What Is Preaching?

 What Is Preaching?


Dedicated to all truly-called church ministers of the gospel


When I ask the question, "What is preaching?", the context I have in mind is mostly, (but not exclusively), the church's Sunday worship services.  I also hope to address the issue of the goal (or end) of preaching.

 

Paul's 10th chapter of Romans is probably the most comprehensive treatment of this sublime subject; and his (Paul's) Holy Spirit-inspired injunction of 2 Tim. 4:2a: "Preach the Word!", says it very succinctly.

 

I believe that preaching is the authoritative verbal presentation of the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ in the message of His gospel of grace and mercy.  I also believe that anything short of this, is not preaching at all.  It is also my conviction that every text of Holy Scripture not only lends itself to this grand enterprise; but exists so as to facilitate it.

 

Therefore, when a true gospel preacher approaches a text, in order to do the exegesis of it, he is already viewing the verses through the same "lens" that characterizes all of life, (especially church life)--and that lens is the Person of Jesus Himself.

 

This grand and glorious "presupposition" does not "prejudice" the understanding or explanation of any text--instead it employs the words in the very way they were always intended to be used, (by God Himself).

 

Therefore, when we address ourselves to a pericope of Scripture--Old Testament or New--we already know that God wants those verses to preach Jesus Christ to His people, His church; and (largely) through them, to the world.  If we fail to do this, we show ourselves to be hirelings and imposters--and not true undershepherds of God's sheep.

 

There may be a place for academic evaluation of verses of God's Holy Scriptures, which would not be--strictly-speaking--"preaching"; but that place is never in the faithful pulpit on the New Covenant Sabbath Days (Sundays).

 

Think of it this way: what good is anything, if it does not in some way incline us to Jesus?  Answer: no good.  How much more profoundly and ultimately is this true of the preaching that is to take place in Christ's church on His Resurrection Days?!

 

We do not have to "cajole" any text into a gospel sermon that celebrates and proclaims Jesus Christ.  Instead, God put it there for that precise reason.  Anything short of this kind of preaching always and inevitably devolves down to the putrid babbling of moralism, law-righteousness, self-righteousness, and works-religion.  Nothing is more offensive to the true God, than that.

 

Martin Luther said it well, when he averred something like this: "Every text of Scripture points us to Jesus."  While seeking to locate his quote, I found this very good (and intriguing) blurb from AI's evaluation of the issue, (and I quote it [AI!]): "Martin Luther strongly believed that every text of Scripture points to Jesus Christ. He emphasized that the Old Testament, as well as the New Testament, should be interpreted through the lens of Christ, understanding that the Old Testament prophets and patriarchs were looking forward to His coming. Luther's approach to Scripture was centered on the idea that Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God's Word and that all the other texts should be understood in relation to Him."

 

But we do not need to solely rely on our brother Martin Luther's conviction, to support (and prove) our premise.  The Holy Book itself ubiquitously says as much.  Here is one example, from Rom. 10:13, 14c, & 17: "For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' . . . And how are they to hear without someone preaching? . . . So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ," (ESV).

 

So, the goal of preaching is to bring Jesus Christ near to His people (His church), and to the world of lost sinners--through the message of the Good News (gospel).

 

Rev. Mark J. Henninger

Treatise #21

7 August 2025

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