Over the last several years, Herman Bavinck has been one of my favorite authors. Bavinck is best known for two, monumental works, Reformed Dogmatics and Reformed Ethics. He is also known for his condensed, single volume systematic theology, The Wonderful Works of God. For my money, this is the best single volume systematic theology available.

Recently I stumbled across one of Bavinck’s shorter works, Herman Bavink: On Preaching and Preachers, Translated and Edited by James P. Eglinton. The book contains one of Bavinck’s sermon manuscripts, as well as a fascinating discussion about preaching and Christianity in the United States. The chapter with the most practical relevance for preachers is the chapter on “eloquence.”

Bavinck certainly commends “eloquence” as an important aim in Christian preaching. For Bavinck, eloquence is more than rhetorical training or homiletical excellence. He defines eloquence under three headings.

• First, the eloquent preacher must posses a sound knowledge of his subject, that is, the Scriptures. Bavinck notes that some preach without thinking, and some think while preaching, but the eloquent preacher thinks himself clear before preaching. For preaching to have it’s full effect, Bavinck insists that we must know our subject, and know it well. My guess is that the worst, least effective sermons you’ve ever heard we’re preached with a sense of uncertainty. Even worse, they may not have been preached at all, but simply read directly from notes. Eye contact is often a tell-tale sign of whether or not a preacher possesses a sound knowledge of his subject.
• Second, the eloquent preacher must work to say what he thinks on a “poetic” way. In commending a “poetic” style, Bavinck is not insisting that a preacher rhyme or speak with structured cadence (although he knows some preacher try to do this very thing). Bavinck is certainly not advocating the classic Baptist practice of alliterating sermon points. Rather, by “poetic,” Bavinck is referring to a preacher’s mastery of language. This mastery must be thorough enough that the preacher can speak clearly, accurately, and convincingly. Alister Begg has often spoken to this very issue when he encourages preachers to “write themselves clear.”
• Third, the eloquent preacher must not settle for intellect or emotion, but must aim at the will. To be clear, good preaching ought to aim at both intellect and emotion. Sermons should contain truth and teaching and facts and information. Sermons should educate the ignorant, and sermons should appeal to the whole person – which certainly includes the emotions. However, the highest aim of a sermon involves a call and appeal to the will. True eloquence aims to leave the congregation changed internally, and true eloquence calls the congregation to respond to God’s Word in some tangible way. In preaching, we aim to see changed people and changed lives.

Bavinck acknowledges that the responsibility of preaching is a great burden. It requires great effort and intentionality, and it places a heavy weight on the soul of the preacher. Even as he acknowledges this burden, Bavinck points his fellow preachers to the truth of God’s sovereignty in salvation. If the conversion and obedience of a congregation was entirely dependent on the eloquence of the preacher, every non-converted person and every disobedient person would stand as a rebuke to our abilities as preachers. However, since the conversion of the lost and the sanctification of God’s people is a sovereign work of the Holy Spirit – and since the Holy Spirit delights to use the faithful preaching of the very Word he inspired – preachers are free to be bold and confident as they preach with eloquence.