“Preach the Word”
“I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus,
who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his
appearing and his kingdom: Preach the word; be urgent in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all
longsuffering and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:1,2.
No more serious adjuration could be given than that which
Paul gave to Timothy when he charged him to “preach the
word.” Given the solemnity of the supplication and the
earnestness of the entreaty, the importance of the
instruction cannot be overstated. “Preach the word!”
Timothy was not to create a gospel; he was to preach the
gospel.
To some, “preaching the word” requires that every word must
be phrased in Biblical language (Strangely, many who insist
on “Biblical language” don’t know a word of Greek.) and a
biblical citation must accompany every point, if not every
sentence. While such an approach guarantees a dry sermon,
it does not guarantee “preaching the word.” Even string
citations of scripture can be misapplied. Additionally, if
a statement of scripture is to accompany (almost) every
statement, of what need is the preacher? Can we not
dispense with “preaching the word,” and just read scripture
when preaching is nothing more than “reading the scripture”
interrupted by a comment? Would not the pure reading of
scripture without the rudeness of the interruption be more
effective?
When the word is preached the sermon is centered on God
because the Bible is centered on God. From Genesis to
Revelation the battle is fought and the victory is won.
God’s working out of His purpose underlies and saturates
all scripture. Poets may illustrate, philosophers may
clarify, but Jesus saves. “And I, brethren, when I came
unto you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom,
proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined
not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him
crucified. 1 Corinthians 2:1,2. Preaching that is not
centered on God’s work through Jesus Christ may be any
number of things, but it is not biblical preaching. The
opinions of the preacher deserve to be heard, but not from
the pulpit. They constitute no part of “preaching the
word.”
When the word is preached themes are Bible-based and
applied in a modern context. This does not mean, of course,
that Bible themes must always be discussed in the same
context in which they are presented in scripture. For
example, in Romans and 1 Corinthians Paul discusses the
themes of Christian liberty, mutual respect, and reciprocal
love in matters of opinion in the context of meat
sacrificed to idols. In our society, we don’t worry much
any more about meat sacrificed to idols, but the themes of
Christian liberty, mutual respect, and reciprocal love
still find application in modern contexts. Since human
nature hasn’t changed, such ancient themes as greed, lust,
social welfare, family relationships, and worship, to name
a few, are still relevant. If the preacher is to “connect”
with his hearers, however, they need to be addressed in
their modern context. Discussing Biblical themes in a
modern context requires more than spending 30 minutes
discussing the ancient context followed by 30 seconds in
which the possible existence of a modern context is both
recognized and dismissed with the aside, “This still
applies to us today.”
Hearers need help with present-day needs. While hearers
“felt” needs and true needs may not be the same, this does
not obviate the existence of true needs that must be
addressed. Each time a preacher stands in the pulpit he has
before him a group of wounded and weary soldiers: some have
lost jobs; some have problems with children; a husband and
wife are on the brink of divorce; young people struggle
with drugs and immorality; some have been overtaken in
trespasses of various kinds; some are thirsting for a first
taste of the living water. As did Zedekiah of old, hearts
cry out “Is there any word from the Lord?” As God’s true
preacher, Jeremiah replied, “There is.” Jeremiah 37:17.
Only those who “preach the word” can lead the wounded to
the Balm of Gilead. Burdens are not lifted by human
opinion, philosophy, psychology, sentimental trifles or
comedy routines; burdens are lifted at Calvary. He who
offers less is like Ehud, who, having gained audience by
professing to have a message from God, destroyed his
hearer. Judges 3:15-22.
On the hearer’s side the difference is between hearing a
sermon and hearing the Word of God; between seeing the
forked lightning on a film, and being exposed to the whip
and terror of the thing itself; between reading an article
about life in the army and being handed our call-up papers;
between discussing a dogma and meeting the living God.
(Keir, Thomas, The Word in Worship, (London: Oxford
University Press, 1962), p. 133.)
The preacher who does not “preach the word” in a manner
that enables his hearers to meet the living God has failed
both his hearers and his God.