Homiletics is a method for dividing up a passage of scripture to aid the student in viewing the scripture in an orderly way with the purpose of searching out its meaning and finding application. This process builds on the inductive method.
How to do homiletics:
Step 1: Pray for God's guidance and teaching before carefully reading through the entire passage at least twice.
Step 2: Divide the passage into 2-5 segments. Give your divisions titles. (Instead of titles you may wish to summarize each division in a single sentence.)
Step 3: Write a subject sentence using 10 words or less. This does not need to be a complete sentence but must include key parts of the passage. The purpose of this step is to train you to quickly pull out the elements of the passage that are most important. It also trains you to be skilled in brevity.
Step 4: Write your aim. Ask yourself what the main lesson is that you want to put into practice. Or, if your are preparing homiletics for teaching purposes, ask yourself what the main thing is you want your audience to understand.
Step 5: Divisions. Write a short commentary on each division. Include what the passage says, what it means, and how you will apply it to your life. If your purpose is teaching, ask application questions.
You're done! This is a simple but thought provoking process and a great tool for training yourself to think through the scriptures.
Below is an example of homiletics from my own study. I hope it proves helpful.
PHILIPPIANS 4
1-9 Paul instructs the Philippians to stand firm in the Lord.
10-13 Paul shares with the Philippians his spiritual secrets.
14-23 Paul commends the Philippian's generosity and assures them of God's provision.
Subject Sentence: Paul instruct Philippians, shares godly attitudes, confidence in Christ's riches.
Aim: To display the character of Christ as Paul did.
1-9 Though Euodia and Syntyche are in disharmony, they are not disqualified for service, and the Philippians are instructed to help them as these women have struggled with Paul for the gospel. Though they are not disqualified, neither are they free to continue in discord but must live in harmony in the Lord. Through seven commands, Paul goes on to describe the life that results in harmony. It is a life that is in step with the Spirit of God, controlled by him and not by selfish ambition. The first command is, Rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing overflows from habitually turning the mind and heart to Christ. Only in looking heavenward can we lift our praise to God. The second command concerns the display of a gentle spirit. This results from union with Christ and conformity to him who is lowly and gentle in heart, whose yoke is the cure for weariness. The reason given for a display of gentleness is the Lord's nearness. Just as Christ proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, so through our likeness to the King, we proclaim his nearness. The next two commands are closely related. They must be anxious for nothing, and the power to not be anxious comes from committing everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving. God wants to hear our requests, not because he is ignorant of them or lacks the power to meet our need apart from prayer, but in releasing our concerns to God through prayer we demonstrate our trust and his lordship. Also, God has ordained prayer as a means of obtaining his will (2 Chron. 7:14). The promise given as the result of prayer is that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. God's greatest answer to prayer is himself. He can certainly give us what we ask for and often does, but the temporal pales in comparison to the knowledge of God which results in the display of his character and gains for us eternal reward. The final command concerns the conduct of the mind. The place where the mind is to make its home is with those things which are true honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and worthy of praise. The first cause of all these things is God himself. When God and the things of God consume our thoughts, he will be with us to give us peace.
Paul's commands to the Philippians can be summarized by the words, rejoicing, gentleness, peace, and prayer. How does the fruit of my life compare to this fourfold standard of righteousness? Which area do I most need to grow in, or maybe repent of?
10-13 What Paul has commanded of the Philippians he now demonstrates he has walked in. Paul is a man of rejoicing and of peace. He knows the secret of both plenty and want. Paul's secret of contentment is not found in the decision to not want a different circumstance, but in the grace of God and in the kind of spiritual life he had. Paul was a man of prayer and of rejoicing. In all things he gave thanks and this is the sort of man God wants to reveal himself to (Eph. 1:17). Paul knew his God and so he was able to rejoice always. He was strengthened by God to not complain in want, and to not to take pride in plenty.
Do I practice what I preach? Do I instruct others to rejoice only to complain about my problems? We have a culture seemingly dedicated to complaining as though some ungodly glory were attached to it. Resist the complaining that comes so easily, so naturally, and fix my mind on the things of God so that praise will supernaturally result.
14-23 Paul commends the Philippians for helping him in his affliction, not with the intention of getting more from them, but to encourage them in such service to God, for it will be credited to their account by God himself. "Pleasing aroma" is an Old testament phrase used to describe an acceptable sacrifice, and that is what their generosity was to God. It was the expression of offering their lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). In return, Paul assures the Philippians that God will be generous to them.
How is my sacrifice of myself to God taking form? What evidence do I have that I am serving God and not myself? How can I deepen my service to God?
