On Language and Gospel Preaching

The first and foremost task of any preacher, pastor, teacher, etc. ("etc." here blurs over all the exegetical questions of Eph.4:11, and other such texts), is to proclaim Christ in all of his glory - centered on the most (paradoxically) glorious aspect of Christ's work: the crucifixion of the God-man (Phil.2:6-8; cf. 1Co.2:2; Gal.6:14). Our pride and joy is, to use Luther's famous phrase, the "theology of the cross." This is what we're all about.

Unfortunately, unlike the apostle to the heathen (1Co.2:1, 4; cf. 2Co.10:10; 11:6), we do not always make it plain and clear. Perhaps in an effort to impress or, in defensiveness, evade the crass starkness of "the ole' rugged cross," we obscure this message with pseudo-academic language, or pop-psychological jargon, or any other form of high-falutin' nonsense. In using this sort of language, we often empty the cross of its power. And I am constantly guilty of this.

As it is a message for all people (and for the sake of clarity), we should aim to communicate the message of "Christ crucified" plainly and well.

Today, I read George Orwell's excellent essay, "Politics and the English Language." What he addresses to writers aptly applies to preachers. He offers the following questions every good writer (and/or preacher) should ask himself:

What am I trying to say?
What words will express it?
What image or idiom will make it clearer?
Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?
Can I make it shorter?
Have I said anything that is avoidably ugly (think: convoluted and unnecessarily complex)?

He then offers the following rules:

Never use a metaphor, simile or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. (I.e., avoid well-worn and 'automatic' turns of phrase, which are often thoughtlessly used out of convenience and sloth. Unwittingly, Orwell argues, we often allow such hackneyed language to dictate the direction of our argumentation, rather than the other way around.)

Never use a long word where a short word will do.

If it is possible to cut out a word it, always cut it out.

Never use the passive where you can use the active.

Never us foreign phrases (e.g., Latin or Greek terms), a scientific word or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.


Good, common sense advice for those who are called to "persuade men" (2Co.5:11) by an open and clear proclamation of truth (2Co.4:2b). It is often harder to write or preach this way - though it seems simpler, and maybe even embarrasingly so. But this is the hard and humble work we're called to do.