It is a difficult balance for any preacher to obtain. How do you rightly explain Scripture in a way that connects with your audience without changing the meaning or doctrine or point of the passage in any way? David Helm provides an excellent, accessible roadmap for today’s expositor to accomplish this needed balance.

In his introduction, Helm speaks of the impact of the ministry and preaching of 19th century pastor Charles Simeon, particularly with respect to expository preaching. Quoting Simeon, Helm writes, “He defined his conviction about biblical exposition this way:

My endeavor is to bring out of Scripture what is there, and not to thrust in what I think might be there. I have a great jealousy on this head; never to speak more or less than I believe to be the mind of the Spirit in the passage I am expounding.

Simeon viewed the preacher as duty-bound to the text.” (p.12)

Simeon’s conviction is what is called expository preaching. The point of the sermon must be the point of the text. The text is inspired, not the preacher. The text is the Word of God, the words of life, the truth of salvation, not the preacher. The point of the sermon must be the message of the sacred text not the ability, wisdom, or winsome personality of the messenger. As Helm reminds the reader later in this volume, “the Word of God creates and sustains the people of God, his church.” (p.91)

The book is divided into 4 simple chapters that guide the preacher toward expositional preaching. First, Helm warns against allowing our cultural context to drive the sermon rather than allowing the text to drive the sermon. This leads him to the following 3 chapters that lay out a map for developing expositional sermons. The hard work of exegesis must be the beginning point of sermon preparation. Then the preacher must take time for theological reflection. How does this text point to the Gospel? to Christ? Where does this text fit in the scheme of redemptive history? Finally, when exegesis and theological reflection has been given their due priority, then the preacher can consider how the meaning of the text applies to his own cultural context. The Bible is already relevant. The preacher only needs to “draw out the implications and applications that are already there in the text in ways that make sense for the culture the church is embedded in.” (p.100)