The Preaching Ministry in the Church
By: SSM Founder
[This article is an excerpt from Chapter 9
("Biblical Authority and the Church") of the editor's book, Sola Scriptura: A New Call to Biblical
Authority," which is included in electronic form on The Sola Scriptura
CD-ROM Library, Vol. 1, as well as hardcopy form on our books page.]
The Pastor's Qualifications
While space doesn’t permit us to examine the qualifications themselves (I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9), I do want to emphasize that qualifications do exist. More and more today we see these qualifications compromised or dismissed altogether. To illustrate, a few years ago a nationally known and very popular evangelical pastor and radio personality was preaching on the qualifications of elders (bishops and pastors) in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. While he explained them well, he prefaced his explanation with the statement that these are only the “ideal” and that we should never expect to find them all. This, however, is a grave error (if not actual heresy). These are qualifications, not ideals. They are “etched in stone” and are nonnegotiable. They are not suggestions, they are demands. If a man does not measure up to these standards, he is simply not qualified. Indeed, many of the problems in Christianity today stem from men in leadership who are not Biblically qualified to be there.
The Pastor's Call
A related issue here is what we commonly refer to as “the call” to the ministry. I Timothy 3:1 declares: “If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” The Greek for “desire,” orego, literally means “to stretch.” As Greek scholar Joseph Thayer puts it, “To stretch one’s self out in order to touch or grasp something; to reach after or desire something.” This word, then, gives us the idea of a real longing, a complete disregard for all else that we could do.
The whole idea of “the call” to the ministry has come under attack in recent years. Many today discount this principle and say that anyone can preach and that there is not need for a special call. But may we see that we have precedent in the Lord Jesus, Who called every one of His disciples. And again, this word “desires” speaks of a longing to do this, a disregard for anything else. May we ask, therefore, who puts that desire and longing into a man’s heart? God does. God places in a man’s heart a desire for the ministry that disregards any other vocation. A mere human desire will fade, especially if a man does what the Scriptures demand of the preacher. As Charles Spurgeon used to tell the men in his Pastor’s School, “If you can do anything else, do it. If you can stay out of the ministry, stay out of the ministry.” This was true of the Apostle Paul when he wrote, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”
It is for this reason that Biblically there is no such thing as “lay-elders” or “lay-preachers” or “lay-pastors.” Martyn Lloyd-Jones says it well:
What
is the ultimate criticism of what is called “lay-preaching?” . . . that it
seems to miss completely the notion of a “call.” There are also other reasons.
. .My main argument is that the picture I have given of the preacher, and what
he is doing, insists not only that this is something to which a man is called,
but also something that should occupy the whole of his time apart from
exceptional circumstances. It is not something that can be done as an aside, as
it were; that is a wrong approach and a wrong attitude. . . [D. Martyn
Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971), p. 103.]
A prevalent attitude today is that “anyone can preach,” and the result of this attitude is a serious weakening of the pulpit ministry and, therefore, our churches. A layman does not “desire” being an elder; his desires lie elsewhere in his vocation. Now, there is nothing wrong with this at all. God doesn’t call everyone to leadership. But neither does God want those He hasn’t called to the ministry to be filling pulpits. The reason is very practical, namely, the layman cannot dedicate his full time to this ministry. To repeat an illustration I offered back in Chapter 1, I want the surgeon who operates on me to be trained, not someone who does surgery as a sideline or one who has simply read a few books about surgery. Likewise, we must have men teaching the Word today who are trained to do so and whose time is occupied mainly by the study the Word of God.
May I also insert quickly that the word “layman” is not a dirty word and should not be attacked as being one. I have heard many say, “Using the word layman makes a distinction between the clergy and the laity.” But may I point out first that I didn’t use the Roman Catholic terms “clergy” and “laity.” Second, the word “layman” is used outside of the Biblical context to describe anyone who is not in a particular field. Physicians, for example, often tell a patient about his medical problem in medical terms and then says, “Now I’ll tell you what this means in layman’s terms.” Third, there is a difference between those who lead and those who follow. Indeed, one of the many problems in churches today is “everyone is the same, everyone is equal,” but there is no leadership and no authority in such an approach. A pastor is a shepherd, and he is the one who is to lead.
The Pastor's Ordination
But is “a call” enough? Anyone can claim he is called, but does that mean they are? To both questions the answer is no, for if a man is not qualified, and if the qualifications for ministry are not present, and if his call cannot be confirmed by the church, then he is not called.
