¶ … Kaiser's Toward An Exegetical Theology And Goldsworthy's Preaching The Whole Bible As Christian Scripture Both Walter Kaiser and Graeme Goldsworthy take very different approaches to the Bible in their respective works Toward an Exegetical Theology and Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture. The former examines Scripture using more of a syntactical-theological method, providing a framework for everything from contextual analysis to syntactical, verbal, theological, and homiletical analysis. Kaiser also covers the use of prophecy, narrative and poetry in expository preaching. His approach, in short, is more academic than that of Goldsworthy's, who comes at the subject of Scripture from the perspective of the evangelical preacher, and thus delivers a more practical approach. For this reason Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture consists of two basic parts: the first, which addresses essential questions regarding preaching and Scripture; and the second, which addresses practical issues related to applying biblical theology to preaching. These two approaches, while different and on two distinct levels of interaction with the reader, both help the reader to better understand and identify the ways in which the Bible acts as a tool to drive minds, hearts and wills towards the truth of the Word. This paper will compare and contrast the two approaches found in Kaiser's Toward an Exegetical Theology and Goldsworthy's Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture.

What makes Kaiser's work immediately stand out as the more scholarly/academic approach to the Bible is its adherence to a more sophisticated, precise and academic style of language. For instance, when Kaiser writes, "Preaching will not only reflect the results of exegesis, but it will also assess the validity of the content and focus of its proclamation in terms of the Biblical text it proposes to exegete,"[footnoteRef:1] it carries a completely different tone -- more formal -- than Goldsworthy, when he writes simply that "Evangelical preachers have an agenda. We want to proclaim Christ in the most effective way possible."[footnoteRef:2] This more down-to-earth approach of Goldsworthy is indicative of the work as a whole: it is mainly oriented towards developing a practical understanding of the material -- the how-to-use approach that an evangelical preacher could most benefit from. Indeed, Goldsworthy's book is designed as a tool for such preachers: it is they who are the obvious intended audience. [1: Walter C. Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981), 22.] [2: Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 2000), 1.]

Kaiser's work, on the other hand, is geared more towards the thinker than the doer. Kaiser's work is more of a thoughtful, scholarly work -- a work born of the fruit of meditation and study rather than practical experience and insight. It takes more pleasure in pondering the state of exegesis than the state of preaching, which is where Goldsworthy shines more fully.

Kaiser begins his work by asserting that there is "a crisis in exegetical theology" -- and while Kaiser laments that the "gap" (a popular expression among academicians, whose studies typically address the problem or "gap" in relevant literature) is to be found between the material learned in seminary and the harsh realities of preaching, his approach to addressing this gap is that of the seminary professor -- a rigorous examination of the fundamental ways in which Scripture should be addressed, studied, and understood.[footnoteRef:3] Kaiser's method is, however, rooted in the desire to update or make more accessible the Word of God for modern men -- and given the at times inaccessible nature of both books of Scripture, his desire is understandable. At the same time, Kaiser understands that in order to appreciate the deep nuance of the Bible it is necessary to cultivate an intellectual discipline that allows one to trace the historical "maze" as he calls it of events through the myriad books.[footnoteRef:4] Reconciling this intellectualist approach with the need to be able to express and clarify the fundamental nature of the message to people of today is wherein the "dilemma" lies, according to Kaiser.[footnoteRef:5] In other words, Toward an Exegetical Theology is a work that is meant to bring the scholar of Scripture closer to the person on the street in order that they both might be fulfilled in their missions. [3: Walter C. Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981), 25.] [4: Walter C....

Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981), 27.] [5: Walter C. Kaiser, Toward an Exegetical Theology (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1981), 27]
This is, ultimately, the same goal as Goldsworthy, though his approach to the material is less academic and rigorous in nature. Goldsworthy writes as though for the man on the street, viewing his audience of preachers as average men of average intellect, with no more or less interest in scholarly or academic approaches than any other typical modern era individual. This concept of his audience is discernible in the language that he uses and in the uncluttered syntax. Indeed, his writing is direct and to the point -- simple in arrangement and easy to follow. Moreover, Goldsworthy laments that academic approaches have had a costly toll on biblical studies when he states that "the separation of biblical studies and biblical theology into the two specialized areas of Old Testament and New Testament, however necessary at the formal and academic level, has led to an extremely costly separation of the Testaments."[footnoteRef:6] Thus, Goldsworthy deplores the fact that scholars have to some extent compartmentalized the two arenas of theology and Scripture to the detriment of the preacher whose very mission is to show how the two arenas are actually united. [6: Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 2000), xii.]

Most importantly Goldsworthy adopts an approach in which he makes Christ the focus of his efforts: Christ is the center of the Bible (both Testaments) and Christ is the center of Christian theology. From his perspective there should be no such division and any approach to the Bible should include this aspect of understanding.[footnoteRef:7] Thus it is Goldsworthy's contention that "everyone" should be an interpreter of Scripture and that everyone "should be a biblical theologian" as well.[footnoteRef:8] Establishing how the Person of Christ is the center of both is his main impetus for writing his work. [7: Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company, 2000), xiii.] [8: Graeme Goldsworthy, Preaching the Whole Bible as Christian Scripture (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdman's Publishing Company), xv.]

In this manner, the two authors approach a similar problem -- making the Word of God more accessible -- from two different perspectives. Kaiser takes the academic route, focusing on academic fundamentals, such as context, syntax, history, etc., and attempting to show that this knowledge need not deaden the life of Scripture to those who possess it. Goldsworthy takes the simpler route by appealing to the Everyman, whose finer sensibilities are not measured in terms of scholarly erudition but rather who sees the truth on a simple level, loves it in the same manner, and seeks only to communicate it and express it so that message gets through to the hearer.

By putting the Person of Christ at the front and center of his work, however, Goldsworthy's approach is also more human, even as it focuses obviously on the divine -- for Christ was both human and divine. The basis of evangelism, as Goldsworthy views it, is evident in the message of the Bible and in the theology that grows out of its examination. The simplicity of the Bible's message is really the root of evangelism, according to Goldsworthy, for it reminds the believer to set aside fear, want, worry, need, and all concern for the daily provisions of life -- and to instead set about embarking on that journey towards Him, the Creator and Giver of all life. This message is located in numerous places throughout the New Testament. Most notably perhaps is the injunction found in Matthew 6:26: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" If one truly had faith, he would not concern himself with the how to "provide" for himself, for he would trust in the goodness of God that all he needed would be supplied.

A second verse also illustrates this point and fits in with what Goldsworthy spells out in the first part of his book: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mat 6:33). With this simplicity at the heart of the Christian message, the evangelist can set out without worry, and can embark on a course of total saturation -- because, as God tells us in the Bible, that is what it means to seek first the kingdom of God. What Goldsworthy…