The Archer and the Arrow: Preaching the Very Words of God

by Phillip D. Jensen, Paul Grimmond

This book is about a sentence 40 years in the making:

"My aim is to preach the gospel by prayerfully expounding the Bible to the people God has given me to love." (Phillip Jensen)

Join Phillip Jensen and Paul Grimmond as they explore each phrase in this carefully wrought statement, and show not only why faithful, powerful, biblical preaching is so important, but how to go about it.

Genres: Christian, Theology, Nonfiction, Church Ministry

148 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Phillip Jensen is an Australian cleric of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney and the Dean of St Andrew's Cathedral. He is the brother of Peter Jensen, the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney.

Reviews

[Tony Villatoro · Rating 4 out of 5]

The arrowhead is the gospel, the shaft is the exegesis, and the feathers are the theology. Packing a lot with this illustration, the authors really give a somewhat rounded view of this illustration and how it applies to preaching. One of my favorite parts of this illustration is when they write that "Over years of ministry, a preacher doesn't just fire one arrow but a quiver full of sermons of all sorts of different shapes and sizes." -49 Sermons will come in different shapes and sizes. Some sermons will have fat arrowheads that would have to have long shafts and a good amount of feathers, while some sermons will have sharp, thin arrowheads with a short shaft, and thin yet nicely edged feathers.

I mostly enjoyed thinking about sermons with this arrow illustration in mind, the principles of preparation described, as well as the third Appendix. It is a decent book that encourages the preacher in ways from being a systematic theologian to knowing how to leave things unsaid in a sermon. One of the starter books on preaching.

Favorite sentence:
It is impossible because we can never say everything in a sermon. Our message is always slanted to a certain extent by what we have left unsaid. There is a time and place for balanced statements and careful constructions of Christian beliefs, but it is not when we preach. -112

First Sentence:
This book is all about preaching. -11

Last Sentence:
May this faithfulness and this joy be yours in abundance. -116


Here are some highlights I made while reading:
First Sentence:
This book is all about preaching. -11

The essence of preaching is passing on the message as we have received it -- that is what it means to speak the very oracles of God. -14

But does our preaching remind our hearers that they are listening to a word from the living God? Do we remind our congregation that this world has one divine author who stands behind and speaks through the entire biblical word, from Genesis to Revelation? -18

Slowly but surely, our confidence in the word of God has been undermined. In our desire to be part of the 'conversation,' we long for the acceptance and legitimacy that will never come. And our preaching starts to be sprinkled with phrases like "the way I see it" and "it seems to me." -18

At first glance, introducing our ideas with "I think" rather than declaring "God says" conveys a wise and thoughtful humility. We acknowledge that we aren't gurus to whom people should come for answers. But ultimately the appearance of humility cloaks the anxiety of an unbelieving heart. -18

True humility is to speak the words of God. False humility is to speak our own words as if our words are what matter. People shouldn't come to hear the preacher. People should come to hear God. -18

True preaching is preaching that unfolds and explicates and explains and declares the living and active words of God. -19

My aim is to preach the gospel by prayerfully expounding the Bible to the people God has given me to love. -22

While each of the sermons contains its own nuances, the repeated elements paint a very clear picture, Jesus was descended from David, put to death on a cross, and raised from the dead in fulfillment of God's promises as the Christ. Therefore now is the time to seek his forgiveness through repentance and faith, for the judgment is coming. -27

Preaching the gospel didn't mean explaining every last detail of his death and resurrection every time they preached. Nor did it mean saying exactly the same thing every time they spoke. The message about God's fulfillment of his kingdom, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, was preached wisely and thoughtfully in each new situation. -27

For any true circle, one arc of the circle implies the whole. So by remembering that each passage we preach is an arc of the circle, we encourage ourselves to preach it in a way that fits in with the whole gospel message. We should never preach a particular passage in such a way that people are going to end up with an oval or a pear or even a square when they hear from another part of God's word next week. -31

Every part of the Bible will relate to the gospel and ought to be preached in the light of it. -34

Firstly, genuine expository preaching will respect the nature of the whole Bible as the word of God. -40

