The Art of Christian Preaching Honor - advanced

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Have the Art of Christian Preaching Honor.

    Answer: To obtain the advanced Honor, you first need to have the basic Art of Christian Preaching Honor. This ensures that you already have the fundamental knowledge before advancing to more complex topics of preaching. — Requirement 1 of the Art of Christian Preaching Honor - advanced clearly establishes the need to have the basic Honor as a prerequisite. This follows the logic of progressive learning in many Pathfinder Honors.

  2. Know the basic difference between the Bible versions:
    • ARA
    • ARC
    • NVI
    • NTLH
    • Jerusalem
    • VIVA
    • Answer:
    • Which version is the most faithful to the original biblical text?
    • What are the original languages of the Bible?
    • Cite at least three verses that differ greatly in meaning across the versions researched above. Find out which translation is the most faithful to the original biblical text.

    Answer: 1) ARA (Almeida Revista e Atualizada, 1959): the more formal and literal revision of the Almeida, balancing fidelity to the text with updated Portuguese; widely used in Adventist circles. 2) ARC (Almeida Revista e Corrigida, based on the Textus Receptus, classic language from 1898): keeps older vocabulary ("thou", "ye"), translation by formal word-for-word equivalence. 3) NVI (Nova Versão Internacional, Portuguese edition completed in 2001): moderate dynamic equivalence, balancing accuracy and clarity, contemporary language that is easy to read. 4) NTLH (Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje): translation by functional equivalence (sense for sense), simple and popular language, ideal for new readers and evangelism, less literal. 5) Jerusalem (Jerusalem Bible): a scholarly Catholic translation with extensive footnotes and academic introductions, highly respected for the quality of its critical studies. 6) VIVA (Living Bible): a paraphrase (not a literal translation), rewriting the text in very free and current language; useful for devotional reading, but not recommended for doctrinal study as it departs from the original. 7) Answer to the questions asked: see items 8, 9 and 10 below. 8) Which is the most faithful version to the original: the formal-equivalence versions (more literal) are the most faithful to the original text; among those listed, ARA and ARC are the ones that come closest word-for-word to the manuscripts, with the ARA being the reference for fidelity with readable Portuguese. Paraphrases like the VIVA are the least literal. 9) Original languages of the Bible: the Old Testament was written in Hebrew (with small portions in Aramaic, such as parts of Daniel and Ezra) and the New Testament was written in Greek (Koine Greek). 10) Three verses that differ greatly between versions (compare and identify the one most faithful to the original): (a) 1 John 5:7-8 — the ARC includes the "Johannine comma" ("the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit") following the Textus Receptus, while ARA, NVI and NTLH omit it or place it in a note due to its absence in the oldest Greek manuscripts; (b) Acts 8:37 — present in the ARC but absent (or in a note) in the NVI/ARA, since it does not appear in the oldest manuscripts; (c) John 3:16 — the meaning is the same in all, but the vocabulary changes: ARA "so greatly loved", NTLH paraphrases in simple language, showing the difference between literal and functional translation. When comparing, one finds that the ARA/ARC follow the original text more closely. — The Johannine Comma (the trinitarian 1 John 5:7-8) is in the old versions (ARC, KJV) but was removed from the modern ones (ARA, NVI) because it does not appear in Greek manuscripts prior to the 15th century — a classic example of textual variation studied in textual criticism.

  3. Create a small collection of 25 Christian sermons, organized in the format of a booklet:
    • 10 of them must be of your own authorship
    • The remaining ones (15) may be by others
    • The sermons must be grouped into the following categories:

    Answer: Put together a booklet with 25 sermons: 10 of YOUR OWN authorship + 15 by OTHERS (well-known preachers: Charles Spurgeon, Billy Graham, Doug Batchelor, Mark Finley, Stephen Bohr, etc.). Suggested categories: — Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), the 'Prince of Preachers', published more than 3,500 sermons — his MTP (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit) collection is the largest printed work by a single preacher in history and a required reference for any student of homiletics.

  4. For at least 5 of your sermons (compiled in the previous item), make a presentation using audiovisual resources or your creativity.

    Answer: For 5 sermons from the booklet, create presentations with resources such as: (1) PowerPoint/Keynote/Canva with a key text, photos, charts; (2) Supporting videos (testimonies, nature illustrations, dramatizations); (3) Bible maps and infographics. — Studies on retention show that listeners remember only 10% of what they heard after 3 days, but 65% of what they saw AND heard simultaneously — a principle that justifies the use of audiovisual resources in any contemporary modern Christian preaching.

  5. Have a collection of at least 15 short Bible Meditations (5-10 minutes) and use at least 5 of them on special occasions that the Club takes part in. As in item 3, compile the meditations in a small booklet.

    Answer: Compile 15 short meditations (5-10 min each): theme, base Bible text, central message (1-2 ideas), practical application, closing prayer. Categories: investiture, baptism, camporee campfire, club opening, morning devotional, activity Sabbath, Youth (JA), club anniversary, Christmas, Easter, etc. — The short meditation (5-10 min) has 3 essential components according to Haddon Robinson: 1 strong central idea, 1 direct Bible text, 1 immediate application — the principle of the 'one-sentence sermon' that holds attention without tiring the audience.

  6. Do 1 of the following items:
    • Present a series of Bible studies (at least 10 presentations) to a group of people gathered at the church, in a Bible class, or in a series of biblical evangelism
    • Be on your church's preaching list for one year, preaching at least 10 times in all of the church's services: Saturday, Sunday, and Wednesday
    • Be responsible for the biblical preaching portion of a Small Group for a period of at least 6 months

    Answer: Choose ONE option: (1) Present a SERIES OF 10 sequential BIBLE STUDIES to a group (e.g., 10 studies on the prophecies of Daniel or Adventist doctrines) at church, in a Bible class or an evangelistic series. — Small Groups are considered by the Adventist Church to be the best 'modern discipleship' — groups of 6-12 people meet weekly in homes, with short preaching + study + fellowship; this model grew dramatically after 2020 with the pandemic restrictions.

  7. Select 2 areas below and read a book in each chosen area:
    • The Art of Biblical Preaching
    • Use of illustrations in Christian sermons
    • Biography of a great Evangelist or Preacher
    • Use of a Concordance and Bible References
    • Cite a bibliography.

    Answer: Suggestions for 2 areas: (1) THE ART OF BIBLICAL PREACHING — 'Biblical Preaching' by Haddon Robinson (a world classic), 'Biblical Preaching Today' by John Stott, 'Christ-Centered Preaching' by Bryan Chapell. — Haddon Robinson is considered the father of modern evangelical homiletics — his book 'Biblical Preaching' (1980) revolutionized the teaching of preaching by introducing the concept of the 'Big Idea', a method of a single central idea per sermon.

  8. Have a Bible with references, a concordance and preferably commentary. Handle it appropriately for your mentor or counselor.

    Answer: Have a recommended STUDY BIBLE: (1) The Andrews Study Bible (an Adventist reference, with scholarly commentary); (2) The Thompson Chain-Reference Bible (chain references); (3) The Jerusalem Bible (historical notes); and (4) The MacArthur Study Bible (Protestant commentary). Know how to locate books, chapters and verses, use the cross-references, the concordance and the footnotes, and handle the Bible with care and reverence before your mentor. — The Andrews Study Bible is the most respected Adventist version — produced by Andrews University since 2010, it brings commentary from more than 100 Adventist scholars in Hebrew/Greek, being a required reference in the Church's theological seminaries.