By Bill D. Whittaker
Major sections of Scripture are biographical. The Holy Spirit’s use of biography to communicate the Truth is a high recommendation for this source of sermon illustrations. Of course, the major difference is in who’s handling the material.
Biography is defined as the "reconstruction in print or on film, of the lives of real men and women." The genre has a long history, dating from inscriptions on palace walls of Egypt and Assyria. In the second century, Plutarch wrote
The Parallel Lives, comparing and evaluating the morals and achievements of four individuals. Every era of history has included some biographies that were more fantasy than fact, usually trying to enhance a life in support of a cause or an institution. In 1791 James Boswell wrote
The Life of Samuel Johnson, described as "the first definitive biography." Biographies are now a staple of publishing and also television’s History Channel.
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The use of biography applies truth to real people and heightens listener response. People are always more interesting than things. Preaching the truth includes working with propositional statements, but these truths live when illustrated in the lives of others. Craig Larson wrote, "The average church attender finds
People magazine more engaging than
PC User. Listeners identify with people’s emotions, thoughts, opinions, and weaknesses. While illustrations drawn from nature, mechanics and mathematics can help clarify, people illustrations are more likely to stir emotions. They are alive."
2 Biography is a rich treasure for these people-centered illustrations. However, every kind of illustrative material has limitations.
Some Cautions About BiographyCheck out the author’s reputation. Some so-called biographies seem to focus more on gossip than fact. The end result appears to be generating enough media coverage so that sales will increase. Other biographies are "in-house" publications with the author having very little independence.
Examine the author’s sources. Narrative biographies usually omit footnotes for ease of reading. Endnotes and a list of sources consulted should give some indication of the seriousness of the work and the breadth of investigation.
Don’t forget your purpose. While a biography may be personally entertaining and contain some material that has relevance to life, the subject’s lifestyle and public declarations may make a reference unsuitable for preaching. Your purpose also requires a clear connection with the text.
Read the entire volume. Preachers are sometimes like antique buyers at an auction. We buy the whole book and scan sections, looking for a jewel. However, a choice story or quotation from one chapter may be interpreted more fully in the next chapter. Positive decisions made earlier in life may be jettisoned when the subject faces difficulty. Read the whole story.