Cowper on Paul on Preaching (5)
I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 2 Timothy 4.1, 2
I say the pulpit, in the sober use
Of its legitimate peculiar powers,
Must stand acknowledged, while the world shall stand,
The most important and effectual guard,
Support, and ornament of virtue’s cause. (William Cowper, The Task)
Two contexts define the work of preaching, vertical and horizontal. The first and most obvious aspect of the vertical context of preaching is the Word of God in Scripture.
The preacher is the servant of the Word. God intends His living and powerful Word to reach the souls, transform the lives, and equip for works of ministry those who hear His holy Word proclaimed (Heb. 4.12; 2 Tim. 3.15-17). The preacher’s attitude must always be one of humility before and submission to the Word—eagerness in discerning God’s will, and faithfulness in representing the truth of the Word and discovering Christ in it (Jn. 17.17; 5.39).
The preacher will prepare diligently for the task (2 Tim. 2.15) by submitting to the authority of Scripture and listening for the Spirit to make known God’s will. The aim of all preparation is not only to unpack the words of the text and its doctrine, but to answer the heartfelt need of those who are served by the Word, “We would see Jesus.” When the glory of God in the face of Jesus is proclaimed, the people who hear the Word may know transforming grace at work in their lives, increasing love for Jesus and the desire for holy virtues (2 Cor. 4.6; 3.12-18).
The preaching of the Word, William Cowper explained, has “peculiar powers” to guard, support, and improve the saints’ calling to be holy, as God is holy (Matt. 5.48). These powers are in the Word and Spirit of God, and not in the preacher of the Word. The Word and the Spirit testify of Jesus throughout, and seeing Jesus must be the aim of all preaching. For only thus will our preaching and teaching bring God’s people into comminution with their Savior and King.
Resources for being and making disciples
As disciples of Christ, all Christians are called to make others disciples as well. Dr. Mike McQueen continues to unpack the implications of our calling to propagate the Good News in this installment of our conversation on “Disciples and Disciple-Making”.
Other columns of interest: This week: In our ReVision column we consider important questions that we as church leaders must answer. Our Read Moore podcast begins a new series as we read through selections from our book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter concludes our series on the state of pastors and churches during the period of the Celtic Revival, using contemporary witnesses. And in our daily Scriptorium column we are working through Matthew 14. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.
The Ailbe Bookstore: At The Ailbe Bookstore, download a free copy of our book, Pray for Your Church. Here are 35 prayers to use and share which cover all aspects of the life and ministry of the local church. Use them yourself, share them with your group, or print them in your bulletin. Help the people you lead so that they can pray more effectively and consistently for your church.
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. And a new piece on St. Patrick and one on found beauty at our Resources for Shepherds page.
From the Celtic Revival
State of the Churches in the Time of the Celtic Revival: Gaul
For amongst us it is not a man’s station but his principles that matter; yet love for the peace of the gospel compels me to say all, to shame you both, who ought to have been one choir, and this motive is joined by the greatness of my concern for your harmony and peace; for if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it.
– Columbanus, Letter to Pope Boniface
I would not want us to think it was easy for Columbanus to write these letters to three popes. He saw how the churches in Gaul were languishing while the priests and bishops indulged all manner of self-interest and material delight. He learned of the condition of the churches from all the young people who were fleeing to his monasteries, looking for something true and holy to give themselves to. And he had received letters from the synod of bishops and priests, taking issue with him on a variety of purely secondary matters and demanding he meet with them—an invitation he courteously declined.
Columbanus would come to learn that these same priests and bishops were conspiring with the local kings to have the Irishmen exiled from Gaul. That would come soon enough.
But the more reports he heard and the more his letters to Rome were met with silence, the more urgent he became, even to the point of pronouncing shame on both the clergy in Gaul and the popes in Rome. They should have “been one choir”, in all things singing the praises of Jesus. Had they been true lovers of the Gospel, they would have worked with the Irish missionaries, who were eager “for [their] harmony and peace”. As it happened, though, the church leaders in Gaul brought suffering to the Irishmen as Columbanus and his group learned of the suffering of the Lord’s flocks throughout that land.
Read the entire article by clicking here.
Resources from the Celtic Revival (ca. 430-800 AD)
What was the Celtic Revival? What made it “Celtic”? In what sense was it a revival? Why should we care about this ancient period? These and more questions can be answered by downloading a free copy of The Celtic Revival: A Brief Introduction at The Ailbe Bookstore. While you’re there, check out all the other free resources on the Celtic Revival.
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.
