[Biblemat] B> Gospel Observer 9/30/07
tedwards at onemain.com
tedwards at onemain.com
Fri Oct 19 14:57:39 CDT 2007
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THE GOSPEL OBSERVER
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"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:19,20).
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September 30, 2007
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Contents:
1) Preaching Like Paul (Bobby Witherington)
2) News & Notes
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-1-
Preaching Like Paul
by Bobby Witherington
There are many books which deal with preaching. Some are
excellent. Some are not worth the paper and ink they require. Some
are downright dangerous. But there is one book which not only
reveals the value of preaching; it also reveals what constitutes
genuine, effective, soul-saving preaching. Of course, this "one
book" is the Bible -- the book of books.
Anyone who desires to preach the gospel would do well to
examine the sermon content, the manner, and preaching methods of
those great preachers of whom we read in the Scriptures. And one
preacher not to be overlooked is the apostle Paul. This peerless
apostle, this "apostle to the Gentiles" (Rom. 11:13), seemingly had
one magnificent obsession -- that of converting the entire Roman
Empire to Jesus Christ! In order to accomplish this noble objective
he was willing to "spend and be spent" (2 Cor. 12:15), suffer
intense persecution and deprivation (2 Cor. 11:23-27), and
ultimately to even die a martyr's death (Acts 21:13; 2 Tim. 4:6-8).
Few students of either history or the Bible would deny that other
than Jesus Christ himself, the apostle Paul was one of the greatest
(if not the greatest) preachers that ever lived. There has to be a
reason (yea, many reasons) for his effectiveness as a preacher.
With a view in mind of encouraging more of us to follow his
example, it is our aim in this article to give consideration to the
kind of preaching which characterized Paul.
Paul the Christian
Many who acknowledge the greatness of Paul as a preacher tend
to place great emphasis upon the fact that he was inspired. That is
true. He was. Paul became a child of God in the same way as you and
me. He heard and obeyed the gospel. When the Lord appeared to him
on the Damascus road it was not to save him, but to make him a
"minister and a witness" of the things which he had seen and of the
things he had yet to reveal to him (Acts 26:16). To become
qualified to be an apostle, as one "born out of due time" (1 Cor.
15:8), Paul had to see the Lord (1 Cor. 9:1). Being an apostle, he
was able to speak that which God "revealed . . . through his
Spirit" (1 Cor. 2:10). Paul did not learn his message at the feet
of the other apostles; rather he received it "through the
revelation of Jesus Christ" (Gal. 1:12). He was an apostle in every
sense of the word, and even his hearers could bear witness to the
fact that, through "signs and wonders and mighty deeds," Paul
demonstrated "the signs of an apostle" (2 Cor. 12:12).
But Paul's effectiveness as a preacher was deeper than the
facts of his inspiration and his possessing the signs of an
apostle. His real effectiveness stemmed not so much from what he
had, but from what he was! It is true that Paul was a very
cosmopolitan person. He was "born in Tarsus" (Acts 22:3), a noted
seat of philosophy and literature, ranking with Athens and
Alexandria. He could speak Greek and Hebrew (Acts 21:37-40), plus
other languages not specified (1 Cor. 14:18). He was educated at
the feet of the noted Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). He was a Roman citizen,
and he was not adverse to using his citizenship to his advantage
and for his protection (Acts 16:21; 22:25). In many ways he was
unique. But the underlying secret of Paul's unflagging
determination to preach the gospel (as well as his effectiveness as
a preacher) lay in the fact that he was a Christian! (Acts
26:28,29) His conversion was genuine. He never forgot the terrible
sins of which he had been guilty (1 Tim. 1:15), but from which he
had been forgiven by a gracious Lord. He had been a forceful
personality when he was a persecutor of Christians, but now as a
genuine Christian he could truly say, "I have been crucified with
Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the
life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of
God, who loved me and gave himself for me" (Gal. 2:20). To "gain
Christ" he had suffered the "loss of all things" which were
formerly near and dear to him; yet compared to what he found in
Christ he counted those things as "rubbish" (Phil. 3:8). I fear
that too many brethren look first to a person's apparent ability
when that person expresses a desire to preach. Ability is
important, but what that person accomplishes in the vineyard of the
Lord will be more determined by what he is than by what he has!
