Jones, D.

Martyn,

Preaching & Preachers

: Edited by Kevin de Young, Grand Rapids:Zondervan, 2011.

Introduction:

 Preaching and Preachers is primarily educational and holds many biblical truths that can

be brought to any age. Dr. Jones believed that expository preaching was the way to true

preaching and his opinions on preaching may not suit everyone, but they were proven

successful lover his life of preaching and are carried on by many today.

Book Reading

 Martyn Lloyd-Jones believed the call to preach was the highest and most celebrated call

a person could ever have. He also believed that the church needed real preaching more

than it needed anything else.

 With-this-in-mind Jones traces the history of preaching and why he believes the church

has accepted something which is less than true preaching and he does it in a no nonsense

manner. Dr. Jones begins with the first church and gives his proofs for the importance of

preaching in the church by showing from New Testament passages that this was what

Jesus considered the primary task. The apostles, when confronted with the first church

crisis believed they should make prayer and proclaiming the Word their primary tasks

and asked the church to find a group of men who met certain spiritual criteria to minister

to the congregation in matters other than prayer and ministering the Word.
 Dr. Jones contends that the modern church has strayed from the preaching of the Word

and replaced it with secondary things. The preaching has become more about social

problems and ethical issues than about the resurrection gospel of Jesus Christ. The

church no longer wants to be crucified with Christ and reconciled to God through His

life-giving blood. No, it wants to treat symptoms and not the sin which has left the

church powerless. To this illness Dr. Jones warns that only a return to true biblical

preaching will revive the church and God’s people. From the problem confronting the

church Dr. Jones defines and explains what true biblical preaching is and what it does.

This preaching does not take a topical form and give us philosophies, and opinions, but

is the actual Word of God. This preaching, states Dr. Jones, will be evangelistic,

edifying, and theological.

 When it comes to the act of preaching Dr. Jones should involve the entire person and be

naturally animated and not planned. This preaching should be accomplished with the

authority of the sender, God Himself, and be free in the sense that it is controlled by the

Holy Spirit and not notes. Preaching should also contain an urgency supported with

warmth for the hearers as one under the same denunciation as they do and with love. It

should be with power as the function takes over and preaches things you did not plan or

study. It’s one aim or goal is that people would experience God and His eternal truths.

Although all Christians should proclaim the gospel message to people in the world, not

all Christians are called to be preachers. The preacher is called to preach, and this call is

separate from the general call of God to lost people to come to Christ Jesus. The call to
 preach is awareness in one’s soul to separate themselves for God’s purposes and should

also come with an overwhelming desire to see lost people come to a saving faith in

Christ. This call will should be confirmed by church. The one called to preach should

never feel that they are adequate in any way to preach as an ambassador of God except in

the power of His Spirit.

 Dr. Jones next directs preaching as it concerns the congregation. The congregation’s

ability to understand what’s being preached. Dr. Jones also explains the problem in the

congregations understanding of what preaching is about and what it should be about. He

is adamant that the pulpit should control what the congregation hears and not the other

way around. This, according to Dr. Jones does not mean that we do not consider those

who will hear the message. Preachers should not become so dogmatic in their

presentation that they cannot be understood by those listening. If they are young in

Christ, meaning their knowledge of the Bible, they will not understand complicated

doctrine and teachings without first being fed enough of the Word to understand it,

preach accordingly. This also means that the preacher never assumes that everyone in the

congregation is a Christian even if they say they are. This calls for preaching evangelistic

messages, doctrinal messages, and edifying messages on a altering basis. Do not neglect

to preach the gospel because some may hear and be saved even though they once thought

they were.
 How does one prepare to be a preacher?

 Dr. Jones has much to say about this subject and begins with controlling one’s self in

every aspect of their lives. A preacher’s prayer life is vital to the man who wants to be a

preacher God can use. This requires discipline to set aside certain times to be with God

and it requires that one live in a constant state of prayer even while they are performing

other tasks. Bible reading, and study are absolute necessities for the preacher and they

must always be learning and feeding the Word into their life.

 The prepared preacher must prepare sermons, and this is a subject Dr. Jones has much to

say about. Since Dr. Jones is an expositor he believes sermons should be textual, but does

not, himself, preach verse by verse through an entire chapter and does not believe a series

is the way to preach because it inhibits the Holy Spirit from directing week by week. He

does, however, believe in preaching special sermons for designated days such as Easter

and Christmas against the beliefs of the Puritans.

 Preaching and Preachers goes on to speak of the sermons form and developing the

proposition and the points the text makes from that proposition. Dr. Jones does make a

skeletal outline of his sermons but writes the sermon out to get all-of his points and

supporting Scriptures together in his mind and then allows the Holy Spirit the freedom to

change or add to the sermon as He deems necessary.

  As for illustrations Dr. Jones cautioned against using a text for illustration and

spiritualizing something into the text that is not there, and he also cautioned against using

illustrations from books specifically designed to provide sermon illustrations. He strongly

discouraged the use of such illustrations even to the point of stating they are a disgrace.

 There is a chapter in Preachers and Preaching of things preachers should avoid and one

on altar calls do’s and don’ts, and reasons for not repeating sermons.

 The last chapter of Preachers and Preaching concerned the anointing of the Holy Spirit to

preach the Word. It is to be sought prior to the sermon preparation process. Dr. Jones

explains the function of the Holy Spirit coming upon the Old Testament prophets which

allowed them to be used in powerful ways by the Spirit. This anointing was upon Jesus

when He ministered on this earth and came in power on the Day of Pentecost to empower

the apostles and others to witness boldly of Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection.

This anointing is still available today according to Dr. Jones and is vital to powerful

preaching and ministry.

Recommendation:

As a preacher of the word of God I recommend all preachers and students to read this book if

you want to improve your preaching and it will give you enlightenment towards the proper way

of preaching. As preacher we are required to study and read books that can help us improved our

preaching with correct interpretation and exegesis so that we can teach properly at church and
one of the good books about preaching is Dr. Jones D. Martyn in his Preaching and Preacher

book. This book is really helpful and useful when it comes in preaching enhancement and

acquiring techniques. Hope you read it and may it helps you a lot like it does to me.
A Partial fulfillment for the course of Homiletics

Reading with notes

Preacher and Preaching by Dr. Jones D. Martyn

Submitted to:
Rev. Joey Y. Diangco Ph. D

Submitted By:
Raymond L. Mortel

Berkeley Christian College

Graduate School
March 27, 2020