Communicating God’s Word: Theology, Orality, and Practice

Teaching and preaching are, at their core, acts of communication. This session frames the whole course through a communication lens: God is a communicating God, Jesus is God’s Word to us, and our task as teachers and preachers is to communicate God’s self-disclosure faithfully to people in our communities. We will attend to both the theology of communication (today) and practical tools for Scripture engagement (tomorrow), including oral approaches that serve people who cannot—or do not prefer to—read.

Why Communication Matters in Teaching and Preaching

We worship a God who communicates. Psalm 29 repeatedly emphasizes “the voice of the Lord”—powerful, majestic, earth-shaking. God’s self-giving comes to us in speech; He makes Himself known. To preach and teach, then, is to participate in God’s own communicative action, not to “play church.” Our words should honor the One whose Word we represent and serve those we address.

Human beings communicate because we are made in the image of a communicating God. Even those who do not speak or hear with sound still communicate in other modes. Communication is not an optional ministry add-on; it is fundamental to personhood and therefore central to Christian ministry.

Jesus the Word: Theological Center for Communication

John 1 presents Jesus as the Word (Logos). At “the beginning of all reality,” God gives us a Word—communication—through whom all things were made and through whom God is made known. In Jesus we receive both Word and image, but the emphasis on Word signals that revelation is communicative at its core. When we preach, we stand in the shadow of the Word Himself; that raises the significance of our task dramatically.

From Pragmatism to a Theology of Communication

Many churches communicate constantly—websites, social media, messaging groups—yet few articulate a doctrine of communication. We often borrow whatever tools seem to “work” from other traditions or platforms. Pragmatism is not inherently wrong, but we need a richer, more robust approach: How does God communicate, and how do we learn from Him so that our communication honors God and respects our hearers?

Scripture Engagement as God’s Primary Tool for Transformation

In ministry experience across cultures (e.g., East Africa, the UK, the US), the most consistent catalyst for heart-level transformation has been encountering God through His Word. God uses many means—dreams, people, experiences—but the primary way people are formed is by meeting God in Scripture. Our calling is therefore to help people truly engage the Bible.

Two Audiences We Must Serve

  • Those who cannot read the “black ink on the white page.” Low literacy in some communities makes traditional print-centric discipleship inaccessible.
  • Those who can read but prefer not to. Even in highly literate contexts, many are disinclined to read Scripture.

These realities invite oral and story-based approaches (e.g., Bible storytelling) so that people can still encounter God through His Word. Tomorrow’s session will emphasize practical tools that honor how people actually receive and retain truth.

Listening to Scripture

Because “faith comes by hearing,” prioritizing hearing the Word complements (not replaces) reading. Where possible, students are encouraged to listen to Scripture, not only read it, to absorb the biblical narrative more fully. Suggested starting points for immersion in the story of God: Genesis, Exodus, Luke, Acts, and Revelation.

Course Resources and Direction

We will draw on Master Storyteller as a supportive resource alongside Scripture. The course aims to cultivate both theological understanding and skill in oral communication so you can help people in your context meet God in His Word. A key practice assignment will involve learning and presenting an oral Bible story to a real audience in your community.

Luke 24:44–48 — Who Points to Whom?

Consider Jesus’ post-resurrection teaching in Luke 24:44–48. Jesus directs the disciples to “the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms,” showing that all Scripture points to Him. At the same time, Jesus Himself points us back to the Scriptures as the authoritative witness that must be opened, understood, and proclaimed to the nations. The movement is reciprocal: Jesus points to the Scriptures, and the Scriptures point to Jesus.

Jesus as the Hermeneutical Key

Jesus is the interpretive key to God’s communication. To understand the written Word rightly, we must attend to the living Word. This dynamic continues in Acts, which can be read as a discipleship manual: the Word is fulfilled and proclaimed; the church’s mission flows from Scripture opened by the risen Christ.

Implications for Ministry

  • Raise the stakes of preaching and teaching. We imitate the divine Communicator; treat the task with corresponding weight.
  • Honor your hearers. Communicate in forms they can access—oral, textual, and digital—with integrity and clarity.
  • Move beyond mere pragmatism. Let God’s own communicative pattern shape both message and medium.
  • Center Scripture. Help people encounter God in His Word; design practices that enable hearing as well as reading.
  • Prepare for practice. Develop story-based, oral methods to reach those who cannot or do not read.

Summary

  • God is a communicating God; His voice defines reality and revelation.
  • Jesus is the Word who both embodies and interprets God’s communication.
  • Preaching and teaching participate in God’s communicative work and must be approached with theological depth, not just pragmatism.
  • Transformation ordinarily happens as people encounter God through Scripture; therefore, Scripture engagement is central.
  • Serve both non-readers and non-reading-inclined audiences through oral and story-centric approaches.
  • In Luke 24, Jesus points to the Scriptures, and the Scriptures point to Jesus—He is the hermeneutical key.
  • Next steps focus on practical tools for oral Bible storytelling and community engagement.
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