Preaching.
Is the accepted method of preaching as is done in churches today, how preaching was done by the early Church?
There is no doubt that believers are to preach, (2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7-9; 1 Timothy 4:6-16). However, it is important to understand the true meaning of what it is to preach. Were there any denominated professionally trained people lecturing a monologue presentation that was deemed to be a word directly from God for the people in the early Church?
So what does this word "preach" really mean?
There is no doubt that believers are to preach God's Word (Jesus,) (2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7-9. They are also to "exhort" and "teach" as instructed in these verses. Much more significant however, is the entire notion of "preaching". Does what passes for "preaching" in our day have any Biblical basis? Is there an example anywhere in the New Testament of a "one man denominated lectured sermon" in the believer's assembling that leaves no room for believers to interact?
If Paul were to visit one of our meetings and saw only a one man staging event, giving an oration patterned after the Greek philosophers of his day, with absolutely no interaction with the "laity," would Paul want to know "what is going on here, is this really fellow-shipping within the body of Christ that I emphasized?"
This professional monologue sermon bears no resemblance to post-cross Church living, however, it is unwittingly patterned after ancient Greek moralists philosophers. Indications are that the monologue type sermon is not a scriptural tradition, imported from Greco-Roman paganism who sought to control and lord it over the listeners.
Acts 20 is used to establish many modern practices of the church, and yet it supports none of them. Consider "preaching." The Greek word for "preach" in Acts 20:7,9 is word #1256, dialegomai: it's a "dialogue" not a "monologue." Dialegomai means "to converse, discourse with one, argue, discuss". It comes from the word "di" which means "a combining form meaning 'two', 'double'." We do not have "dialogue and discussion" in most "churches," and therefore it is not obeying Acts 20:7.
Does the philosophical church really believe that Paul gave an uninterrupted lecture...for twelve hours without any interaction with the people? Dialegomai is also translated as "reasoned" in Acts 17:2, where Paul "reasoned" in the assembling of the believers. In church, the preacher doesn't "reason" with anybody, but simply talks with no chance of interaction with those in the audience. Dialegomai is also translated as "disputed" in Acts 17:17, where Paul "disputed the wrongs and emphasized things pertaining to the kingdom of God." The leaders of Sunday-event-driven meetings do not give people the chance to "dispute" "discuss" or "question". Is this biblical?
Is it right to ignore the inescapable fact that there was no monologue lecture type "preaching" or "sermon" as we popularly conceive it today. When we proclaim the Gospel to non-believers, we believe we should engage in "official and professional instruction that is passed to us by the denominated preacher who has all the beliefs of their denomination down pat for making converts for the denomination." Would not people be more open to the gospel if they were pointed to Christ and shown the entrance to the Kingdom of God through "informal, relational and loving discussions while living as the Church on a daily basis". Modern churches have replaced relationship conversation in our post-cross assembling with monologue "sermons," a man-made invention that has become the tradition of the modern day church building assembling.
As a result, we cannot obey the Scriptural exhortation as cited in 1 Corinthians 14:26,3,1 when we "attend church"; we cannot edify and prophesy. Neither can we obey 1 Timothy 4:13 and 2 Timothy 4:2 when we "attend church"; we cannot exhort, we cannot "teach", unless we are Okay-ed by the "frozen chosen". Only one person exhorts in the modern "church" and the pew-warmers sitting on their posterior sit in violation Hebrews 10:24-25, at least when they are "attending church by their segregated assembling in denominated buildings."
The most effective and influential preaching is life-living preaching by living the life of Christ on a daily basis without the showmanship without the performance driven modern day churches!
There is no doubt that believers are to preach, (2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7-9; 1 Timothy 4:6-16). However, it is important to understand the true meaning of what it is to preach. Were there any denominated professionally trained people lecturing a monologue presentation that was deemed to be a word directly from God for the people in the early Church?
So what does this word "preach" really mean?
There is no doubt that believers are to preach God's Word (Jesus,) (2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7-9. They are also to "exhort" and "teach" as instructed in these verses. Much more significant however, is the entire notion of "preaching". Does what passes for "preaching" in our day have any Biblical basis? Is there an example anywhere in the New Testament of a "one man denominated lectured sermon" in the believer's assembling that leaves no room for believers to interact?
If Paul were to visit one of our meetings and saw only a one man staging event, giving an oration patterned after the Greek philosophers of his day, with absolutely no interaction with the "laity," would Paul want to know "what is going on here, is this really fellow-shipping within the body of Christ that I emphasized?"
This professional monologue sermon bears no resemblance to post-cross Church living, however, it is unwittingly patterned after ancient Greek moralists philosophers. Indications are that the monologue type sermon is not a scriptural tradition, imported from Greco-Roman paganism who sought to control and lord it over the listeners.
Acts 20 is used to establish many modern practices of the church, and yet it supports none of them. Consider "preaching." The Greek word for "preach" in Acts 20:7,9 is word #1256, dialegomai: it's a "dialogue" not a "monologue." Dialegomai means "to converse, discourse with one, argue, discuss". It comes from the word "di" which means "a combining form meaning 'two', 'double'." We do not have "dialogue and discussion" in most "churches," and therefore it is not obeying Acts 20:7.
Does the philosophical church really believe that Paul gave an uninterrupted lecture...for twelve hours without any interaction with the people? Dialegomai is also translated as "reasoned" in Acts 17:2, where Paul "reasoned" in the assembling of the believers. In church, the preacher doesn't "reason" with anybody, but simply talks with no chance of interaction with those in the audience. Dialegomai is also translated as "disputed" in Acts 17:17, where Paul "disputed the wrongs and emphasized things pertaining to the kingdom of God." The leaders of Sunday-event-driven meetings do not give people the chance to "dispute" "discuss" or "question". Is this biblical?
Is it right to ignore the inescapable fact that there was no monologue lecture type "preaching" or "sermon" as we popularly conceive it today. When we proclaim the Gospel to non-believers, we believe we should engage in "official and professional instruction that is passed to us by the denominated preacher who has all the beliefs of their denomination down pat for making converts for the denomination." Would not people be more open to the gospel if they were pointed to Christ and shown the entrance to the Kingdom of God through "informal, relational and loving discussions while living as the Church on a daily basis". Modern churches have replaced relationship conversation in our post-cross assembling with monologue "sermons," a man-made invention that has become the tradition of the modern day church building assembling.
As a result, we cannot obey the Scriptural exhortation as cited in 1 Corinthians 14:26,3,1 when we "attend church"; we cannot edify and prophesy. Neither can we obey 1 Timothy 4:13 and 2 Timothy 4:2 when we "attend church"; we cannot exhort, we cannot "teach", unless we are Okay-ed by the "frozen chosen". Only one person exhorts in the modern "church" and the pew-warmers sitting on their posterior sit in violation Hebrews 10:24-25, at least when they are "attending church by their segregated assembling in denominated buildings."
The most effective and influential preaching is life-living preaching by living the life of Christ on a daily basis without the showmanship without the performance driven modern day churches!
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