The title of this article reflects a popular platitude, one directed at pastors, a saying that has become trite. For decades (at least) it has been given as homiletic advice to pastors and other teachers of the Word of God. The intent of the bromide can be summarized: "Whether speaking or writing, do so in such a way that the youngest, simplest person can understand what you're trying to say."
However, Dr. Charles Ryrie, author of the Ryrie Study Bible, et al. reacted strongly against the platitude. It connotes the idea that the Bible contains simple material, is easy to understand, but the truth is, there are portions of the Good Book that are deep and in need of serious study; the Bible is not "Dick and Jane Go to the Farm."
Dr. John F. Walvoord, the second president of Dallas Seminary, told the students, "The Bible is going to take all the intellect you've got and more. Every student learned the truth of those words in his classes!
The apostle Peter wrote about Paul's epistles, "As also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction." (II Peter 3:16)
There were statements Jesus made in His teaching that were not on the bottom shelf: "So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves.He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink.He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.'"
In order to understand much of the New Testament, the teacher must be a student of the 1st century Roman Empire to delve into Galatians 4:4, Galatians 3:24; Matthew 8:22 et al. In addition, the teacher must study the Koine Greek, for example word "to" in Galatians 3:24 needs exposition. What about the problem of divine sovereignty vs. free will? Instead one pastor advised other ministers, "Don't teach Romans 9-11," meaning it's too hard.
What about the great doctrines of the faith: the doctrines of the hypostatic union, unlimited atonement, pneumatology, eschatology, the essence of God? What about the four covenants given to Israel: the Abrahamic, Palestinian, Davidic, and the New Covenant. Instead, people sit and listen to "How to have growing bank accounts, upward mobility, and radiant health." Easy: Just name it and claim it. Yeah, right.
We often hear those who rail against the dumbing down of America and we agree that they have a point but what about the dumbing down of the American church member with sermonettes? (Sermonettes are for Christianettes.)
In the great-used-to-be, a 1st grade teacher divided her students into three reading groups: the Blue Birds, the Red Birds, and the Yellow Birds. Each group, when called, would come to the front of the room, sit at a table with their book, and go around in the circle learning to read, then reading to the teacher while the other students would sit quietly at their desks doing the assigned work for the day.
The Blue Birds were the best readers, the Red Birds were in the middle, and the sad Yellow Birds were the poorest and needed serious help in learning how to read.
The tragedy would be for a Yellow Bird to remain a Yellow Bird, never advancing, never growing to become a Red Bird, then a Blue Bird. Putting the cookies on the bottom shelf assures that believers won't grow and that they will be Yellow Birds all their lives, as the pastor chirps out sermonettes Sunday after Sunday to the assembled Yellow Birds.
Peter's last words to the church were, "Grow in grace."
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