PREACHERS AND PREACHING

One word translated preach (knrussw) is found sixty one times in the New Testament. This word is translated "preach" fifty one times, "publish" five times (Mark 1:45; 5:20; 7:36; 13:10), "proclaim" two times (Luke 12:3; Rev. 5:2), "preached" two times (Mark 1:39; Luke 4:44) and "preacher" one time (Rom. 10:14). This word means "to preach, to be a herald, proclaim." Another word which is translated "preach" (euaggelizw) is found fifty five times in the New Testament. This word is translated "preach" twenty three times, "preach the Gospel" twenty two times, "bring good tidings" two times (Luke 2:10; I Thess. 3:6), "shew glad tidings" two times (Luke 1:19; 8:1), "bring glad tidings" one time (Rom. 10:15b), "declare" (Rev. 10:7), "declare glad tidings" (Acts 13:31), "preached the gospel" (Acts 14:7), "be preached" (Gal. 1:11), and "be preached by the gospel" (I Peter 1:25).

When one preaches book, chapter and verse he is following the example of Christ, the apostles and other New Testament preachers. Jesus often quoted from the Old Testament. Jesus spoke of the creation of man, "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female" (Mark 10:6). He made reference to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:29-32), and He made reference to Elijah, Elisha, and Naaman (Luke 4:25-37). Jesus even directed people’s attention to Jonah, "And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.  The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold a greater than Solomon is here.  The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here" (Luke 11:29-32). Jesus quoted scripture in His hour of temptation (Luke 4:1-12; Matt. 4:1-11; Deut. 8:3; 6:11,16). While hanging on the cruel cross of Calvary Jesus made seven statements of these four were references or direct quotations of Old Testament scripture (John 19:28; Psa. 69:21; Luke 23:34; Isa. 53:12; Mark 15:34; Psa. 22:1; Luke 23:46; Psa. 31:5). Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2 contains twenty seven verses and seventeen of those are either references to the Old Testament or direct quotations from it. Stephen defended himself by quoting the Old Testament. Luke records sixty verses of which fifty are either direct quotations or references to the Old Testament (Acts 7). Phillip taught the eunuch from the Old Testament (Isa. 53) concerning the Christ (Acts 8:26-38). When Paul encountered the philosophers of his day on Mars Hill, he referred to the book of Genesis, Deuteronomy, Psalms and Job to explain to them the unknown God (Acts 17).

When one preaches book, chapter and verse he releases the almighty power of God. The gospel has convincing power. "It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). The gospel has power to convict one of sin (Gal. 5:19-21; Rom. 1:20-32; Acts 2:36,37) "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). The gospel has changing power. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). "And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch" (Acts 11:26). The gospel has converting power. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever" (I Peter 1:23). The gospel has confirming power. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God" (I John 5:13). The gospel has calling power. "Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ" (II Thess. 2:14).

It is not out of date to be a "Bible, totin, ‘Scripture quotin’ preacher." A preacher has a responsibility to preach the word of God but all Christians have the responsibility to make sure that only the Bible is preached.

Sharon Church of Christ