Preaching as the Word of God: Answering an Old Question with Speech-ACT Theory

According to the Reformers preaching is the word of God. As the word of God preaching is a foundation for the church. It is also vital for the personal growth of a Christian. But Christians are poorly equipped to understand how preaching is the word of God. Some Christians look for preaching that closely reproduces the text in the Bible. Other Christians look for preaching that creates maximal emotional and existential impact. And there is a lot of name-calling with Christians accusing preachers of not preaching the word. But what type of preaching is the word of God? The purpose of this book is to equip Christians to understand how preaching can be God speaking. It accomplishes this with a survey of the problem in the history of the church a detailed overview of key biblical texts and finally the application of the contemporary philosophical tool of speech act theory. With great pleasure I commend Dr. Sam Chans thesis to you for publication. I was his first reader. His other examiners were Dr. John Feinberg and Dr. Willem VanGemeren. His thesis impressed us all. We were not only unanimous in passing it without reservation but all three of us encouraged him to seek its publication. Dr. Chan astutely draws together Scripture tradition and contemporary needs in this work. The thesis serves both the academy and the church. It deserves a wide audience. --Graham Cole Dean and Professor of Biblical and Systematic Theology Trinity Evangelical Divinity School Dr. Chan has capably and faithfully explored the question of what happens in the preaching of the word. It is his contention that the faithful exposition of the word of God in preaching connects with the word in two ways. First preaching is an attempt at entering into the textual world (locution). Second it also makes an attempt at recontextualization of the text by remaining faithful to the intent of the word. He roots his approach in the Reformation tradition as well as in recent hermeneutic theory. I highly recommend the work for your consideration. --Willem A. VanGemeren Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and Semitic Languages Trinity Evangelical Divinity School How can we conclude that what we preach is the Word of God--God himself speaking through the sermon--as the Reformers insisted? In this important study Sam Chan demonstrates that Luther and Calvin have it right provided we focus on the New Testament insistence that rightly proclaiming the gospel is what is meant by preaching the Word of God. Chan then uses speech act theory to clarify his argument. The work is important not only for students of the Reformation but for preachers who need to see that the faithful proclamation of the gospel is precisely what authorizes them to insist that their preaching is the word of God. --D. A. Carson Research Professor of New Testament Trinity Evangelical Divinity School If youve ever heard him in person youll know Sam Chan is a preachers preacher. Hes vibrant dynamic funny moving and--when it comes to the text of scripture--deeply insightful. This book offers an intriguing opportunity to take a look under the hood and see what makes Sams preaching so potent. Its the work of a scholar who has thought deeply not only about how the Bible works but how our own words work. Sam provides a deft introduction to the world of speech act theory and applies it to the vexed question of how our preaching actually is the Word of God. In the process he has given me a set of new tools for the daunting weekly task of preaching Gods Word. --Phil Campbell Senior Minister Mitchelton Presbyterian Church Australia; Co-author of Saving Eutychus: How to Preach Gods Word and Keep People Awake Preaching is at once one of the most familiar communicative acts and one of the most mysterious. Other forms of public speaking can be prophetic (remember Chris Rocks opening monologue at the Oscars?). Yet preaching is more than social commentary