Power in the Word

"More important than any amount of grandeur of style to those of us who seek to be listened to with obedience is the life of the speaker." -Augustine, On Christian Teaching

I have just finished Augustine's book On Christian Teaching (Doctrine) and I acknowledge the worth of this text when read with conviction. Although some of the work is tedious and difficult to get through, if you can pick out the information that is useful, you will become a better teacher of the Gospel. The quote above is one which stuck out and acquired no thought on it's validity; instead it causes a person to examine one's life to see if you are demanding obedience through your actions.


The "loss of authority" in the "pulpit" is not due to any one thing, however, the contemporary preacher seems to be in constant danger from opposition. I would argue that this issue lays heavily upon the back of preachers who have fallen into the temptations of their old lives, but even so, the authority demanded by the Bible and by Jesus' teaching is not a suggestive authority. Many times, specifically in the Sermon on the Mount, we find Jesus quoted as saying something along these lines: "You have heard it said....but I say to you." The authority that Jesus held was due to the fact that He was the author of life, He is. We preachers are not God, but we have been charged to present His message with authority. But how is this done? We know that people do not accept hypocrisy, therefore, the greatest way to open the door of the Gospel is to live it! Did Paul not say the same thing to Timothy in his first letter to the young preacher:

I Timothy 4:12 "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity."

Timothy's authority as a young man was found in his example; Timothy gained the respect and the obedience of the people in Ephesus not because he was the greatest speaker, the loudest yeller, nor was it because he was always quoting Bible verses and condemning people for their lifestyle. No, Timothy was to gain authority through his example, living out what was right, and he only knows what is right because of what God has revealed. People who live their life in a holy, separate way get noticed and people respect that.

The conclusion of this idea is found in this, the authority of the preacher is established in the way his life is lived, and the way his life is lived is determined by the scriptures; ultimately, the authority of the preacher is established in the authority of the Bible. I like the way Albert Mohler Jr. puts it in his book He is Not Silent:

"Preaching will cease to be Christian preaching if the preacher loses confidence in the authority of the Bible as the Word of God..."

God has given us the Word and the Word has been fulfilled, therefore, there is no reason to lack boldness or confidence in what we have to say, if we are saying what is under the authority of the Word. If I do try to preach a message based on anything but the Cross of Christ then I have ceased to preach, but if I preach a message from God, yet do not live out what has been said then what have I really done?