A Call To Articulate Well

Do you think people really get what you are saying?  How do you know?  I specifically want to direct this post to preachers, teachers, or bible study leaders.  While we should always be learning how to articulate truth well, those who teach on a regular basis should be continually learning how to communicate better than we presently do.  

Some of you may think that I’m crazy but I often drive down the road talking to myself.   I do this as a way of fleshing out what I am currently studying.  I can remember having conversations with a guy about losing your salvation.  He believed you could, I disagreed.  As we discussed scripture and reasoned about salvation, I realized that we were arguing in circles.  Finally, I asked him, “Can you tell me right now what you are doing that is keeping yourself saved?”  It was a showstopper.  He got that deer in the headlights look.  He was an orthodox protestant that believed that we are saved by faith and without any admixture of works.  When I asked him that question paired with the scripture we read, it seemed like I had just said something that he hadn’t thought about.  The “deer in the headlight” look quickly turned to a “I hadn’t thought of that” look.  I could see the gears turning in his head.  I wasn’t trying to win an argument (it was a discussion, we weren’t upset or anything) but to see my brother in Christ think about what he believed so I said, “Just think about it” and we left the conversation with that. 

What happened?  For the first time in our discussion, what I was trying to articulate came out clearly.  There was no question as to what I meant or as to what I was asking.  He knew exactly what I meant.  I want to address pastors for a second,

Pastors:  There are people in your congregation who are theologically minded (hopefully).  And they will hang on your every word eager to learn, analyze, and study to see if what you are saying is true.  These people understand what you mean by things like, “grace alone” or “imputation”.  But most people in your church are not this way.  So we have to learn how to articulate things in such a way that there is no confusion as to what you mean.  Sometimes that means lengthy explanation but most of the time it just means finding words that clearly translate into the vernacular.    Example: “justification by faith alone”  You could say “justification by faith alone is a once for all punctiliar declaration by God in which he imputes the righteousness of Christ to undeserving sinners who are trusting in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ as a substitutionary atonement for their lawlessness.”  Is there another way of saying that so that the average family man can understand what you mean?  I’m not suggesting that we water things down, but that we unpack these boxes of truth so that things are clear.

Bible study leaders:  You have an incredible opportunity to clearly communicate things because most of your meetings are conversational.  There are questions and comments.  It is in these meetings that beliefs are solidified as people start to verbalize what they believe.  The best bible studies that I have ever been in were theologically rich and very well thought out.  You can tell when someone has put thought into what they are saying.  As bible study leaders, we need to be thinking about what we are saying.  Anticipate questions.  Work out the answers.