The Man of God: His Preaching and Teaching Labors: Volume 2 of Pastoral Theology

by Albert N. Martin

The Man of God: His Preaching and Teaching Labors. Among the manifold responsibilities and privileges of being a scripturally-recognized elder in Christ’s church who is set apart to “labor in preaching and teaching”(1 Tim. 5:17), no function in that office is of greater importance than that of the preaching and teaching labors of the man of God. This book begins with the articulation of seven basic axioms that apply to every species of biblical preaching and teaching, and moves forward to identify the three basic categories of legitimate sermons. Then a working framework for the actual construction of sermons, including introductions and conclusions, is set before us. The concluding section focuses on the “Act of Preaching” itself. In these chapters, such things as the place of emotions, physical action, the use of vocal powers, and the benefits and liabilities of a sermon manuscript are thoroughly discussed. The author sets a treatment of these various subjects that is drawn primarily from the contents of the Bible, the insights of general revelation, and the confirming voice of proven guides from past generations.

Genres: Christian, Theology

651 pages, hardcover

Published January 1, 2019

About the author

Pastor Albert N. Martin shepherded the people of Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey for 46 years. He was a Reformed Baptist at least a quarter-century before anyone considered it to be cool. Now retired from ministry, he has written this book for Cruciform Press to recount what he learned from the death of his wife, Marilyn, at age 73. Grieving, Hope, and Solace is his second book, and his first for a lay audience. To offer a sense of the depth of Pastor Martin’s ministry, the late John Murray, Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, and author of several classic books, including Redemption Accomplished and Applied, once said regarding an upcoming conference,“If Al Martin is to be there I really think he should be asked to take the three evening services proposed for me. He is one of the ablest and most moving preachers I have ever heard…I have not heard his equal.”

Reviews

[Michael Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Martin's 3 volume series on pastoral theology is a true gift to the church and should be read by any man aspiring to be a pastor or currently in pastoral ministry. I often recommend them to pastors and have taken men through these in the pastoral training at our church. Volume 2 is a compendium of Reformed thought on the elements of preaching, from the different types of sermons down to whether to use a manuscript or how our body language affects our audience. Martin is an astute reader of past giants who have touched on these topics, and will often quote them. While some may think that he does this too often, many, like myself, believe this to be the best type of resource where we not only get the seasoned thoughts of Martin's five decades of ministry, but also get to hear from Spurgeon, Dabney, Shedd, Broadus, Alexander, the Puritans, and others. Highly recommended.

[Zack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot possibly overstate the value of this book to preachers and their co-elders.

[Michael Roe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, along with the other two volumes in Martin's Pastoral Theology series, should be required reading for seminaries or for elders in training. Having read the first two volumes now, I cannot speak too highly of the series so far.

[Matthew Deans · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books on preaching I've read. I did read his first volume in pastoral theology, and really appreciate how he lays out both the theory and practice of ministry. Many books focus too much on one or the other. He does both. He also gets down to the nitty-gritty, even down to air conditioning in a sanctuary for a congregation to be ready to receive preaching well. That's why it's so long. Though, I think the length is worth it. I simply slowly worked through it, and never felt like his chapters were unnecessary. If there were sections I felt like I didn't need--sure, I skipped them. But I didn't skip often. Excellent resource for new and veteran preachers!

[Matthew Rawlings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin's trilogy is a must for pastors. It is filled with deep and practical advice for the preacher. I disagree with the author's disdain for the method of preaching that seeks to find Christ in all of Scripture. He remarks, at one point, that it is the hypothesis of theoreticians rather than practitioners. I think anyone who has listened to the late Dr. Tim Keller would disagree. Yet, that is my only quibble.

[Jonathan Ginn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, but I enjoyed the first volume more than this one—most likely because of the subject matter. Given that this volume deals with the topic of preaching, there were a few points of opinion where I differed slightly from Martin. Overall, however, I found much to chew on and think about.

[Joonas Laajanen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Arthur Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure gold. A resource for life.

[John Majors · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC!!!!