How to do homiletics:
Step 1: Pray for God's guidance and teaching before carefully reading through the entire passage at least twice.
Step 2: Divide the passage into 2-5 segments. Give your divisions titles. (Instead of titles you may wish to summarize each division in a single sentence.)
Step 3: Write a subject sentence using 10 words or less. This does not need to be a complete sentence but must include key parts of the passage. The purpose of this step is to train you to quickly pull out the elements of the passage that are most important. It also trains you to be skilled in brevity.
Step 4: Write your aim. Ask yourself what the main lesson is that you want to put into practice. Or, if your are preparing homiletics for teaching purposes, ask yourself what the main thing is you want your audience to understand.
Step 5: Divisions. Write a short commentary on each division. Include what the passage says, what it means, and how you will apply it to your life. If your purpose is teaching, ask application questions.
You're done! This is a simple but thought provoking process and a great tool for training yourself to think through the scriptures.
Below is an example of homiletics from my own study. I hope it proves helpful.
PHILIPPIANS 4
1-9 Paul instructs the Philippians to stand firm in the Lord.
10-13 Paul shares with the Philippians his spiritual secrets.
14-23 Paul commends the Philippian's generosity and assures them of God's provision.
Subject Sentence: Paul instruct Philippians, shares godly attitudes, confidence in Christ's riches.
Aim: To display the character of Christ as Paul did.
1-9 Though Euodia and Syntyche are in disharmony, they are not disqualified for service, and the Philippians are instructed to help them as these women have struggled with Paul for the gospel. Though they are not disqualified, neither are they free to continue in discord but must live in harmony in the Lord. Through seven commands, Paul goes on to describe the life that results in harmony. It is a life that is in step with the Spirit of God, controlled by him and not by selfish ambition. The first command is, Rejoice in the Lord always. Rejoicing overflows from habitually turning the mind and heart to Christ. Only in looking heavenward can we lift our praise to God. The second command concerns the display of a gentle spirit. This results from union with Christ and conformity to him who is lowly and gentle in heart, whose yoke is the cure for weariness. The reason given for a display of gentleness is the Lord's nearness. Just as Christ proclaimed that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, so through our likeness to the King, we proclaim his nearness. The next two commands are closely related. They must be anxious for nothing, and the power to not be anxious comes from committing everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving. God wants to hear our requests, not because he is ignorant of them or lacks the power to meet our need apart from prayer, but in releasing our concerns to God through prayer we demonstrate our trust and his lordship. Also, God has ordained prayer as a means of obtaining his will (2 Chron. 7:14). The promise given as the result of prayer is that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds. God's greatest answer to prayer is himself. He can certainly give us what we ask for and often does, but the temporal pales in comparison to the knowledge of God which results in the display of his character and gains for us eternal reward. The final command concerns the conduct of the mind. The place where the mind is to make its home is with those things which are true honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good repute, excellent and worthy of praise. The first cause of all these things is God himself. When God and the things of God consume our thoughts, he will be with us to give us peace.
Paul's commands to the Philippians can be summarized by the words, rejoicing, gentleness, peace, and prayer. How does the fruit of my life compare to this fourfold standard of righteousness? Which area do I most need to grow in, or maybe repent of?
10-13 What Paul has commanded of the Philippians he now demonstrates he has walked in. Paul is a man of rejoicing and of peace. He knows the secret of both plenty and want. Paul's secret of contentment is not found in the decision to not want a different circumstance, but in the grace of God and in the kind of spiritual life he had. Paul was a man of prayer and of rejoicing. In all things he gave thanks and this is the sort of man God wants to reveal himself to (Eph. 1:17). Paul knew his God and so he was able to rejoice always. He was strengthened by God to not complain in want, and to not to take pride in plenty.
Do I practice what I preach? Do I instruct others to rejoice only to complain about my problems? We have a culture seemingly dedicated to complaining as though some ungodly glory were attached to it. Resist the complaining that comes so easily, so naturally, and fix my mind on the things of God so that praise will supernaturally result.
14-23 Paul commends the Philippians for helping him in his affliction, not with the intention of getting more from them, but to encourage them in such service to God, for it will be credited to their account by God himself. "Pleasing aroma" is an Old testament phrase used to describe an acceptable sacrifice, and that is what their generosity was to God. It was the expression of offering their lives as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). In return, Paul assures the Philippians that God will be generous to them.
How is my sacrifice of myself to God taking form? What evidence do I have that I am serving God and not myself? How can I deepen my service to God?
