I have been doing a lot of study of the New Testament Church and how it compares to our modern Church, and my eyes are being opened to a whole new way of understaning things. While studying the role of the preacher, I found out some very interesting things, and have realized that our modern “preaching” is very different from the New Testament preaching.
New Testament Preaching
In the New Testament, we see the word “preach” used in connection with evangelizing those who have not heard the Gospel yet. We see phrases like “preaching the good news”, “preaching the gospel”, “preach to the Gentiles”, “preach to the people”, and “preach in the synagogues”, but interestingly, we don’t see phrases that talk about preaching to the Church, or preaching to believers. Preaching in the New Testament always specifically means to share the Gospel with those who have not yet come to believe. Preaching is ministry to the unbelievers, and it is always done outside of the “church gathering.”
This is quite different from our modern “preaching”, which takes place primarily within the “church gathering” setting. Very seldom do we see preachers going out to share the Gospel with those who have not heard, or those who do not yet believe. When we refer to “preachers” and “preaching” today, we are referring to the man or woman who is standing on the stage during a church service and teaching in lecture format about something (usually Biblical), but this message is usually geared toward those who already confess Jesus as their Messiah.
Typically, the only way that unbelievers are able to hear this “preaching” is if they are invited to come to a church service by someone, but in the New Testament, preaching was all done outside of the church gathering, and was geared specifically toward those who do not yet know Christ. The Church gathering, on the other hand, was reserved for a very different function all together.
Church Gathering
In the New Testament, we find that the church gathering was designed for community, fellowship, and mutual edification of believers. There was no official or designated “preacher” leading these gatherings, but every member of the Body participated. The Church gatherings were led by the Holy Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit were used regularly by all members for mutually strengthening and building up the members of the Church. Paul says that “to each person the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” (1Corinthians 12:7) He also teaches that “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.” and that ”All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.” (1Corinthians 14:26)
These things “must be done for the strengthening of the church.” If it is so important that these things be done regularly in church gatherings, then why (in most modern churches) have we neglected doing these things?
Role Reversal
It seems to me that we have gotten things mixed up a bit. Our preachers are trying to do the ministry that belongs to the body, rather than doing the work of an evangelist. But as hard as they try, they cannot do by themselves the thing that was designed for every member of the body to do together. A man who is called to “preach” will not find fulfillment until he stops preaching to the saved and starts preaching to the lost. Similarly, the Church will not find its true expression until all of its members start fulfilling their role in the every member functioning body.
I believe that we need to move back into the correct roles that God has created for us, and that when we do so, we will begin to see and experience the Church as God intended. A body of believers, led by the Holy Spirit, who strengthen and encourage each other, mutually growing closer to Christ, bound together in a loving community. We will also find that when preachers step down from the stage and into the world, they will find a ripe harvest of people who have not yet heard the good news.
The very thought of this is exciting to me! I want to see a New Testament Church in the 21st Century.
