A Study of The Preaching Style of Jonathan Edward as Seen in Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God

The Revolutionary Impact of Jonathan Edwards' Sermon

Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" was one of the most revolutionary sermons of its day. Edwards' style of preaching was highly effective in urging these wicked people to repent of their evil ways. Although Edwards' form of teaching was very pessimistic and discouraging, it successfully conveyed the message to the people. Since its settlement, the United States has been gradually turning away from God and looking to themselves and to other religions for peace. The time has come for this country to be chastised for its sins and to turn back to God. Edwards began his sermon by telling the people about how evil they were and how they were heading straight to hell. He painted a picture as though there was no way out of this terrible mess that people had gotten themselves into. After ensuring that all present were convinced of eternal damnation, Edwards introduced a light, a hope—Jesus Christ. After hearing all that they had, the people went running to Christ for salvation.

A Study of The Preaching Style of Jonathan Edwards as Seen in "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God"

Although this Fire and Brimstone form of preaching was very dark and scary, it accomplished its purpose. The people of the time were drifting away from God and turning to other distractions. Today, just like back then, people of the world are straying from God. It seems that today, more and more things are becoming tolerable to our society. Many preachers do not preach with authority these days. It is commendable that preachers teach that with Jesus, everything will be alright, but more pastors need to incorporate the Fire and Brimstone method to, if anything, scare people into believing in Christ. As the Lord knows, there is a multitude of issues to reprimand our society on, and this is a perfect opportunity to convert people to Christ. Now is the perfect time for people to be told about Jesus. The people of the world right now are searching for spiritual enlightenment, and they are open to embracing anything that they believe will give them peace.

One might think that Edwards' form of preaching would scare away more people than it attracted to Christianity. On the contrary, it actually drew many people to the faith early. Unfortunately, these people lacked support after they found Christ, so they gradually fell away from the faith. If the Fire and Brimstone method is to be taught, those who are drawn to Christ must have adequate support to maintain their faith.

The Need for a New Revolutionary Approach

Edwards' form of preaching was very different from what anyone had ever heard, and it worked very well at bringing people to Christ. Perhaps what the world today needs is not so much fire and brimstone, but something revolutionary, something they've never heard before. People today have heard it all, and it is nothing new to them. What they need is something that will profoundly impact them, something they do not see coming. Edwards was a great preacher, and his development of the Fire and Brimstone form of preaching significantly furthered the ministry in this country. While that form of preaching may not be exactly what the world needs today, something as new and different as what he did could turn our world around.

References

Edwards, J. (1741). Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. In The Works of Jonathan Edwards (Vol. 2).

Smith, J. (2003). Fire and Brimstone: The Influence of Jonathan Edwards' Preaching. New York: HarperCollins.