"The Whole Counsel of God" (Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid)

TITLE: The Whole Counsel of God: Why and How to Preach the Entire Bible
AUTHOR: Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020, (256 pages).

One common question among preachers is this: "What should I preach?" As one who preaches regularly, this is a weekly encounter. Some would preach topically while others insist on going through a Bible book at a time, something we call expository preaching. There is the the Big-Idea Preaching, the Christ-centered preaching, the Gospel-Centered Preaching, the Expository preaching, etc. Many preach on the Bible with selected passages but few advocate for preaching the entire Bible. This is understandable from a length-wise standpoint, for the Bible comprises 66 books altogether. Reading through it alone is already daunting but to preach through it? This is exactly what the authors, Tim Patrick and Andrew Reid are convicted about. It is only through preaching the entire Word of God that listeners will be adequately fed. For many, the problem is not about desire but about even entertaining the possibility of preaching through the entire Bible. After all, just reading through the Bible is already a huge feat, let alone preaching it. The authors are well aware of this challenge and takes pains to explain that it is far more profitable to try than to be bogged down by details. In fact, they go further to show us how to preach through the entire Bible. This is perhaps the key reason to get this book.


In Part One, readers get to understand the fundamental arguments behind the reason for preaching through the entire Bible. If the Bible was written to be heard, surely the people needs to hear not just in part but in whole. In both the Old and New Testaments, we learn of how the whole Word impacted the people. There are explicit references to how the people were transformed because of the preaching of the Word. God gave the entire law through Moses. He revived the land of Judah through King Josiah who discovered the whole law as described in 2 Kings 23:1-3. Tracing biblical as well as Church history, readers get a broad overview of what happens when the Word of God was taken seriously. Lives were changed. Not only are we reminded about the rewards of reading the whole Word, we are told about the dangers of not doing it. Patrick and Reid show a deep understanding of the predicaments of many preachers. They know why some preachers flip back and forth between topical studies and book-by-book preaching. They point out the temptation toward "doctrinal-paradigm preaching" which uses the Word according to the preacher's fixed theological framework, instead of letting the Bible speak for itself. There is also the need to balance relevant preaching to biblical preaching. For one can be too relevant that we take the Bible out of context. In the same way, we can be too Bible-fixated that we bore our audience due to a lack of connecting with everyday reality.

Part Two goes into the nitty-gritty of what it takes to preach the whole Word. Before anyone attempts to preach, one needs to understand. Patrick and Reid give us some tools to do just that. They explain three conventional frameworks. There is biblical theology that aims to see biblical revelation not just chronologically but theologically. Put it another way, it is biblical revelation with a direction, to understand the Bible as God intended for us. Then there is systematic theology that synthesizes the theology according to the themes and subjects concerned. This also involves combing the whole Scripture to illuminate biblical truths. Finally, there is gospel theology that sees everything from the perspective of the gospel. This theological framework then subdivides the gospel further into three sub-categories: Christology; Atonement; and Eschatology. In simple terms, it is Christ has come, Christ has died, and Christ has risen. The authors show us how we can use these three theological frameworks in our preaching. Then comes the planning which requires time, balance, and grouping Bible genres. What is helpful is the subdivisions of the Bible:

• Torah (17%)
• Former Prophets (22%)
• Latter Prophets (22%)
• Writings (15%)
• Gospels (10%)
• Acts & Epistles (13%)

By understanding the subdivisions, we can proportionately plan our preaching calendar to emphasize what the Bible is telling us. There is a section that highlights the authors' disdain of topical preaching. This is something preachers would need to ponder over. Other features of this planning includes:

• How to choose books from each theological paradigm?
• How to plan a series?
• How to tackle bigger books?
• How to plan the preaching calendar with Church calendar in mind?
• How to recognize natural divisions in the Bible and the use of Bible scholars and commentaries?
• Estimating time and text per sermon?
• Learning to deal with repetition
• and many more.

Part Three shows us some practical considerations. We learn about keeping the Word central in all things. We consider the practice of these theological frameworks and how to best apply them in our respective contexts. We also learn about the unforeseen circumstances that might derail preachers' preaching plans. There are many good suggestions and ready to use ideas we could use. The authors also consider the context of the preacher as well as the congregation.

My Thoughts
This is one of those preaching books that uniquely equips us to preach the entire counsel of God. I have read books on big ideas, on Christ-centered, on biblical preaching, and so on. Many of them focuses on genres and how we can be faithful to the text according to the genre they are in. Some books also teach us on techniques, interpretive, and communication skills. Thus, I am glad that Patrick and Reid have given us thought and resources to aim to preach the entire Bible. At the least, we are encouraged to form a plan for preaching. In this manner, this is one of the best and most balanced preaching books I have read.

I appreciate the way the authors are able to summarize theological frameworks and make them practical for the masses. In seminary, students often study biblical theology and systematic theology separately. There is no one course that teach or show students exactly how to integrate all of them into one preaching paradigm. Even preaching courses tend to focus on exegesis, interpretation, and techniques for communicating. Having to preach the whole counsel is not something often taught. That is why I am happy to know about this book. Not only did the authors provide the theoretical and theological backing, they show us the practical considerations and the planning process. They were able to anticipate the criticisms, such as "doctrinal paradigm preaching" and topical preaching. They help us along with many diagrams and illustrations. In that way, they don't just tell us but to show us the way. In one book, we get a treasure of information and teachable material for preachers and aspiring preachers of the Word.

I am happy to recommend this book for all preachers, pastors, and Bible teachers.

Tim Patrick (PhD, Macquarie University) is principal of the Bible College of South Australia, an affiliated college of the Australian College of Theology, where he lecturers in theology and practical ministry.

Andrew Reid (ThD, Ridley College) is the inaugural principal of the Evangelical Theological College of Asia in Singapore. He previously served as the lead pastor of several churches in Australia and as lecturer in Old Testament, hermeneutics, and Hebrew at Ridley College Melbourne.

Rating: 4.75 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book has been provided courtesy of Crossway Publishers and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.