2
Corinthians 4 New Living Translation (NLT)
Treasure
in Fragile Clay Jars
4 Therefore, since God
in his mercy has given us this new way,[a] we never give up. 2 We reject all
shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort
the word of God. We tell the truth before God, and all who are honest know
this.
3 If the Good News we
preach is hidden behind a veil, it is hidden only from people who are perishing. 4 Satan, who is the
god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are
unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this
message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
5 You see, we don’t go
around preaching about ourselves. We preach that Jesus Christ is Lord, and we
ourselves are your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let there be
light in the darkness,” has made this light shine in our hearts so we could
know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ.
7
We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile
clay jars containing this great treasure.[b] This makes it clear that our great
power is from God, not from ourselves.
8
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are
perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned
by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering,
our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus
may also be seen in our bodies.
11
Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the
life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of
death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.
13 But we continue to
preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I
believed in God, so I spoke.”[c] 14 We know that God, who raised the Lord
Jesus,[d] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with
you. 15 All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and
more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and
more glory.
16
That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[e]
being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last
very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will
last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we
fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon
be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.
The IVP New Testament
Commentary Series
Setting Forth the Truth
Plainly (4:1-6)
There
is a constant temptation in the ministry to preach what people want to hear
rather than what they need to hear. Sermons that confront a congregation with
their spiritual shortcomings do not usually result in a pat on the back.
Instead, they quite often yield criticism and hostility. David Wells argues
that the pastoral task of brokering the truth of God to God's people has, for
this very reason, largely fallen by the wayside in evangelicalism today
(1993:1-14). To preach in a way that serves Christ and not people's egos takes
courage. But it is easy to become disheartened when people turn a deaf ear to
preaching that tells it like it is.
Paul
repeatedly had to deal with discouragement in his ministry. There were plenty
of preachers whose motives were less than pious and who would do whatever they
had to to gain a following (v. 2). There were also churches who were readily
seduced by flattering speech and winsome ways. It would have been all too easy
for someone who remained faithful in preaching Christ and not themselves (v. 5)
to grow weary of the downside of human nature (v. 1).
Paul,
however, did not give in to discouragement. What heartened him were two things:
the character of his ministry and the mercy of God. Since through God's mercy
we have this ministry, he says, we do not lose heart (v. 1). Through God's
mercy is literally "as we have been shown mercy." Paul looked on his
ministry as something he received not because of any personal merit but on
account of God's favor. Nor was this a matter of theoretical knowledge. Paul
experienced God's mercy firsthand when he was stopped dead in his tracks while
pursuing Jewish Christians who had fled Jerusalem for the safer haven of
Damascus (Acts 9:1-9). Then there was the surpassing splendor of the new
covenant (this ministry). The privilege of being a minister of such a covenant
more than compensated for the trials and tribulations that he experienced as an
itinerant preacher.
As
a result, Paul did not lose heart (enkakoumen, v. 1). The Greek verb means
"to act badly" in the face of difficulties; "to give up" or
"grow weary" while pursuing a worthwhile goal. Paul, however, would
not allow any obstacles inside or outside the church to pressure him into
abandoning his ministry. Instead of giving in to discouragement, he
deliberately and categorically "renounces" the kind of behavior that
characterized much of the itinerant speaking of his day. He describes this
behavior as secret and shameful (v. 2). The phrase is literally "the
secret things of shame." "Secret things" are a person's
innermost thoughts and intentions (Furnish 1984:218). The genitive "of
shame" can be descriptive: "shameful secret practices"
(Phillips) or subjective: "actions kept secret for shame" (NEB, REB).
Deeds one hides because of their shameful character is probably the thought
here. Paul rejects too types of shameful deeds. First, he does not use deception.
Use is literally "to walk" (peripateo)—a verb that occurs frequently
in Paul's writings to describe the Christian life. The Greek term for deception
means "capable of anything" (pan + ourgia). In the New Testament it
refers to those who use their ability unscrupulously and denotes cunning or
slyness. Not only does Paul not resort to deception, but, second, he does not
distort the word of God. The verb distort (dolow) is commonly employed of
adulterating merchandise for profit. Paul refused to follow in the footsteps of
others who tamper with God's word in order to make it more palatable to the
listener or more lucrative for themselves.
