Expository Preaching - Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages and Disadvantages

Some advantage of expository preaching are as follows: 1) The presentation of the entire content of an entire Bible passage is attempted regardless of the desires of the congregation. Hot topics and controversial topics may not be avoided; pandering is diminished. 2) The preacher is never be lost for a sermon subject. 3) The preacher is not left to guess the needs of his flock and to present appropriate topics, since the preacher believes that God's word has God's comprehensive diet for his sheep.

Some disadvantages of expository preaching are as follows: 1) the truths in a particular Bible passage may not be those most needed by a particular audience at their point of life. 2) The topic presented may lack the unity afforded by the topical method. 3) By limiting the message to a certain passage, the presentation of topics in their fullness, may be neglected. Therefore, in order to properly address the context and content at hand in a given passage, the preacher may become topical by concentrating on the topic at hand, and integrating other supporting passages. W.A. Criswell managed to cover the entire Bible over a 17 year period as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas. But John MacArthur (pastor of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, CA) has spent nearly a decade in the book of Luke alone. J. Vernon McGee, radio preacher, preached through the entire Bible in 5 year cycles.