It is here that the issue of “ordination” arises, another Biblical practice that has come under attack. There are six or so words translated “ordain,” all of which basically mean “appoint.” Paul told Titus, for example, to ordain (appoint) elders (Tit. 1:5). The Greek here is kathistemi, which literally means “to set down, to appoint one to administer an office.” The main point of this is that it was a very special and serious matter to be appointed an elder.
What then is ordination? Ordination is not the bestowing of power or authority, but is a recognition of the power and authority already bestowed by God. Roman Catholicism, of course, strayed from this. It says that ordination to the priesthood conveys authority and even imparts good character and God’s grace. This is plainly heretical.
A related issue here is who is supposed to ordain men. We see men today being ordained by a denomination, a seminary, an association, or a conference. But this is a blatant departure from the Scripture, which says that ordination is to be done by a Local Church. Every New Testament instance of ordination proves this. The Church at Antiock ordained and sent out Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2-3), as Paul and Barnabas founded churches they ordained elders (14:21-25), and as we noted earlier, Paul told Titus to do the same (Tit. 1:5).
May I interject here that ordination in the Scripture does not resemble the practice we see among many evangelicals today where the candidate sits before a council and is interrogated as if he were on trial. I remember my own ordination, when I was grilled for four hours on what I believed. But this accomplishes nothing. Anyone can memorize and recite doctrine. What we see in the Scriptures is that a man was trained in the Local Church and then ordained by that Church. There was no need for interrogation because the Church leaders knew him. Naturally, many object here by saying, “Oh, but we need ordination councils because preachers are now trained in Bible colleges and seminaries.” To this we say, “True, but this is not Biblical.” We have replaced the Biblical standard of training men in the Local Church with a cheap and easy substitute. We’ll come back to this principle later in this chapter.
Biblically, then, under the authority and advisement of the elder (or elders), a church ordains and sends out a man. Why is this important? Mainly because it’s what God says, and that should be enough, but there is also a practical reason, namely, because the church shows that it recognizes the call of God in the man’s life and confirms that he has met the Biblical requirements. Anyone can say, “I’m called,” so God has built the Church’s recognition into it as a safeguard. God’s call and the meeting of the Biblical requirements can always be recognized by others. To quote Martyn Lloyd-Jones again:
So before you can be quite sure that a man is called to be a preacher, his personal call must be confirmed by the church, it must be attested by the church. [Ibid, p. 108]
So, the man is first adequately trained (in the Local Church, as we’ll see later). He must not be a “novice,” that is, a new convert (I Tim. 3:6), and he must prove himself, as Paul told Timothy to “lay hands suddenly on no man” (5:22). The man is then ordained by the Local Church by the laying on of hands by the elder (or elders). Acts 14:23 declares that elders were appointed by other elders, not by the congregation.
The Pastor's Primary Responsibility
Acts 20:28-35 records Paul’s time in Miletus, which was about thirty miles from Ephesus. Having already missed Passover and in a hurry to get to Jerusalem, Paul sent for the Ephesian elders (pastors) instead of going there himself. He felt it imperative that he leave them with some final counsel, and what counsel it was! This passage lists six responsibilities of the pastor: guard his own life and ministry (v. 28a), feed the flock (v. 28), lead the flock (v. 28), protect the flock (vs. 29-31), study the Word and pray (v. 32), and be free from self-interest (vs. 33-35). While all of these are important, our brief focus will be on the second, not only because of its pivotal nature, but because of how much it is neglected today.
The Word of God declares without a shadow of doubt that the pastor’s number one responsibility it to feed God’s people (Acts 20:28). One of the major problems in Christianity today is the abysmal failure of the pulpit ministry, that is, the lack of authoritative, in-depth, expository preaching that equips God’s people for ministry. Acts 20:28 declares that the pastor is to “shepherd the Church,” and the main aspect of shepherding is feeding.
