-- Galatians 2:6
Oh, how I love Paul! He is hilarious. He is so cheeky. "Sure, sure. Peter, James, and John, those pillars, they seemed like somebodies, I guess." Love it!
But is he being as disparaging as he appears? Not really, but sort of. Here's Luther on this verse:
Paul disparages the authority and dignity of the true apostles. He says of them, "Which seemed to be somewhat." The authority of the apostles was indeed great in all the churches. Paul did not want to detract from their authority, but he had to speak disparagingly of their authority in order to conserve the truth of the Gospel . . ."The gospel is more excellent than all apostles." Yes!
What they say has no bearing on the argument. If the apostles were angels from heaven, that would not impress me. We are not now discussing the excellency of the apostles. We are talking about the Word of God now, and the truth of the Gospel. That Gospel is more excellent than all apostles.
You know what? Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, John Piper, Mark Dever, Will Willimon, David Platt. These guys and more are (probably) better preachers than you and me. But if your gospel is the Bible's gospel, their gospel isn't better than yours. Same gospel. They can't improve on it any more than you can defuse it.
If you're a good preacher, you're probably a better speaker than Paul -- because Paul himself acknowledged he wasn't an impressive speaker -- but if your gospel is the Bible's gospel, it is not your speaking that wakens hearts, but the same power the "unimpressive" Paul set loose.
If you know and speak the gospel, you are a channel for God's destroying of strongholds and resurrecting of lives. Every Christian who can articulate the gospel has the launch code and access to the button.
If you preach the gospel, you wield the most powerful word in the universe. It's not the gnosis of the apostles. It's the resurrecting word entrusted to us all.
5 comments:
Excellent. Prevents us from idolizing too. "Not that we dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who are commending themselves. But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding." 2 Cor.10:12
Charles Spurgeon had been announced to preach at Haverhill in Suffolk, and—an exceptional incident—he was late in arriving. So his grandfather began the service and, when the expected preacher did not arrive, proceeded with the sermon. The text was "By grace you are saved." He had gotten some way into his discourse when some unrest at the door made him aware that his distinguished grandson had arrived. "Here comes my grandson," he exclaimed. "He can preach the Gospel better than I can, but you cannot preach a better Gospel, can you, Charles?"
My soul is rebuked.
My soul is renewed.
Thanks, Jared.
These are great thoughts for the meditations of those who attend the churches of the preachers you mentioned (like me). It is very easy to believe the lie that it is about the delivery instead of about the message. It is the truth that sets us free not the one who speaks it. May this message embolden many (myself included) to take the free gift of the Gospel and freely give it indiscriminately.
Thank you for your encouragement.
In Christ,
Matt
Incredible post.
What a message! Thank you!
This needs to posted, read, and proclaimed everywhere there is a gathering of preachers.
Really.
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