The three essential parts of the arrow: Feathers, Shaft, and Arrowhead. -42

At the point of the arrowhead is the gospel, the declaration that Jesus is the Lord and Saviour. The cutting edges of the arrowhead are the implications of that reality. This can include things like ethics, philosophy, apologetics, personal godliness and "kategoria." -43

One of the keys to shaping good arrowheads is to notice whether there are any imperatives (or commands) given by the writer in the passage. The application of the truths in the passage may well be broader than these particular imperatives, but they will never be less. And if we pay particular attention to the commands given in the passage it will help us focus on what God wants us to do rather than on our own particular prejudices. -45

It is valuable to look for imperatives, but this is not to say that all arrowheads must have an imperative. When we think that no sermon is complete ultil it tells the congregation to do something, we have started to become Arminian preachers. We think that it's our job to change the congregation for the better, and that it is their job to become better Christians, and so we get into the habit of finishing every sermon. with a passionate appeal for them to try harder, pray longer, obey these rules and do better... It may be enough simply to open the congregation's mind to the wisdom of God, and the goodness of God, and especially the grace of God. We need to preach less about what we have to do, and more about the wonder of ehat God has already done for us in Christ Jesus. -46

An arrowhead needs a shaft. The shaft corresponds to the exegesis of the passage. Just as the length and the rigidity of the shaft of an arrow affects how fast, how far and how accurately an arrow will fly, so the exegesis of the passage will dertermine how accurately and effectively you will deliver the arrowhead of the sermon to its target. -47

In order for an arrow to fly directly towards the archer's intended target, it needs to fly directly towards the archer's intended target, it needs to to have feathers attached to the tail. For the purposes of our illustration, the feathers correspond to issues like systematic theology, biblical theology, church history, philosophy and the like. -47

The arrowhead is the gospel word corresponding to "Kategoria," apologetics, evangelism, pastoral, polemics, ethics. The shaft is the exegesis. The feathers is the theology corresponding to biblical theology, systematic theology, history, philosophy, language. -48

Part of the art of preaching is understanding how the passage you are teaching shapes the entire arrow. -48

An arrow with a fat head, a short shaft and few feathers would fly erratically if you fired it in the real world. -49

Over years of ministry, a preacher doesn't just fire one arrow but a quiver full of sermons of all sorts of different shapes and sizes. -49

Principles for Preparation:
1. Start with the text and end with the text. -56

The most vital lesson to be learned is the importance of letting the text say what the text has to say. -56

2. Use your external sources widely. -57

Commentaries, Bible dictionaries and the like are great servants but lousy masters. -58

3. Always wrestle with the Biblical context. -58

Every time we preach a passage, we preach it within the context of larger wholes. -58

4. There is no substitute for hard work. -59

Good sermon preparation always involves hard, prayerful work on the text -- the work of translating and thinking and reflecting and turning up other passages and asking the hard questions and wrestling to understand that God wants to say. -59

5. The hard work is cumulative. -60

The next time you come back to preach this book, you will already have one much of the background thinking. You will be able to stop and pay attention to the parts you didnt understand last time around. -60

6. Let the logic of the text shape the sermon. -60

The key then is not just to preach the structure or to highlight the structure but to make sense of the logic, and to let the logic work its way out in the sermon. -61

Whatever you decide to do at the end, the key is to work out how to structure your sermon in a way that so conveys the logic of the text that the congregation feels the weight of the conclusion. -62

Sometimes that will involve sticking very closely to the structure of the biblical text. At other times, it will mean finding a different structure for your sermon that respects the structure of the text and yet makes the logic clear for the hearer. -63

Good preachers must be good biblical and systematic theologians. -66

Good preaching will occur when we read the Bible doctrinally and when we evaluate our doctrine biblically. -70

A preacher needs to be a self-conscious systematic theologian. -74

1. Keep reading the Bible. -74

The source of all our theology must be the word of God, and so, the most obvious but often overlooked way to develop our theology is to read broadly and thoughtfully in the Bible. -74

2. Rejoice when you don't understand the Bible. -75

3. Pursue formal theological education. -75

Good exegetical preaching will always be theologically aware preaching. -78

Good preaching is gospel preaching from both Old and New Testaments. -79

Common grace may get us to the ear and even the mind of the hearer, but without the revealed truth of God implanted by the illumination of the Spirit, the heart will never be changed. -91

