We proclaim the certainty of the resurrection that awaits the dead in Christ at the second coming and use this certainty to provide comfort to the mourning. Halleujah! Christ has arisen! His resurrection assures our resurrection, and, in this fact, we take comfort. If we preach this text as a warning (“Be ready for the second coming”), we have not refunctioned this doctrinal instruction, because Paul wrote this text to comfort believers, not to warn them.

Moral Exhortation (1 Peter 2:11-12)

I urge you, beloved, as aliens and exiles, to shun the desires of the flesh which war against the soul, conducting yourselves honorably among the gentiles so that, even though they malign you as evildoers, they may glorify God on the last day because of your good works.

What kind of literature is this text? It is moral exhortation.

How does this moral exhortation function? This text also opens with a disclosure formula that was familiar to Greco-Roman audiences, but with a different disclosure formula and a different purpose. Peter used a disclosure formula from the rhetoric of moral exhortation (“I urge you”), and thus he indicated to his audience that he wanted his readers to follow the moral imperative contained within these verses. Peter reminded his readers that they did not belong to this world (they were “aliens and exiles”), and he called upon his readers to live differently than the people of this world live. Peter urged them to live morally so that God would be glorified.

How do we refunction this moral exhortation? In order to be true to the form and function of this text, we must call for believers to recognize the dangers of cultural accommodation and to reject every form of compromise with conduct that does not glorify God—and for believers to do so in spite of the hostility engendered by such moral rectitude. This text calls for a decisive commitment to ethical living in light of our identity in Christ. If we refunction this text faithfully, our congregations will sense that they do not fit in with this world and will understand that they must not try to fit with this world.

A Rebuke (Galatians 3:1-6)

O foolish Galatians, you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was exhibited as crucified, who bewitched you? I only want to learn this from you: Did you receive the Spirit from works of the law or from the believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Do you want to complete by the flesh what you began by the Spirit? Did you experience so much for nothing? If indeed, it was for nothing. Does He give the Spirit to you and work powerfully among you by works of the law or by believing what you heard? Thus, Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness.

What kind of literature is this text? It is a rebuke.

How does this rebuke function? Paul rebuked the Galatians for the foolishness of what they believed. Paul was stunned by their failure to adhere to the basic truth of the gospel and he rebuked them in the strongest possible terms with the hope that they would turn from the error of their ways. The Galatians acknowledged that they had come to know the Lord by means of faith, but they had begun living as if their salvation depended upon their own efforts. To this misunderstanding, Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions: How did you receive the Spirit? By faith, of course. Would it make sense for you to abandon faith now and to maintain your spiritual life by works? Of course not! Paul is rebuking the Galatians for the mistaken belief that their salvation was contingent upon their good works. Instead, Paul reminds the Galatians that their salvation is and always will be contingent only upon faith! This rebuke functions as a call for a return to true faith.

How do we refunction this rebuke? If we are to refunction this text, we need to rebuke any reliance upon good works as a means of obtaining or maintaining God’s favor. Anyone in our audience who believes that his or her salvation is contingent upon his or her good works should feel foolish at the end of our sermon and should come to understand that his or her salvation is maintained solely by faith in Christ. This text calls for a return to the basic truth of Christian salvation, that salvation comes by faith alone, apart from good works!

A Genealogy (Luke 3:23-38)

And Jesus was about thirty years old, being the son—as was thought—of Joseph, son of Heli, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Melchi, son of Jannai, son of Joseph, son of Mattathias, son of Amos, son of Nahum, son of Esli, son of Naggai, son of Maath, son of Mattathias, son of Semein, son of Josech, son of son o f Joda, son of Joanan, son of Rhesa, son of Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, son of Neri, son of Melchi, son of Addi, son of Cosam, son of Elmadam, son of Er, son

of Joshua, son of Eliezer, son of Jorim, son of Matthat, son of Levi, son of Simeon, son of Judah, son of Joseph, son of Jonam, son of Eliakim, son of Melea, son of Menna, son of Mattatha, son of Nathan, son of David, son of Jesse, son of Obed, son of Boaz, son of Sala, son of Nahson, son of Amminadab, son of Admin, son of Arni, son of Hezron, son of Perez, son of Judah, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham, son of Terah, son of Nahor, son of Serug, son of Reu, son of Peleg, son of Eber, son of Shelah, son of Cainan, son of Arphaxad, son of Shem, son of Noah, son of Lamech, son of Methuselah, son of Enoch, son of Jared, son of Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, son of Enos, son of Seth, son of Adam, son of God.

What kind of literature is this text? It is a genealogy.

How does this genealogy function? Genealogies have one basic function. They show how people are related to one another. Notice that this genealogy begins with Jesus and traces his lineage back to Adam (and eventually back to God). Since all humans are descended from Adam, this genealogy, therefore, functions to show how Jesus is “linked” to all of humanity. Because all persons are sons and daughters of Adam, all persons share equally in the benefits of Christ’s life, death and resurrection. This genealogy demonstrates how Christ relates to every individual within the entire human race.

How do we refunction this genealogy? We refunction this genealogy by preaching about the inclusive nature of God’s grace. We proclaim that God, in Christ, has reached out to the entire human race and included everyone in the sphere of salvation. If we refunction this text properly, the members of our community will sense a great reaffirmation that they are valued by God and that God has included them in His plan of salvation. This text calls for us to recognize that you, I, and everyone else are equally included in the power of the gospel.

One Final Secret About Preaching the Bible Biblically

Starting my sermon preparation with these three questions has made sermon creation much easier. I no longer spend several hours trying to figure out how I want to approach a particular text. As soon as I begin my sermon preparation, I immediately answer these three questions: What form? What function? How to refunction? And, as a result, my study and preparation is more focused and productive. Preaching the Bible and preaching it Biblically, and finding it easier. You can’t beat that!

Thomas E. Phillips is Associate Professor of New Testament at Colorado Christian University. He and his family are members of Denver First Church of the Nazarene.