The Ten Commandments

Sinclair Ferguson, the prolific author, pastor and seminary professor, reflects on 40 years of preaching and offers up some advice to those who preach in the form of “Ten Commandments” in Themelios (an evangelical theological journal). The list was based on the following criteria:

what rule of preaching-life, do I wish someone had written for me to provide direction, shape, ground rules, that might have helped me keep going in the right direction and gaining momentum in ministry along the way?

The list was directed toward preachers, but I found it helpful for anyone who teaches the Scriptures. Here are the Ten Commandments he offers in list form. I recommend reading the article to get his full thoughts and advice on each of these.

1. Know Your Bible Better
2. Be a Man of Prayer
3. Don’t Lose Sight of Christ
4. Be Deeply Trinitarian
5. Use Your Imagination – “present the same truth in a way that enables others to see it, understand its significance, feel its power”
6. Speak Much of Sin & Grace
7. Use the “Plain Style” – “make [the point] clear and express its power”
8. Find Your Own Voice
9. Learn How to Transition – show them “how to” after we have we told them they need to (here is an excellent post on how to make sure teaching is applicable)
10. Love Your People

HT: Justin Taylor (for pointing out this article)