Biblical Preaching: The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages

by Haddon W. Robinson

An updated version of Robinson's best-selling textbook on preaching

Genres: Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Religion, Reference, Leadership

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Haddon W. Robinson (PhD, University of Illinois) was the Harold John Ockenga Distinguished Professor of Preaching and senior director of the Doctor of Ministry Program at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. He authored numerous books, including It's All in How You Tell It and Making a Difference in Preaching.

Reviews

[Matt Moran · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings on this book. Having just finished Preaching 601 I have mixed feelings on Dr. Robinson's class in general.

Positives:
- Very practical
- Does not overspiritualize the process of preaching - brings in a lot of basic communication theory and applies it to preaching.

Negatives:
- I'm unconvinced that a sermon can have only one basic idea and that it needs to be reduced to a slogan-like title.
- I'm unconvinced that preaching without a manuscript (as we had to in class) is necessary or even helpful.
- Book and class often felt like an undergraduate public speaking class because of Robinson's de-emphasis on specific theological content.

[Josh John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robinson seeks out in his work to lay forth the case for expository preaching as being the form of preaching which “best carries the force of divine authority.” This is because true expository preaching has no pre-planned “agenda,” but simply seeks out to present passionately, contextually, and applicably the very words and ideas in a unit of biblical text (p. 4). He identifies dangers to clear preaching such as fragmentation of unrelated ideas that do not unify within “the Big Idea” of the sermon (p. 16-17). He likens good preaching to be more akin to a bullet rather than buckshot (p. 17). The central theme then should be the central idea of the unit of Scripture from which a preacher is preaching, and the sermon should be limited to the literary unit of biblical thought (p. 30). The primary purpose of the work is to define and present the great need for expository preaching in the church and then detail the development and delivery of faithful Bible sermons.

The final two chapters transition from the development of sermons to the delivery of the message. These chapters are richly filled with practical admonitions for the preacher seeking to sharpen his craft.

This book is a great example of a thorough, content-rich treatise on the development and delivery of sermons. Even though every suggestion may not be followed or even encouraged by other homiliticians, the overall practical nature of this work is profound. It is clear that Haddon Robinson knows and loves good preaching, but even more clear is that he loves the source of preaching, the Scriptures, which alone has the power to effectuate real life change.

The final remarks of the book are especially significant to personal ministry. He recounts the story of the feeding of the five thousand and illustrates that every preacher, like the lad, stands with a sermon, no matter how well developed and delivered, with an inadequate “meal” for the crowds. However, the difference will always be Jesus. Jesus through the Spirit can feed crowds. Robinson concludes, “You must give your sermon to Him. Preaching is ultimately His work,” (p. 169).

[Riley Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good. This book has a strong bend towards practical help for sermon writing and delivery. Robinson’s clarity of steps for crafting a sermon have been easily the most helpful I’ve encountered. Big thumbs up for me.

That said, this book is not sufficient for all the information a man will need if he aspiring to be a preacher. Robinson can sometimes appear to rely too much upon practical tips in his description of the task of preaching. So I don’t think this book can serve well as a book to inspire. But simply to equip, my favorite so far.

[Ben Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read if you want to improve at preaching. This is the book I’ve been longing for, immensely practical, yet committed to the supremacy of Gods word.

“Seminary takes 3 years to complete and 10 years to get over. Use simple language.”

[Luke Rasmussen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely helpful. I will definitely return to this book often.

[Aidan Creel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gas

[Ryan Rench · Rating 5 out of 5]

We used this as our textbook for our Bible institute class on preaching. It is just the right length and depth for a semester-long class, and I just can't use other formats—this is the one I cut my teeth on and the method I still use today.
Bro. Sam Davison used to always say tongue in cheek, "The Bible sure messes up a lot of good preaching!" It's funny because it's true. Is that sermon what God intended to say or what you intended to say? I am not on the hyper-exclusive train, as if God CAN'T move in someone's heart if it's an "unbiblical" sermon. In fact, looking back, I've made a lot of great spiritual decisions for Christ sitting under what I would now consider questionable sermons, but I believe God knows what he's doing with all of that.
I just want to preach the Bible and help people know God through His Word. This book helps with that. It encourages the preacher to plant his sermon firmly in God's Word, and get ALL his ideas from the text. There's plenty there... why do we feel like we need to go somewhere else for ideas? Why get creative when we have the Creator's own words?

I also love the emphasis on big-idea preaching. Sunukjian sharpens the format perhaps a little better, but Robinson was my first exposure, so I'm sticking with it. I just love the way it encourages a rifle, not a shotgun. One sermon, not many sermons lumped into one speech. One point with many supporting thoughts, not many thoughts with weirdly-alliterated (obliterated?) points.
Perhaps this review is a big philosophical and doesn't deal with the book very much, but I've loved the book for 20 years. Huge fan. Check it out. :)

[Daniel Ligon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a classic. Haddon Robinson does a solid job explaining what expository preaching is, why it is important, and how to do it. The weakness of Biblical Preaching is that it tends to be a little stiff in its format of sermon development, but you won’t go wrong in following Robinson’s advice!

