The art of preaching

I recently read in a book, written by a reformed preacher, that said he took a homiletics class in seminary. I had no idea what that word meant but soon discovered it is the ‘art of preaching’.

When I think of preachers being turned out by the dozen through institutions that teach classes such as homiletics…the art of preaching…I can’t help but think of 1 John 2:27

But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.

Once we are in Christ we have no need that any man should teach us. And yet these men…supposedly born again Christian men…are going to fancy schools to be taught the Bible and learn things like the art of preaching.

Why…I must ask…do we need to get preaching down to an art? Why can’t it be someone teaching straight from the Scriptures? If these men were truly in Christ would they need classes to teach them of Scripture? Would they need classes to teach them how to preach?

If they’ve been given the gift of teaching or preaching…will the Lord not give them everything they need to equip them to deliver the message He wants given?

Why do they need a man-made education to be able to turn the Lord’s word into a message if they truly are gifted in the deliverance of that message?

I have been given the ability to write. It isn’t something I had an interest in, isn’t something I tried to develop, isn’t something I ever even wanted to do. It’s just something I can do. I didn’t even know I had that ability until a family member kept begging me to try and write something. At first I felt like I couldn’t accomplish the task that had been asked of me but in time I began to realize the words were there without me half trying. It wasn’t anything I had done, wasn’t anything I had ever wanted to do, but it was something I could do.

I say all that only to point out that if the Lord wanted a man to preach wouldn’t he give him the ability to do so without him having to go to some school and take classes that would teach him things like the art of preaching? Wouldn’t delivering the message the Lord wanted him to deliver just be there like the words I write are?

What does it say of the preachers standing behind the pulpits…something neither Christ nor Paul ever used I might add…in our ‘church’ buildings today? They’ve been taught homiletics…a fancy word to say preaching is an art…in some school that teaches them who knows what else that isn’t in the Bible. All so they can go out and teach the Bible to people.

Does that seem right?

Why can’t they start with Scripture, end with Scripture, and having nothing in the middle but Scripture? And why can’t they do it without having to take classes that require the teaching of how to preach?

Either the ability to preach is there or it isn’t.

It’s either a gift they’re given or it isn’t.

Why must they take classes to develop a gift…if they truly have it…unless they aren’t developing a gift they’ve been given but are instead trying to create the illusion of one?

When preaching becomes an art that must be taught is it not just an illusion of what could have been but isn’t?