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To Preach or Not To Preach

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Late last month I re-published a book that went out of print in England back in the 1990s. The author, now dead, responded to his critics in 2007 and we added 20 pages to this book in this new edition. We made the margins wider and the white space between lines more prevalent so that it is more aesthetic.

Few would ever reconsider "preaching" in light of scripture. This book honestly questions that traditions, calls for change and biblically analyzes something many of us hold dear for an unknown reason. The book has more than 500 endnotes from J.I. Packer to Augustine.

This book is humdinger! Frank Viola, (Reimagining Church, Pagan Christanity) was profoundly affected by To Preach. http://frankviola.org/2013/02/08/topreachornottopreach/

Here is the hardcopy URL: http://www.amazon.com/To-Preach-Not...s=to+preach+or+not+to+preach&tag=651998669-20

Here is the eBook URL: http://www.amazon.com/To-Preach-Not-Question-ebook/dp/B00B8SWMWC/ref=pd_ybh_11&tag=651998669-20

Your thoughts please...
 
Farouk, The book isn't about not preaching.... Its about how the scripture shows us to preach (as an outreach to non-believers) over and against preaching as a regular part of gathering together. Where in the NT does it dictate or guide us to preach to the body of Christ?
 
David C. Norrington in his own words

2 Timothy 4:2 ‘Preach the Word’
The use of kerusso here is rather surprising as it is used primar-ily for the proclamation of Jesus and the gospel to unbelievers outside Christian gatherings. But here (as in 2 Cor. 11:4) it seems to refer primarily to addressing the faithful although the possibility of the occasional presence of unbelievers cannot be ruled out and may even have been in mind when the epistle was penned. ‘Preach’ is not a good translation of kerussein91 but at least it does suggest that something is to be taught. The form and duration of the teaching, both as regards Paul’s intentions and Timothy’s performance, are beyond recovery. The reference may be to a sermon, or even a series of sermons, but it need not be. The reason for Timothy’s action is given in the text. The danger of which Paul had warned the Ephesian elders had materialized and Timothy was asked to take action against it (Acts 20:29f; 2 Tim. 2:14-18, 3:1-14, 4:1-5, 14f). The sermon, if such it was, was an aid in the battle but there is nothing here to suggest that it was already a regular feature of church life or that it should ever become such, although it might be repeated if needed to counter other errors in the future.92

The imperatives are usually rendered ‘preach…reprove, rebuke, exhort...’ In my opinion, the natural interpretation of this instruction is that reproving, rebuking and exhorting should be done as and when necessary rather than at fixed or regular times, irrespective of other considerations. The precise significance of ‘in season and out of season’ is not clear93 and in any case there is no reason to restrict its application to keruxon ton logon. Hence, the context provides no evidence for regular sermons.


91: G. Friedrich, TDNT, III, 703. In 2 Timothy 4:2 ‘Proclaim the word (or message)’ is a more accurate translation and relatively free from false associations and is so rendered in NRSV; HJ. Schonfield, The Authentic New Testament; idem, The Original New Testament; NEB; Revised EB; W. Barclay, The New Testament: A New Translation; C.K. Williams, The New Testament: A New Translation in Plain English; EJ. Goodspeed, The Student’s New Testament; New Jerusalem Bible; D .H. Stem, Jewish New Testament

92: Views on the purpose of the aorist imperatives are legion and include adding authority and solemnity, indicating the vivid nature of the address, emphasizing the necessity for prompt action, indicating an action to be ended at a definite time and a stylistic variation (B.M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect in New Testament Greek, 1990, pp. 370-379). But given that the aorist tense is essentially undetermined or undefined or presents the action as complete or as a whole without regard to internal make-up (Burton, Syntax, 35; Robertson, Grammar, p. 824; F. Stagg, ‘The Abused Aorist’, JBL, 91, 1972, 221-231; Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, 1984, pp. 69-75; S.E. Porter, Idioms of the Greek New Testament, 1992, p. 35; B.M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect, pp. 86-98), the use of the aorist imperative—’preach the word’—tells us litde of the timing or arrangement of the event (Burton, Syntax, 184, 98). In order to imply repeated action by the verbal form alone, the present imperative might have been more appropriate (J.H. Bernard, The Pastoral Epistles, 1899, p. 140; C.F.D. Moule, An Idiom—Book of New Testament Greek, 21959, 20; Moulton, Grammar, III, 74f; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek Illustrated by Examples, 1963, 243 (p. 79). As is so often the case, in order to comprehend the matter further, we must pass from the grammar to the context.

