Christ-Centered Expository Preaching: The Logos in All Scripture
This paper argues that Christ must remain the center of all expository preaching, regardless of the biblical passage under examination. Drawing on Bryan Chapell's concept of Fallen Condition Focus (FCF) and Christopher Wright's reading of the Old Testament, the paper demonstrates how Christ as the Logos—the eternal Word of God identified in John 1:1—is inherently present throughout all of Scripture. It examines how expository preaching differs from textual and topical approaches, how recurring scriptural themes such as redemption and covenant point toward Christ, and how preachers can consciously orient their exposition toward the Redeemer even in passages that do not explicitly name Him.
- Introduction: Thesis: Christ must center all expository sermons
- Christ as Logos: Christ as eternal Word underlying all Scripture
- Identifying the Theme in Scripture: Fallen Condition Focus reveals Christ in every passage
- Christ in Non-Redemptive Passages: How preachers connect non-redemptive texts to Christ
- The Preacher's Role and the Glory of God: Preacher must glorify God, not self or audience
- Conclusion: Christ as Word is indispensable to expository preaching
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper builds its central argument on a theological anchor—Christ as the Logos from John 1:1—and consistently returns to that anchor throughout, giving the essay strong conceptual unity.
- It integrates primary sources (Chapell and Wright) with direct quotations and page citations, demonstrating engagement with scholarly literature rather than relying solely on assertion.
- The argument moves logically from the nature of Christ (Logos), to hermeneutical method (FCF and thematic reading), to practical preaching application, making the progression clear and persuasive.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates theological synthesis: it takes two distinct scholarly frameworks—Chapell's Fallen Condition Focus and Wright's Old Testament Christology—and weaves them into a single, coherent argument about expository method. Rather than summarizing each source separately, the student uses them to reinforce one another, showing how both ultimately point to the same conclusion.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introductory section establishing the thesis. It then develops the theological foundation (Christ as Logos), moves into hermeneutical method (identifying recurring scriptural themes), addresses the harder case of non-redemptive passages, and considers the preacher's practical and spiritual responsibility. A brief conclusion restates the thesis and synthesizes the argument. The structure is linear and cumulative, with each section preparing the ground for the next.
Introduction
As Christ is the center of the Gospels and Epistles—the ultimate endpoint of the Old Testament, the epicenter of all human history, and the One Being upon Whom our salvation depends—it is imperative that Christ ultimately be the center of all expository sermons. Even if Christ is only indirectly the heart of expository preaching, the fact remains that nothing else can occupy that place. Christ is the "way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). No sermon can be complete without Him.
One way to include Christ in one's preaching, no matter the subject, is to approach the sermon through the theological lens of Fallen Condition Focus (FCF). This approach frames the message within the recognition that we are all in need of saving—because of our fallen condition—and that only Christ offers the grace by which we can be saved (Chapell, 2005). Thus, even if a sermon focuses wholly on Old Testament scriptures, it is possible to make Christ the center of the sermon by way of FCF (Wright, 1992). This paper argues why it is necessary to always preach Christ, in some meaningful way, in all expository sermons.
References
Chapell, B. (2005). Christ-centered preaching: Redeeming the expository sermon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Wright, C. (1992). Knowing Jesus through the Old Testament. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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