In
short, Paul eschewed any behavior that was not in accord with the character of
the gospel that he preached. His opponents, however, had no scruples in this
regard. They quite willingly exploited the Corinthians for financial gain
(2:17; 11:20). Paul, instead, set[s] forth the truth plainly. The Greek term
translated "sets forth" (th phanerwsei) refers to an open declaration
or full disclosure. The contrast is between a straightforward and open, as
opposed to deceptive, presentation of the gospel—what we call "telling it
like it is."
By
setting forth the gospel in a plain-spoken way, Paul "commends"
himself to every person's conscience. The conscience is where conviction takes
hold that what one is hearing is the truth. Paul does not seek to commend
himself to a person's ego or intellect but appeals to their capacity to
distinguish between right and wrong. Nor does he simply trust human judgment
but commends himself in the sight of God. He is aware that what he does is done
under the perpetually watchful eye of the Lord.
Paul
goes on in verses 3-4 to deal with the accusation that his message is veiled
(kekalymmenon). It would appear—if we can read between the lines—that Paul's
critics reasoned from the absence of large numbers of converts (especially from
among his own people) to some fault in his preaching. Paul is the first one to
recognize that he is not an overly impressive speaker, as speakers go. This was
deliberate on his part, as he would have his audience know only "Jesus
Christ and him crucified" (see 1 Cor 2:1-5). So it is not surprising that
he does not deny the charge. The conditional form that he chooses acknowledges
their claim: If [as you claim] our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who
are perishing (ei + indicative). But what he does not allow is that there is
some fault with the message that he preached. If the content of his preaching
is veiled, it is not because he did not present the trutes of the gospel
plainly (v. 2).
The
fault lies rather in three areas. First, the audience is at fault. If there is
a hidden aspect to what he preaches, it only appears so to those who are
perishing. As in 2:15-16, Paul divides humanity into too groups based on their
destiny: those who are on the road to destruction (tois apollymenois) and, by
implication, those who are on the road to salvation. To the one the gospel
makes no sense (v. 3), while to the other it is plain as day (v. 6).
The
fault lies, second, with the situation. The minds of those who are perishing
have been blinded. The blindness is of a particular sort—it is a blindness to
the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ (v. 4). The piling up of genitives
both here and in verse 6 is typical of Paul. The light of the gospel is
probably a genitive of source: "the light which radiates from the
gospel." Of the glory is most likely descriptive, "the light of the
glorious gospel." As the Mosaic covenant shone with glory, so the gospel
shines with glory. Of Christ is plausibly construed as objective: "the
glorious gospel about Christ."
Christ
is further described as "the image of God." To be an image is to be a
true representation. We say today that a child is the "spitting
image" of his father or mother. Wisdom is similarly described as "a
reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God and an
image of his goodness" (Wisdom of Solomon 7:26). Paul states that Christ
is, not was, God's image, for he alone brings to visible expression the nature
of an invisible God (Col 1:15). So, to see Christ is to see God and to not see
Christ is to not see God.
The
fault lies, third, with the source of the blindness. Unbelievers cannot see the
gospel's light because their minds have been blinded by the god of this age (v.
4). This is the only place where Paul refers to the adversary of God's people
as a god. He is usually called Satan or the devil—although in Ephesians 2:2 he
is named "the ruler of the kingdom of the air." It could well be that
these are traditional formulations Paul used because of their familiarity to
his readers. But there is no denying the power of this being. He can destroy
the flesh (1 Cor 5:5), masquerade as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14) and
empower his servant, the antichrist, to work all manner of miracles, signs and
wonders (2 Thess 2:9). Paul's thorn in the flesh is attributed to him (2 Cor
12:7), as is tempting (1 Cor 7:5), scheming against (2 Cor 2:11; Eph 6:11) and
trapping (2 Tim 2:26) the believer. On more than one occasion Paul experienced
firsthand his active opposition to the gospel (1 Thess 2:18).
The
preacher in our media-oriented society is pressured to use the pulpit as a
stage for displaying eloquence, dramatic skill and fine oratory. Congregations
add to this pressure with their desire to be amused and entertained. As a
result, preaching is often seen by outsiders as just another stage performance.
And what is hailed as a successful ministry is sometimes little more than good
acting. But to his credit Paul can say of himself and his coworkers that we do
not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants
for Jesus' sake (v. 5).