Many young men (and some not so young) who are "learning to preach"
should first take some lessons on "how to live!" Let us quit
putting the cart before the horse.
Paul As a Preacher
Regarding this point it is hard to know where to begin. Paul's
effectiveness lay in many things, such as: He was "not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ," and he had strong faith in its "power" to
save (Rom. 1:16). He believed in the headship and the Lordship of
Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22,23; Rom. 10:9). He was willing to "endure
hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ" (2 Tim. 2:3,10). He
strongly believed in prayer and was not embarrassed to ask his
brethren to pray "for me" (Eph. 6:19). He worked with others, and
trained them to succeed him (cf. his letters to Timothy and Titus).
He was "set for the defense of the gospel" (Phil. 1:17). He was
determined to magnify Christ in his body, "whether by life or by
death" (Phil. 1:20). Anchored by hope (Heb. 6:19), he never lost
sight of that "crown of righteousness" (2 Tim. 4:8) for which he
was constantly striving.
As a preacher, Paul was bold, and straight-forward in his
speech. At Salamis on the island of Cypress, Paul and Barnabas
spoke the word of God to Sergius Paulus the proconsul. However,
Elymas the sorcerer withstood them and sought to "turn the
proconsul from the faith." But Paul "looked intently on him and
said, 'O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil,
you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the
straight ways of the Lord?'" (Acts 13:7-10) Paul doubtlessly had
the gift of discernment (cf. 1 Cor. 12:10) and knew the kind of man
Elymas was. But the point is, Paul did not mince words. He had the
courage to call "a spade a spade." If Paul were alive today you can
be sure he wouldn't refer to homosexuality and lesbianism simply as
"alternate lifestyles!"
As a preacher, Paul endeavored to reason with the people,
beginning at some point of common understanding and methodically
laying the scriptural foundation which would inescapably bring
honest people to a realization of the truth about Jesus Christ.
Such was characteristic of his preaching at Antioch in Pisidia
where he began by citing known historical facts regarding God's
dealing with the nation of Israel and prophecies with which the
people were familiar and which found their fulfillment in Jesus
Christ and the deliverance he made possible (Acts 13:14-40).
As a preacher, Paul rightly "divided the word of truth," often
contrasting the law and the gospel and proving that the law has
been superseded by the gospel (Gal. 2:16; 3:16-29; 4:21-31; Col.
2:14-17; etc.). He was not opposed to telling those who were
returning to the law that "you have fallen from grace" (Gal. 5:4).
As a preacher, Paul preached what was needed, when it was
needed, to whom it was needed, and where it was needed. To
unbelieving Jews who rejected Christ, beginning with their law,
Paul preached the truth about the person of Christ. In idolatrous
Athens, Paul preached the truth about the one true God and thereby
showed the folly of idolatry (Acts 17:16-33). In the presence of
the grossly immoral Felix and Drusilla, Paul "reasoned about
righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come" (Acts
24:25).
As a preacher, Paul declared "the whole counsel of God" (Acts
20:27). He was not one to withhold vital truth on any subject for
fear of hurting someone's feelings.
As a preacher, Paul was not adverse to calling names. He
mentioned Hymenaeus and Alexander whom he "delivered unto Satan
that they may learn not to blaspheme" (1 Tim. 1:20). He called the
names of Hymenaeus and Philetus who had "strayed concerning the
truth" (2 Tim. 2:17,18). He said "Demas has forsaken me" and that
"Alexander the coppersmith did me much harm" (2 Tim. 4:10,14). He
even mentioned the time when Peter was guilty of hypocrisy (Gal.
2:11-3).
As a preacher, Paul could get upset when he encountered those
who were perverting the gospel. Witness his conduct at Antioch
(Acts 15:2). Concerning this incident at Antioch where some false
teachers sought to spy out his liberty in Christ, Paul said with
regard to these teachers, "to whom we did not yield submission even
for an hour that the truth of the gospel might continue with you"
(Gal. 2:5). Indeed, Paul was no compromiser!