Another pivotal text is II Timothy 4:1-4:
I
charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge
the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be
instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure
sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves
teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the
truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
To cut right to the heart of the matter, everything the pastor does should flow from his pulpit ministry. To put it in the words of J. Sidlow Baxter, “. . .preaching the Bible. . .is the gravity center of the Christian pastorate [J. Sidlow Baxter, Rethinking Our Priorities (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1974), p. 245]. Building on that thought, we often hear the expression “lowering one’s center of gravity,” which one does for the purpose of stability. Likewise, preaching brings stability. It must be the center of the pastor’s ministry and, therefore, the central ministry of the local church. May I boldly and lovingly submit, if you don’t believe this, you don’t belong in the ministry. Change or get out. As we’ll see, the command to preach the Word was Paul’s final message to Timothy. If this doesn’t show the priority of preaching, what does it show?
One Greek word translated “preach” is euangellizo, “to proclaim good or joyful news.” It is used, for example, in Ephesians 3:8. This word (as well as the noun euangellion) is used abundantly to show the proclaiming of the Gospel by God’s chosen vessel. Similarly, in Ephesians 4:11 the word describes an office, the office of “evangelist.” An important distinction in the use of this word is that it is never used for anyone other than full-time preachers (or occasionally of angels). This fact is crucial in light of today’s practice of what is called “lay-preaching,” which we mentioned earlier.
Another word used in Scripture for “preach” is kerusso, a unique and powerful word that means “to herald publicly.” The noun form of this word, kerux (I Tim. 2:7; II Tim. 1:11; II Pet. 2:5) refers to the imperial herald, who represented the emperor or king and announced his wishes. The word bespeaks a formal, grave, serious, and authoritative proclamation from the king. It is used of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1; Mk. 1:4, 7; Lk. 3:3; Acts 10:37), the Lord Jesus (Matt. 4:17, 23; 9:35; 11:1; Mk. 1:14, 38-39; Lk. 4:44; 8:1; I Pet. 3:19), and the Apostles and teachers (Matt. 10:7; 24:14; 26:13; Mk. 3:14; 6:12; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15, 20; Lk. 9:2; 24:47; Acts 8:5; 9:20; 19:13; 20:25; 28:31; Rom. 10:8, 14-15; I Cor. 1:23; 9:27; 15:11-12; II Cor. 1:19; 4:5; Gal. 2:2; Col. 1:23; I Thess. 2:9; I Tim. 3:16; II Tim. 4:2). The words of the herald are to be listened to and heeded. Failure to heed the words brought serious consequences, and to abuse the herald was a direct attack upon the king. Like euangellizo, kerusso is done by those who are called and qualified to preach full-time.
So, then, what is preaching? Put simply:
Preaching is the exposition and
application of God’s Word from the preacher to the people.
“Exposition” simply means “a detailed explanation,” so preaching first gives a detailed explanation of what Scriptures says and then applies it to the hearers so they know how to live. May I submit again, if a preacher is not doing this, he should not be standing in a pulpit.
There is a common misconception that says, “There is a difference between preaching and teaching. There are times when we teach instead of preach and other times when we preach instead of teach.” But does the Scriptures warrant such a fine distinction? In his excellent book Rethinking Our Priorities, J. Sidlow Baxter addresses this by writing:
There
is a difference between preaching, in
the more general sense, and teaching, in the more particular sense. That
difference I willingly acknowledge here, and in fact call fresh attention to
it; yet at the same time I do not think too keen a cleavage should be made
between them. As I have often said, all preaching should be teaching, and all
teaching should be preaching, by which I mean all preaching should impart Biblical substance [teaching], while all
our more specialized teaching of
Bible areas or topics by analysis, synthesis, etc., should be punctuated by
admonition, challenge, encouragement, consolation, and other such practical
urges with a view to edification [preaching]. [Ibid, p. 250 (emphasis in
the original]
This excellent comment points out that every time preachers handle the Word they must both teach (impart knowledge) and preach (apply knowledge). What good is knowledge if it is not applied, and what good is application if there is nothing to apply? Granted, some preachers will have to work harder at one than they do the other, but they must do both. II Timothy 4:2 bears out this principle. Paul clearly couples the two together when he says, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine [teaching]”.
Why are we supposed to preach? Why is this so important? Why can’t we just cling to all the “new-fangled” methods of ministry and relegate preaching to the past (which is exactly what is happening today)? Well, the New Testament reveals at least seven reasons for preaching.
First, preaching is commanded and demanded by God.
Here in II Timothy 4:1-2 we read Paul’s final words to Timothy and Paul’s final words period, for this was his last letter. Were Paul’s final words, “Timothy, think of a new method or program,” or, “Timothy, you need to psychologize and moralize with people,” or, “Timothy, you should sit down with your listeners and discuss what the Bible means?” No! Paul says, “Timothy, preach the Word, herald the truth, tell people what God says whether they like it or not.”
