Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 14:3 (Summer 1971)
Article: The Centrality Of The Scripture
Author: Homer A. Kent, Jr.

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JETS 14:3 (Summer 1971) p. 157

The Centrality Of The Scripture

Homar A. Kent, Jr.*

The proposition espoused in this paper is a simple and probably old-fashioned one. It is that the preacher should be a specialist in the Word of God. Although this may appear to be so obvious as to be a truism, the actual practice in many churches, even the evangelical ones, indicates a philosophy that is considerably different. The issue is not that the Scripture is denied in the churches where most of us worship, but that it is often relegated to the background while the latest fad takes the limelight. A crowd will come to see a religious film or hear a visiting choir, but the regular Sunday evening preaching service may limp along with its faithful few.

Modern life has tended to promote this sort of attitude. The pressures and complexities of the contemporary scene are spawning a society with tremendous problems. To cope with these problems, we specialize and the generalist is often downgraded. I lost my family doctor several years ago to the specialized field of radiology. The church and the ministry have not been immune to these attitudes. Today’s churches are looking for trained specialists in administration, in Christian Education, in visitation, in counseling, and in music. Only occasionally does one find churches which are eager for specialists in preaching and teaching the Word of God! It is not the contention of this paper that specialization is unfortunate or unnecessary. If the various facets of an enlightened and Biblically-based church program fully complement each other, the result can be most effective and spiritually edifying. The danger is that the preaching of the Word of God may be relegated to a secondary place while the latest innovation, which may be perfectly good in itself, claims all the attention. It may actually serve to create the impression that Scripture alone is either passe or at least ineffective in itself to speak to the needs of modern man.

Often one hears the complaint that members of evangelical churches already know the Scriptures well, but that there are other elements which are seriously wrong in these churches and need immediate attention. The intimation seems to be that we have had too much doctrine, and not enough of something else. We are frequently told that too much expository and doctrinal preaching kills enthusiasm, or appeals only to the intellect, or fails to win men to Christ, or build up the

*Dean and Professor of New Testament and Greek at Grace Theological Seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana.

JETS 14:3 (Summer 1971) p. 158

church. Now no one with any degree of insight would deny that problems exist in the church, as they have since the early days at Jerusalem. At the same time...

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