The Gospels tell us that when Jesus preached, the people were 'astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes' (Mark 1:22). Unlike the scribes, Jesus spoke like a prophet, announcing what God is doing and saying now, and facilitating an encounter with the reign of God. Most preaching today resembles the teaching of the scribes: explaining the meaning and application of Scripture. But Ryan Ahlgrim boldly suggests that pastors and preachers today should speak as Jesus spoke: as prophets speaking for God instead of as scribes talking about God. Using Jesus' own astonishing preaching methods and themes as a model, Ahlgrim attempts to recover for our time the transforming power of prophetic preaching.
