# Questions and Answers as Part of the Lord's Day Sermon



## ChristopherPaul (Jul 31, 2006)

In listening to the Lecture by John Robbins titled, Evangelism and the Defense of the Faith, a new insight was brought to my attention that I have never heard before.

Dr. Robbins states in the 1st minute and 13 seconds of the lecture that the Apostolic churches were quite different from what services are like today in that they did not just have a preacher giving a monolog which is followed by a closing song. Instead the Apostolic churches included question and answer as part of the service. He refers to the passage in 1 Corinthians 14 which states that women are forbidden to ask questions in the public meetings. Now Dr. Robbins was not giving a defense for this notion, but used it as a preface to his lecture format. I found the statement to be new to me and very interesting.

What are your thoughts? Would it be permissible for the service to include a question and answer following or during the sermon?


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## SRoper (Jul 31, 2006)

That seems like quite a leap. I think all we can infer is that women were asking questions when they weren't permitted. How does it follow that men were allowed to ask questions?


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## R. Scott Clark (Jul 31, 2006)

Indeed, Paul was concerned to put a stop to the practice of interrupting the preacher! 

I time of Q&A after the service is an excellent idea, during the catechism instruction.

rsc



> _Originally posted by SRoper_
> That seems like quite a leap. I think all we can infer is that women were asking questions when they weren't permitted. How does it follow that men were allowed to ask questions?


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## beej6 (Aug 1, 2006)

My former church, Branch of Hope OPC in Torrance, CA, practices this. The adult sunday school is led by the pastor (or other exhorter or sermon-deliverer) who answers questions about the sermon... or anything else that comes up in discussion.


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## ChristopherPaul (Aug 1, 2006)

I understand many churches do this, but not as a part of the Lord's Day service. Rather, like my church, it is an optional event that is held directly after the service, or as the case with my church, is done during one of the evenings of the week.

In both cases not everyone who was present for the Sermon is able to make it for the Q&A and not everyone at the Q&A was able to be present for the sermon.

Would it be permissible to have Q&A as part of the formal worship service? Why or why not?


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## Semper Fidelis (Aug 1, 2006)

In some Into to Apologetics lectures, Robbns actually labored the point to state that it _should_ be done during the actual Worship service and he thought that the lecture style is incongruous with the syle of the Rabbis. He was, of course, very strident in his criticism and commended the Presbyterian Church he was teaching at that they had allowed questions during the Sermon.


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## jaybird0827 (Aug 1, 2006)

How can it be preaching if it's a two-way conversation between the minister and the congregation? How can it be God-centered worship when there are side conversations going on?

The minister holds the teaching office. He is the authority. Preaching that is faithful to the word of God is to be received.

Q&A after the service may be a good idea for some congregations. For one thing it could help husbands and fathers to learn to catechise their families to assess what was heard and reinforce it.

BTW our Christian education hour is a 45-minute lecture before the service. I thank God for it. I am weary of free-for-alls in "Sunday School" where everybody pools their ignorance or the smart ones are the ones who manage to "discover" and subsequently verbalize what the teacher is trying to "elicit" from the class!


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## MW (Aug 1, 2006)

> _Originally posted by jaybird0827_
> I am weary of free-for-alls in "Sunday School" where everybody pools their ignorance or the smart ones are the ones who manage to "discover" and subsequently verbalize what the teacher is trying to "elicit" from the class!



Me too, Jay. That is the very thing the apostle was setting in order. It is strange to see an issue of church order being raised from the chaotic practice of the Corinthian church. Certainly if the apostle had have said, Let the men ask questions while the women keep silence, then a case could be made for a Q&A. As it stands, there is no approved example for the practice.


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Aug 1, 2006)

> _Originally posted by jaybird0827_
> How can it be preaching if it's a two-way conversation between the minister and the congregation? How can it be God-centered worship when there are side conversations going on?
> 
> The minister holds the teaching office. He is the authority. Preaching that is faithful to the word of God is to be received.
> ...


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## Semper Fidelis (Aug 1, 2006)

By the way, I'm not advocating the position. I disagree with it as well. I was just making it clear what I heard John Robbins to be saying.


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## ChristopherPaul (Sep 4, 2006)

I suppose after Peter's sermon in Acts, questions were encouraged since the one recorded was, "What must we do to be saved?"


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## ChristopherPaul (Nov 9, 2006)

Fresh thoughts?


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## CDM (Nov 9, 2006)

In class, the Professor is teaching/lecturing. We, students, as time permits, often "interrupt" the lecture with a question. This is appropriate.

In preaching, the _minister_ is also teaching BUT he is also exhorting the people. On the authority of Almighty God he is _telling them what to do_. He is not looking for feedback nor does he require it.

Similarly, I'm not looking for feedback when I am telling someone what to do at work. If we were conversing and sharing ideas - that's a different story. 

He is the authority and when speaking authoritatively this rules out dialog and excludes challenges.

After or before divine instruction is given we can talk back and forth all day long seeking clarification or whatever with the _teacher_.

Side note: this thread reminds me of 1 of the benefits for the minister, while preaching from the pulpit, to be dressed in a robe signifying what is taking place.


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## LadyFlynt (Nov 9, 2006)

I must say that that is one thing that I miss about the RPCNA...they also had a catechising time. Sunday School, Service, Lunch in the basement, and then Catechising. We could ask questions during this time.

Precedence for Q & A in the service is given based on the synagogue. They have a time of Q&A (and even some debate?). Christ even taught in at the synaguage and dealt with questions, did he not?

I can see a case for it and against it.


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