On the one hand we must resist being seduced by the promise of savvy communication, and on the other we must not resort to using "special revelation" as an excuse for our own ineptitude. -91

The pastor who lives with his people laughs with them and cries with them; he shares the joys and sorrows of this broken but God-given life. He learns to love his people. And they learn to love him. -103

True biblical preaching will flow from genuine love, and genuine love will be grown by true biblical preaching. -104

1. Preachers are absolutists in an age of relativism. -108

When we say that it is universally true that God can only be known through Jesus Christ, we put every religious relativist offside. This is a risk that a preacher must take. -108

2. Preachers call for repentance. -109

3. Preachers risk offending the powerful. -109

6. Preachers risk being misunderstood. -112

The flexibility and ambiguity of language, along with the inflexibility and fixed mindset of some hearers, means that preachers are bound to be misunderstood. -112

7. Preachers avoid balance. -112

It is impossible because we can never say everything in a sermon. Our message is always slanted to a certain extent by what we have left unsaid. There is a time and place for balanced statements and careful constructions of Christian beliefs, but it is not when we preach. -112

Balanced preaching tends to proceed too quickly to the rounded, balanced, finished product, leaving the hearer with a sense of neatness and familiarity rather than challenge. -113

Last sentence:
May this faithfulness and this joy be yours in abundance. -116

Appendix III: Tips for Young Preachers.
1. When you preach, be as good as you can. -145

2. Fledgling preachers tend to be boring. -146

3. Work out how long you can preach for and still be interesting. -146

4. Know how to use commentaries. -147

5. Find the logic units of the book; don't just preach on chapters or paragraphs. -147

6. Young preachers should start with bigger sections. -147

7. Expository preaching is worth fighting for (but a lot of other things are not). -148

[Samuel Kassing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great introduction to expositional preaching.

It is accessible and practical. But it is deeply theological.

[Ethan Moxham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read this book over the course of this year (2024) as a 121 resource reading it a chapter at a time. I have given it 3 stars, however I feel it is closer to a 7 then a 6 (out of 10), but most definitely closer to a 3 than a 4 (out of 5).

It is good. It is a good resource for any preacher, but especially an early preacher or one who hasn’t started yet. It is broken into 7 chapters and covers a range between the theological backing of preaching and the preacher, as well as some very good practical resources along the way. One of my favourite parts of the book is that in each chapter there is an introduction clearly outlining the chapter and a summary concluding it well. There is also an illustration across the book “the arrow” which well illustrates the author’s point along the way.

The main weakness of the book is the detail. At times it feels they go into depths unnecessarily and pass over other things vaguely. I do feel the author’s are very helpfully practical, and maybe my bar is too high or I am asking for too much, but I wanted more or rather deeper.

I would absolutely recommend to an early or starting preacher! An enjoyable and insightful read.

[Nickolas Wingholt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is way more of a book about preaching philosophy than it is about preaching technique. Jensen's philosophy is engaging, clever, and insightful. The central archery illustration is helpful for measuring a young preacher's goals and motivations, as well as developing his skills. I particularly loved how the author encourages the preacher to preach what the text supplies - nothing more, nothing less - regardless of whatever external pressures he may have to add or subtract from it. Preach negatively if that is what the text is saying. Don't feel obligated to preach imperatives if the text has no imperatives. Really good stuff that isn't articulated enough these days. 2nd time read. 3/5.

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read in an arvo. Very easy to digest! I think if I read it when I first gave a talk (all of 11 years ago!) I would have given it 5 stars. A decade later though and there’s lots in it I already assumed. Objectively though, still good.

Overall, I appreciated that the focus was mostly on the theology and philosophy of preaching. I must admit I can lose patience when I can’t see why someone thinks or practices the way they do. I just get a bit uncomfortable when the foundations seem iffy or undefined. So shoot me! Ministry philosophy (like this) though, is actually quite practical. Here’s why. Here’s why it’s biblical. Here’s the implication. And — if you can change how I think, it will probably change me for the long haul too.

A couple of brilliant chapters that were a highlight. The chapter on special revelation, common grace and the preacher was helpful and balanced. And the appendix on strategy and tactics in ministry is probably a must read for anyone who either doubts the benefit of ministry tactics or overplays it too much.

