Christ-Centered Preaching by Chapell: A Book Review

Introduction and Overview of Christ-Centered Preaching

In the second edition of Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, Bryan Chapell provides a guide to expository preaching grounded in the fundamental principle that the purpose of preaching is to promote union with Christ. According to Chapell, union with Christ carries personal, communal, and theological—or cosmological—implications. The second edition includes several amendments and additions significant enough to encourage libraries to stock both copies. The author outlines thematic changes to the second edition, including greater explication of what Chapell (2005) calls the Fallen Condition Focus, or FCF (p. 14). While it may seem obvious that the FCF is the central story of Christ, redemption and resurrection must remain the core focus of preaching.

Preaching is also need-based, according to Chapell (2005), offering specific solutions to individual dilemmas while also providing a spiritual solution to all human problems. All themes common in preaching—from gratitude to obedience—need to be framed in terms of the Fallen Condition. Even expository sermons, the focal point of Christ-Centered Preaching, must revolve around the central tenet of Christ's redemptive message. In other words, Chapell suggests that all expository sermons be distilled to offer the essence of the FCF. Chapell (2005) also argues for the reintroduction of authority into expository sermons—not merely to eliminate ambiguity or moral relativism, but also to avoid the pitfalls of subjectivity and outright incorrect interpretations of Biblical truths.

The second edition contains two prefaces. In the preface to the first edition, Chapell (2005) explains the two main themes of authority and redemption. Authority refers to the righteousness of scripture, and Chapell warns preachers against the secularization of Christian messages. Redemption refers to the FCF: sermons can provide guidelines for overcoming sin and receiving Christ's redemptive message. The preface to the second edition references the addendums and places greater stress on the importance of the Fallen Condition Focus. Supporting reference materials include tables covering terms from the Old and New Testaments, analyses of sermon introductions, original language grammars, lexical aids, study Bible lists, and Bible dictionaries.

Christ-Centered Preaching is divided into three main parts and also includes extensive appendices—comprising approximately fifty pages of text—featuring sample sermons and funeral messages for practical use. The text is thoroughly researched and closes with an index and full bibliographic material.

Part One: Principles for Expository Preaching

Part One is entitled "Principles for Expository Preaching." Its goal is to establish the scriptural foundations for the importance of preaching and the substantive content of sermons. Here, Chapell discusses the nobility of preaching and the power of the spoken word in communicating Christ's message—both of which have deep scriptural roots. Preaching is a noble calling and an exalted role, yet one that should not intimidate anyone called to communicate the word of God.

The author delves into the theological meaning of the Word of God, tracing it from the opening passages of Genesis through the New Testament. God uses the Greek term Logos to refer to His Son, thereby presenting Christ as the manifest Word of God. Words carry power—the power to communicate God's message in ways that no other medium can achieve. Words make God real, rendering preaching a divine and necessary act. Chapell (2005) differentiates between Logos, as the manifestation of God in Christ, and logos, which is the message or spoken word clothed in human languages (p. 28). In keeping with the FCF theme, the author also demonstrates how the word of God—as both logos and Logos—is redemptive in nature. Christ redeems, and the preacher uses the spoken word to communicate that message of redemption.

Chapell (2005) discusses the effectiveness of testimony, with scriptural support, while clarifying that an expository sermon is not merely a testimonial but a thorough explication of scripture. By focusing on a specific Biblical passage, an expository sermon reveals the word of God in explicit and implicit ways without straying from the core spiritual messages embedded in the text. In other words, expository preaching is inherently authoritative. Concluding sections of Part One address the function of ethos in the rhetorical strategies used in preaching. Ethos refers to the character of the preacher as well as the grace exuded in the sermon. A sermon should never be constructed around a personal message, but the preacher's personal ethos can nonetheless help deliver the meaning of the scriptural passage.

Because preaching is rhetorical in nature, Chapell (2005) outlines the three primary elements of classical rhetoric: pathos, ethos, and logos. Logos is the verbal content of the sermon, which is brought to life by pathos—the emotional power imparted by the speaker. Ethos is the character and credibility of the preacher, a critical component of every sermon. Good expository preaching aligns all three, as the preacher translates the Bible passage into language the audience understands, relates to, and acts upon in their lives. Integral to preaching with character and credibility is guarding against pride and other barriers to communication. Chapell (2005) also introduces the components of exposition, emphasizing the priority of the Bible: the most important aspect of expository preaching is faithfulness to scripture.

References

Chapell, B. (2005). Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.