User:Gbeeker/Charismatic Preaching

preserve:January 2006

The Role Of The Holy Spirit In Preaching:

Introduction

The challenges to preaching raised by a reexamination of worldview drives the preacher to his knees and to God's word for help. There he will find great wisdom and divinely given authority to minister the gospel of Christ. The modern church, however, has been slow to embrace the resources of heaven, especially when it involves the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Gordon Fee was motivated to write his recent work on the Holy Spirit in Pauline literature, God's Empowering Presence, because he felt the contemporary western church, both Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal, due to enculturation, has missed the point of the Spirit's presence and ministry in the church. This is another way of describing the influence of the western worldview on the perception of scripture and the practice of ministry. In Fee's estimation we are actually "quenching the Spirit" by marginalizing and domesticating him, and the result of this is an ineffective witness.

This marginalizing of the ministry of the Spirit comes in to play in Christian preaching. The Spirit is usually given only token acknowledgement in the teaching of preaching, in preaching literature and not surprisingly, in the preaching event as well. Contributing to this problem, Fee has observed a widespread neglect of the subject of the Holy Spirit in the academic world, especially in the field of Pauline studies. As the literature review determined, this neglect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit has certainly been felt in the field of homiletics. The purpose of this article is to examine the role of the Holy Spirit in the ministry of preaching. Esteemed theologian, J. I. Packer, though not a Pentecostal, agrees with Fee on the limited role the Holy Spirit has been given in the church:

"Forty years ago when I was a theological student, little was said or written about the Holy Spirit--so little that he was sometimes referred to as the displaced person of the Godhead and the Cinderella of theology . . . That has changed: Trinitarian thinking has revived among theologians, charismatic renewal has touched and challenged the whole Christian world, and aspects of the doctrine of the Spirit are nowadays frequently discussed. Yet one may still ask, do we take the Spirit seriously enough? I fear that, whoever we are and whatever our heritage, the answer is often no."

In both the historical and contemporary church, the ministry of the Holy Spirit has been and remains both controversial and enigmatic. The twentieth century has witnessed the rise of the modern Pentecostal movement which started primarily with the Azusa Street revival of Los Angeles (1906-1909). As the movement spread across the world it has slowly gained acceptance, becoming the largest and fastest growing segment of Christendom. The twentieth century has seen what missiologist -- one involved in the study of mission --, Dr. Irving Whitt of Tyndale Seminary in Toronto calls the "pentecostalization" of the church. During the first half of this century in particular, Pentecostals have been called everything from demon possessed, to heretics, to simple-minded and naive. Cessationism -- the teaching that spiritual gifts ceased with the passing of the apostles -- still has widespread support in the evangelical church. Despite the popular growth of Pentecostalism, the rise of the Charismatic and Word of Faith movements within pentecostalism, resulted in many classical Pentecostals aligning themselves with evangelicals rather than associate with more extreme theological positions. Thus, theological uncertainty -- especially concerning pneumatology -- both inside pentecostalism and in the broader evangelical community has contributed to what Packer rightly called the quenching of the ministry of the Spirit in the church.

Despite this historical quenching of the Spirit, today there is an undeniable global surge in pentecostal experience, theology and church planting. Pentecostals do not have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit. However, Pentecostals do have a significant contribution to make to theology, including the field of preaching.

We now turn to the question, "what is the unique and indispensable role of the Holy Spirit in preaching?"

The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Ministry of Jesus

Jesus' Anointing at his Baptism

Just prior to Jesus beginning his public ministry, he is baptized in the Jordan and the Holy Spirit comes on him. Luke records that Jesus is at prayer during this experience, the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus, and the voice of the Father is heard giving his approval and blessing. The occasion, in John's company, indicates a shift of focus from John the forerunner, to the Jesus, the long awaited Messiah. It is also significant that this gift of the Spirit is given immediately prior to the public launching of Jesus' ministry:

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened {22} and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." {23} Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry.(Luke 3:21-23 NIV)

In Luke 4:18ff., as Jesus begins his public preaching ministry, we find him reading from Isaiah 61, and identifying himself as the anointed preacher of Isaiah.

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed (chrio) me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, {19} to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."(Luke 4:18-19).

