Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 22:3 (Fall 2018)
Article: Expository Preaching and Christo-Promise
Author: Elliott E. Johnson

SBJT 22:3 (Fall 2018) p. 35

Expository Preaching and Christo-Promise

Elliott E. Johnson

Elliott E. Johnson is Senior Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas. He earned his ThD from Dallas Theological Seminary. Dr. Johnson is the founder of the Asian Theological Seminary and has taught extensively overseas. Dr. Johnson joined the Dallas Theological Seminary as a faculty member in 1972 and as a pastor of a Dallas-area church the same year. He has written numerous articles and a number of books as author such as Expository Hermeneutics: An Introduction (Zondervan, 1990) and A Dispensational Biblical Theology (Bold Grace Ministries, 2017); and co-author of Three Central Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism (Kregel, 1999). Dr. Johnson is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society.

Introduction

A preacher committed to expository preaching while also convicted to preach Christ may expect to find problems in preaching Old Testament (OT) texts. With a grammatical-historical hermeneutic guiding the exposition, the problem emerges when the presence of Christ in the text is difficult to substantiate. Charles Ryrie vigorously defended one Gospel present in all Scripture, yet concluded that the object of faith in salvation in every age is God.1 While that is true, is not Christ also necessary to be included as the object of faith in the Gospel (Gal 3:8, 9)?

Yet the apparent absence of the mention of Christ in the OT is not the clear testimony of the New Testament (NT):

• Revelation 19:10: “the testimony of Jesus is the spirit (or concern) of prophecy.”
• Luke 24:27: “beginning in Moses and all the prophets He (Jesus) expounded to them in all the Scripture things concerning himself” (HCSB).

SBJT 22:3 (Fall 2018) p. 36

• 2 Corinthians 1:20: “For everyone of God’s promises is ‘yes’ in Him. Therefore, the ‘Amen’ is also spoken through him by us for God’s glory” (NIV).

Thus prophecy, OT Scripture, and promise, find a central and essential place for Jesus Christ according to the NT.

Willis Beecher recognized the compatibility of the revelation between the testaments when he wrote: “God gave a promise to Abraham, and through him to mankind; a promise eternally fulfilled, and fulfilled in the history of Israel; chiefly fulfilled in Jesus Christ, he being that which is principle in the history of Israel.”