Prepare yourself to defend the truth. Not everyone has the knowledge, disposition,
or skill to be an effective public debater, but all of us can learn to give "an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." (1 Pet. 3:15) You
will not always have the full support from every member of the congregation with
which you work as evangelist, but you do not need such to be ready for the defense of
the gospel. (Phil. 1:16) You are God's servant and God says "Fight the good fight of
the faith." (1 Tim. 6:12) God also says we should, "be contending for the faith once
for all delivered to the holy people." (Jude 3) You will always have people who say
"debates are simply mean spirited contests." Others will say debates "never do any
good." Jesus, Paul, and Apollos were debaters! Many people were brought to the
Lord as a result of Paul's debates. (Acts 17:1-4, 10-12) Luke tells us that Apollos
was a great help to the brothers and sisters in Achaia, "For he vigorously refuted
his Jewish opponents in public debate." (Acts 18:27-28) Do not try to make a name
for yourself as a defender of the truth. Always glorify God! Study, study, study, and
learn to reason through the text. Think logically and keep your explanations simple.
Remember, every issue does not need debating. Do not waste precious time debating
matters of mere opinion or judgment. The substantive issues are important and
should be thoroughly examined.
Do not be afraid to differ with fellow preachers if necessary. Do not swallow
everything that every preacher, elder, editor, or professor says. Some preachers are
not studious, but they choose to "go with the flow." Always "examine the scriptures
daily to see if the things taught are so." (Acts 17:11) If another preacher proclaims
something that contradicts God and his word, reject what he says without apology!
"Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 Jno. 4:1) If a fellow
preacher says something that is not true or is questionable, ask him for the proof
from scripture. If he is a friend of God, he will get glad; if he is a friend of the devil,
he will get mad. Whether he gets mad or glad never hesitate to ask for "book, chapter,
and verse." (1 Pet. 4:11) It is important not to go looking for a "fight," but you
shouldn't run if it is necessary to fight. (1 Tim. 6:12)
Pray unceasingly. (Acts 2:42; Col. 4:2) Never begin or end a day without fervent
prayer. Jesus and the apostles prayed often. Paul requested the brothers and sisters in
Ephesus to pray that he "will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."
(Eph. 6:19) Preachers of the gospel are soldiers of Christ and God will provide help
in our work if we humbly ask him to assist us. A preacher who does not pray is a
preacher who will not remain strong, grow, or stay in the battle for truth. He will
have no incentive to do so, because he fails to communicate with God, the source of
his strength.
Never use the pulpit or pen to destroy people or to vent personal resentment
for those who hate you. Preachers who promote righteousness will have enemies,
but we must not allow them to make us hate them, for if we do, we will rot from the
inside out. We as preachers are seeking to destroy "strongholds" and "we demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and
we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:4-5) We want
the people to be saved and we accomplish this without being quarrelsome.
(2 Tim. 2:24-26) Always have the best interest of people at heart, but "hate the
clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 22-23)
Use accurate modern English translations that convey the words of God
in a way that people understand. The preacher is a teacher and this necessitates
the understandability of both the translation he uses and the message he preaches. A
teacher fails if no one learns because of the complexity of his message. Shame on us
if we believe scholarship is deliberately preaching over the heads of the people. The
recorded sermons of the Jesus and the apostles were powerful, profound, and simple!
They are perfect models of how to do our work. (2 Tim. 4:1-5) Do not preach any
sermon until you understand it. Now, ask yourself if the people will understand it.
Aim for scripturality and understandability. (Eph. 3:4; 5:17)
Learn to appreciate the work of your predecessors, but do not believe one
thing just because they believed and taught it. (Acts 17:11; Heb. 13:7) I admire
the men who called for a return to the Bible during period known as the restoration
movement. I appreciate Alexander Campbell's ability as a debater, J.W. McGarvey's
scholarship, Ben Franklin's consistency, courage, and clarity of thought. Yet, neither
of them is the standard of authority in religion. Some people are so enamored with
the restoration movement, that they spend more time analyzing the lives, times, and
writings of Campbell, McGarvey, Franklin, and Lipscomb than they do studying
the writings of the apostles of Christ. Our faith does not rest on the wisdom of men,
but on the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:5) All of the men who lived and preached during
the restoration movement were fallible. They made many mistakes and taught some
things that were wrong. The same is true today. We must not defend or excuse any of
the errors the so-called restorers believed and practiced anymore than we should
defend preachers today who believe in premillenialism, the personal indwelling of
the Holy Spirit, the acceptability of mechanical instrumental music in worship, etc.
The fact that some of those who believed and taught error were in the early
stages of making a clean break from denominationalism, is no excuse for the fact
that they taught error. Any religious error from any source must be rejected.