The passage indicates that (1) Jesus is anointed with the Holy Spirit, and (2) this anointing is a single, past event (many Bible scholars agree that this anointing occurred at his baptism when the Spirit descended), and (3) the purpose of the anointing is, in large part, to enable Jesus to "preach good news."

Colin Brown connects Jesus' anointing to his baptism experience and sees this anointing as the source of the power for his mission.

"Anointing is a metaphor for the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, special power, or a divine commission. On four occasions we read of the Anointing of Jesus by God (Lk 4:18 quoting Isaiah 61:1; Acts 4:27; Acts 10:38; Hebrews 1:9 quoting Psalm 45:7). All these texts indicate a special endowment by the Holy Spirit with supernatural power (especially Acts 10:38). This anointing by the Holy Spirit probably recalls what happened at Jesus' baptism."

Walter Liefeld comments on this event

"Jesus identifies himself as the subject of Isaiah's prophetic word. As such he is (1) the bearer of the Spirit (v.18); (2) the eschatological prophet, proclaimer of the "good news"; and (3) the one who brings release to the oppressed . . . Luke presents the quotation and Jesus' ensuing comments as a programmatic statement of Jesus' ministry. As a prophet and Messiah, he will minister to the social outcasts and needy, including Gentiles, in the power of the Spirit."

Jesus ministry of announcing the kingdom of God does not begin until he is anointed of the Holy Spirit. During his incarnational ministry Jesus will function as a man, withholding the exercise of his divine attributes, and minister in the power of the Holy Spirit. As such he becomes a model for his followers of all generations.

The biblical background of anointing begins in the Old Testament. There we find Samuel anointing Saul as King over Israel (I Samuel 10:1). The oil, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, is ceremonially poured onto the head of Saul representing the calling and commissioning of God. Saul is set apart for the special work of leading the nation of Israel. Equally important is the understanding that this anointing by the Spirit will empower Saul to fulfil his calling. This power is demonstrated as Saul leads Israel to victory over its enemies. Within time however, Saul begins to take matters into his own hands and he begins to disobey God. When we come to chapter 13 of 1 Samuel, God removes his anointing from Saul and passes it on to the new King, David. The reason cited is "because you have not kept the Lord's command" (I Sam. 13:14). David is then anointed King by this same ritual of oil and the empowerment of the Spirit comes upon him.

Annointing

Ron Osmond, in his Masters thesis, provides a helpful summary of the Old Testament background of the term anointing.

1. The anointing was a symbolic ritual where oil was poured out upon the person or object.

2. The anointing set a person or object apart for service.

3. Anointing authorized a person for an office or ministry. It is closely related to calling.

4. The three offices related to anointing were priest, king and prophet. There was no general anointing for all the people of God. It is always confined to leadership or given to a person for a specific purpose. (Exod.35:30-34).

5. The anointing was more than induction into office. Divine empowerment accompanied the anointing.

6. The rite of anointing was only given once. There is no record of a second or third anointing.

7. There is indication that anointing could be lost or forfeited. Saul's anointing was lost, God withdrew the right of succession from him.

8. The anointing is associated with the coming redeemer and Savior. The coming one is designated the "anointed" or "messiah." His ministry will find its source and authority in the anointing of the Holy Spirit (see Isaiah 61:1-4 and Luke 4:14-19).

Jesus' Annointing

Jesus' anointing means his ministry is conducted as a man, dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit and not on his divinity. As such Jesus is a model for preachers of all ages to follow. Just as Jesus is empowered by the Spirit, so are his followers.

Jesus' anointing is a one time event. To use the term anointing in its biblical sense is to understand it as a one-time event.

Roger Stronstad writes

The gift of the Spirit to Jesus in the inauguration narrative, like the gift of the Spirit to John in the infancy narrative, is vocational. This vocational gift is specifically prophetic. Jesus is not only anointed by the Spirit, but he is also Spirit-led, Spirit-filled and Spirit empowered. Luke intends the Spirit's anointing, leading and empowering of Jesus to be programmatic for his entire ministry . . . Luke's references to the Spirit in the inauguration narrative signify that from his baptism to his ascension the entire ministry of Jesus is charismatic.

