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Systematic Theology & Preaching

Knowing how a passage relates to the Christian faith is important for teaching it rightly. This course will introduce you to strategies and tools for enriching your preaching with a more comprehensive understanding of Christian doctrine and its use for exposition.

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A great way to earn seminary credit! Earn 2 graduate credits for successfully completing this course from either Trinity Evangelical Divinity School or Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

To enroll in the course for academic credit, simply click “Take Course Now” and select “Course [Academic Credit]”.

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Instructors

PACKER

J.I. Packer

Theologian Emeritus, Anglican Church of North America

Jim is the retired Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia, and Theologian Emeritus of the Anglican Church in North America. He earned a BA, an MA, and a PhD from Oxford University before teaching at Oak Hill Theological College, Oxford University, Trinity College Bristol, and ultimately Regent College. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1953. He is a signer of the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, and has served as an executive editor of Christianity Today and as the General Editor of the English Standard Version of the Bible. He is the author of numerous academic and popular level works, including Knowing GodEvangelism & the Sovereignty of God, and God Has Spoken.

LAWRENCE

Michael Lawrence

Lead Pastor, Hinson Baptist Church

Michael became Senior Pastor at Hinson Baptist Church in Portland, Oregon in September, 2010. Michael came to faith at an early age, but never understood that the Christian life was more than salvation until he was introduced to the InterVarsity campus ministry at Duke. Michael earned an MDiv at Gordon-Conwell and a PhD from Cambridge University in 2002. He served as Associate Pastor for more than 8 years at Capitol Hill Baptist in Washington D.C. He is the author of Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church: A Guide for Ministry, co-author of It Is Well: Expositions on Substitutionary Atonement (with Mark Dever), and contributed to Perspectives on Christian Worship: Five Views.

MOHLER

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.

President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

Al serves as president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. He is also a Professor of Systematic Theology and an ordained minister, having served as pastor of several SBC churches. He holds a BA from Samford University and an MDiv and PhD from Southern. He is the host of the daily podcast “The Briefing,” and also served on the Advisory Council for the English Standard Version of the Bible. He is the author several books, including Atheism Remix: A Christian Confronts the New AtheistsHe Is Not Silent: Preaching in a Postmodern World, and The Conviction to Lead: The 25 Principles for Leadership That Matters.

DEYOUNG

Kevin DeYoung

Senior Pastor, Christ Covenant Church

Kevin is the Senior Pastor of Christ Covenant Church in Matthews, North Carolina. He received a Bachelor’s degree from Hope College and an MDiv from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Kevin serves on the council of the Gospel Coalition and is the author of several books, including Why We’re Not EmergentWhat is the Mission of the Church?, and Just Do Something.

KöSTENBERGER

Andreas Köstenberger

Research Professor, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

Andreas is Research Professor of New Testament at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. Prior to that, he served at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He holds an MDiv from Columbia Biblical Seminary and a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is currently editor of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society and he was the founder of Biblical Foundations, a ministry devoted to restoring the biblical foundations of the home and the church. He is the author of several articles and books, including For the Love of God’s Word: An Introduction to Biblical InterpretationWomen in the Church, and the Commentary on 1-2 Timothy and Titus in the Biblical Theology for Christian Proclamation Commentary series.

ANYABWILE

Thabiti Anyabwile

Pastor, Anacostia River Church

Thabiti serves as Pastor of Anacostia River Church in Washington, DC. He holds a BS and an MS from North Carolina State University. Previously, Thabiti has served as Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Grand Cayman as well as Assistant Pastor at Capitol Hill Baptist Church. He is a council member of The Gospel Coalition and is an affiliate of The Front Porch. His publications include The Gospel for MuslimsReviving the Black Church, and The Faithful Preacher.

BLOCHER

Henri Blocher

Professor of Systematic Theology, Faculté Libre de Théologie Évangélique de Vaux-sur-Seine (Retired)

Henri was Professor of Systematic Theology at Faculté Libre de Théologie Évangélique de Vaux-sur-Seine, France. After that, he served as the Gunther Knoedler Professor of Systematic Theology at Wheaton College Graduate School from 2003-2008. He earned a BD from Gordon Divinity School, a Diplôme d’Etudes Supérieures de Théologie from Faculté Libre de Théologie Protestante of Paris, and DD from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of several books, including Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle and In the Beginning: The Opening Chapters of Genesis.

RYKEN

Philip G. Ryken

President, Wheaton College

Phil is the president of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Before that, Phil served as Senior Minister of Tenth Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Philadelphia. He received his Bachelors degree from Wheaton College, his Masters of Divinity from Westminster Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Divinity from Oxford University. He has authored numerous books, including commentaries on 1 Timothy (Reformed Expository Commentary) and Exodus (Preach the Word Series). He also serves as a Council Member of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals and on the council of the Gospel Coalition.

HELM

David Helm

Lead Pastor, Christ Church Chicago

David serves as the senior pastor of Christ Church Chicago and Chairman of the Board of the Charles Simeon Trust, an organization dedicated to the sound preaching of God’s Word. Before that, he served as Lead Pastor in the Hyde Park congregation of Holy Trinity Church. A graduate of Wheaton College, and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, David is ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA). For Crossway, he authored 1 & 2 Peter and JudeThe Big Picture Story Bible, and contributed to Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching in Honor of Kent Hughes. He also authored One-to-One Bible Reading for Matthias Media and the 9Marks volume Expositional Preaching.