R. Daly
Copyright 2012
or skill to be an effective public debater, but all of us can learn to give "an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." (1 Pet. 3:15) You
will not always have the full support from every member of the congregation with
which you work as evangelist, but you do not need such to be ready for the defense of
the gospel. (Phil. 1:16) You are God's servant and God says "Fight the good fight of
the faith." (1 Tim. 6:12) God also says we should, "be contending for the faith once
for all delivered to the holy people." (Jude 3) You will always have people who say
"debates are simply mean spirited contests." Others will say debates "never do any
good." Jesus, Paul, and Apollos were debaters! Many people were brought to the
Lord as a result of Paul's debates. (Acts 17:1-4, 10-12) Luke tells us that Apollos
was a great help to the brothers and sisters in Achaia, "For he vigorously refuted
his Jewish opponents in public debate." (Acts 18:27-28) Do not try to make a name
for yourself as a defender of the truth. Always glorify God! Study, study, study, and
learn to reason through the text. Think logically and keep your explanations simple.
Remember, every issue does not need debating. Do not waste precious time debating
matters of mere opinion or judgment. The substantive issues are important and
should be thoroughly examined.
Do not be afraid to differ with fellow preachers if necessary. Do not swallow
everything that every preacher, elder, editor, or professor says. Some preachers are
not studious, but they choose to "go with the flow." Always "examine the scriptures
daily to see if the things taught are so." (Acts 17:11) If another preacher proclaims
something that contradicts God and his word, reject what he says without apology!
"Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God,
because many false prophets have gone out into the world." (1 Jno. 4:1) If a fellow
preacher says something that is not true or is questionable, ask him for the proof
from scripture. If he is a friend of God, he will get glad; if he is a friend of the devil,
he will get mad. Whether he gets mad or glad never hesitate to ask for "book, chapter,
and verse." (1 Pet. 4:11) It is important not to go looking for a "fight," but you
shouldn't run if it is necessary to fight. (1 Tim. 6:12)
Pray unceasingly. (Acts 2:42; Col. 4:2) Never begin or end a day without fervent
prayer. Jesus and the apostles prayed often. Paul requested the brothers and sisters in
Ephesus to pray that he "will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel."
(Eph. 6:19) Preachers of the gospel are soldiers of Christ and God will provide help
in our work if we humbly ask him to assist us. A preacher who does not pray is a
preacher who will not remain strong, grow, or stay in the battle for truth. He will
have no incentive to do so, because he fails to communicate with God, the source of
his strength.
Never use the pulpit or pen to destroy people or to vent personal resentment
for those who hate you. Preachers who promote righteousness will have enemies,
but we must not allow them to make us hate them, for if we do, we will rot from the
inside out. We as preachers are seeking to destroy "strongholds" and "we demolish
arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and
we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Cor. 10:4-5) We want
the people to be saved and we accomplish this without being quarrelsome.
(2 Tim. 2:24-26) Always have the best interest of people at heart, but "hate the
clothing stained by corrupted flesh." (Jude 22-23)
Use accurate modern English translations that convey the words of God
in a way that people understand. The preacher is a teacher and this necessitates
the understandability of both the translation he uses and the message he preaches. A
teacher fails if no one learns because of the complexity of his message. Shame on us
if we believe scholarship is deliberately preaching over the heads of the people. The
recorded sermons of the Jesus and the apostles were powerful, profound, and simple!
They are perfect models of how to do our work. (2 Tim. 4:1-5) Do not preach any
sermon until you understand it. Now, ask yourself if the people will understand it.
Aim for scripturality and understandability. (Eph. 3:4; 5:17)
Learn to appreciate the work of your predecessors, but do not believe one
thing just because they believed and taught it. (Acts 17:11; Heb. 13:7) I admire
the men who called for a return to the Bible during period known as the restoration
movement. I appreciate Alexander Campbell's ability as a debater, J.W. McGarvey's
scholarship, Ben Franklin's consistency, courage, and clarity of thought. Yet, neither
of them is the standard of authority in religion. Some people are so enamored with
the restoration movement, that they spend more time analyzing the lives, times, and
writings of Campbell, McGarvey, Franklin, and Lipscomb than they do studying
the writings of the apostles of Christ. Our faith does not rest on the wisdom of men,
but on the power of God. (1 Cor. 2:5) All of the men who lived and preached during
the restoration movement were fallible. They made many mistakes and taught some
things that were wrong. The same is true today. We must not defend or excuse any of
the errors the so-called restorers believed and practiced anymore than we should
defend preachers today who believe in premillenialism, the personal indwelling of
the Holy Spirit, the acceptability of mechanical instrumental music in worship, etc.
The fact that some of those who believed and taught error were in the early
stages of making a clean break from denominationalism, is no excuse for the fact
that they taught error. Any religious error from any source must be rejected.
R. Daly
Copyright 2012
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