Good stuff Phillip. Glad I thumbed my way through it.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a treasure of experiential wisdom. Books on preaching come in a lot of different ways. I would categorize this one as practical, though it does have a helpful touch of theology. Every preacher ought to read it. I would encourage young preachers especially to read it. Young preachers will get immediate help from but won't have the real-world experience to recognize some of the wisdom it has. That's okay. This is one of those books that is worth reading once and reading again every few years.

[Todd Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the freshest books I've read on preaching in some time. This is not a step by step analysis of how to construct a sermon. If you're looking for a book on that, look elsewhere. This is a book intended to remind every preacher of the purpose of preaching. And, Jensen does that with magnificence.

Every person preaching or teaching God's Word regularly should read this book. Every one.

[Matthew Pitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you preach with any frequency in your local church then this book will be of help to you.

Matthias Media has a knack of publishing short, readable books that will provide easily implemented advice for anyone who wants to faithfully teach the gospel of Jesus, either in a church gathering, in a home group or even one to one. The Archer and the Arrow is very much part of that collection.

While the illustration of archer and arrow, that underpins the book, is not perfect - it does get you to the point quickly (pardon the pun). Philip Jensen's no-nonsense wisdom, gathered by many decades in the pulpit, comes across - as well as his conviction that, if we let it, God's word the Bible will speak for itself.

We can all be better communicators and we can all be clearer in what we are to communicate. This book helps.

[Haley Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Archer and the Arrow is a simple but helpful primer on preaching. Its strongest insights are the image of the gospel as both a portmanteau and a circle—at once summarized in “Jesus is Lord” yet ever-expanding into the fullness of the good news—and the archery analogy, with the gospel as the arrowhead, exegesis as the shaft, and theology as the feathers that keep it true. While the book is rudimentary, it offers clear reminders that faithful preaching is less about technique and more about stewarding God’s Word with clarity and trustworthiness.

[Matt Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, solid book.
Best parts:
The preacher's mission statement: 'my aim is to preach the gospel by prayerfully expounding the Bible to the people God has given me to love.'
The appendices at the back of the book relating preaching ministry to the overall mission of the church.

[Doug Van Meter · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most helpful book on preaching that I've read over the past 4 decades. Highly recommended.

[Wade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great, practical overview into biblical preaching.

[Peter Krol · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd say this is the best book I've read on preaching, but...it's the first one I've read. I'm just not terribly motivated to read books that seem to base their principles more on the author's personality or preferences than on biblical mandate. (Note: I'm not accusing any particular books of this fault. It's more my own fear.)

Jensen and Grimmond do a superb job of explaining the preacher's craft: speaking the very words of God.

Their model is quite simple:
1. Figure out what God said.
2. Figure out how to say it to your audience.
3. Say it.

It's brilliant, but it's so hard.

I find most preaching actually misses the mark on the first point. In fact, most "verse-by-verse" or "expositional" preaching misses the mark on the first point. Believe it or not, it's possible to focus on the text and preach "through" a text...and still miss the point of the text.

And this is where Jensen and Grimmond shine. They walk the preacher through this critical first step, and they do it well. If you have responsibility to teach God's word to others, I can't recommend this book highly enough.

[Benedict Tan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually expected a little more than what the book offered. But that could be just asking for too much. Phillip Jensen and Paul Grimmond do excellent work in laying out the principles and foundations of Biblical preaching.

I find it really helpful in seeing how a text should be shaped and crafted. A good help for anybody, whether preacher or otherwise.

[Dan Sudfeld · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is good, solid material on the importance and value of expository preaching. The thesis is that the preacher's task is to "preach the gospel by prayerfully expounding the Bible." This book takes us through that statement piece-by-piece.

[Eunice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I've read on preaching / sharing the gospel. SO good. Turns you from your man centred views of preaching to understanding God's call for a preacher / proclaimer of the gospel like you and I. I've made notes on this and will come back to it to clean up my gospel goggles.

[Michael Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not many "nuts and bolts" on how to preach in this book, but this is an encouragement to trust God as you work on the craft of preaching. The unique nature of preaching is emphasized, stressing that we are preaching the word of God. Our desire should not be to be popular, but to honor God and His Word as we preach. Because of this, we should do what we can to hone the gift God has called us to share with the people.