Even a cursory reading of the book of Proverbs reveals that it is dominated by the subject of education, or personal formation. The voice of the teacher addressing his pupils resounds from its pages. A wide array of topics is presented, and frequent exhortations challenge the learner to hear and heed the teacher's instruction. This material, however, comes for the most part without recognizable order or sequence. Much of Proverbs consists of apparently...

"'I am putting my words as a fire in your mouth; these people are tinder and it will consume them.' (Jeremiah 5:14) In the book of Jeremiah, the vocabulary of 'word' and 'words' is not only uniquely prevalent, but formulae marking divine speech also play an unprecedented role in giving the book's final form its narrative and theological shape. Indeed, 'the word of the Lord' is arguably the main character, and a theology that is both distinctive and...

Many Christians share the assumption that the preaching of the word of God is at the heart of God's plans for the gospel in our age; that it is vital for the church's health; and that it is the central task of the pastor-teacher. Many helpful books on preaching are available, but the vast majority are concerned with 'how to"; relatively few focus primarily on the character and theology of preaching according to Scripture. Two key, interrelated questions...