The power at work in the ministry of Jesus is the Holy Spirit. Luke is telling his readers that just as Jesus ministered in the power of the Spirit, so must those who continue the ministry of preaching that Jesus began.

Jon Ruthven agrees

"A central New Testament theme in Jesus' ministry was that he is presented not only as a unique sacrifice for sin, but as a normative exemplar of charismatic ministry for others to replicate. If such an endowment of power was necessary for the Son of God, how much more will it be needed by the ordinary believer and especially those called to the preaching ministry."

Thus Jesus becomes the most important biblical figure for preachers of all generations to follow--not only in the content of preaching--but also regarding his source of power.

The Spirit in Jesus' Three Year Ministry

In Jesus' earthly ministry we see him continually relying on the Holy Spirit. At the beginning of his ministry as recorded in Luke 4, Jesus reads from Isaiah 61:1,2, "The Spirit of the Lord is on me because he has anointed me to preach good news . . . " The Spirit is now empowering and enabling Jesus to preach the good news of the gospel. This anointing is cultivated and maintained through prayer and obedience to the Father's will. Jesus stated in John 8:28 that "I do nothing on my own." Peter comments in Acts 10:38: "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him."

Luke's gospel is known for its emphasis on the role of the Holy Spirit and Luke repeatedly associates Jesus' ministry as dependent on the power of the Spirit: "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert. (Luke 4:1 NIV) . . . Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside.(Luke 4:14 NIV) "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom . . . " (Luke 4:18 NIV).

The pattern is clear, Luke understands Jesus' ministry to be empowered by the Holy Spirit from start to finish. In Luke's second volume, Acts, we discover the transfer of the Spirit from Jesus to his disciples.

Jesus' Promise of the Spirit to his Disciples

In Jesus' farewell discourse found in John's gospel (13:31-16:33), he promises the disciples "another comforter," (allon parakletos) to be with them forever. The Holy Spirit will represent God to the believer just as Jesus did during his earthly ministry. "Another" (allon) means another of the same kind, that is, like Jesus himself.

Merrill Tenney comments:

"His presence was already with them insofar as they were under his influence. Later, he would indwell them, when Jesus himself had departed. This distinction marks the difference between the Old Testament experience of the Holy Spirit and the post-Pentecostal experience of the church."

The gift of the Spirit to the disciples in John's gospel speaks primarily of his presence. In Luke however, the emphasis is on the power of the Spirit to enable the church to fulfill the great commission given by Jesus. Jesus says, "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."(Luke 24:49 NIV). In Acts 1, Jesus indicates that this gift of the Spirit is to empower the disciples to be witnesses of the gospel: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8 NIV) Jesus knows the opposition and persecution the church will face. He is aware of the powers of darkness that oppose the gospel. The disciples will meet this resistance in the power of the Spirit--the same power that was in Jesus.

Roger Stronstad writes

The Pentecost narrative is the story of the transfer of the charismatic Spirit from Jesus to the disciples. In other words, having become the exclusive bearer of the Holy Spirit at his baptism, Jesus becomes the giver of the Spirit at Pentecost. By this transfer of the Spirit, the disciples become the heirs and successors of the early charismatic ministry of Jesus; that is, because Jesus has poured out the charismatic Spirit upon them the disciples will continue to do and teach those things which Jesus began to do and teach. (Acts 1:1)

The Role of the Holy Spirit in the Preaching of the Apostles

The initial event in the book of Acts is the outpouring of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost. This is the gift Jesus spoke about before his ascension. From this moment onward, its influence is seen throughout the book of Acts and the balance of the New Testament.

The Pentecost Experience Empowers the Disciples

Luke's account of the baptism of Jesus at the beginning of his ministry has a parallel with the Spirit being given to the disciples on the day of Pentecost. Jesus was given the Spirit before his ministry began and so now the disciples are given the Spirit prior to the launching of their ministry.

Stronstad comments

"Luke parallels the Spirit baptism of the disciples with the inaugural anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. This parallelism points to the functional equivalence between the two events. Therefore since the gift of the Spirit to Jesus inaugurates and empowers his mission, then, whatever meaning Spirit baptism might have in other contexts, it has the same primary charismatic meaning for the mission of the disciples as the anointing by the Spirit had for the charismatic mission of Jesus.

