May 9, 2004

Cawson Street Church of Christ

Mural Worthey

Hopewell, Virginia

Part #2: Inspired & Uninspired Acts

A preacher-friend said humbly, I have a hard time thinking that people listening to me preach could be called worship. His comment is worth considering. How is Bible study and preaching related to worship? I maintain that it is worship because in humbling our wills and hearts before God, we are honoring him when we acknowledge his Word in our lives. When we listen to His Word reverently, we are receiving it "not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God." (1 Thess. 2:13.) In biblical days, the Scriptures were read aloud to the assembly. It is true that the various acts of worship are not the same in their nature and purpose. In songs, we both praise God and speak to one another. In prayer, we speak directly to God and not to others in the assembly. In preaching, we are speaking directly to the audience with everyone acknowledging the value of whose Word is being proclaimed. Yes, we can and do worship as we study the Word and hear it proclaimed.

How Paul Preached: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Paul wanted to make it clear to the churches and to his critics why he preached the way he did. Some accused Paul of being "weak in bodily presence and his speech contemptible." (2 Cor. 10:9.) Paul agreed that he was base and humble in their presence. (10:1.) He explained why in his first letter to the Corinthians.

• And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:1-5.)

them preaching the Gospel. His emphasis was not upon the form of his words; it was not upon the excellency of his speech or human wisdom. It was not just rhetoric. Ancient schools of rhetoric taught students how to speak and write effectively. But the constant emphasis upon form and style can overlook a very significant aspect of speaking and writing the Gospel. That is, we can over-emphasize the form of the message more than the substance. Rhetoric, in our day, has come to mean that which is insincere and not altogether true. It is heated and inflated language.

We are all aware that our English language, as well as other languages, is rich and varied. There is prose and poetry. We use both literalism and symbolism. The Bible is made of history, law, poetry, wisdom literature, prophecy, Gospel, letters and even apocalyptic writings. Truth can be expressed in all these forms and methods. Truth need not always be presented in prose and literal language for it to be understood and true.

It is not wrong to use poetic language. We recall the vivid language of William Cullen Bryant’s Thanatopis. He wrote:

• So live that when thy summons comes to join that innumerable caravan which moves to that mysterious realm, where each shall take his chamber in the silent halls of death; thou goest not, like the quarry slave at night, scourged to his dungeon, but, sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, approach thy grave like one who wraps his drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams.

"Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade. To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky."

Sadly, there are many preachers today who do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. However, they continue to use language that seems to express that belief. During the spring season, or at an "Easter Service," they will talk about a new season, new growth, new life, sap rising in the trees, the singing of birds, the warmth of the lengthening days. But they say nothing about the resurrection from the dead. Instead of saying resurrection, they say renewal, rebirth, and revival. When the women went to the tomb early on that Sunday morning, maybe the flowers were blooming and the birds were singing as the women walked along. Would those things have given them comfort if Jesus remained in Joseph’s tomb? Their grief was so great that they would not have taken time to even notice the flowers and the birds. The only thing that could have comforted them was the good news that they received that Jesus had been raised from the dead. The angel said to the women, "He is not here; he is risen." (Matt. 28:6.)

What we need to know from preachers is the truth about life and death. "If a man dies, shall he live again?" (Job 14:14.) We do not want the wisdom of men, or flowery language that is insincere. We want the wisdom and power of God. We need to know that Jesus abolished death and brought to light, life and immortality. (2 Tim. 1:10.) The power is not in how men say it, but the truthfulness of what is said. Christ is the power and wisdom of God. (1 Cor. 1:24.)

The Jews looked upon the preaching of the cross as weakness, not power. The supposed Messiah was killed. To the Greeks, it was foolishness to preach salvation through the death of another. Paul explained why God chose the foolish, weak, base, despised, and even unseen things. He said that it was to confound the wise and the things which are mighty so that no flesh should glory in his presence. (1 Cor. 1:27-29.) If we are going to glory in anything, we should glory in the Lord. (verse 31.) Our faith does not stand in the wisdom or accomplishments of men. It stands in the power of God. "So then it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that shows mercy." (Rom. 9:16.)

An Uninspired Act of Teaching: Phil. 1:14-18, Acts 18:24-26

There are many teachers and preachers today who either affirm or insinuate that they are inspired or guided or illuminated by God in their preaching. Some more modestly say that God laid something on their hearts for a particular message. But the truth is that there is a monumental difference in Spirit-guided apostles and prophets of the New Testament church and preachers today.

The difference between inspired and non-inspired is two-fold. One is that they spoke as the Holy Spirit guided them. They were told that they would be given in that very hour what they should say.

"But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name's sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate (Gr. promeletao) before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist." (Luke 21:13-15.) The disciples were told not to meditate upon what they should reply to those examining them. On the other hand, Timothy was told to meditate and study what he should preach. "Meditate (Gr. meletao) upon these things; give thyself wholly to them that thy profiting may appear to all." (1 Tim. 4:15.)

Secondly, the guided teacher gave testimony about what he saw and heard. What Jesus taught them was brought to remembrance by the Spirit of God. "But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have said unto you." (John 14:26.) By the way, this is probably where we get our modern prayers for the minister to remember what he has studied.

The uninspired preacher today must preach the word of their testimony, which is now recorded for us. (2 Tim. 4:2.) Paul encouraged Timothy to give himself diligently to reading, to exhortation and to doctrine so that his profiting might appear to all. (1 Tim. 4:13f.) Paul mentioned a spiritual gift that Timothy had received by the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Today, our preachers do not have those gifts given by the laying on of the apostles’ and elders’ hands.

How do we insure that error is not taught today? We should admit that non-inspired preachers make many blunders in preaching. We can say things that are opposed to the Gospel of Christ and even preach the other gospel that Paul wrote about. (Gal. 1:6-9.) Why have we been left to our own devises and human failings? Here are some observations that I would make:

1. We must give ourselves to diligent study of the Scriptures. (2 Tim. 2:15.) But does that alone guarantee that no mistakes will be made? Apollos is a good example of one who was mighty in Scripture, but there was something that he was not aware of. He knew only the baptism of John. (Acts 18:24-26.) We can be destroyed due to a lack of knowledge of God’s Word. (Hosea 4:6.)
2. We should pray for God’s help that the eyes of our understanding might be enlightened. (Eph. 1:18.) One preacher said that he prayed often that God would use him, as his mouthpiece to speak his will only. But even after so praying, this falls short of inspiration and direct guidance.
3. There is also a difference between now and the first century in that God’s will was in the process of being revealed and presented for the first time. They needed revelations from God. (1 Cor. 2.) It has now been revealed. A revelation does not need to be revealed. (2:10.) Paul wrote, "Whereby, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ." (Eph. 3:4.)
4. Even so, multiple religious divisions still exist. Why? There are many reasons. Satan is transformed into an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:14.) We should not be amazed that his ministers pose as ministers of righteous-ness.
5. In order to be saved, it is not necessary to be right on every religious question. Only the seriously uninformed would think that they are right about everything. Under a law-system of justification, the demand would be that one must keep all the laws and commandments. James wrote, "Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10.) There are fatal mistakes that must be avoided. For example, we must avoid trusting in ourselves that we are righteous. We must, instead, place all of our confidence and trust in the Lord. Those who trust in themselves, rather than in the Lord, go down to their houses not justified. (Luke 18:10-14.)