There is a tremendous responsibility that comes with standing behind a pulpit and declaring, “The Bible says…”

Those words should never be spoken carelessly.

When we preach, teach a Bible study, or counsel someone from Scripture, people are trusting us to handle the Word of God honestly. They are not merely listening to our opinions. They believe we are telling them what God has said.

That ought to humble every preacher.

Paul told Timothy:

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

—2 Timothy 2:15

Notice that Paul called it work.

• Prayer is necessary.

• Anointing is necessary.

• Spiritual sensitivity is necessary.

• Careful study is necessary.

None of these things removes our responsibility to study the Word.

We need the Spirit, but we must also study. We need revelation, but we must also understand context. We need fire in the pulpit, but that fire must burn upon the truth of God’s Word.

Our Goal Is Not to Find Something New

There is a temptation among preachers to search for something no one else has ever seen.

• We want a fresh thought.

• We want a unique title.

• We want people to say, “I have never heard that before.”

There is nothing wrong with presenting an old truth in a fresh and memorable way. However, our desire to be original must never become more important than our responsibility to be accurate.

The goal of Bible study is not to make Scripture say something new. The goal is to discover what Scripture truly says and faithfully communicate it to the people God has placed in our care.

Truth does not need us to make it more interesting by changing its meaning.

• The Word is already alive.

• The Word is already powerful.

• The Word is already sharp enough to reach the heart.

Our responsibility is to uncover its meaning, explain it clearly, apply it honestly, and preach it under the direction of the Holy Ghost.

Begin With What the Text Says

Before asking, “What will I preach from this passage?” we should ask, “What does this passage actually say?”

That process is often called exegesis.

The word may sound academic, but the principle is simple. Exegesis means drawing the meaning out of the text instead of placing our own meaning into it.

When studying a passage, begin with careful observation:

• Who is speaking?

• Who is being addressed?

• What situation caused these words to be spoken or written?

• What happened before this passage?

• What happens after it?

• Are any words or ideas repeated?

• Is the passage giving a command, promise, warning, description, or example?

• How does it fit within the chapter and the entire book?

• What would the original hearers have understood?

• How does this passage agree with the rest of Scripture?

Do not rush past those questions.

A verse may seem to say one thing when it is standing alone and something much clearer when it is read within the whole chapter.

Context does not weaken the Word of God. Context protects us from misusing it.

Do Not Read Your Opinion Into the Bible

The opposite of exegesis is eisegesis. That happens when we begin with our own idea and then search for a verse that appears to support it.

It is possible to approach the Bible already determined to find what we want:

• We want support for a decision we have already made.

• We want ammunition against someone who disagrees with us.

• We want a verse that proves our leadership method is correct.

• We want Scripture to confirm a tradition we have never examined.

• We want the Bible to approve something our flesh already desires.

When that happens, we are no longer allowing Scripture to correct us. We are attempting to use Scripture to protect ourselves from correction.

That is dangerous.

The Bible is not a collection of quotations for proving that we are right. It is the Word of God, and it must be allowed to search our hearts, challenge our assumptions, and correct our thinking.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is “a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

We do not stand over the Word as its judge.

The Word stands over us.

Context Changes the Way We Preach a Verse

Consider Philippians 4:13:

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

That is a powerful verse. However, it is sometimes used as though Paul were promising that a Christian can accomplish anything he decides to attempt.

Read the verses around it.

Paul was describing seasons of having plenty and seasons of suffering need. He had learned how to be content when he was full and when he was hungry. His point was not that Christ would help him achieve every personal ambition. His point was that Christ would strengthen him to remain faithful in every circumstance.

Understanding the context does not take power away from the verse. It reveals where its true power is found:

• With Christ, I can remain faithful when I have much.

• With Christ, I can remain faithful when I have little.

• With Christ, I can endure the season I would not have chosen.

• With Christ, I can continue obeying God when my circumstances change.

That will preach.

It will also be faithful to what Paul was saying.

Let Scripture Interpret Scripture

No important doctrine should be built on one isolated or difficult verse.

If our interpretation is correct, it will agree with the complete witness of Scripture. One passage may introduce a truth while other passages explain it more fully.

When studying a subject:

• Find other passages that address the same truth.

• Compare clear passages with those that are more difficult.

• Examine how the same words are used elsewhere.

• Look for the principle in both teaching and biblical example.

• Make sure your conclusion agrees with the overall message of Scripture.

• Never ignore verses that appear to challenge your interpretation.

We should not be afraid of passages that make us stop and think. Those passages may be protecting us from an incomplete conclusion.

Second Peter 1:20 tells us that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.” We do not have the right to separate one verse from the rest of God’s Word and make it teach whatever we desire.

Scripture must be allowed to speak with one voice.

Use Bible Translations Wisely

I preach and teach primarily from the King James Version. It is the Bible language I know, trust, quote, and have carried in my heart through many years of ministry.

Other translations can still be useful study tools. Sometimes a modern translation helps clarify an unfamiliar word, sentence structure, or expression. Comparing translations may alert us to a passage that deserves more investigation.

However, not every Bible version follows the same translation method.

Some translations attempt to remain close to the wording and structure of the original languages. Others focus more on communicating the meaning in natural modern English. Paraphrases take even greater freedom in restating the thought.

That does not mean every difference is evidence of dishonesty or doctrinal corruption. Translation is difficult work. Hebrew and Greek expressions do not always move into English word for word without explanation.

It does mean we should exercise discernment.

When comparing translations:

• Know whether you are reading a translation or a paraphrase.

• Use a paraphrase for illustration or general understanding, not as your only foundation for doctrine.

• Compare difficult passages in several reliable translations.

• Consult trustworthy language tools and commentaries when wording differs significantly.