This parallelism is not merely a literary device of Luke. It is in the divine plan of God. Just as God equipped Old Testament leaders with the Spirit, now he equips the church to fulfill Christ's great commission. Distinctive from the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, and in fulfilment of Joel's prophecy, (Joel 2:28), the Spirit is now poured out on all 120 that are in the "upper room." (Acts 2:4)

Peter's Preaching Empowered by the Spirit

The first result of the Pentecost experience is the preaching of Peter. His preaching results in the assembled crowd asking, "what shall we do?" The result is 3000 people are added to the church. Luke's point is clear. The gift of the Spirit empowers Peter, Peter preaches with this power, people repent and are baptized into the church. This pattern of Spirit empowered preaching leading to conversion of sinners is repeated throughout the book of Acts.

In Acts 3, Peter and John are on the way to the Temple. Noticing a lame man, Peter heals him, in the name of Jesus. The scene is reminiscent of similar healings performed by Jesus in the gospels.

Also in Acts 3, Peter preaches again. This time instead of gaining more converts, Peter and John are arrested. Thus begins the apostolic ministry; the Spirit is given, converts are added and immediately persecution and opposition arise. Each of these events has a parallel in the ministry of Jesus.

Next, Peter and John are brought before the Sanhedrin and asked to explain their preaching of the risen Jesus Christ and the healing of the lame man. Luke records that Peter responds to the questioning in the power of the Spirit. "Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them . . . " (Acts 4:8-13 NIV). Several observations can be made here: (1) Luke introduces this incident by describing Peter as "filled with the Spirit," and (2) the Sanhedrin is obviously impressed with Peter's courage, understanding and ability to express himself. Luke attributes this ability, not to Peter, but to the Holy Spirit.

Richard Longenecker comments

"The use of the aorist passive (plestheis, filled) in the expression 'filled with the Holy Spirit' denotes a special moment of inspiration, that complements and brings to a functional focus, the presence in every believer's life, of the person and ministry of God's Spirit."

In Caesarea, Peter's preaching is also accompanied by a demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit. "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." (Acts 10:44 NIV)

Later, in his epistle, Peter writes about the role of the Spirit in preaching. For Peter the two are inseparable. Peter describes preaching this way: "... the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. (1 Pet 1:10-12 NIV) This is a significant verse that links the preaching of the gospel very closely to the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Byron Klaus writes

"Peter's inspired words following the Pentecostal outpouring show that he received a significant clarification of the mission Christ came to introduce. Peter experienced a most important result of empowerment through Spirit baptism: He became the mouthpiece of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the good news of reconciliation with God."

Stephen's Preaching Empowered by the Spirit

When we first meet Stephen, he has been appointed a deacon (Acts 6:5) in the days following the pentecostal outpouring of the Spirit. Stephen is described as a man "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5 ), who also has a ministry of "great wonders and signs among the people." But Stephen quickly becomes a preacher of the gospel as well. What distinguishes the preaching of Stephen is, in the words of Luke, "they could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6:10). Here again a close association is made between powerful preaching and the ministry of the Spirit.

Stephen finds himself preaching before the ruling Jewish Council, while "full of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 7:55). His preaching again leads to deep conviction ( "they were cut to the heart"), but not to repentance. There is no 3000 to add to the church on this occasion. Instead Stephen is stoned and becomes the first martyr of the Christian church. This event becomes a catalyst for a rising tide of great persecution against the church that leads to a scattering of the disciples. We observe in Stephen, preaching accompanied by the power of the Spirit, producing deep conviction and also much persecution. The fullness of the Spirit is seen in the boldness of the church. Even in the face of severe persecution they continued to preach the gospel, "Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went." (Acts 8:4 NIV)

Paul's Preaching Empowered by The Spirit

Paul is described within the church by a variety of titles including pioneer, missionary, church planter, theologian and Apostle. Yet at the core of Paul's calling and ministry is a call to be a preacher. Paul was very aware of the calling and recognized it as a grace from God. Likewise, though Paul was a learned man, his preaching was marked by a dependence upon the Holy Spirit. In fact, it appears from Second Corinthians that Paul was not reputed as a great orator, yet his preaching, because it was Spirit empowered (pneuma dunamis), was convicting and effective -- effective in terms of both the conversion of the lost and in terms of Christian maturity. Duane Litfin writes that Paul was looked down on because of his refusal to use Greco-Roman rhetorical devices to enhance his preaching: "It is our thesis that perceived deficiencies in Paul's preaching when measured against Greco-Roman eloquence, precipitated many of Paul's difficulties in Corinth." Paul saw himself as a herald (kerus) and an ambassador of the kingdom of heaven: "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5:18-20 NIV).

