More often than not, we identify Presbyterianism as a form of church government. But recently, it occurred to me that a preacher’s exercise of looking at good commentaries after he has done his own firsthand exegesis is also an exercise in Presbyterianism. It is a golden mean between exegetical Independency and Episcopacy. Exegetical Independency says ‘no’ to the fruits of other men’s labors and an unequivocal ‘yes’ to one’s own. It is idosyncratic, and in too many instances just plain idiotic. On the other extreme, there is exegetical Episcopacy. It makes too much of the gifts of some, becoming slavishly subservient to them. The preacher who rushes to the commentaries before digesting God’s Word himself buries his talent in a napkin and exalts others to a lordly status – even over Scripture. As in church government, so in exegesis. Presbyterianism is the golden mean.
Presbyterian exegesis
June 25, 2011 by westportexperiment
Amen and amen.