Old Wine in New Wineskins: Doctrinal Preaching in a Changing World 0801021138, 9780801021138

Citation preview

Old Wine in New Wineskins

Stuart Briscoe, Senior Pastor, Elmbrook Church: "Many preachers who were taught to 'preach the worď are in a hind because they are now being told that people don't like preaching and they can't abide doctrine. So what should preachers do? Find an alternative to preaching or avoid doctrine like the plague? Neither! They should read this book which will encourage them to believe that preaching is still Goďs method and that doctrine is still food for the soul. But it will also give them practical help in understanding the problems, avoiding the pitfalls, and developing preaching that is God honoring, truth telling, and life changing." Duane Litfin, President, Wheaton College: "'For those wrestling with the task of how to communicate Goďs truth to a self-centered, sound-bite generation that has lost confidence in the very notion of truth, Old Wine in New Wineskins may be just the book to turn to. Erickson and Heflin have done an excellent job of understanding the challenge and offering usable instruction on how to meet it. This book is recommended reading for preachers of the Bible as we launch out into a new millennium." David L. Larsen, Professor Emeritus of Preaching, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School: "If, as one evangehcal savant has well argued, 'Theological ideas rest inconsequentially upon the evangelical worldť Miliard Erickson and James Heflin's Old Wine in New Wineskins is a hold and direct antidote. This is a substantive and an insightful inquiry which faces into the questions we must confront in doing doctrinal preaching today. The treatment of how doctrine is derived from the various literary genres is particularly strong." David S. Dockery, President, Union University: "The church has lost its understanding of the importance of doctrine. The need for doctrinal preaching is great and the need for guidance in this area for preachers is greater! Erickson and Heflin have produced a well-informed volume that will positively shape and influence the life of the church in the 21st century. The reader will here find engaging, challenging, and helpful material. I heartily recommend this book."

Paul Scott Wilson, Professor of Homiletics, Emmanuel College, University of Toronto: "This is a thoughtful, well-researched, up-to-date book on doctrinal preaching written from an evangelical perspective. It is the best such book available and will benefit readers from various backgrounds." J. I. Packer, Sangwoo Youtong Chee ProfessorofTheology, Regent College: "Any seminary student who wants to become a disciplined and accurate preacher, and any pastor who wants to keep clear of bad pulpit habits, will find help in these pages."

Bill Hogan, Professor of Preaching, Refonned Theological Seminary: "In this day when preaching, and especially doctrinal preaching, is being minimized in some quarters, this book provides a well-reasoned and nicely balanced remedy. This book deserves to be read, and used, by every preacher."

Old Wine in Ne\N Wineskins Doctrinal Preaching in a Changing World

Millard J. Erickson and James L. Heflin

© 1997 by Millard J. Erickson and James L. Heflin

Published by Baker Books a division of Baker Book House Company P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287 Printed in the United States of America Ail rights reseIVed. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form orby any means-for example, electronic, photocopy, recording-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publicatlon Data Erickson, Miliard J. Old wine in new wineskins / Millard J. Erickson and James L. Heflin. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-8010-2113-8 (paper) 1. Doctrinal preaching. I. Heflin, James L., 1943- . II. Title. BV4235.D63E75 1997 96-53603 251--