Duane Litfin writes

"Paul's approach focused upon the ingenuous announcement of the gospel. It was inherently transparent and forthright, aimed at the comprehension of the listener rather than his yielding. Paul's task was to see that his listeners hear and understand, but the matter of inducing them to yield was not his affair. That must be left to the Spirit working through the dynamic of the cross among the kletoi. To enter into that realm armed with the techniques of human persuasion would be to usurp the power of the cross."

What is significant here is Paul's statement that God is making his appeal "through us." This suggests a partnership in which both the power to share the message and the content of the message originate with God, and then God recruited Paul and empowered him with the Spirit for this gospel proclamation.

Paul writes of his convictions about preaching in several of his epistles.

I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. {4} My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, (dunamis) {5} so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.(1 Cor. 2:3-5 NIV):

In this text, Paul is not rejecting persuasive preaching, but rather he is rejecting self-reliance and a dependence on rhetorical skill for the success of the gospel.

Litfin comments

"He would eschew all logoi and sophia calculated to impress, concentrating instead on the straightforward and therefore, unimpressive announcing of the Gospel of the cross. This would constitute the single, central, unchanging essence of his preaching. Secondly, and closely related, Paul would depend only upon the power of the Spirit working through the proclaimed Gospel to produce results in the listeners. He would avoid the use of any human dynamic of persuasion to engineer belief. Instead, he would count solely upon the dynamic of the cross to create pistis (faith).

Litfin does not mean that Paul was intentionally boring or dull in his preaching. He means that the attraction in Paul's preaching was the demonstration of the Spirit at work in people's lives. Paul wanted people to come to faith in Christ, not as a result of his speaking skills but as a result of their response to the Spirit. The use of Greco-Roman rhetoric in Paul's day had become so sophisticated that skilled rhetoric had become an end in itself rather than a means to an end. Rhetoric often failed to match the reality behind it. Paul did not want this to happen in the preaching of the gospel. Paul knew that the proclaimed gospel, empowered by the Spirit, will attract people to Christ.

Gordon Fee agrees

"Both the content (1:18-25) and the form of his preaching lacked persuasive wisdom and rhetoric; indeed his preaching was far more effective than that, Paul argues. It was accompanied by a demonstration of the Spirit's power, evidenced by the conversion of the Corinthians themselves (cf.2 Cor. 3:3)."

Another key text on Paul's view of preaching is found in 1 Thessalonians:

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, {5} because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.(1 Th 1:4-5 NIV).

This passage shows Paul is not depending merely on words to convey the gospel. His words are accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. The result of this combination is "deep conviction." Paul refuses to take credit for the conversion of the Thessalonians. He sees himself simply as a Spirit-anointed ambassador of the gospel.

Fee writes

The twin phrases, "but in power" and "with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction," refer primarily to Paul's preaching, but not so much to the manner (or style) of the preaching as to its Spirit-empowered effectiveness . . . Thus, the Holy Spirit is being designated as the source of the power in his preaching the gospel, the evidence which was the full conviction that accompanied his preaching and resulted in their conversion . . . What is finally significant, of course, is that in both cases--his preaching and their conversion--the Spirit is the key; and there was an evidential expression to the work of the Spirit, that Paul refers to as power, to which he can appeal so as to make his point stick.

Paul's preaching, like that of Stephen and Peter, is described in the scripture as being closely associated with the power of the Spirit. Paul refuses to depend on human wisdom or rhetoric. Paul actually receives some complaints about his preaching: "his speaking amounts to nothing" (2 Cor.10:10 ), but he still refused to let himself be the focus of the gospel. When a party spirit develops in Corinth, Paul responds by putting the emphasis on God's work of grace: "What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe--as the Lord has assigned to each his task. {6} I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow (1 Cor 3:5-6 NIV).

