Introduction
d d d d d d d d d The purpose of this Discussion Board is to identify how four
different preachers relate to one of the aspects of the first six steps in
McDill’s model.
Charles Spurgeon
d d d d d d d d d Charles Spurgeon is known as the Prince of Preachers and lived in
England between 1834 and 1892.[1] Spurgeon believed that preaching was a
gift and that a person should not undertake this ministry unless truly called
with the gift of preaching God’s Word.[2] According to A Legacy of Preaching,
“Spurgeon looked on expository preaching as ‘the great need of the day, its
best protection against rising errors, and its surest means of spiritual
edification.’”[3] Spurgeon’s philosophy on expository preaching correlates with
Skill One: Diagramming the Text Structure. This skill helps a preacher break
down the scripture and analyze the purpose and connections between the
text.[4] Spurgeon would have dived deep into the scripture in this way.
Robert Murray M’Cheyne
d d d d d d d d d Robert Murray M’Cheyne became a Christian after the tragic death
of his brother.[5] According to A Legacy of Preaching, “After brief exegetical
comments, M’Cheyne stated his main doctrine and then wove his subsequent
exposition into extended exhortations and applications.”[6] M’Cheyne’s preaching
theology connects to Skill Five: Bridging from Text to Sermon. This skill has a
preacher connecting what is written in scripture to a present-day application.[7]
M’Cheyne also focused on application of faith.
George Liele
d d d d d d d d d George Liele was a former slave who planed churches in Jamaica
as the first American Baptist missionary.[8]Liele’s style of preaching included
strong biblical content, it had a poetic flair, appealed to emotions, and respect
for ministerial authority.[9] Skill Four: Naming the Text Idea is referred to as
“the skill of the craftsman.”[10] Liele would take the scripture and word it in a
way that made God’s Word come alive and become a grand guide for the lives
of the new believers.
B.H. Carroll
d d d d d d d d d B.H. Carroll lived between 1843 and 1914, and he is “best known
as the founder of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.”[11] According to
A Legacy of Preaching, “Carroll’s primary interest in every sermon was that his
listener come to a proper understanding of the biblical text in its original
context.”[12] Carroll would dive into the meaning of the scripture with multiple
biblical texts as a reference guide.[13] Carroll’s theology of preaching connects
to Skill Two: Noting the Text Details and diving into the details of the text.[14]
Carroll would have used the resources available to research different levels of
meaning in the scripture.
[1] Thomas J. Nettles, “Charles Haddon Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers” in
A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present Day, Benjamin
K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand Rapids, MI:
Zondervan, 2018), 102.
[2] Ibid., 109.
[3] Ibid., 112.
[4] Wayne McDill, 12 Essential Skills for Great Preaching, 2nd Ed. (Austin, TX:
WORDsearch, 2013), 24
[5] Jordan Mark Stone, “Robert Murray M’Cheyne: Preaching the Love of God in
Jesus Christ” in A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the
Present Day, Benjamin K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 52.
[6] Ibid., 60.
[7] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 88.
[8] Terriel Byrd, “George Liele: Former Slave and First American Baptist
Missionary” in A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the Present
Day, Benjamin K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni (Grand
Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 147.
[9] Ibid., 157.
[10] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 74.
[11] Robert Matz and Jerry Sutton, “B.H. Carroll: Preaching Sermons Saturated
with Scripture” in A Legacy of Preaching: Volume Two Enlightenment to the
Present Day, Benjamin K. Forrest, Kevin L. King, Bill Curtis, and Dwayne Milioni
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 257.
[12] Ibid., 264.
[13] Ibid., 263.
[14] McDill, 12 Essential Skills, 37.
