Preaching and Teaching

As we have been working our way through chapter 10 of Romans, we have seen Paul stress the role human beings play in the process by which God draws people to Himself. He calls people to take the gospel to the unbelieving world. These “preachers” then are sent by the church to proclaim His Word near and far. As they do, He speaks through their words to those whom He has chosen to save, causing them to believe and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. The preacher, therefore, fills an important role in God’s redemptive plan. Unfortunately, however, most cultures today fail to understand and esteem the preaching office in the way Scripture indicates they should, and Western cultures are among the most guilty. Therefore, we will pause from our studies in Romans for the next four days to consider the preacher and his task. Dr. R.C. Sproul’s audio teaching series Preachers and Preaching will be our guide.

After Martin Luther took his courageous stand at the Diet of Worms, his friends spirited him away to the Wartburg Castle, where he began translating the Bible into German. Meanwhile, his colleague at the University of Wittenberg, Andreas Carlstadt, began to advocate the removal of all art objects from churches, leading mobs to smash stained-glass windows and perform other acts of vandalism. When Luther heard of this, he left the Wartburg and returned to Wittenberg, even though there was a price on his head. One of the motion pictures about his life depicts him arriving during a meeting of Carlstadt, Philip Melancthon, and others. They are astonished to see him and ask why he has returned. Luther thereupon declares, “I want my pulpit.”

It is unclear whether this incident actually occurred. But the depiction of Luther as willing to risk his very life in order to teach and preach the Word of God does capture something of his spirit. The Reformation made Luther a celebrity in Europe, but he refused to spend his time dashing all over the Continent to consolidate the movement. Instead, he lived out his life in Wittenberg, fulfilling the primary vocation to which he had been ordained: teaching and preaching. Like John Calvin in Geneva, he was a strong advocate of the work of the preacher. Beginning with tomorrow’s study, we will examine several of his teachings on the preaching office.