[Russell Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haddon Robinson's Biblical Preaching is an excellent primer on the spirit and mechanics of Biblical preaching. As someone who has learned preaching largely by observation and careful analysis, this book was helpful to me because it crystallized some of the things I already believed about preaching and illuminated areas where I can grow. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, even with some minor quibbles.

Chapters one and two are essentially on the philosophy of expository preaching. Robinson offers his own views as well as robust Biblical support for his methods. He is often more balanced in his view of topical and textual preaching than the modern social media crowd, and that is refreshing. He recognizes the appropriateness of a topical sermon, but rightly stresses that it should still be explanatory in nature, rightly interpreting and applying the Scriptures. The rest of the book is concerned with the mechanics of sermon construction and delivery, all of which is helpful to the one wishing to learn and sharpen the craft of preaching.

While I have notes and highlights throughout the book, this quote stood out to me as especially pertinent. Robinson wrote, "We must preach to a world addressed by the novelist, the columnist, and the playwright. If we do not, we will have Chearers who are orthodox in their heads but heretics in their conduct." I wrote in the margin of the book, "and so we do," because this plague is rampant in Western Christianity today. I would add we must also preach to the heart, for we have those who are orthodox in both thought and conduct, but heretics in their hearts.

Most people should read this book, as indicated by my rating, but preachers and teachers will find it especially helpful. It will be most beneficial to the thoughtful beginner. Much of the book is basic, so the experienced reader will not find much of value. It is neither a long nor complicated book, however, and thus the person in the pew who listens to preaching and wants to develop a more discerning ear will find some useful tools in it.

[Michael Beck · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a classic in its day, focusing on finding the Big Idea in the passage and using the "subject with a complement" sermon proposition. If this had been the only book on expository preaching for decades when I read it, I'm sure my review would have a different focus. While chapter 2 (on the Big Idea) and especially chapter 6 (on different types of sermons and outlines) was helpful, overall the book felt more like a college class on public speaking for Bible teachers than specifically for preachers. Also, the pithy little aphorisms mentioned throughout left me pondering what was actually be said about the author's bibliology. This book is helpful to the preacher to read through, but I recommend he continue on to other, more advanced works, like Albert Martin's Pastoral Theology, Vol 2:...Preaching and Teaching Labors, or Preaching: How to Preach Biblically (MacArthur Pastor's Library), or Lloyd-Jones' Preaching and Preachers.

[Adam Callis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good. His "Case for Expository Preaching" in Chapter 1 is excellent, and definitely the best part of the book. The rest is more basic, but good, with some good quotes along the way.

[Virginia Geisler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book, and it excited me to be a better communicator of the Bible! Very practical and helpful.

[Timothy Smallwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed several aspects of this book on the practical level. Much to be gained from the technical study aspects presented. My hiccup is due to my belief about the danger of multiple Bible versions. All in all, it is a book that I would recommend to any student of the craft of preaching.

[Peyton Mansfield · Rating 2 out of 5]

A short and sharp how-to for organizing and delivering expository sermons, but the categories seemed muddled and unhelpful.

•••

The bulk of the book discusses organizing the main point of a text into a sermon, along with the style and delivery necessary to get the point across.

The book is most useful when it gets practical, the type of advice on thinking and speaking you don't think of until you do it a while. There is very little fluff, he gets to the point and moves on, which is refreshing.

The book is at its worst, however, when it tackles complex concepts. His categories for the central point of the sermon, subject and complement, are at best vague — it boils down to "what is the topic" and "what is being said about the topic," which is just the long way of asking all over again "what's the point?" without offering much guidance. Furthermore, I wasn't a big fan of his 10-page case for expository preaching, since it felt like it spent too much time complaining about bad preaching and not enough time actually considering alternatives or commending his expository method.

•••

As a concise book on one preaching method, this basically meets its goals, but I would much rather have another book.

[Nicholas carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I read the third edition I can’t find it. This book is amazing for anyone who will be doing public speaking but specifically preaching, from what you say, to body movements it is all very useful. Coming from someone who has trouble getting ideas across and just the other day had major miscommunication in saying my thought on a Bible verse, it’ll be one I keep around and periodically read through to work on speaking more clearly.

[Ethan Vroom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty alright. Nothing earth shattering. Can’t fault it for being right down the middle. The best part was last chapter where he acknowledged that even the best exegesis and sermon construction is nothing apart from the Spirit

[Eric Holman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read that covers the basic principles every preacher should know.
Draw a conclusion from the text, don’t use the text to prove your predetermined conclusion.

[Levi Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, central approach to expositional preaching.

[James Mauney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this classic while on vacation. Probably the best single book I’ve read on kindle unlimited. Robinson’s writing on preaching stands the test of time.

[Porter Sprigg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creatively communicating the word of God fires me up. This book gives a lot of sound advice about how to do that effectively. I don't think it will end up being as formative as Keller's book on preaching has been for me, but I do think it will be a helpful resource for me for years to come.

At first, I was skeptical of the concept of an "exegetical idea" as if each passage only has one main idea to unpack. However, as the book continued, I began to understand his point more and even though I don't know if I fully agree, I definitely find it more helpful than problematic.

