“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13 (ESV)
What kind of preaching can properly be identified as biblical preaching? Is biblical preaching a devotional talk, an oration, or a motivational speech? Can a pastor briefly refer to a biblical text and then spend the rest of the sermon time talking about something totally unrelated to the text and have this identified as biblical preaching? What is the difference between preaching and teaching? Today’s text, among many others, provide ample direction and definition as to the mandate, the manner, and the definition of biblical preaching.
“When warnings about a drift away from biblical preaching sound, the only reasonable response is a return to the scriptural roots of preaching to reaffirm its essential nature. In a reexamination of the heritage of biblical proclamation, two elements emerge: the mandates to preach and the manner of preaching,” explains Dr. Richard L. Mayhue.
The mandates to preach are found in the following New Testament texts. The pastor, preacher, teacher and student of Scripture can find many examples and exhortations in the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. All biblical genres contain the command to preach the truth in fulfillment of God’s will. The following five New Testament passages represent the comprehensive and cumulative content supporting the importance of preaching the Word of God.
Matt. 28:19–20— “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
1 Tim. 4:13— “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”
2 Tim. 2:2— “And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.”
2 Tim. 4:2— “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”
Titus 2:1— “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”[1]
Not only does God’s Word provide the mandate for preaching, but also the manner of preaching. There are four predominant words found in the New Testament regarding the proper and biblical manner of biblical preaching.
Kēryssō sees general use throughout the Gospels, Acts, and the Epistles. John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1), Jesus (Matt. 4:17), and Paul (Acts 28:31) all engaged in the action of preaching as indicated by this verb. To Timothy, Paul commended this same activity, telling him to preach the Word (2 Tim. 4:2).[2]
Εύαγγελίζω (euaggelizō, meaning “I preach the gospel”) is practically interchangeable with kēryssō (Luke 8:1; Acts 8:4–5). Paul and Barnabas preached the good news of the Word of the Lord (Acts 15:35).[3]
Μαρτυρέω (martyreō, meaning “I testify,” or “I bear witness”) is a legal term picturing the communication of truth from one who has a first-hand knowledge. John the Baptist bore witness to the Light (John 1:7–8), and John the apostle testified to the Word of God (Rev. 1:2).[4]
Διδάσκω (didaskō, meaning “I teach”) focuses on the purpose and content of the message transmitted, without excluding elements of the three previous verbs. As part of the Great Commission, Jesus commanded His disciples to teach (Matt. 28:20). Paul recommended teaching to Timothy (1 Tim. 6:2 and 2 Tim. 2:2). Teaching is sometimes associated with kēryssō (Matt. 11:1) and euaggelizō (Acts 5:42). The content of what is taught focuses on the way of God (Matt. 22:16) and the Word of God (Acts 18:11).[5]
In light of the biblical mandate for and the manner of preaching, how may we biblically define preaching? There is a general consensus for three types of preaching: topical, textual, and expository.
Topical messages usually combine a series of Bible verses that loosely connect with a theme. Textual preaching uses a short text or passage that generally serves as a gateway into whatever subject the preacher chooses to address. Neither the topical nor the textual method represents a serious effort to interpret, understand, explain, or apply God’s truth in the context of the Scripture(s) used.[6]
By contrast, expository preaching focuses predominantly on the text(s) under consideration along with its (their) context(s). Exposition normally concentrates on a single text of Scripture, but it is sometimes possible for a thematic/theological message or a historical/biographical discourse to be expository in nature. An exposition may treat any length of passage.[7]
The vision for His Word Today has always been to examine what the biblical text says, what it means, and how it may be applied in our lives. With this understanding, true biblical preaching is expository preaching. Today’s featured text from I Timothy 4:13 is one such Scripture reference supporting the vision and mission of expository preaching. It is this biblical text we will examine in detail when next we meet.
May the Lord’s truth and grace be found here. Have a blessed day in the Lord.
Soli deo Gloria!
[1] Richard L. Mayhue, “Rediscovering Expository Preaching,” in Rediscovering Expository Preaching (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992), 7.
[2] Richard L. Mayhue, “Rediscovering Expository Preaching,” in Rediscovering Expository Preaching (Dallas: Word Publishing, 1992), 8.
[3] Ibid., 8.
[4] Ibid., 8.
[5] Ibid., 8.
[6] Ibid., 9.
[7] Ibid., 9.
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