● Preach Like the Greats · 03 of 87

Preach Like Tertullian
of Carthage.

Speak to them by name, root the duty in Christ, then make it concrete.

Preach Like Tertullian — Speak to them by name, root the duty in Christ, then make it concrete.. A free guide from Pastor Center.
  • ✓6 of his sermons, studied start to finish
  • ✓Ten steps to preach the way he did
  • ✓A fill-in outline in his shape, 9 pages

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— Why he’s one of the greats

Speak to them by name, root the duty in Christ, then make it concrete.

The persecuted church of Roman North Africa, about a century after the apostles. Tertullian was born in Carthage, trained in rhetoric, and became a Christian as an adult. No sermons of his survive. What survives is a set of treatises, and several of them were written for catechumens preparing for baptism or for the congregation, and they read like spoken exhortation: On Prayer, On Baptism, On Patience, On Repentance, To the Martyrs and The Shows. This sheet treats those as his “preaching.” His secret: he talks to the people in the room by name and never lets them stay spectators. “O sinner,” “O blessed ones,” “You are too dainty, Christian.” He takes one duty at a time (prayer, patience, repentance) and roots it in God’s own character or Christ’s example before he says a word about practice. Then he gets concrete, down to posture, timing and what to do with your hands. He packs truth into short lines people can carry home, and he likes to end on glory: the resurrection, the return of Christ, Adam back in paradise.

  • 31works that survive, plus fragments
  • c. 155born in Carthage, Roman North Africa
  • 1stknown Latin writer to use the word trinity

What makes his style unique

Names the hearerO sinner, O blessed ones, O Christian.
God before rulesHe shows God’s patience and Christ’s before asking for ours.
Ends on gloryHe closes on Christ’s return, the resurrection or paradise.
“Every word almost was a sentence; every sentence a victory.”
Vincent of Lérins, Commonitory (434)

Read the full story: How Tertullian Preached →

— Who wrote this

We’re pastors. We’ve had your Monday.

Pastor Center is built and written by pastors — a lead pastor who planted churches, and a church planter who grew one to 4,000 in four years. The same team teaches 9 free courses and 164 lessons. This guide is the short version.

  • 9free courses
  • 164lessons, all free
  • ARCChurches partner

— What you get

What’s inside

Preach Like Tertullian — Speak to them by name, root the duty in Christ, then make it concrete..

  1. 01Why he’s one of the greatsThe story, the numbers and what made his style his own.
  2. 02What he does6 of his sermons, studied start to finish, and the shape they share.
  3. 03How he does itTen steps to preach the way he did.
  4. 04His outlineWhere the time goes, movement by movement.
  5. 05Write one like TertullianA fill-in outline in his shape, ready for your own text.
  6. 06SourcesEvery quote and number, cited.

— The plan

Three steps. Starting today.

01

Tell us where to send it

One short form. The PDF is on the very next screen — no trial, no card, nothing to wait for.

02

Study him in one sitting

9 pages: 6 of his sermons studied, ten steps, and an outline you fill in with your own text.

03

Preach it Sunday

Fill in the outline with your own text and preach your next sermon the way Tertullian would.

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Keep going through the greats

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