Paul uses strong language here. These words are not a request, not an alternative, not a suggestion, not something Timothy could simply choose to do if circumstances warranted it. These words are a command. If Timothy had not preached, he would have been disobedient, just as many are being disobedient today. Absolutely nothing is to replace the preaching of the Word of God, but sad to say, many things are indeed replacing the pulpit ministry today.
Films and film series often replace the preaching of the Word. Often these are shown on Sunday nights or Wednesday nights in order to “have something different,” but God doesn’t say to have something different; He says to preach the Word. Just because technology changes doesn’t mean that God’s methods change.
Bible studies and discussion groups are more and more replacing the authoritative preaching of the Word. Many people get together and, quite frankly, share their ignorance by saying, “Well, what do you think this means?” or, “What does this say to you?” No one is in authority and no one leads, both of which are absolutely unscriptural. God always places men in authority and makes them responsible for leading His people in the truth.
Christian concerts and “sing times” are also very popular. Usually these either relegate any preaching to the background or, more commonly, do away with it altogether. Hordes of people will travel miles to be entertained by a Christian singer, but few will bother crossing the street to hear the Word of God exposited. Now, there is nothing wrong with music. On the contrary, it is an important aspect of worship and edification (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), but God never intended it for mere entertainment, and He never intended it to replace the proclamation of His Word.
The same is true of the overemphasis on “Christian testimonies.” Many believe, at least in their practice, that the testimony of an athlete, actor, singer, politician, or even ex-gangster or hoodlum is more valuable than the exposition and application of God’s Word. Similarly, many things are used today to draw a crowd, everything from Karate demonstrations to puppet and magic shows. How appalled I was the day I heard a preacher say, “Even Jesus gave away fish sandwiches to draw a crowd.” Yes, our crowds will be smaller when we emphasize only the Word, but the folks we get will be the ones who want truth.
Serious damage to the pulpit ministry has also been done by the ever-increasing emphasis on counseling. Counseling is certainly important, and a pastor will engage in counseling personal problems from time to time. But it is equally true historically that as preaching goes down counseling goes up. Why? Because when a preacher stops preaching as God told him to, people discover that something is missing, so they try different things to fill the void, counseling being one. There are all sorts of seminars these days, but these are not only unscriptural, they are detrimental. “How then do we deal with specialized problems?” people ask. The answer is, preaching, when done properly, does deal with specialized problems. I greatly appreciate the pastor I heard about who after being asked for some marital counsel said, “Great, our first three sessions will be Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday evening.” Counseling certainly does have its place, but it must never be allowed to replace the preaching of the Word. (See the “Psychology and Counseling” section in Chapter 10.)
Then there is the modern practice of “preaching” on politics, as well as moral and social reform. Where does God say to preach on such things? He says to preach the Word. As we preach the truth things will change as men respond to the truth. Society cannot be reformed, it must be transformed. (See the “Law vs. Grace” section in Chapter 10.)
Another serious problem is that the majority of adult, youth, and children’s programs do not have the preaching and teaching of the Word of God at the core of their emphasis. Several years ago I was asked to come and minister for a week at a Campus Life center in Wisconsin, but when I preached the Word, the director (who was, oddly enough, a Bob Jones University graduate) made it quite clear that he wanted nothing that even remotely resembled preaching. Men like this are at the core of Christianity’s problem today. It was also interesting, however, that several young people told me later how much they appreciated the teaching.
Additional damage is done to the pulpit ministry by panel discussions and debates. People appear on “Christian” talk shows and share their ignorance, which is then followed by the host giving his opinion. But God’s Word is not to be debated, It is to be delivered. Worse yet are those who appear on panels with atheists, humanists, and evolutionists and cast pearls before swine (Matt. 7:6). How ridiculous it is when a Christian radio station allows some atheist to blast his perversion over the airwaves. We allow him to give his view followed by a rebuttal from the Christian apologist. But may I submit, we should not give these people a forum! They already have their own forum via the news media, the educational system, and the publishing industry. Oh, that we would just preach the truth!