The
emphasis in terms of word order is on not ourselves (ou heautous khryssomen,
"not ourselves do we preach"; v. 5). It is hard to determine whether
Paul is on the offensive or defensive here. He certainly accuses the Corinthian
intruders later in the letter of putting on airs (10:12-18). But he also
appears to have been faulted for ministerial arrogance (3:12—4:3)—although his
claim to preach Christ and not himself was not an idle one. In 1 Corinthians
2:1-4 he reminded the Corinthians that on his founding visit he did not come to
them with eloquence, superior wisdom or wise and persuasive words. This was so
that they might know nothing while he was with them except Jesus Christ and him
crucified. Now he is concerned that they know not only the crucified Christ but
also Jesus as Lord, that is, Jesus as master of their congregational life.
What
then is Paul's role? In 1:24 he said that he does not lord it over the church
but works together with them. Here he goes even further in defining his role as
that of a servant (doulos). As an apostle of Christ, he could have merely said
the word and commanded their obedience. Domination, however, was not Paul's
style. He was there to serve them and used a command only as a last resort.
This is an important reminder for pastors today. If Christ is to be truly Lord
of the church, then pastors must be content with the role of servant.
Paul
goes on to explain why he preaches Jesus Christ as Lord. For God . . . made his
light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of
God in the face of Christ (v. 6). There is a piling up of genitives here in a
similar way to verse 4. The light of the knowledge could well be "the
light that comes from knowing" (genitive of source). The familiar
caricature of sudden understanding as a light bulb going on in a person's mind
captures the idea. Knowing what, however? In verse 4 it was knowing the good
news about Christ. Here it is "knowing God" (objective genitive)—or
more specifically, knowing "God's glory" (possessive genitive).
This
knowledge, Paul says, God made shine in our hearts. The aorist indicative, made
shine (elampsen), suggests a point in time. It is commonly thought that Paul is
referring to his Damascus Road encounter. But Luke describes that experience as
"a light from heaven [that] flashed around him (Acts 9:3), while here it
is a light that illumines the heart. Paul also uses the plural our hearts,
indicating that this was (and should be) the experience of all gospel
ministers. Some aspect of his conversion experience is undoubtedly in view.
Perhaps it was the point at which, as he puts it, "God was pleased to
reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles" (Gal
1:15-16).
Paul
pictures the conversion experience as a new creation (v. 6). For it is the God
who said, Let light shine out of darkness, who illumines the human heart
through knowledge of himself. The phraseology recalls Genesis 1:3 and the first
day of creation ("Let there be light"). The key thought is that God's
light dispels darkness, whether it be the physical darkness of night or the
spiritual darkness of human ignorance. The idea of light dispelling darkness is
a recurring one in the Old Testament. Perhaps the most familiar texts are
Isaiah 9:1-2, where it is promised that those who walk in darkness in the land
of Zebulun and Naphtali will see "a great light," and Isaiah 49:6,
where it is said that God will make his "servant . . . a light for the
Gentiles."
The
light that dispels darkness in the human heart is found in the face of Christ.
Paul is undoubtedly thinking of the Incarnation. The face is the image that we
present in public. Christ's face, then, is what he presented during his earthly
ministry. This is the second time Paul links knowledge of God irrevocably with
Jesus Christ. The connection is a relatively simple one: To know Christ is to
know God; to not know Christ is to not know God.
The
Bible Panorama
2
Corinthians 4
V 1: ENCOURAGED God’s mercy and
commissioning for service encourage Paul not to lose heart.
V 2–6:
ENLIGHTENED Unlike unbelievers, Christians renounce the hidden and dark
paths of shame because gospel light has shined in their hearts to give them a
personal knowledge of God through Jesus Christ. Accordingly, they preach the
Lordship of Jesus Christ to blind and lost sinners.
V 7–12: ENABLED Despite crushing
pressures from every side and persecution, Paul’s willingness to die to self
and to live for Christ means that God’s resurrection life is at work in Paul to
the glory of God. All Christians know the same truth when they trust the risen
Christ.
V
13–15: EMBOLDENED The Christian knows that Jesus is risen from the dead and
that he, too, will be raised one day to be present with his risen Lord. This
encourages his faith and emboldens him to speak for Christ.
V 16–18: ENERGISED Despite the temptation
to be discouraged within, and the physical weakness of their bodies, God’s
servants know God’s daily renewal and are motivated by the prospect of glory to
come. They do not lose heart. Their current trials are light in comparison with
the weight of that glory that will be theirs.
Dictionary of Bible
Themes
7759 preachers,
qualifications for
Those
entrusted with the task of preaching must ensure that their lives are in line
with their message. They must be of good character and conduct, be consistent
in all they teach and do and be accountable to others.
