Preacher
The word “preacher” is derived from the word "preach" which means to proclaim a message. So, a preacher is one who proclaims the Gospel. An evangelist is essentially a preacher of the Gospel, or of the good news. Ephesians 4:11-12 makes it clear that God intended to have apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors (elders), and teachers to do the work of the ministry of Christ in edifying, or building up, the body of Christ which is the church:
11And He Himself (Jesus Christ) gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ...
A study of the Scriptures would show that the work of the apostles and the prophets ended when the inspired Word was written for all future generations. Now evangelists, elders, and teachers preach and teach the Word left behind by the inspired writers of the Bible.
The office of a preacher in the Lord’s church is very important and comes with great rewards for those who preach the truth and nothing but the truth. Why? For one to be saved, he must hear the Word, believe the Word and obey the Word. Hearing is accomplished when one hears the Gospel of Christ preached, according to Romans 10:13-17:
13For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
14How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (emphasis added) 15And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:
“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!”
16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord for salvation must hear, believe, and obey the gospel. Proclaiming the Word to the “whoever of the world” is the work that faithful preachers and evangelists of the Gospel do.
The apostle Paul told Timothy, a preacher and an evangelist in the early church, what to preach, how to act as a preacher, how to preach and how some would turn away from his preaching. Read 2 Timothy 4:2-5:
2Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
Gospel preachers must be careful not to turn away from the truth and fall into false teaching. The Bible cast woes upon this type of preacher.
When a local church has a strong, knowledgeable, competent preacher, the congregation he is among will generally be strong in their faith and in the truth of the Gospel.
In a sense, all disciples of Christ are preachers and teachers of the Gospel as those disciples were in Jerusalem. They were, by persecution, scattered abroad preaching the word (Acts 11:19). What is here indicated is not a formal preaching by the believers who were scattered from Jerusalem, but a general testimony they gave about Christ to all with whom they came into contact.
The preacher for the Pine Lane Church of Christ is: David Deason
You may contact him at the following email address: deasonjd@gmail.com