The Role of the Spirit in Contemporary Preaching

The teaching of scripture about the role of the Holy Spirit in preaching indicates that there is a great source of power available to the proclaimer of God's word. It is up to the individual preacher to appropriate that power in his or her own ministry. Some preachers may be skeptical or ill informed about this great source of power. Likely all preachers would like to see more of a visible 'demonstration of the Spirit'. An understanding of preaching that places the emphasis on the work of the Spirit is needed in today's generation of preachers. This is the only way to meet the challenges of modern society and build the kingdom of God. Roger Stronstad expresses this longing for the church to seize its charismatic power for proclamation:

The witness of the gospel of Luke is that by the empowering of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was a charismatic. Similarly, the witness of the Acts of the Apostles is that the disciples were a charismatic community. Thus, in the theology of Luke, the church is charismatic. This remains true whether or not the church is always conscious of its charismatic character or whether or not it functions at the level of its charismatic potential. Traditionally, the church has been suspicious of charismatic experience. Though they may pay service to the charismatic character of the church, in reality some Christian traditions "despise prophecies" and "quench the Spirit."

The Inaugural Anointing To Preach

The Old Testament background of the term anointing and the anointing of Jesus at his baptism, both indicate the sense of being called and set apart by God. Paul also experienced a very clear and specific call to preach the gospel (acts 9:15,16). The call of God to preach is accompanied by a divine enablement. This is what is meant by the inaugural anointing. Each preacher must be called or anointed by God to preach the word. Michael Van Doren writing in an essay presented to the "Society for Pentecostal Studies" states:

"Anointing is a type of calling; God does not newly anoint the preacher each Sunday any more than he would newly call that preacher into ministry each Sunday. Nowhere in the Bible does God anoint anyone more than once. Men re-anoint people already anointed by God, but God does not re-commission or re-call anyone in the Bible."

Two points are noteworthy here: First, the anointing is given only once, but secondly, the onus is upon the preacher to use the divinely given anointing. Roger Stronstad makes a useful distinction between anointing and empowering:

"Luke describes the gift of the Spirit by a variety of terminology; for example, filled, anointed, clothed, baptized and empowered by the Spirit. Though these and other terms all describe the charismatic gift of the Spirit, a twofold distinction must be made. The terms anointed and baptized describe the consecrating work of the Holy Spirit in inaugurating one's public ministry. The terms filled, clothed, and empowered, describe the actual equipping by the Spirit for that ministry. Here, then, is the distinction between the once-for-all and the repetitive character of the gift of the Spirit. The consecration by the Spirit is once-for-all, while, as the need arises, the equipping by the Spirit is repetitive."

To realize the power of the Spirit in contemporary preaching, each and every preacher must be anointed or baptized in the Spirit, just as Jesus was and the Disciples were on the day of Pentecost. Jesus said to them, "do not leave Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high" (Luke 24:49). The church may disagree on the evidence of this initial baptism of the Spirit, but Spirit baptism is presented in scripture as the moment when the Spirit empowers the believer for service and witness. Without this Spirit baptism, preachers will be unprepared for the effective ministry of the gospel.

The Ongoing Empowerment To Preach

This repetitive equipping of the Spirit refers to the ongoing relationship between the preacher and the Holy Spirit. The preacher is not involved in a static condition but a dynamic relationship. The inaugural anointing of the Spirit cannot be seen as complete any more than the wedding ceremony completes a marriage. It is the beginning of a special relationship.

Luke uses the expression "filled with the Holy Spirit on nine occasions in Luke-Acts. His usage reveals that being filled with the Spirit is not a once-for-all experience. Stronstad points out that, "Luke's use of the aorist indicative for seven of the nine references confirms the potentially repetitive character of being filled with the Spirit."

In a separate context, this time the focus is on worship, Paul encourages the Ephesian believers to "be filled with the Spirit" (Eph.5:18). It is here at this level of relationship and equipping that most preachers need to focus their attention.

Skevington Wood comments:

"The imperative makes it clear that this is a command for all Christians. The present tense rules out any once-for-all reception of the Spirit but points to a continuous replenishment. This is not a manufactured experience, though it can be rejected (cf. Gal.3:2,5). There may, therefore, be successive fillings of the Spirit; indeed, the Christian life should be an uninterrupted filling."