Preachers
must be of good character
1Ti
4:12 See also 1Th 2:9-10; 1Ti 4:16; 2Ti 2:20-26; Tit 2:7-8; Jas 3:1 That the
judgment is based on character, and not just on teaching, seems clear from the
references to guarding the tongue which follow.
Preachers
must practise what they preach
Mt
23:2-4 See also Ro 2:21-23; Gal 2:11-14
Preachers
must be accountable to others and to God
Mk
6:30 pp Lk 9:10 See also Ac 14:26-27; Ac 21:17-19; Gal 2:1-2
Preachers
must not look for honour for themselves
Mk
12:38-40 pp Mt 23:5-12 pp Lk 20:45-47 See also Ac 14:11-15; 1Co 3:5-6; 1Th
2:3-6
Preachers
must not look for personal gain
2Co
2:17 See also Ac 20:33-35; 2Co 11:7-9; 1Th 2:6-9
Preachers
must be people of integrity
2Co
4:2 See also 2Co 1:12; 1Th 2:3-6
“The
gospel is preached in the ears of all men; it only comes with power to some.
The power that is in the gospel does not lie in the eloquence of the preacher
otherwise men would be converters of souls. Nor does it lie in the preacher’s
learning; otherwise it could consists of the wisdom of men. We might preach
till our tongues rotted, till we should exhaust our lungs and die, but never a
soul would be converted unless there were mysterious power going with it – the
Holy Ghost changing the will of man. O Sirs! We might as well preach to stone
walls as preach to humanity unless the Holy Ghost be with the word, to give it
power to convert the soul.”
― Charles H. Spurgeon
“It
does not answer the aim which God had in this institution, merely for men to
have good commentaries and expositions on the Scripture, and other good books
of divinity; because, although these may tend, as well as preaching, to give a
good doctrinal or speculative understanding of the word of God, yet they have
not an equal tendency to impress them on men's hearts and affections. God hath
appointed a particular and lively application of his word, in the preaching of
it, as a fit means to affect sinners with the importance of religion, their own
misery, the necessity of a remedy, and the glory and sufficiency of a remedy
provided; to stir up the pure minds of the saints, quicken their affections by
often bringing the great things of religion in their remembrance, and setting
them in their proper colours, though they know them, and have been fully
instructed in them already. ”
― Jonathan Edwards
In
a sense one should not go to books for ideas; the business of books is to make
one think. We are not gramophone records, we are to think originally. What we
preach is to be the result of our own thought. We do not merely transmit ideas.
The preacher is not meant to be a mere channel through which water flows; he is
to be more like a well. So the function of reading is to stimulate us in
general, to stimulate us to think, to think for ourselves. Take all you read
and masticate it thoroughly. Do not just repeat it as you have received it;
deliver it in your own way, let it emerge as a part of yourself, with your
stamp upon it.”
― D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones,
Preaching and Preachers
Encyclopedia of The
Bible
PREACHER, PREACHING.
Preaching is the proclamation of the Word of God recorded in the Bible and
centered in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, summoning men to repentance,
faith, and obedience. It is God’s appointed means for communicating the Gospel
of salvation to the unbelieving world and for strengthening the spiritual life
of His people.
1.
Biblical terms. Of the many NT terms for preaching, the most characteristic is
the verb κηρύσσειν (to proclaim as a
herald), which occurs about sixty times (e.g., Matt 3:1; Mark 1:14; Acts 10:42;
1 Cor 1:23; 2 Tim 4:2). The principal synonym is εὐαγγελίζεσθαι (to announce good news,
to evangelize), a common verb used over fifty times (e.g., Luke 3:18; 4:18;
Acts 5:42; Rom 10:15; 1 Cor 1:17). Whereas κηρύσσειν stresses the activity of preaching, εὐαγγελίζεσθαι accents the glorious
nature of the message proclaimed. The combination κηρύσσειν τὸ̀ εὐαγγέλιον (to proclaim the
Gospel) is also found (e.g., Matt 4:23; Gal 2:2).
