As we have seen in the previous article, public exegesis is a philosophy of explanatory preaching that makes the original languages the center of the study and preparation of homily; It is a proposal that aims to unify two disciplines fundamentally important to the ministry: exegesis and homiletics, so, given the concepts presented in the previous article, I would like to leave some suggestions to seminarians to consider becoming public exegetas. :
It is true that the method of learning a language is sometimes tedious and repetitive; It is true that we sometimes become discouraged from learning biblical languages because we do not see the immediate results of this learning, however, when the student reaches exegesis and realizes its usefulness, he risks turning it into a purely intellectual study. can be fatal to exposure. Being able to identify speech signals, the many functions of the genitor, will have no value if the student loses sight of the devotional function of the exegesis. So study the scriptures to learn from the Lord and learn more about him; Study the scriptures for the presence of the Holy Ghost and find Christ in the text. A student who does not feel God’s presence in exegesis can hardly communicate God’s truth with passion and power. Exegesis is an imminent devotion.
- Scripture study is not an egocentric exercise.
- It is an ecclesiastical practice.
- Exegesis is one of the most pastoral practices of the ministry.
- For from there the shepherd feeds.
- Guides.
- Corrects.
- Instructs.
- Protects and directs his sheep.
- Homily is the most important and complete tool of discipleship pastoral care.
- So exegesis must be made public in the homily.
- An in-depth study of the scriptures must be done for the good of the community.
- Exegesis is fundamentally ecclesiastical.
The demands of pastoral ministry will be infinite, believe me. The pastor will always have more to do than he has time, and it is often this excessive demand for activities and responsibilities that causes the pastor to abandon exegesis. In his list of priorities, in-depth scripture study has no place, because for him it has nothing to do with his pastoral practice, nothing further from the truth!It is in the in-depth study of the scriptures that the pastor forms his ministerial philosophy, his doctrinal convictions, and where he should produce his messages. Community life is too important for the pastor to ignore a thorough scripture study, so don’t allow yourself to separate your homily from exegical efforts, the price you pay is very high. Exegesis is finally homiletic.
One way to implement public exegesis is to master the original languages. And it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time and effort. So do your best to improve your skills during your seminary internship. Read grammars, lexipics and comments, far beyond the burden required by your teachers. This effort will make a difference in the long run. Invest time and, if possible, resources during the seminary, as it is highly likely that in the ministry you never have as much time to study the scriptures; don’t neglect the study of the original languages during your ministerial training. If you need to spend more time with them than with any other topic, do so, because all other topics can be learned well outside the seminary. Exegesis requires dedication.
Since exegesis is imminent devotional, fundamentally ecclesiastical and ultimately homilyistic, strive diligently to make exegesis the starting point of your message, which does not mean that you should use the pulpit to distill your exegetic knowledge or to teach your congregation the peculiarities of biblical languages. . [I] Exegesis should be the foundation of homily, not the homily itself. Oratory and well-articulated communication require skills other than exegesis on the part of the preacher, but without it, the most eloquent preaching can only be an Expat of personal opinions, and in pastoral care we cannot risk presenting to the community a message other than that of God, so making exegesis the starting point of the message to be proclaimed , without making exegesis the proclaimed message, exegesis must be the starting point and is not the end point of preaching.
The truth is that we cannot deny the centrality of Scripture in preaching, nor the fundamental importance of the original text for our translations of the Bible. If we intend to expose the scriptures, we must be prepared to treat them in their original languages with the required skill. Therefore, strive to know and improve your knowledge of the original languages; God’s community is grateful.
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[i] Knowledge of the original languages should be similar to the use of underwear: fundamentally necessary, but highly delegated when presented in public.
In this book, the experienced Dominican preacher Sugel Michelén develops both theology and the practice of explanatory preaching of the Word of God; a book that brings the sensibility of a preacher from the Latin American Spanish-speaking context, who has more than 35 years of ministerial experience in the pulpit, and offers the reader practical advice on how to present the Word of God faithfully, blessedly and relevantly. for the good and building up of God’s people.
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