ELOFF

Mervyn Eloff

Rector, St James Church, Kenilworth

Mervyn is the Rector of St James Church, Kenilworth in Cape Town South Africa. After completing undergraduate degrees in Science and Theology, he earned a DTh in New Testament Studies from the University of Stellenbosch. Before joining the staff at St James, Mervyn served in churches in London, Stellenbosch, and Cape Town and as a lecturer and vice Principal at George Whitefield College in Cape Town. He has contributed to Built on the Rock: Studies in Matthew’s Gospel (Eerdmans), The Proclamation Bible, and has authored Teaching 1,2, 3 John and Teaching James (PT Resources – Christian Focus). His doctoral thesis is titled From the Exile to the Christ: Exile, Restoration and the Theology of Matthew’s Gospel. In his role as Director of African Initiatives, he helps with the design and implementation of the workshop portfolio in Africa, focusing particularly on the training of instructors for international Workshops.

CAMERA

David Camera

Senior Pastor, River Oaks Church

David Camera is Senior Pastor of River Oaks Church in Lake Mary, Florida. He holds an MA in Theology from Wheaton College, an MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a DMin from Westminster Theological Seminary. David is also a graduate of the Cornhill Training Course in London, England. He previously served on the pastoral staffs at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, and Holy Trinity Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Overview

Knowing how a passage relates to the Christian faith is important for teaching it rightly. This course will introduce...More
Knowing how a passage relates to the Christian faith is important for teaching it rightly. This course will introduce you to strategies and tools for enriching your preaching with a more comprehensive understanding of Christian doctrine and its use for exposition.
Download Syllabus
Lesson 1

Introduction to Systematic Theology and Preaching

J.I. PackerIn this lesson, J.I. Packer opens the course by showing the value of systematic theology for those who prepare and deliver sermons.
Lesson 2

The Tools, Part 1: Text to Context

Michael LawrenceIn this first of two lessons on tools, Michael Lawrence shows how systematic theology helps expositors better address contemporary listeners.
Lesson 3

The Tools, Part 2: Text to Application

Michael LawrenceIn this second of two lessons on using the tools, Michael Lawrence shows how systematic theology helps expositors apply a text to their hearers with specificity.
Lesson 4

Systematic Theology: Challenges and Benefits

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.In this lesson, Al Mohler considers the challenges and benefits inherent in the relationship between expository preaching and systematic theology. 
Lesson 5

The Essentials of Evangelical Theology for Preaching

Andreas KöstenbergerIn this lesson, Andreas Köstenberger discusses the essential elements of evangelical theology and its importance in preaching.
Lesson 6

Scripture: Instruction

Kevin DeYoungIn this instruction on the doctrine of Scripture, Kevin DeYoung shows the sufficiency of Scripture for ministry today.
Lesson 7

Scripture: Demonstration from 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Michael LawrenceIn this lesson, Michael Lawrence demonstrates how the two tools (from lessons 2 and 4) help in preparing to teach a passage of Scripture.
Lesson 8

Scripture: Exposition of James 2:14-26

Thabiti AnyabwileListen as Thabiti Anyabwile expounds James 2:14-26 undergirded by a solid doctrine of Scripture.
Bonus Feature

Sin: Instruction

Henri BlocherIn his instruction, Henri Blocher explains why we must preach on sin and offers some help as to how we might do so well.
Bonus Feature

Sin: Demonstration from 2 Timothy 2:20-3:9

David HelmIn this demonstration, Dave Helm takes us into his study to show how a the doctrine of sin helps him as he prepares.
Bonus Feature

Sin: Exposition of Genesis 3

Mervyn EloffMervyn Eloff shows how systematic theology helps one preach Genesis 3.
Bonus Feature

The Trinity: Instruction

Philip G. RykenIn this lesson, Phil Ryken instructs on the doctrine of the Trinity using Ephesians 1:1-14.
Bonus Feature

The Trinity: Demonstration from Revelation 1:1-8

Juan SanchezIn this lesson, Juan Sanchez takes us into his study and shows us how systematic theology helps him preach from Revelation 1.
Bonus Feature

The Trinity: Exposition of Psalm 2

David CameraIn this lesson, David Camera preaches from Psalm 2 and models a proper use of systematic theology.
Bonus Feature

On Dys-exposition and Exposition

R. Kent HughesIn this lesson, Kent Hughes shows what we must believe about Scripture in order to be faithful expositors.
Bonus Feature

Distinctives of Presbyterian Preaching

Bryan ChapellIn this lesson, Bryan Chapell shares some of the distinctives of Presbyterian preaching, while also highlighting its similarities to other traditions. 
Bonus Feature

The Baptist Gift

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.In this lesson, Al Mohler discusses three distinctives of Baptist preaching.
Downloads

Course Resources

Here you'll find course documents and other helps for the course that are all available for download.