In
view of its prominence in the NT, it is surprising that the OT seldom refers to
the proclamation of the prophets as “preaching.” The LXX uses κηρύσσειν of Jonah’s
commission to Nineveh (Jonah 1:2; 3:2, 4), and in Isaiah 61:1, κηρύσσειν combines with εὐαγγελίζεσθαι to describe the mission
of the Servant of Yahweh. Reference is made also to false prophets who
“proclaim” (κηρύσσειν) peace to those who
reward them with something to eat (Micah 3:5). In 2 Peter 2:5, Noah is called “a
herald (κῆρυξ, G3061) of
righteousness.” Allowing the differences between prophetic
proclamation (which generally, at least, involved direct divine revelation) and
Christian preaching, the prophets of Israel, proclaiming divine judgment and
salvation and calling men to repentance, are properly regarded as the preachers
of their day, the predecessors of the NT heralds of the Gospel. After the
Exile, preaching in the form of Biblical exposition emerged as an important and
regular feature of synagogue worship.
2.
The basic content of preaching. The synoptic gospels summarize Jesus’ public
ministry as one of preaching, teaching, and healing (Matt 4:23; Mark 1:39; Luke
4:44). His message was the good news of the kingdom of God, with its imperious
demand that men repent and believe in the Gospel (Matt 9:35; Mark 1:14, 15;
Luke 4:43). By this proclamation, Jesus signified that in His ministry the
sovereign power of God invaded history to establish a new reign of
righteousness in the salvation of His people. Jesus conceived of His preaching
ministry as a divine commission (Mark 1:38), in fulfillment of Messianic
prophecy (Luke 4:18-21).
The
preaching of the apostles reported in Acts and gleaned from scattered fragments
in the Pauline epistles seems at first glance to strike a somewhat different
note. Although the apostles are still said to preach the kingdom of God (Acts
28:31), the genius of their message is Christ Himself as divine Lord and
Redeemer (2:22-36; 5:42; 11:20; 17:3; 1 Cor 1:23, 24; 2 Cor 1:19; 4:5). This
difference, however, represents not a contradiction, but a progression. The
kingdom of God that Jesus proclaimed achieved its triumph over the forces of
evil and unleashed its creative power in the world through His own death and
Resurrection. In Christ, God’s sovereign power acted decisively and continues
to act eternally for the salvation of His people, so that beginning with the
Resurrection, to preach the kingdom is to preach Christ (cf. Acts 8:12). Jesus
Himself both anticipated and authorized this shift of emphasis when He
commanded His disciples to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (1:8).
The
apostolic message (kerygma), in its essential substance and general outline,
can be reconstructed in these terms. In fulfillment of OT prophecy, the new age
of salvation has dawned through the ministry, death, and Resurrection of Jesus,
now exalted as Lord and Messiah. The presence of the Holy Spirit in the Church
testifies to Christ’s present power and glory. The Messianic Age will reach its
consummation at the return of Christ in judgment. God’s action in Christ
promises forgiveness of sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and eternal
salvation to all who repent and believe in Jesus (cf. C. H. Dodd, The Apostolic
Preaching and Its Developments, 3-73).
On
the basis of this reconstruction the following observations can be made about
the Christian message: (1) it consists of a definite body of facts; (2) it is
essentially neither a doctrinal nor philosophical system, still less an ethic,
but a proclamation of those mighty acts in history whereby God has accomplished
the salvation of His people; (3) it is centered in the Person and work of
Christ, esp. His cross and Resurrection; (4) it is organically related to the
OT; (5) it imposes a stern ethical demand on men; and (6) it has an
eschatological dimension, looking forward to a final fulfillment yet to be. The
only preaching that strikes all of these chords stands in the apostolic
tradition.
3.
Preaching and teaching. Throughout the history of the Church, preaching often
has assumed the form of extended exposition of Biblical passages, doctrinal
instruction, ethical exhortation, or discussion of various aspects of Christian
life and experience directed to largely Christian audiences. With the
publication of Dodd’s work (u.s.), however, it has become fashionable to
differentiate sharply between “preaching” (κηρύσσειν) and “teaching”
(διδάσκειν) in the NT sense of the
terms by restricting “preaching” exclusively to
evangelistic proclamation to the unconverted. Alan Richardson alleges, “In
the NT, preaching has nothing to do with the delivery of sermons to the
converted...but always concerns the proclamation of the ‘good tidings of God’
to the non-Christian world” (A Theological Word Book of the Bible [1950], 171,
172).
