Biblical preaching is God’s redemptive, life-saving, grace-giving, mystical, Spirit-endowed work, because it is the official, authoritative proclamation of King Jesus to his people and to the world.

A. One of the biblical marks of a true church is biblical preaching. Why?
1. The church of Jesus Christ is the place where true teaching takes place
(Prov. 29:18; Hosea 4:6; Matt. 28:19)
2. Because one of the ways God the Holy Spirit imparts His grace is
through preaching (1 Peter 1:25).
3. Because in the Old Testament God’s Word was God’s work. What he
spoke through his ordained “mouthpieces” set into action what he
was doing.
a. Read Isaiah 55:10-11. What does this passage say about
proclaiming God’s Word?
b. Read the following verses: Jeremiah 1:9; 23:16, 28; 27:14-16;
compare 2 Peter 1:21.
What does this tell us God’s Word, man’s word, and
preaching?
4. Because in the New Testament God speaks through specially called
and ordained men
a. Mark 1:14, John 1:1ff, Heb. 1:1-2 – through whom does God
speak?
b. Mark 1; John 1 – who else does God use to proclaim His truth?
c. Mark 3:14, 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11; 2 Pet. 2:5 – and who else?
So, one of the main marks of a true church is true and faithful
preaching.

B. What is true and faithful preaching?
1. One of the key passages about preaching is 2 Timothy 4:1-5.
This text is important because it bridges the span between the
apostle’s era and ours.
2. We know that in the Old Testament, when the prophets faithfully
proclaimed God’s Word they weren’t merely giving information.
By studying the Old Testament closely we see that preaching the
Word of God wasn’t merely telling about God’s deeds. It wasn’t
merely telling God’s will for living or his plan for the future. Instead
his Word proclaimed was His work. It was his redemptive activity.
It was life changing power and activity (see for example Psalm 33:6,
9; 107:20; 147:18 and Romans 1:14).
3. Preaching is indeed communication, but it is a very unique form of
communication. How so?
a. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term for preaching, which is
used by Paul in 2 Timothy 4 is used in several ways:
(1) Genesis 41:43, Daniel 3:4 – ______________________
(2) Ex. 36:6; 2 Chron. 36:22; Jonah 3:2,4 – ______________________
(3) Ex. 32:5; Zeph. 3:14; Zech. 9:9 – for religious
proclamation or heralding.
b. The term in each of the cases refers to the official herald of a
king, state, or religion. In nearly all cases, it is an official,
public, authoritative, verbal proclamation, usually of a decree.

C. Preaching in the New Testament
1. Mankind now sees in Jesus what was once only heard.
a. Jesus is true “preaching” (Heb. 1:1-2)
b. He is God’s declared Word (Jn 1:1)
2. Salvation comes through biblical preaching (Rom. 10:14-15)
3. The apostles were sent as ambassadors to preach and teach God’s
Word as God’s spokesmen (Matt. 10:5-7, 40; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim.
1:11). The Koine Greek (the language the original New Testament
was written in) term for preaching is the same word: kerux.
4. Read Rom. 16:25; 1 Cor. 1:21; 2:4; Titus 1:3. “Preaching” in these
verses is an official, public, authoritative, verbal proclamation of
God.
5. What we find when studying the Scriptures is that the English terms
preach or preaching is used for these same Greek words:
a. to herald (2 Pet. 2:5; 1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11; Rom. 10:14-15;
1 Cor. 2:21; 2:4)
b. to exhort (2 Tim. 4:2; John 14)
c. witnessing (Acts 26:5; 23:11)
d. to announce (1 John 1:3; Acts 20:20; 1 Peter 1:12; Luke 9:60)
e. teaching (Acts 4:2; 5:25; 13:12; 2 John 9)
f. evangelize (Luke 16:16; Gal. 1:11; Acts 21:8; 2 Tim. 4:5)
g. there are twenty-seven other Greek terms in the New Testament
which are synonyms for our English word “preaching.”
(From Dr. Joseph Pipa, Trinity PCA pastoral internship course; 1994)

E. The vital importance of God’s preached word
1. The coming of God’s Spirit is the coming of God’s Word. There
is an intimate connection between God’s Spirit and God’s Word
(Gen. 1:1ff; Num. 11:29; Num. 24:2ff; 2 Sam 23:2; 2 Chron. 24:20;
Neh. 9:30; Ezek. 11:4; Luke 1:67-79; John 14:16-17; 16:26; 16:13)
2. The coming of God’s kingdom is by the power of God’s Word
(Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:14-18).
a. The preached word of Christ revealed his power over Satan,
demons and evil (Matt. 11:12; 12:22-32; Mark 1:24; 3:20-30;
Luke 4:35-39).
b. Christ’s preached word was evidence of his kingdom power
(Matt. 11:15; 13:16, 17; Luke 4:16ff; 16:16)
c. The primary way God uses to extend his kingdom and bring
people into it is by the preaching of his Word (Luke 2:29ff;
24:46-49; Acts 2; 8:4, 12ff, 32-40; 10:36ff; 11:1ff; 13:5; 15:35;
19:18; 28:23ff).
3. The growing of God’s church is by the growth of God’s Word (Acts
1:7-8)
a. Salvation in Jesus Christ comes through the preaching of God’s
word (Rom. 10:14-15)
b. The apostles were sent for the purpose of preaching God’s Word
(1 Tim. 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11)
c. As the Word grows so grows the church (Acts 2:41; 4:4; 6:7;
8:14ff; 10:36ff; 12:24; 13:49; 19:20) (Dr. Dave Eby, 1996).
4. The preaching of God’s Word is therefore a high and essential
priority of God’s Church
(Acts 2:42-27; 5:42; 17:11; 1 Pet. 1:25; Rom. 1:14ff; 1 Pet. 2:2; 2 Pet.
1:3ff; 3:18; 1 John 2:5).

F. The preached Word is the very power of God.
1. 1 Cor. 1:20ff – preaching is foolishness to natural man, but the power
to save.
2. Matt 11:12; Mark 3:20ff – the preached Word is power over Satan’s
kingdom!
3. Matt. 4:23; 9:35 – the preached Word either brought forth miracles
and signs, or was confirmed by miracles and signs. It was and is
life-changing.
4. Matt. 11:15; Lk 16:16; Isa. 40:9 – the preached Word is the power
that brings down the gates of Hell and is the power through which
God’s kingdom grows.
5. Acts has many illustrations for how God’s Word goes forth and his
church grows through the means of the teaching and preaching of
God’s Word.
(Dr. Al Mawhinney, Westminster Seminary Cal., class notes; 1989)

G. A Summary Definition of “preaching”:
Biblical preaching is God’s redemptive, life-saving, grace-giving,
mystical, Spirit-endowed work, because it is the official, authoritative
proclamation of King Jesus to his people and to the world.

Don Owsley is a Teaching Elder in the PCA and serves as pastor of Cornerstone PC in Fort Collins, CO. He blogs at imPerfect Pastor’s Blog (thoughts, comments, musings, biblical insights for and about the life and work of ordinary pastors) where this article first appeared and is used with his permission.