• Do not choose a translation merely because its wording supports the point you want to make.

• Be honest with the congregation when a passage has more than one possible interpretation.

Our people will not lose confidence in us because we admit that a passage requires careful study. They are more likely to trust us when they see that we respect the Word enough not to pretend certainty we do not possess.

Study Tools Are Servants, Not Masters

God has given us access to resources that earlier generations of preachers could hardly have imagined:

• Bible dictionaries

• Concordances

• Commentaries

• Historical and cultural references

• Maps and timelines

• Greek and Hebrew study tools

• Multiple Bible translations

• Sermon outlines and study resources

These tools can save time and help us see details we might otherwise miss. But every tool has limitations:

• A commentary is not inspired.

• A dictionary is not inspired.

• A sermon outline is not inspired.

• A preacher we admire is not inspired in the same way Scripture is inspired.

These resources should bring us back to the biblical text, not draw us away from it. They should help us ask better questions, not prevent us from thinking and praying for ourselves.

PreachIt.org contains thousands of sermon outlines. I believe deeply in the value of those resources. But an outline should be a seed, not a substitute for your own walk with God.

• Read it.

• Study it.

• Pray over it.

• Verify the Scriptures.

• Allow the Holy Ghost to shape that material for the people you are called to feed.

Study and Prayer Belong Together

Some approach Bible study as though education alone can reveal everything God wants to say. Others act as though prayer removes the need for careful study.

I do not believe we must choose between the two.

Study without prayer can produce information without spiritual life. Prayer without responsible study can produce sincere preaching that mishandles the text.

The preacher needs both.

Before studying, pray:

“Lord, help me see what is here. Remove my assumptions. Correct my thinking. Do not allow me to use Your Word for my own purpose.”

While studying, pray:

“Lord, give me understanding. Show me how this passage fits within the rest of Your Word.”

After studying, pray:

“Lord, show me how to communicate this truth. Help me apply it first to my own heart. Anoint me to preach it with clarity, humility, and power.”

The Holy Ghost will never lead us in a direction that contradicts the Word He inspired.

Move From Interpretation to Application

Once we understand what a passage meant in its original setting, we can ask what unchanging truth it teaches us today.

A simple process can help:

1. Observation: What does the passage say?

2. Interpretation: What did it mean in its setting?

3. Principle: What unchanging truth does it reveal?

4. Application: What should we believe or do because of it?

5. Proclamation: How can we communicate it clearly and faithfully?

Application is where truth reaches life.

Ask:

• What should the hearer stop doing?

• What should the hearer begin doing?

• What must be believed?

• What attitude needs to change?

• What promise should be trusted?

• What warning should be taken seriously?

• What does this passage reveal about Jesus?

A sermon is not complete merely because we explained the text correctly. We must help people respond to it.

But our application must grow from the true meaning of the passage. If the interpretation is wrong, the application may be sincere and still lead people in the wrong direction.

Allow the Word to Work on You First

Before preaching a passage to someone else, allow it to preach to you.

It is easy to study with other people in mind. We see a verse and immediately think of someone in the congregation who needs to hear it.

Perhaps they do.

But what is God saying to us?

• Is there something in me that needs to change?

• Is there an attitude I need to surrender?

• Is there a truth I have neglected?

• Is there an area where my life does not agree with what I am preparing to preach?

• Have I obeyed the passage I am about to place before others?

The most powerful preaching does not come merely from understanding a passage. It comes when the Word has first passed through the heart and life of the preacher.

People can tell when we are preaching something we have studied.

They can also tell when we are preaching something that has studied us.

Handle the Word With Reverence

Pastor, we have been trusted with something eternal:

• Our personalities are not eternal.

• Our illustrations are not eternal.

• Our opinions are not eternal.

The Word of God is eternal.

We do not need to force it, twist it, decorate it beyond recognition, or make it say something God never intended. We need to study it, believe it, obey it, and preach it.

Pursue clarity in every biblical text:

• Study until you understand what the passage says.

• Pray until its truth reaches your own heart.

• Prepare until you can communicate it plainly.

Then stand before God’s people with humility and declare the Word:

• Not to impress them.

• Not to prove how much you know.

• Not to present something no one has heard before.

Preach so that people understand what God has said and know how they should respond.

If we will rightly divide the Word of truth, preach it under the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and live what we proclaim, God will use His Word to change lives.

Related Ministry Resources

• Article: Tips to Effective Preaching — Practical instruction on studying, memorizing, communicating, and applying the Word of God.

• Article: Preaching with Purpose — A framework for collecting, researching, arranging, and refining a Spirit-led sermon.

• Sermon Preparation Resources: Explore the searchable collection of sermon outlines at PreachIt.org.

• Pastoral Books and Training: Visit PastoralHelps.com for books and practical training materials designed to strengthen pastors and ministry teams.

• Missions and Humanitarian Ministry: Learn how OpportunityHope.org is serving orphaned and at-risk children, pastors, families, and communities in India.

About Pastor James Smith

Pastor James Smith of Valparaiso, Indiana, is the founder of PreachIt.org, OpportunityHope.org, and PastoralHelps.com.

For more than two decades, he has equipped pastors and church leaders with sermon resources, practical leadership training, and encouragement for the challenges of ministry. His writing grows out of a burden to help pastors lead with wisdom, remain faithful to their calling, and develop healthy, growing churches.

Through OpportunityHope, Pastor Smith also helps care for orphaned and at-risk children in West Bengal, India. The ministry provides food, shelter, education, clean-water wells, livestock, and other practical assistance to children, families, pastors, and communities in need.

Books and practical ministry-training resources, including Momentum in Ministry, are available through PastoralHelps.com.