93: See the discussion in A.J. Malherbe, “In Season and Out of Season”: 2 Timothy 4:2’, JBL, 103, 1984, 235-243; G.D. Fee, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, 1984, pp. 233f
 
David C. Norrington in his own words

2 Timothy 4:2 ‘Preach the Word’
The use of kerusso here is rather surprising as it is used primar-ily for the proclamation of Jesus and the gospel to unbelievers outside Christian gatherings. But here (as in 2 Cor. 11:4) it seems to refer primarily to addressing the faithful although the possibility of the occasional presence of unbelievers cannot be ruled out and may even have been in mind when the epistle was penned. ‘Preach’ is not a good translation of kerussein91 but at least it does suggest that something is to be taught. The form and duration of the teaching, both as regards Paul’s intentions and Timothy’s performance, are beyond recovery. The reference may be to a sermon, or even a series of sermons, but it need not be. The reason for Timothy’s action is given in the text. The danger of which Paul had warned the Ephesian elders had materialized and Timothy was asked to take action against it (Acts 20:29f; 2 Tim. 2:14-18, 3:1-14, 4:1-5, 14f). The sermon, if such it was, was an aid in the battle but there is nothing here to suggest that it was already a regular feature of church life or that it should ever become such, although it might be repeated if needed to counter other errors in the future.92

The imperatives are usually rendered ‘preach…reprove, rebuke, exhort...’ In my opinion, the natural interpretation of this instruction is that reproving, rebuking and exhorting should be done as and when necessary rather than at fixed or regular times, irrespective of other considerations. The precise significance of ‘in season and out of season’ is not clear93 and in any case there is no reason to restrict its application to keruxon ton logon. Hence, the context provides no evidence for regular sermons.


91: G. Friedrich, TDNT, III, 703. In 2 Timothy 4:2 ‘Proclaim the word (or message)’ is a more accurate translation and relatively free from false associations and is so rendered in NRSV; HJ. Schonfield, The Authentic New Testament; idem, The Original New Testament; NEB; Revised EB; W. Barclay, The New Testament: A New Translation; C.K. Williams, The New Testament: A New Translation in Plain English; EJ. Goodspeed, The Student’s New Testament; New Jerusalem Bible; D .H. Stem, Jewish New Testament

92: Views on the purpose of the aorist imperatives are legion and include adding authority and solemnity, indicating the vivid nature of the address, emphasizing the necessity for prompt action, indicating an action to be ended at a definite time and a stylistic variation (B.M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect in New Testament Greek, 1990, pp. 370-379). But given that the aorist tense is essentially undetermined or undefined or presents the action as complete or as a whole without regard to internal make-up (Burton, Syntax, 35; Robertson, Grammar, p. 824; F. Stagg, ‘The Abused Aorist’, JBL, 91, 1972, 221-231; Carson, Exegetical Fallacies, 1984, pp. 69-75; S.E. Porter, Idioms of the Greek New Testament, 1992, p. 35; B.M. Fanning, Verbal Aspect, pp. 86-98), the use of the aorist imperative—’preach the word’—tells us litde of the timing or arrangement of the event (Burton, Syntax, 184, 98). In order to imply repeated action by the verbal form alone, the present imperative might have been more appropriate (J.H. Bernard, The Pastoral Epistles, 1899, p. 140; C.F.D. Moule, An Idiom—Book of New Testament Greek, 21959, 20; Moulton, Grammar, III, 74f; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek Illustrated by Examples, 1963, 243 (p. 79). As is so often the case, in order to comprehend the matter further, we must pass from the grammar to the context.

93: See the discussion in A.J. Malherbe, “In Season and Out of Season”: 2 Timothy 4:2’, JBL, 103, 1984, 235-243; G.D. Fee, 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, 1984, pp. 233f

So, in summary, what do you mean?

Blessings.
 
Sounds to me like he wants us to ditch the sermons in church unless we have some specific problem to address.

To be honest with you I tried to find some background on the author. Cannot find a thing
 
Farouk, What does the author show us about the word "preach" translated from the Greek word kerussein? Another translator translates this Greek word as to teach... But the entire book isn't so much about preaching perse. It also deals with the centrality of "the sermon" and "the pastor" to modern religious club today, but the absence of such in the New Testament that shows us God's plan...

