Cowper on Paul on Preaching (9)
…yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 1 Corinthians 9.16
There stands the messenger of truth; there stands
The legate of the skies!—his theme divine,
His office sacred, his credentials clear.
By him the violated law speaks out
Its thunders; and by him, in strains as sweet
As angels use, the Gospel whispers peace. (William Cowper, The Task)
The preacher, as William Cowper observed, is the messenger of truth, the “legate” of heaven, who brings divine themes from all sections of God’s Holy Word for the sanctification and hope of the people of God.
The content of preaching is determined by the context of preaching—before God, in the Spirit, unto Christ, and for the sake of the people of God in their relationship with and callings from the Lord. Because the Spirit of God “compares spiritual things with spiritual things” (1 Cor. 2.12, 13) in teaching the people, the preacher must be capable of bringing light from various portions of the Word of God to bear on his chosen text, beginning with the Law of God. Our sermons must serve the text, not the other way around.
Paul and the other apostles made liberal use of the Law of God in their own ministries, and for a variety of reasons. We must not shy away from the Law but rather include it in our preaching, as it has the power to convict, convert, and transform those who hear it with faith (2 Cor. 3.12-18). The Law of God is the acorn to the oak of Scripture; to neglect the Law in our preaching cannot possibly be a thing pleasing to God (cf. Prov. 28.9).
But the Law is only part of the story, part of the content Paul insists on for the ministry of the Word. We must also make certain that we preach the Gospel, since all Scripture points to Jesus (Jn. 5.39) and Jesus is the heart of the Gospel (1 Cor. 2.2). With the Gospel the preacher “whispers peace” to the people of God, offering them the free grace of the Lord so that they may come to know Him and grow in knowledge of Him continuously.
But what is the Gospel?
Resources for being and making disciples
The New Testament emphasizes the role of shepherding in the work of making disciples. Mike McQueen helps us understand how that works in today’s reprise of my conversations with him. Click the link at the top of this column to listen in.
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision column we are looking at the role of reason in faith. Is faith reasonable? Is God reasonable? What is reason and how does it work? Join us. Our Read Moore podcast pursues readings from our book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter is studying the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. And in our daily Scriptorium column we are working through Matthew 18. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
The Ailbe Bookstore: Our aim and greatest blessing as followers of Jesus is to know the joy of the Lord. But what does it means to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever”? Our free book, Enjoying God, can help. Download it here, and share it with friends, as many as you like. While you’re at it, download a free copy of If Men Will Pray and use it to encourage your men in enjoying the Lord in prayer.
Resources for Shepherds: How do the life and work of your church compare with what we see in the New Testament and the Early Church? Watch this brief video, then download the ReThinking Church Appraisal Tool. Are we being faithful to the patterns and practices God has revealed in His Word?
From the Celtic Revival
Spiritual Poetry of the Celtic Revival
Please, Lord, though I am little and
Quail wretchedly before Your hand,
Rowing hard against harsh winds and
Strong tumults and temptations grand,
That Jesus may reach out His hand
Unto me, I implore – His land,
Verdant and lovely, be my land!
Yes, make my life a hymn to stand
Zealous against those You withstand.
Please grant that paradise my land
In Jesus Christ by grace may be,
Both now and in eternity.
– Colum Cille (521-597 AD, my translation and arrangement)
Colum Cille’s poem “Helper of Workers” is a highly structured poem consisting of 27 lines divided into 3 sections. Each line is comprised of 8 syllables, and uses the same end-rhyme throughout (in the Latin, -ium or -um). Each line begins with the next letter of the Latin alphabet, except for lines 10 and 11, which both begin with C, and the concluding triplet, lines 25-27. Our excerpt shows only the closing lines.
The poem begins with an address, lines 1 and 2, which shows that it is a prayer. God is the “Helper of all workers” to Whom this poem is addressed. The next section, lines 3-15, are the ascription, in which Colum heaps up lofty attributes of God, magnifying His purity, power, and mercy. The third part, lines 16-27, offers the petitions a worker might daily present to the Lord.
Poems can teach because they engage more than just the mind. They sneak into the heart by their rhythms, rhymes, and images, engaging the patterns and motions of our bodies—heartbeat, breathing, even swaying or bobbing the head—thus spritzing a bit of delight into the soul.
Subscribe to Crosfigell and join us for this entire series on spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. Scroll to the bottom of the home page, www.ailbe.org.
Resources from the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD)
Learn more about Colum Cille and his powerful ministry by downloading a free copy of our 30-day devotional history, Colum Cille. Click here to get your copy.
T. M. Moore
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Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
