Sharing Personal Experiences in Preaching Without Being Too Relatable
Sharing Personal Experiences in Preaching
Preaching the Gospel is a fundamental aspect of Christian ministry, with the apostle Paul emphasizing the necessity of doing so [2]. When it comes to sharing personal experiences in preaching, the key is to do so without making the preacher the central focus. According to Adam Clarke, Paul's preaching was characterized by a lack of "excellency of speech" and "arts of rhetoric," instead relying on the "supremely excellent" testimony of Christ [4].
The biblical basis for preaching involves testifying to the Gospel and warning people about the consequences of sin [7]. In Ezekiel 3:17, God appoints Ezekiel as a watchman, tasked with warning the people. Similarly, Paul saw himself as a steward of God's mysteries, entrusted with the ministry of preaching the Gospel [1, 2]. The preacher's role is not to seek personal gain or glory but to faithfully proclaim the message [5, 6].
The challenge lies in sharing personal experiences without becoming too relatable or self-focused. One tradition interprets Paul's approach as avoiding "flattering words" and instead emphasizing the importance of holiness [5]. This is echoed in the writings of John Chrysostom, who notes that the preacher's task involves much labor, watching, and toiling in the word, without seeking personal glory [8].
In sharing personal experiences, preachers must be mindful of their audience and the potential impact of their words. As Adam Clarke notes, Christian liberty should be exercised in a way that avoids subjecting the Gospel to reproach [9]. The goal is to preach the Gospel effectively, without boasting in what has been accomplished by others [3, 10].
Sources
- Acts “Acts 20:24 (ASV) — But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
- I Corinthians “I Corinthians 9:16 (Webster) — For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of: for necessity is laid upon me; and woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel!”
- 2 Corinthians “2 Corinthians 10:16 (NASB) — so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.”
- 1 Corinthians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Corinthians 2:1: When I came to you - Acting suitably to my mission, which was to preach the Gospel, but not with human eloquence, Co1 1:17. I declared to you the testimony, the Gospel, of God, not with excellency of speech, not with arts of rhetoric, used by your own philosophers, where the excellence of the speech recommends the matter, and compensates for the want of solidity and truth: on the contrary, the testimony concerning Christ and his salvation is so supremely excellent, as to dignify any kind of language by which it may be conveyed. See the Introduction, Section 2.”
- 1 Thessalonians (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 1 Thessalonians 2:5: Flattering words - Though we proclaimed the Gospel or glad tidings, yet we showed that without holiness none should see the Lord. Ye know - That while we preached the whole Gospel we never gave any countenance to sin. For a cloak of covetousness - We did not seek temporal emolument; nor did we preach the Gospel for a cloak to our covetousness: God is witness that we did not; we sought you, not yours. Hear this, ye that preach the Gospel! Can ye call God to witness that in preaching it ye have no end in view by your ministry but his glory in the salvation of ”
- 1 Corinthians (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on 1 Corinthians 9:15: For though I preach the Gospel, I have nothing to glory of,.... The sense is not, that if he preached the Gospel in order for a livelihood, and to serve his private advantage, he should have no room for glorying; since, if this was the case, he should be obliged to do it, or perish for want: but his meaning is, that though he preached the Gospel ever so well, or ever so freely, and might glory before men, and against the false teachers, who insulted him in his character and office; yet not before God, from whom he received all his gifts, abilities, and qualific”
- Ezekiel (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Ezekiel 3:17: I have made thee a watchman - The care and welfare of all this people I have laid on thee. Thou must watch for their safety, preach for their edification, and pray for their eternal welfare. And that thou mayest be successful, receive the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. God is particularly jealous lest any words but his own be taught for Divine doctrines. He will not have human creeds, no more than Traditions, taught instead of his own word. No word can be successful in the salvation of sinners but that which comes from God. Every minister of the Gospel sh”
- CCEL/NPNF (Eastern Orthodox) “John Chrysostom, Homilies on Galatians–Colossians–Thessalonians: to that blessed one. But the preaching is the same as it was then. And not only in his bonds did they have fellowship with him, but also from the beginning. For hear him saying, “And ye yourselves also know, ye Philippians, that in the beginning of the Gospel, no Church had fellowship with me in the matter of giving and receiving, but ye only.” ( Philip. iv. 15 .) And even apart from trials, the teacher has much labor, watching, toiling in the word, teaching, complaints, accusations, imputations, envyings. Is this a little matter”
- Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 14:16: Let not then your good be evil spoken of - Do not make such a use of your Christian liberty as to subject the Gospel itself to reproach. Whatsoever you do, do it in such a manner, spirit, and time, as to make it productive of the greatest possible good. There are many who have such an unhappy method of doing their good acts, as not only to do little or no good by them, but a great deal of evil. It requires much prudence and watchfulness to find out the proper time of performing even a good action.”
- 2 Corinthians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on 2 Corinthians 10:16: To--that is, so as to preach . . . beyond you (and) not to boast, &c. in another man's line of things made ready to our hand--Do not connect "line of things," &c.; but "boast of things," &c. To make this clearer, arrange the words thus, "Not to boast as to things (already made by the preaching of others) ready to our hand in another man's line (that is, within the line, or sphere of labor, apportioned by God to another)."”