One of the most damaging things to the pulpit ministry, not to mention the local church and the overall cause of Christ, is the prominence of radio and television “ministries.” The vast majority of these programs have little or no substance to them whatsoever. Then, to make matters worse, we have the likes of Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart, who brought immeasurable reproach on our Lord. Still further, with few exceptions, these “ministries” go on the air and beg for money. Is this the kind of God we have, One who cannot maintain His own ministry? Finally, the majority of these “ministries” damage the Local Church by taking finances away from it, by keeping people away from it by saying they can “go to church” by watching TV or listening to a tape, and by replacing the authority of the Local Church pastor with that of the media preacher.
The point we want to make clear is: preaching, God’s ordained method of transmitting the truth of His Word, is being replaced. Even a cursory reading of Biblical and Church history reveals that revivals and spiritual awakenings came only by the preaching of the Word of God.
Many people today, including pastors, offer numerous objections to the primacy of preaching, such as: “Times change, so our methods must change,” “People are more educated now and need more sophisticated ministry,” “Each person is different and needs a different approach,” and, “Preaching is an old fashioned method, and in our day we need something new.” If Christians would just stop and think for a moment about how these sound! In the final analysis, they are saying that the preaching of the Word is simply not adequate to the task, that God’s method of proclaiming truth is not sufficient. This, however, is the very point Paul makes in I Corinthians 1:18-25. Verse 18 reads:
For
the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us
which are saved it is the power of God.
The word “message” is the Greek logos, which means “word,” and “foolishness” is moria, which means “folly or absurdity.” The English word “moron” is derived from another form of this word, moros. So, Paul is saying that the words of the cross are absurd to lost people, but true believers know that the message of the cross is the very power of God. Verse 19 continues:
For
it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing
the understanding of the prudent.
This is a quotation of Isaiah 29:14 and declares that man’s wisdom and intellect will be brought to nothing. Ponder a moment, why do car manufacturers continue to design new styles of cars? Why do companies produce new ways of marketing their products? Why does a novelist write a new novel? Because the old wears out and people want something new and different. Likewise, why do men continually have to come up with new methods and programs for the Church? Because the old ones eventually die out, and this verse declares that it is God Who brings it to nothing. In contrast, God ordained preaching to last forever. Verse 20 continues this thought:
Where
is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not
God made foolish the wisdom of this world?
“Where is the wise” speaks of knowledge and philosophy, “where is the scribe” speaks of religion and tradition,” and “where is the disputer of this age” speaks of human reasoning, opinions, and ideas. God says that they are all foolish. While they think it is the preaching of the cross that is absurd, it is actually they who are fools. This leads right to verse 21:
For
after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Men cannot find God through their own efforts, rather God reveals Himself only through the Word of God, only by the preaching of the Gospel. Verses 22-25 goes one step further:
For
the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ
crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But
unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and
the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness
of God is stronger than men.
While the previous verses speak specifically about the message that is being preached, these speak also of the act of preaching itself, for it is kerusso that Paul uses here, the formal proclamation of the herald. Jews have to have a sign, while Gentiles (Greeks) seek wisdom (philosophy), but preaching is neither one. Preaching the cross offends the Jew and makes the Gentile scoff, but still it is God’s way. Preaching is ordained of God to meet every need of every person in every age.
To illustrate, consider the Rich Man and Lazarus (Lk. 16:20-31). In his torment in Hades, the Rich Man implored Abraham to send Lazarus back to his five brothers to warn them of Hades’ torment and urge them to repent. But Abraham answered, “If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead (v. 31).” This was born out when Lazarus was raised from the dead by the Lord Jesus (Jn. 21-22). While many believed, many did not. The chief priests, in fact, plotted to kill Lazarus. Likewise, the resurrection is an historical fact, complete with empirical and incontrovertible evidence, but the majority of the human race still rejects the Gospel message. So, if preaching isn’t enough, then nothing else will help one iota.
Second, preaching humbles us.
Nothing else humbles us like preaching, for it is merely a man of God proclaiming God’s truth and making us responsible to obey. This is, in fact, why many people do not like preaching. They simply don’t like someone “telling them what to do.”
Third, preaching presents truth that fights apostasy.
