# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_Juli 1859_S214
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

214 On Bible Sermons.

in the Latin language. He was the first to separate the explanation of the
text from its application. Balduin in particular wrote a detailed Latin
commentary on the epistles of Paul. To many of the later exegetical
writings, and especially to those of more recent and the most recent
times, one might well apply the remark of a preacher who, having
borrowed one of the best commentaries on the Epistle to the Romans and
read from it the exposition of the third chapter, returned it to its owner
with the words: "One cannot make a sermon out of this," and when the
other replied, "It is not meant for that," the first one asked: "What else
should professors do but work into the hands of pastors?" As for the
extent of the text for a sermon, one should in general proceed as follows
in determining it: in the historical books of the Old Testament one
preaches each time on a whole chapter, in the New Testament books on
10–12 verses. Of course one must not always be guided by the number of
verses, but by the difficulty and importance of their content, since a
longer passage often needs to be treated briefly and a shorter one often at
length. Thus each of the first three chapters of the first book of Moses
requires at least two sermons, chapter 24 however only one sermon,
Matthew chapter 5 five sermons, Philippians chapter 2 two sermons
(verses 1–11 and 12–30). Choosing shorter passages is therefore to be
discouraged, because given the extent of the Bible and the great lack of
biblical knowledge, what matters above all, in the time allotted which is
in any case very sparse, is to lay the foundation and to raise the walls. I
will now add a few hints for the composition of Bible sermons. First, one
should give, on the whole text, or if it is very long, on individual sections
of it, a brief indication of its content and application, for which
V. Dietrich's summaries render excellent service. In doing so, certain
parts of the sermon present themselves of their own accord, whose brief
and concise statement is a great help to the memory. Next one should
expound the individual verses, especially the more difficult ones, and give
their application for doctrine and comfort. This is indeed short and
simple, easily said and quickly read, but in carrying it out so many
obstacles often present themselves that even a not-unpracticed preacher
sometimes ponders long back and forth over how he should find his way.
Above all, the choice of what one should say in explaining and applying
one or more verses, as well as determining the right proportion between
the two, causes various difficulties — difficulties, however, which in most
cases are removed by seeking to become clear on this point: what is
the most necessary for all, the more necessary for many, the necessary for
individuals. The first must unconditionally be stated, though all the more
briefly if something of the other two must also be added; e.g. on Genesis
25:1 the most necessary thing is the doctrine of God's wondrous guidance
of his saints, the more necessary is the example of Abraham, the
necessary is the doctrine of great temptations; here the explanation of the
words