9Marks Journal: Expositional Preaching (45期：释经讲道)

We create with hands, shovels, and bulldozers. But not God. God creates by speaking. He says, “Be,” and it is. The Psalmist exclaims, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host” (Ps. 33:6). Invisible words create visible matter. Just as God created the universe with words, so he re-creates fallen hearts with words. He “gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist” (Rom. 4:17). Nuclear bombs might split or fuse atoms. But they cannot create new-heart atoms out of nothing. Preaching the Bible can, which is why preaching the Bible is central to the life of our churches. Peter says we have been born again through the living and enduring word of God. James says that God brought us forth by the word of truth. Paul teaches that faith comes from hearing. And the apostles learned it from Jesus, who said, “The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” The preaching which possesses this greater-than-nuclear power is preaching that exposes the Bible, or expositional preaching. Man’s wisdom does not give new life. God’s Word, accompanied by God’s Spirit, does. It possesses divine power to demolish strongholds and explode hearts of stone. The present 9Marks Journal lays out some of the basics of expositional preaching as well as a few of the mechanics. If you happen to think that applying the text is the work of the Holy Spirit, start with Michael Lawrence’s piece. There’s a difference between a preacher’s application and the Spirit’s conviction, he says. Preaching that doesn’t apply the text is not preaching, and the ability to apply the text depends on your knowledge of your church. Jared Wilson and Erin Wheeler will help you here. So critical is the topic of preaching that it’s hard to do it justice (see Matt McCullough’s piece on this). But we hope this Journal educates and edifies. Use it and then entrust it to faithful young men who will be able to teach others also!

人类是用双手、铲子或者推土机来创造。但神不是这样。神通过说话来创造。祂说：“有”，就有。诗篇作者宣告说：“诸天藉耶和华的命而造，万象藉他口中的气而成。”（诗33:6）肉眼不能见的话语创造出可见的事物。

正如神以祂的话语创造宇宙，同样祂也以话语在堕落的人心中做新造的工作。祂“叫死人复活，使无变为有”。（罗4:17）

核弹可以分解融化原子。但是它们无法无中生有创造新的原子。但是传讲圣经能够做到，这也是为什么讲道是教会生活的核心。彼得说我们是透过神活泼常存的话语重生了我们。雅各说神用真道生了我们。保罗教导说信道是从听道来的。而使徒们是从耶稣那里领受了这些，他曾说：“我对你们所说的话就是灵，就是生命。”

真正拥有比核弹更强威力的讲道，是将经文解开的讲道，或称释经式讲道。属人的智慧无法赋予新的生命。而神的道，藉着神的灵，能够做到。它有属神的能力，拆毁心中的壁垒，粉碎石心。

本期九标志期刊收录了一些释经式讲道的基本理念以及一些实践性的方面。如果你正巧认为对经文的应用是圣灵的工作，那你可以先从迈克尔·劳伦斯（Michael Lawrence）的文章开始。他认为，牧师给出的应用与圣灵的提醒是有区别的。对经文不作应用的讲道不是讲道，而对经文应用的能力取决于你对自己教会的了解。Jared Wilson和Erin Wheeler会帮助你更好思考这一点。

讲道这个话题本身很有争议，所以很难公允评价（可以参考Mat McCullough的文章）。但是我们希望本期期刊的内容能够带来启迪。好好使用，并且将讲道的重任托付给那些能忠心教导别人的年轻人！