Once again may we notice II Timothy 4:1-4, but may we also notice the context. II Timothy 3 describes the apostasy of the last days, that is, the “falling away,” the act of professing Christians who reject revealed truth. It is within that context that we find verses 16 and 17, the most important reference to the inspiration of Scripture in the Bible. Immediately after this Paul says, “Preach the Word” (II Tim. 4:2). Why? Because the truth of the Scripture exposes apostasy. Verses 3 and 4 are especially important here:
For
the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their
own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they
shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
The Greek for “endure” (anechomai) literally means “to hold one’s self upright.” In modern English, we could say, “They just won’t put up with it,” and, indeed, many today just won’t put with authoritative preaching. As a result, they seek out teachers who will tickle them behind the ear, those who will make them “feel good about themselves” and simply tell them what they want to hear, not what they need to hear.
For example, God’s Word says that man is a dirty, filthy, rotten sinner who is dead in trespasses and sin, but this certainly doesn’t tickle the ear, so many talk about how good man is, how to have a positive self-esteem, and how to practice “possibility thinking.” And it’s not just in liberal Christianity that we find this. I’ve seen many evangelical pastors who preach only “positive” sermons because that’s what people want. They don’t want to be told about their sin or responsibility.
Verse 4 is fascinating in this light. “Fables” is the Greek muthos, from which our English words “myth” and “mythology” are derived. It describes “a tale or a fable that is fabricated by the mind in contrast to reality” and is “full of falsehoods and pretenses” [Spiros Zodhiatus]. Is this not exactly what we see today? The Bible is put on the same level as Homer’s Iliad, and the accounts of creation, the fall, and the flood are considered allegory. And then, absurdly enough, these are then replaced by evolution, the greatest example of man’s irrationality and mythological mind. But again, it’s not just the liberals who discount the Word of God. As noted earlier, many churches relegate preaching to a past age or replace it with something more up to date. By doing so, they are in essence doing the same thing as the liberals. They discount its relevance and deny its absolute truth.
So, it’s preaching the truth of the Word of God that exposes apostasy and false doctrine. It is by preaching the truth that we expose the errors that plague Christianity, such as: the easy-believism Gospel, the pragmatic approach to ministry, parachurch organizations, and all the psychology-oriented ministries. As the Apostle John warns, “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world (I Jn. 4:1).”
Fourth, preaching equips us for service.
We draw this principle, and the next two, from Ephesians 4:11-16. Verse 11 mentions the “office gifts,” those who preach and teach. Verse 12 then says that they are “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” Oh, how Christians need to be equipped, and it is only the preaching of the Word that will accomplish it. Notice also the word “edifying,” which means “to build or construct.” As we’ll see later in the chapter, the Local Church is the training ground for ministry, and the preaching and teaching of the Word is the only Biblical way to train people for ministry.
Fifth, preaching produces growth.
Verse 13 speaks of “the knowledge of Christ,” which must be constantly growing. Many churches have a plethora of programs, but have little or no real growth in Christ. This is the by-product of a weak pulpit ministry. Verse 14 goes on to say:
That
we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with
every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby
they lie in wait to deceive.
This speaks of maturity, which is, of course, part of the growing process. God wants us to be “adult Christians.” This reemphasizes that preaching fights apostasy. Frankly, the vast majority of Christians are sucked in by any new Christian ministry, regardless of what it teaches. If the ministry talks about the Bible at all, then most Christians think it’s great. Most Christians, even preachers, also think that any method, idea, or program is fine, regardless of what the Scripture says about ministry. Why? Because they don’t spend enough time in the Word of God and are therefore immature and lack discernment. Paul sums up in verse 15, “Speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head; Christ.” It is God’s truth alone that brings growth, and it is preaching that proclaims this truth.
Sixth, preaching produces unity.
It is truly fascinating that unity, knowledge, and maturity are all tied together. Paul speaks of unity often in Ephesians. In 2:11-22 he writes of Jews and Gentiles being unified in Christ, and in 4:1-3 he exhorts believers to maintain unity. Now we see that it is the preaching and teaching of the word by God’s messengers that promotes unity (v. 13). As we’ll see a little later, Christians today are uniting around many things, but the only thing that provides real unity is the preaching of the Word.
Seventh, preaching meets needs, solves problems, and answers questions.
After all we’ve seen, this principle is obvious. As we studied back in Chapter 3, II Timothy 3:16-17 declare that the Word of God is profitable in five ways: doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness, and equipping for service. The Word of God is sufficient for every situation. It has the answer for ever question and meets every need. It outlines exactly how we are to live, and it is up to us to preach it. As we saw back in Chapter 7, it is the preaching of the Word “which also effectively works in you who believe” (I Thess. 2:13).
