By Roger Duke
Article originally appeared in the Founders Journal

Gleanings from Classical Rhetoric

Aristotle states that, “[R]hetoric … does not belong to a single defined genus of [any one] subject …. [I]t is … clear … that its function is not to persuade, but to see the available means of persuasion in each case.”[2] For him, rhetoric was just like the other arts–even medicine. He goes on to explain: It is not the “function of medicine to create health but to promote this as much as possible; for it is nevertheless possible to treat well those who cannot recover health.”[3] So then, rhetoric is to the orator similarly what medicine is to the physician. It is only a tool; a tool to be used as a means to an end. And that end–the movement or persuasion of the hearers.

But it seems in contemporary times that the artistry and practice of rhetoric as a discipline, or at least its perception, has fallen on hard times. With even a cursory “ear” to current events of the evening news or an “eye” to the print media, it is possible to hear and see the “rhetoric of the Democrats,” or the “rhetoric of the Republicans,” or the “rhetoric of Hitler,” or “the Communist’s rhetoric.” Rhetoric is used and defined today in pejorative and negative terms almost exclusively. Rhetoric truly is a misunderstood discipline!

Even in religious contexts a disparaging attitude toward rhetoric abounds. Michael Beaty in his recent “Hester Lectures” to the International Association of Baptist Colleges and Universities states:

[I]n those heady West Point days of weekday drills and Saturday morning dress parades, of flower children and peace marches, of Southern pride and shame, of the soaring biblical rhetoric of Martin Luther King, Jr., and of the strident states’ rights rhetoric and self-proclaimed Christian rhetoric of Carl McIntyre and George Wallace, I became aware for the first time of some intellectually discomforting tensions (emphasis added)… [4]

To be completely fair to Beaty, the persuasive tactics of the era of the 1960s were indeed motivated by vitriol. In his address, he contrasts his days at West Point with those of his experiences after transferring to Ouachita Baptist University. There were, at that time, many negative cultural factors involving issues such as war, race, religion and generational divides. So any persuasive devices employed by antagonists on the opposite side of lightning-rod issues were bound to be interpreted as “rhetoric.” Sometimes they were even perceived as propaganda. Because of these negative uses, rhetoric has indeed received some “bad press” and an unnecessarily negative connotation. In some circles, those who choose to employ rhetoric are even considered sinister. Rhetoric in itself is neither good nor evil. Its usage determines its morality. All of us use rhetoric whether we know it or not. We are all rhetoricians–trained or not. After all; “Life is Rhetoric!”[5]

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Paul Washer, thought by many to be one of the greater prophetic voices of our generation, has been and continues to be used to impact the world for the Gospel. You may have already come across Washer’s video below. This sermon, which initially took the internet by storm, has come to be known as his “Shocking Youth Message.” It doesn’t take the listener long to understand why. I don’t want to present this video as a blanket judgment of the Western church, since there are good and Gospel-centered churches and student ministries to be found in America. However, I do think that a large percentage of churches, pastors, student pastors, and students would be benefited if they would take heed to the message presented here.

Washer has received a great deal of criticism for this message. In the following video, he provides some helpful context for the environment in which it was delivered.

The following is a clip from a sermon I preached at Doxa.  Doxa is a service for our students at Foothills Church.  It is growing by leaps and bounds, and God is doing amazing things in the lives of our young people and families.  Sorry for the audio/video delay.

Who Are You When Standing Next to Jesus? [James 4:1-12]

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Teaching the Old Testament to Students:

An Interview with Jonathan Akin, Pastor and Baptist 21 Contributer

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Jon, let’s get right into questions that I know you are passionate about…

Greg: How would you suggest combating the moral driven, breakthrough driven, and mostly Christ-less Old Testament teachings that is rampant in student and college ministries across the country?

Jon: I think there are 3 ways to combat it. First, Pastors/Youth Leaders need to teach student-leaders the Christ-centered nature of the Bible. The Bible is crystal clear that the whole Bible, including the OT, is about Jesus and is gospel-centered (Luke 24:27-45; John 5:39-47; 2 Cor. 1:20; 2 Tim. 3:14-15; Luke 16:19-30; etc.). So, teach leaders that this is the way the Bible should be read and taught. Second, Pastors/Youth Leaders need to model for student-leaders and students week-in and week-out how to read the Bible this way in the way that you teach from the OT specifically. Finally, train your youth leaders in how to do this. [...]

This post should simply be considered an ‘appendix’ within my last post on ‘The Future of Preaching.’  Here are 2 videos from David Platt that must be watched.  May the future of preaching, our preaching, be paralleled to this kind of preaching instead of fading away into the shadows of a hostile postmodern culture.