# Toughest Book to Preach On?



## Guido's Brother (Dec 30, 2008)

I've just duked it out with the Preacher (Ecclesiastes) in preparation for a New Year's Eve sermon. The text is 11:1-6. I can't believe how hard Ecclesiastes is to prepare a sermon on. Definitely one of the most challenging texts that I've ever dealt with. 

What do you think? What's the toughest book in Scripture to preach on?


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## toddpedlar (Dec 30, 2008)

There are easier texts to preach on from Ecclesiastes, though  But it certainly was the most challenging book to teach in Sunday School (which I've just finished doing last week). Some sections really do take a lot of digging, but the fruit of such labor sure is sweet.


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## Poimen (Dec 30, 2008)

So far (with respect to what I have preached on) I would have to say Amos. But if I had to choose a book that I thought/think would be the toughest I would say Ezekiel (especially the vision portions). 

BTW, I am preaching on Ecclesiastes 1:2 on New Year's Eve (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 on New Year's Day). I found Michael Eaton's Introduction in the Tyndale Commentary Series to be very helpful.


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## caddy (Dec 30, 2008)

I'm sure it is. It's my favorite book in the Bible. Check out Gary Elliot's Sermons from Brookwood, Georgia. He does a good Job with it!

SermonAudio.com - Brookwood Presbyterian Church PCA


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## Casey (Dec 30, 2008)

I've always thought Proverbs would be one of the most difficult.


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## Guido's Brother (Dec 30, 2008)

Poimen said:


> So far (with respect to what I have preached on) I would have to say Amos.



I'm curious: what made Amos difficult to preach on?

I found the passage from Ecclesiastes difficult because of the mixture of truth and error in the book (sort of like Job's friends) and then discerning as to how this passage might testify to Christ.


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## ColdSilverMoon (Dec 30, 2008)

Frank Barker, founding pastor of Briarwood Presbyterian (and senior pastor for more than 35 years), said once that he preached on every book at least once except the Song of Solomon. I suppose that gives us an idea of what he considered the toughest book...


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## Herald (Dec 30, 2008)

Having just finished a series on it, I would rank Daniel right up there -- specifically Daniel 9:20-27. I felt like a pretzel when I was done.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Dec 30, 2008)

Above is why I think Ezekiel and Revelation would be the toughest in the OT and NT respectfully.


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## fredtgreco (Dec 30, 2008)

I think it very much depends on your criteria. I rather enjoyed preaching through Ecclesiastes, but because I thought it would not easily admit of 20-30 sermons, I preached 13, one chapter a week except the first two. 

I would think that Ezekiel (for length, apocalyptic literature, OT generally being more remote to the congregation than NT, etc) would be the most difficult in general.

But try and figure out how you would preach on Exodus 25-40 (and remember that there are several instances of two nearly identical chapters which are not next to each other). Sections of OT narrative can be very difficult - look at 1 Kings 4 and try and come up with a 3-4 point sermon with substance! There is also the matter of making difficult passages understandable. Perhaps the most I have struggled with a passage was Gal. 4:21-31. I also think that Leviticus or Numbers would be difficult to sustain one's pace through.


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## PresbyDane (Dec 30, 2008)

I would say proverbs OT and Revelation NT


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## bookslover (Dec 31, 2008)

There's an old pastor's joke to the effect that, if a pastor wants to get himself fired, he should preach earnestly through James! (Because of James's practicality, you see...)


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## LawrenceU (Dec 31, 2008)

The Song of Songs can be a bit rough as well. It is not difficult to exegete. It is difficult to preach if you do it faithfully. A lot of people will not like to hear that type of matter discussed in a church service.


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## JonathanHunt (Dec 31, 2008)

LawrenceU said:


> The Song of Songs can be a bit rough as well. It is not difficult to exegete. It is difficult to preach if you do it faithfully. A lot of people will not like to hear that type of matter discussed in a church service.



What, the mutual love of Christ and His church?

he he he

*runs and hides*


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## panta dokimazete (Dec 31, 2008)

JonathanHunt said:


> LawrenceU said:
> 
> 
> > The Song of Songs can be a bit rough as well. It is not difficult to exegete. It is difficult to preach if you do it faithfully. A lot of people will not like to hear that type of matter discussed in a church service.
> ...


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## Ivan (Dec 31, 2008)

bookslover said:


> There's an old pastor's joke to the effect that, if a pastor wants to get himself fired, he should preach earnestly through James! (Because of James's practicality, you see...)



I did...and survived.


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## greenbaggins (Dec 31, 2008)

So far, I have preached on Genesis, Ephesians, Daniel, half of Matthew, and a few of the smaller books like Philemon, and 2-3 John. Of these, Ephesians was by far the hardest. Paul not only has a tortuous mind (which Peter knew about! see 2 Peter 3), but the field of commentators is extremely crowded in Paul, and they are all long-winded. Not to mention the extreme difficulty of deciding what you are going to leave out. Nothing in the OT even compares, in my mind. Unless you are going to preach in Puritan style, staying in Romans for 20 years, Paul is definitely the hardest section of the canon to preach. If one has a biblical-theological approach, none of the OT poses such huge difficulties. I would much rather have to hunt to find something to say than to cut out huge swaths of teaching, because there is too much to say.


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## py3ak (Dec 31, 2008)

If you can take it out of whole books, though, and reduce it to chapters, and leave the genealogies to one side, is there any chapter more daunting than Numbers 7? Obviously, it outlines itself: but how do you fill in the blanks?


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## Poimen (Dec 31, 2008)

Guido's Brother said:


> Poimen said:
> 
> 
> > So far (with respect to what I have preached on) I would have to say Amos.
> ...



Mostly due to the fact that the book is very dark. It isn't really unto the end that Amos' prophecy contains a ray of hope for the disconsolate. I seem to recall that some of the congregants thought the series was rather dark too.


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## Guido's Brother (Dec 31, 2008)

Joshua said:


> A book made of nails and scorpions would be difficult to preach on.



 ??? 

Can you explain?


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## Guido's Brother (Dec 31, 2008)

Joshua said:


> Guido's Brother said:
> 
> 
> > Joshua said:
> ...


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