One other issue concerning the pastor and his preaching is that he should do so authoritatively and confrontively. Timothy had a problem with authority due to an apparent timidity (I Tim. 4:12-14). Paul’s charge, therefore, was that he “command and teach” (4:11) and that he “preach, convince, rebuke, and exhort” (II Tim. 4:2). All of this demonstrates the preacher’s responsibility to be authoritative. The Imperial Herald was to announce the Emperor’s wishes with authority, and the preacher is to do the same. But we see little authority in pulpits today. We see preachers who compromise the truth so as not “to offend” and who preach shallow sermons devoid of doctrine and filled with stories and human opinion.
Like Timothy, many preachers today are timid and afraid of “coming on too strong.” But it is instructive, indeed, to observe that Paul uses the word parangello five times in his first letter to Timothy. This word was used among Helenistic Jews “for military orders, summons to an assembly (I Sam. 10:17), and official proclamations (II Chron. 36:22)” ["Little Kittel," p.776]. Likewise, it is used in the New Testament to refer to the commands given by government authorities (Acts 4:18; 16:23; 23:22). In the same way, the Lord Jesus used the word several times: He commanded the twelve disciples to preach that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand (Matt. 10:5ff); He commanded the demons to depart from a possessed man (Lk. 8:26-29); He ordered the cleansed leper to show himself to the priests and to make an offering (in obedience to Old Testament law); He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground (Mk. 8:6); He commanded the disciples not to depart from Jerusalem but to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8); and He commanded His servants to preach (10:42).
All of this, then, gave Paul reason to tell Timothy to preach with authority. In Timothy 1:3-4, he urges Timothy to “charge” (command) false teachers not to teach false doctrine. Oh, how we need to do this today instead of being tolerant! In 4:6:10, Paul lists several things Timothy is to teach and then sums up in verse 11, “These things command and teach.” He uses similar words in reference to the Church’s ministry to widows (5:7). In 6:12 he tells Timothy to “fight the good fight of faith,” and then writes in verse 13 and 14, “I urge [command] you in the sight of God. . .that you keep this commandment without spot.” Finally, in 6:17 he instructs Timothy to command the rich not to be haughty but willing to share their riches. Paul’s instruction are just as appropriate today as they were then. Preachers must be authoritative.
One other verse concerning this authoritative approach to preaching is I Thessalonians 2:13, which we first examined back in Chapter 7:
For
this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the
word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as
it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that
believe.
As we saw in Chapter 7, Paul clearly writes here of the fact that these believers heard the Word of God through preaching. If we examine the verse in more depth, however, we discover that Paul is also saying that when a man preaches, he is actually speaking the Word of God. In other words, true preaching means that the preaching automatically has authority because it’s God’s Word. This certainly does not mean the preacher is infallible, but it does mean he has authority.
Going hand-in-hand with preaching authoritatively is preaching confrontively. There are several prevalent approaches to preaching today. There is, of course, the “No Preaching Approach,” which says, “Let’s not have so much structure; let’s just share ideas, sing, and have fellowship.” But there is no real power or true fellowship unless the Word of God as at the center. There is also the “Positive Preaching Approach,” which avoids anything controversial or coming across too strongly. Then there is the “Problem Preaching Approach,” which is totally psychology and seminar oriented. The speaker usually states a problem or “principle” and then gives his opinion or quotes ten verses (often out of context) to solve the problem or prop up the “principle.” I like to call this “Bibleizing.” The “Personal Preaching Approach” is riddled with personal illustration and experience, story after story, and good humor, but little or no Biblical truth. The “Political Preaching Approach” uses the pulpit as a political platform. Many preachers today are so involved with the abortion issue, for example, that there is little time for anything else.
All of these stem from one basic cause: people don’t want to hear the truth, so they want the preacher to tell them something else. Many today want to be entertained instead of challenged. In contrast, according to II Timothy 4:2, “Confrontive Preaching” does three things. It “reproves,” that is, it exposes and convicts of sin. It also “rebukes,” that is, it reprimands sin and warns of its consequences. Finally, it “exhorts,” that is, it urges, encourages, and challenges the listener to do what is right. Furthermore, Paul says to do all three of these with patience and doctrine. The preacher is to continue to preach in this manner and is to be constantly doing it through doctrine.