[Bogdan Javgurean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very practical, indeed a manual addressing almost every issue pertaining to preaching. Must read for all students of preaching

[Jonah Shiramizu · Rating 4 out of 5]

More in depth than the last book I read on preaching. Very helpful if your looking for more dense understanding

[Carson Knauff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for school. Thought it’d be outdated and irrelevant but there is some gold in here.

[Chas Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although originally written in 1980, the principles in this book are timeless to the Bible student desiring to improve his ability in communicating God’s Word.

Robinson answers the question “What makes a preacher interesting and sermon effective?”

“Preaching” as we know it has been abandoned in many circles and replaced with “pragmatic” alternatives. Robinson restates the need to once again make the “effective” preaching of God’s Word, front and center, in the worship service.

“Ministers can proclaim anything in a stained-glass voice at 11:30 on Sunday morning following the singing of hymns. Yet when they fail to preach the Scriptures, they abandon their authority.”

Robinson writs a great introduction to the task of both sermon preparation and sermon presentation. I wholeheartedly recommend this book as a worthwhile and necessary read.

[Ray · Rating 2 out of 5]

not quite as dry as 'Christ Centered Preaching', but kinda up there. A lot of good information about forming the sermon with one chapter at the end titled 'how to preach so people will listen' which I thought that a lot more time should have been given to in my class. Oh well, at least now I'm stuffed full of information about forming a biblical/expository sermon. Delivery on the other hand...well, maybe I'll luck out and it'll come naturally eh. >_< *sigh (oh Moody, why do you do this to me)

[Eddy Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently, a standard text on expository preaching. Deals in depth with the process of creating a sermon, from the point of choosing the text, to writing the outline and manuscript, and finally delivery. A helpful step-by-step guide. Couples well with Preaching and Preachers, which deals more with the spirituality and character of the preacher.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great & a practital book by teacher, Biblical preacher and homeletician Haddon W. Robinson.
Without doubt, 'the Bible is the supreme preacher to the preacher'. Any preacher whose heart isn't moved by God's Word shouldn't attempt moving the hearts of men with his/her knowledge of the Bible.

[Chase Hairston · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unbearably technical. Practical, to be sure, but didn't stir my affections for Christ or excite me about proclaiming His Word.

[Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Biblical Preaching, Haddon W. Robinson explains the development and delivery of expository messages. This fourth edition of a modern classic textbook has been revised and updated throughout by Scott Wenig, professor emeritus of applied theology and Haddon W. Robinson Chair of Biblical Preaching at Denver Seminary. Notably, Wenig adds a step to the preaching method that has been widely accepted and utilized by Robinson’s former students: The Theological Idea.

Meaning and Communication

I was most moved to read about the personal aspect that comes with preaching a sermon—meaning, God speaks through the personality and experiences of a person. Because a sermon must be effectively applied to a specific people, the preacher must also exegete his congregation. He must know them. Practically, this is what gives a sermon meaning to a people.

The definition of expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher and then, through the preacher, applies to the hearers.

Subject, Complement, Idea

When explaining the road from text to sermon, the book reminds us that preachers must be involved in three different roles: the ancient world of the Bible, the modern world of the 21st century, and the particular world in which we are called to preach.

This book also gives practical ways to make your sermons better. For instance, I learned to state the purpose of my sermons in measurable terms to make them more direct and effective. What exactly do I want or expect to happen in the hearer as a result of hearing a sermon?

Able to Preach

The book ends with tips on physically delivering your sermon and examining speech. As a lay preacher, Biblical Preaching has given me a deeper understanding of both the spiritual weight and practical craft of delivering God’s Word. It reminded me that preaching is not just about explaining a text, but about faithfully communicating God’s truth through who I am. This book equips me not only to handle Scripture with care, but also to serve my congregation.

I received a media copy of Biblical Preaching and this is my honest review.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really helpful, intensely practical, guide for crafting an exegetical sermon. I gave this a high rating because it surprised me in a few ways (I'm pretty skeptical about books like this), especially in its thoughtfulness of how to approach scripture in a way that's culturally engaging. I worked carefully through the steps Robinson provides, and did find it to be an effective way of drilling into a main idea of a passage of scripture. His "subject-complement" framework is wonderful and eye-opening. Rigorously following his outline has already been fruitful for me. In the third edition, there is also a great example of evaluating a sermon, as well as a helpful step-by-step workbook that tracks along with each chapter. These are all great tools, even if it's less-than-exciting as a reading experience.

That said, there are a few drawbacks that the reader should be aware of. Robinson is pretty "light" on the theological-Christocentric lens that I'm convinced modern preachers need. His method, if not tempered with a more explicitly-theological interpretive approach to scripture, could result in really good "bible study talks." If one isn't careful, it could also result in well-crafted lectures on behavior. I'm not sure how much of this can be leveled at the book, or are just the perils of preaching in general, but it was noticeable.

Overall, it's status as a "classic" on preaching (at least in the conservative Protestant world) is merited, mostly because it is a thoughtful and eminently practical book. I'm going to hold onto it, and will be referring to it from time to time as I work on my own preaching.