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Is there a difference between preaching the word and preaching from the word? And if there is, why is it important to be able to recognize the difference when we encounter it?
There is not always a difference but what we see in many if not most churches today---even some Calvinist/Reformed
but not nearly as many and only if they have followed the world and not their history--- there is much preaching from the word and no preaching of the word. This leads to a whole plethora of false doctrines, and wolves in sheeps clothing standing in our pulpits, completely unrecognized by the flock for lack of knowledge.
How do we know the difference? A well grounded knowledge of the scriptures and both being able to and doing, the checking everything against the whole counsel of God helps. But what of the new Christian who at the very beginning falls into the hands of these wolves? I can only give myself as an example, and even then it took a great deal of time to get it straight. There was an inner unease about a lot of what I was hearing and seeing but in my infancy, I also trusted. I thought the unease was probably my own ignorance and the alieness of this new life.
So maybe this will help. A scripture used as the topic of a sermon or those used in the body of the sermon---how isolated is it from all context, both the surrounding context and the context of the Bible as a whole? Isolation of texts is highly suspicious.
Example: The preacher stands before the congregation. "The scripture for today is John 14:12 'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believe in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.' Beloved to you realize what that is saying? Everything that Jesus did, we can do to! We can do even greater things that Jesus did! He healed the sick, yes. But He never walked through hospital wards and healed everyone! We can! He never walked through graveyards or morgues and raised all the dead. But we can! He says in verse 14, 'If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.' Ask whatever you will and it is yours!"
Is that what Jesus meant when He said those words. Natural evidence alone will answer that question no. If Jesus said that would happen then it would be happening and it isn't. Whether we had any faith in it happening or not.
That is preaching from the word while leaving the word out. Satan did the same thing when he tempted Jesus.
Preaching the word from that same passage to find out what Jesus meant, by letting scripture interpret that scripture. It would not present the passage in isolated form but include the surrounding text first in this case possibly the entire chapter. For the sake of space I will not quote that. We all have Bibles. Birdseye view, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His eminent departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit who will not come unless He dies on the cross and returns to the Father after His resurrection.
All the passages that show what did happen after His departure, the mission that He gave them, how that all relates to things of prophecy in the OT, would be brought into play in the exposition of the word. And the conclusion from scripture interpreting scripture would be "Ahh yes. The greater works are salvation going to all nations and not Israel alone. The flock of Jesus being gathered from the four corners of the earth and brought into His kingdom. And the "whatever we ask in His name" is not about things or our power or our glory, but everything we need to grow in sanctification and to be the hand of God and the voice of Jesus in bringing glory to Him.
That is preaching the word from the word.
Stay in the word, check all you hear against it, let scripture interpret scripture, let what is not clear be made clear by whatever is clear on the same subject, accept what cannot be fully known but is shown, rest in faith. Keep the gears of our minds well oiled with all perseverance and diligence in communion with God and in His word, watch and pray, be ready.
There is not always a difference but what we see in many if not most churches today---even some Calvinist/Reformed
but not nearly as many and only if they have followed the world and not their history--- there is much preaching from the word and no preaching of the word. This leads to a whole plethora of false doctrines, and wolves in sheeps clothing standing in our pulpits, completely unrecognized by the flock for lack of knowledge.How do we know the difference? A well grounded knowledge of the scriptures and both being able to and doing, the checking everything against the whole counsel of God helps. But what of the new Christian who at the very beginning falls into the hands of these wolves? I can only give myself as an example, and even then it took a great deal of time to get it straight. There was an inner unease about a lot of what I was hearing and seeing but in my infancy, I also trusted. I thought the unease was probably my own ignorance and the alieness of this new life.
So maybe this will help. A scripture used as the topic of a sermon or those used in the body of the sermon---how isolated is it from all context, both the surrounding context and the context of the Bible as a whole? Isolation of texts is highly suspicious.
Example: The preacher stands before the congregation. "The scripture for today is John 14:12 'Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believe in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.' Beloved to you realize what that is saying? Everything that Jesus did, we can do to! We can do even greater things that Jesus did! He healed the sick, yes. But He never walked through hospital wards and healed everyone! We can! He never walked through graveyards or morgues and raised all the dead. But we can! He says in verse 14, 'If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.' Ask whatever you will and it is yours!"
Is that what Jesus meant when He said those words. Natural evidence alone will answer that question no. If Jesus said that would happen then it would be happening and it isn't. Whether we had any faith in it happening or not.
That is preaching from the word while leaving the word out. Satan did the same thing when he tempted Jesus.
Preaching the word from that same passage to find out what Jesus meant, by letting scripture interpret that scripture. It would not present the passage in isolated form but include the surrounding text first in this case possibly the entire chapter. For the sake of space I will not quote that. We all have Bibles. Birdseye view, Jesus is preparing His disciples for His eminent departure and the coming of the Holy Spirit who will not come unless He dies on the cross and returns to the Father after His resurrection.
All the passages that show what did happen after His departure, the mission that He gave them, how that all relates to things of prophecy in the OT, would be brought into play in the exposition of the word. And the conclusion from scripture interpreting scripture would be "Ahh yes. The greater works are salvation going to all nations and not Israel alone. The flock of Jesus being gathered from the four corners of the earth and brought into His kingdom. And the "whatever we ask in His name" is not about things or our power or our glory, but everything we need to grow in sanctification and to be the hand of God and the voice of Jesus in bringing glory to Him.
That is preaching the word from the word.
Stay in the word, check all you hear against it, let scripture interpret scripture, let what is not clear be made clear by whatever is clear on the same subject, accept what cannot be fully known but is shown, rest in faith. Keep the gears of our minds well oiled with all perseverance and diligence in communion with God and in His word, watch and pray, be ready.