The
NT does distinguish between preaching and teaching (e.g., Matt 4:23; 11:1; Eph
4:11; 1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim 1:11; 4:2-4). The distinction, however, is by no means
rigid and absolute. Whereas Matthew reports that Jesus went about Galilee
“teaching...and preaching” (Matt 4:23), the parallel passages employ only the
word “preaching” to describe this ministry (Mark 1:39; Luke 4:44). Where
Matthew and Mark represent Jesus as preaching the Gospel of the kingdom (Matt
4:17; Mark 1:14, 15), Luke says, “He taught in their synagogues” (Luke 4:15).
More significant still, Mark uses these two terms interchangeably (cf. Mark
1:14, 15, 21, 38, 39). Elsewhere in the NT, the apostolic testimony to Jesus is
likewise described in the same reference as both “preaching” and “teaching”
(Acts 5:42; 28:31; Col 1:28).
Although
it would not be accurate to argue that in the NT sense preaching and teaching
are identical, the two are nevertheless so intimately related that to draw a
hard and fast line between them is equally untenable. In both cases, the basic
content is the same: the Gospel of eternal salvation through the death and
Resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God. Teaching is simply the extension
of preaching into the regions of doctrine, apologetics, ethics, and Christian
experience. Preaching includes all of these elements. What difference there is
lies in emphasis and objective. Whereas the primary thrust of preaching is
evangelistic, looking to the conversion of unbelievers, teaching unfolds and
applies the fullness of the Gospel to the total sweep of life, challenging and
enabling believers to become more mature followers of Christ. Neither preaching
nor teaching can be conceived without the other, while in actual practice they
are so finely interwoven that their separation is largely academic. To preach
in the NT sense is not only to herald the saving evangel, but also to proclaim
“the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:20, 27; cf. 2 Tim 4:2).
4.
The divine character of preaching. The main words for preaching in the NT ring
with authority. This authority lies not in the person of the preacher, but in
the message entrusted to him. True preaching does not consist in man’s ideas
about God, or in his sanctified religious ponderings and reflections, but in
the divine Word of revelation that sets forth God’s saving grace in Jesus
Christ and the full purpose of His will for men.
The
preacher’s message is also charged with divine power. After expressing his
eagerness to preach the Gospel at Rome, Paul added that this Gospel is “the
power of God for salvation to every one who has faith” (Rom 1:16). To men
blinded by sin, the message of Christ crucified may seem as sheer folly. When
it is faithfully proclaimed, the sovereign Spirit by a miracle of grace
generates faith where He wills, so that the blind see and the dead are raised
to newness of life (1 Cor 1:18ff.; cf. Eph 2:1ff.). The divine power of
preaching remains for all time the most convincing evidence of its timeless
relevance.
Preaching
in the NT further is marked by a sense of divine compulsion. The authentic
Christian preacher proclaims the Gospel not merely by personal choice or
preference, but by the irresistible call and appointment of God (Luke 4:43;
Acts 4:20). He preaches out of an overwhelming inner necessity, his heart
ablaze with a holy fire, which neither competing attractions nor any natural
reluctance in the face of staggering hostility to his message can ever
extinguish. With Paul he cries, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1
Cor 9:16). For his task he is equipped with a special gift of the Holy Spirit
(cf. 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28, 29; Eph 4:11), and his task is his sufficient and
satisfying reward.
Bibliography
P. Brooks, Lectures on Preaching (1877); P. T. Forsyth, Positive Preaching and
the Modern Mind (1907); J. Denney, “Preaching Christ,” HDCG, II (1912),
393-403; A. J. Gossip, In Christ’s Stead (1925); G. A. Buttrick, Jesus Came
Preaching (1932); C. H. Dodd, The Apostolic Preaching and Its Developments
(1936); H. H. Farmer, The Servant of the Word (1941); J. S. Stewart, Heralds of
God (1946); F. R. Webber, A History of Preaching in Britain and America, I
(1952), II (1955), III (1957); J. S. Stewart, A Faith to Proclaim (1953); E. C.
Dargan, A History of Preaching, reprint (1954); J. B. Weatherspoon, Sent Forth
to Preach (1954); J. Knox, The Integrity of Preaching (1957); R. H. Mounce, The
Essential Nature of New Testament Preaching (1960); D. Ritschl, A Theology of
Proclamation (1960); E. P. Clowney, Preaching and Biblical Theology (1961); J.
R. W. Stott, The Preacher’s Portrait (1961); C. H. Thompson, Theology of the
Kerygma (1962); P. C. Marcel, The Relevance of Preaching, tr. (1963); R. C.
Worley, Preaching and Teaching in the Earliest Church (1967).
Read the rest of the series
Read the rest of the series
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