As a preacher, Paul was concerned about the purity of the
church. He wrote to Corinth where the brethren were tolerating a
known fornicator. Mincing no words, Paul charged the brethren to
"deliver such a one unto Satan," declaring "that a little leaven
leavens the whole lump" (1 Cor. 5:5,6).
As a preacher, Paul was humble. He referred to himself as the
"chief" of sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). On another occasion he referred
to himself as "less than the least of all saints" (Eph. 3:8). He
preached "Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor. 2:2); he did not
elevate himself.
As a preacher, Paul preached when the brethren supported him
(Phil. 4:15,16) and when they did not. He was willing to labor
"night and day," not being a burden to any, in his effort to preach
"the gospel of God" (1 Thess. 2:9). He was not one to say, "I can't
preach because I have no support." He taught that brethren ought to
support men who preach (1 Cor. 9), but this was not a factor in
determining whether or not he would preach!
As a preacher, Paul was no quitter. Though his labors had been
abundant and with great success, Paul could say, "Brethren, I do
not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do,
forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to
those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize
of the upward call of God in Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:13,14).
As a preacher, Paul was constantly in trouble. In trouble with
false brethren, false teachers, and the civil authorities. He was
beaten, maligned, persecuted, and imprisoned. It was not uncommon
for him to be run out of town. He ultimately died a martyr's death.
But Paul got into trouble because he preached the truth that
troubled people in sin. It is probable that very few churches of
Christ today would tolerate a preacher like Paul! But O how we need
a bunch of Pauls! Especially in this age of Peales and Schullers
when brethren have gone pig-crazy and hog-wild over the sickly,
sentimental, sweet-spirited, feel-good-about-yourself slop these
men are feeding hell-bound sinners!
Yet as a preacher Paul was tactful. It was not uncommon for
him to begin a letter by saying, "Grace to you and peace from God
your Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." It was customary for him to
first compliment people for the good things they did before he
reprimanded them for the bad things they did. The truth he preached
often offended people, but he didn't try to be offensive as a
person.
Finally, as a preacher Paul was a happy man. For proof, read
Philippians. Happy, though in prison! Happy because he was
fruitfully working in a cause larger than himself. Happy because he
was constantly reaching out to others. Happy because he served God,
enjoyed peace of mind, had no fear of death, and had a joyful
anticipation of receiving that crown of righteousness.
Conclusion
Preachers, perhaps it is time that many of us paused long
enough to take a long, hard look at ourselves! Are we drifting with
the tide? Have we lost our spiritual nerve? Are we really "telling
it like it is"? Have we exchanged idealism for realism? Have we
become so secure in our comfortable "positions" that we are afraid
to "rock the boat"? Just how well do we measure up when we are
placed alongside the apostle Paul? May God give us the humility to
inventory ourselves, the integrity to admit our failings, and the
courage to make the needed changes.
-- Via Guardian of Truth XXXVI: 3, pp. 80-82, February 6, 1992
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-2-
News & Notes
I appreciate the men of the congregation who were able to
fill-in for me while recovering from surgery: Billy Watts, Bill
Holt, Jody Watts, Bernard Farmer, and Joe McGregor. I was able to
resume teaching the adult class and preaching in Denham Springs, as
well as preaching the 6 PM Sunday service in Baton Rouge (following
our 4 PM one), September 30 -- just 25 days after a triple by-pass.
My healing has been coming along well, though there is still
some pain from the surgery, which required cutting through the
sternum to open the rib cage. I believe that every day I'm getting
better. As mentioned, I was able to start driving just 14 days
after the surgery -- instead of the usual 4 to 5 weeks; and on my
last visit to the doctors (10/4), I was told that I can now walk as
far as I want -- instead of just a mile and a half. Still, though,
I need to be careful for the next few weeks in not lifting too much
weight; nor will I be able to mow the lawn for about another month.
But all in all, I'm healing up well; so my doctor made no
appointment for me to see him again.
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MYRTLE STREET CHURCH OF CHRIST
1022 Myrtle Street
Denham Springs, LA 70726
(225) 664-8208
Sunday: 9:15 AM, 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 PM
evangelist/editor: Tom Edwards (225) 667-4520
e-mail: tedwards at onemain.com
web site: http://home.onemain.com/~tedwards/go
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