August 29, 2023
We Evangelical Methodists note several things that mark our faith and are the ground of our practical theology and ecclesiology. The Discipline of the EMC describes them as our “Basic Denominational Principles.” They are explained in ¶’s 71-77. They address issues such as the authority of Scripture, the responsibility of the great commission, and the necessity of unity in the body of Christ.
The last of these six core principles is this: “We are Wesleyan in doctrine.”
But know this … John Wesley was neither divine nor infallible, and we do not revere him as some kind of uniquely inspired prophet above all others. The reason we are “Wesleyan in doctrine” is that we believe he was CORRECT in his theology of sin, salvation, and sanctification. (He was, of course, also orthodox in his Christology and other cardinal matters of Christianity).
But this Tuesday Brief isn’t actually about his theology, but about his manner of preaching. Sometimes we are so focused on the theological, that we can overlook the practical side of ministry exhibited in the genius Wesley seemed to possess in his pedagogy. To a great extent, the reason John Wesley was so successful in his preaching is that he worked hard on being understandable and relatable. In his preface to his volume of sermons, he wrote:
“I design plain truth for plain people. Therefore, of set purpose, I abstain from all nice and philosophical speculations; from all perplexed and intricate reasonings; and, as far as possible, from even the show of learning, unless in sometimes citing the original Scriptures.
I labor to avoid all words which are not easy to be understood--all which are not used in common life; and in particular those technical terms that so frequently occur in bodies of divinity--those modes of speaking which men of reading are intimately acquainted with, but which to common people are an unknown tongue. Yet I am not assured that I do not sometimes slide into them unawares; it is so extremely natural to imagine that a word which is familiar to ourselves is so to all the world…”
Many who have studied Wesley’s life and ministry report that the sermons Wesley wrote are not the sermons that he preached - - that is, in terms of style, vocabulary, and delivery. He wrote for posterity, to be abundantly clear and precise. But he preached for impact, understanding, and decision-making. And we would do well to model him in that regard. Wesley once said:
“Our main doctrines are repentance, faith and holiness. The first of these we account the porch of religion, the next the door, the third religion itself.
Near the end of his life, someone commented on his preaching: “Is this the great Mr. Wesley of whom we hear so much in the present day? Why, the poorest person in the chapel might have
understood him.” The other party replied: “In this, Mr. Wesley displays the greatness that, whilst the poorest can understand him, the most learned are edified.”