God's plan is for a plurality of leaders, which can include a pastor. A (notice the singular article) pastor cannot be found in the New Testament leading a church. In Ephesians we see Paul, Epaphroditus teaching and encouraging (not leading or worse controlling).

In the modern religious club "the pastor" is the leader. And he declares the message of the bible to passive listeners. Yet in the church of Paul's teaching, "the sermon" was more of a homely and brief encouragement or dealing with a subject. The one-anothering and maturing of everyone's gifts was encouraged and augmented. Today, there is no room for anybody to grow in a gifting or calling such as the New Testament teaches.

Ephesians 4:11-16 depicts something I HAVE NEVER OBSERVED IN 38 years of Sunday going to meeting "the sermon" and "the preacher" the religious club...
11And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 14 As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, 16from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.

It talks about some as prophets, some as this, some as that some as still another thing... But this is all inclusive, meaning the actual, practical priesthood of EVERY believer: not just special people who have gone to school... Secondly, it uses the word "ALL" in this flow again showing total inclusion, not just a special class that is matured. It then makes reference to "the head" Christ who guides and brings to unity....

This doesn't sound like any church I have been to in the west. It sound very much like ones I visited in Romania and Japan. Here in the west, a pastor, should just as well be "pope" or dictator. A "church" is "his church" and there is no ministry besides what he declares (or the denomination declares and he carries out their bidding) what will be done, what ministries will be embraced...

What calls itself church is dying off. The small to medium church are going out of existence, the mega church are getting big (and aging) and this organization is less impactful and significant culturally than ever before. George Barna and others have been documenting what calls itself churches fall for years.

And part of it relates to the dependence on dead preaching, to the lowest common denominator in order to support an infrastructure that God never intended in the first place.

Here is a video that helps put all this in a succinct package: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSFYw5rPdyY
 
I'm southern baptist. Our preacher is an employee of the Church. We believe pastors and all leaders in our chruch are servant leaders. . He serves/works along side our deacon board and other voted on committee members.

Those in our church who have various gifts are encouraged to use them. We don't believe in modern day prophets. We teach and believe in the priesthood of all believers. Chrisitans can go boldly before the throne of God.
 
Frank Viola is NOT an Emergent any more than Billy Graham is a Mormon lover (even though he cleaned up his site's reference to them as a "cult" when he endorsed Mitt Romney...)

If people would read rather than trust the writings of broadbrushers they'd know Frank is more biblically based than evangelicals these days....
 
...

Those in our church who have various gifts are encouraged to use them. We don't believe in modern day prophets. We teach and believe in the priesthood of all believers. Chrisitans can go boldly before the throne of God.

P31Woman:

This is pretty well what I would strongly believe, too. Ty.

Blessings.
 
This doesn't sound like any church I have been to in the west. It sound very
much like ones I visited in Romania and Japan. Here in the west, a pastor,
should just as well be "pope" or dictator. A "church" is "his church" and there
is no ministry besides what he declares (or the denomination declares and he
carries out their bidding) what will be done, what ministries will be
embraced...
My Dad was a pastor for 50 years or so. Your description of a pastor did not fit him....
 
This post http://truthspeaker.wordpress.com/2...nt-churchs-leonard-sweet-in-writing-new-book/
is a pile of garbage. Frank is NOT associated with NAR at all. He is NOT associated with House2House. House2House attempts to use Frank to build up it's noteriety.

Some links don't work, other points are totally malicious. Frank Viola didn't write Organic Church: Growing Faith Where Life Happens, Neil Cole did... There is little scholarship in this post just blatant religious hatred and fear... Correlating Frank to Dominionism... This person doesn't know Frank and doesn't know what dominionism is because YOU CAN'T find dominionist material written by Frank. I don't know of any Dominionist teacher that recognizes him or advocates him.... Talk about judgmentalism and generalizations!

WOW!
 
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Frank Viola is NOT an Emergent any more than Billy Graham is a Mormon lover (even though he cleaned up his site's reference to them as a "cult" when he endorsed Mitt Romney...)

If people would read rather than trust the writings of broadbrushers they'd know Frank is more biblically based than evangelicals these days....

This is just an article about him writing a book with Sweet. P31 said she couldn't find anything so I past it on. Frankly I'm not crazy about the site I found it on.
 
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Is Mumford the devil and incapable of saying something that is true? I quote Joseph Stalin and Hegel, does that make me and Atheist Communist?
 
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