When the preacher examines the New Testament evidence for the centrality of the Spirit in preaching and also considers the challenges of communicating the gospel in the modern world, he will be motivated to seek the Lord and ask for his divine power to empower him in his preaching task.

Hearing the Voice of God

A spiritual understanding of preaching and a desire for the continual fullness of the Spirit, transforms the Pastor's office into the Pastor's study . The Pastor's study is a sacred place; a place to listen to and heed the voice of the Spirit. A place to ask what God wants to say to his church this week. A place to ask again for the fulness of the Spirit. The preacher affirms that God has a message for his people that will be communicated through him as God's mouthpiece to the church. It becomes the preacher's responsibility to hear his voice in prayer and meditation. As the preacher seeks to be filled with the Spirit on a continual basis, he will be more in touch with God's will and God's voice for his preaching.

Gordon Fee comments on the interdependence of exegesis and spirituality:

"If those who teach and preach God's word, which preaching must be based on solid exegesis of the text, do not themselves yearn for God, live constantly in God's presence, hunger and thirst after God--then how can they possibly bring off the ultimate goal of exegesis, to help to fashion God's people into genuine spirituality?"

The demands on the modern preacher must be prioritized just as the apostles discovered in the early church. The preacher today must echo the words of Peter, "we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word"(Acts 6:4). As John Stott points out, "they form a natural couple, since the ministry of the word, without prayer that the Spirit will water the seed, is unlikely to bear fruit."

Spurgeon states that the preacher must set aside time to wait on the Holy Spirit and allow him to speak and illuminate the word:

"It is in our study-work, in that blessed labour when we are alone with the book before us, that we need the help of the Holy Spirit. He holds the key of the heavenly treasury, and can enrich us beyond conception. If you study the original, consult the commentaries and meditate deeply, yet if you neglect to cry mightily unto the Spirit of God your study will not profit you; but even if you are debarred the use of helps (which I trust you will not be), if you wait upon the Holy Ghost in simple dependence upon his teaching, you will lay hold of very much of the divine meaning."

The advice of Spurgeon is too rarely heard today and in fact it is a hard concept to teach. The individual preacher is ultimately responsible for cultivating a life of prayer and the fulness of the Spirit.

Humility

To receive this equipping of the Holy Spirit requires the preacher to come humbly before God and ask for his power to be at work within us. Humility is always important when seeking God. Jesus said, "they that hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled."(Matt 5:6).

Hardy Steinberg writes:

The secret of being anointed for preaching is both simple and difficult. Jesus surrendered the independent exercise of the attributes of deity and made himself completely available to the Holy Spirit. For this reason John could write: "For God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him" (John 3:34). This surrender is not easy for the preacher, but the extent to which he makes himself available to the Spirit determines the amount of supernatural enablement he will experience. Effective ministry today will be the result of thorough preparation which includes waiting on God for the awareness of the Holy Spirit's unction.

The Empowerment of the Spirit Can be Neglected, Ignored and Lost

The individual preacher has to nurture his own relationship with God day by day. At times preachers may think they need God less than before. Complacency can set in. Paul recognized this possibility when writing to the Corinthians, "I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize" (1 Cor 9:27 NIV).

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

"It is certain that ministers may lose the aid of the Holy Ghost. You shall not perish as believers, for everlasting life is in you, but you may perish as ministers, and be no more heard of as witnesses for the Lord. The Spirit of God may be grieved and vexed and even resisted: to deny this is to oppose the constant testimony of scripture. We may so insult him that he will speak by us no more, but leave as he left King Saul."

Conclusion

Spirit empowered preaching will have a dimension about it that will surprise both preacher and worshipper, for the wind blows where he wills. There is the opportunity for specific prompting by the Holy Spirit whereby the preacher will say more than he realizes. A number of the spiritual gifts cited in 1 Corinthians 12 may be exercised such as the "word of knowledge," directed toward a particular situation whether corporate or individual, the "word of wisdom," or the "word of prophecy." In these cases the preacher may be speaking more than he knows. Only later may someone indicate that "the Lord was speaking to me very specifically today in your message."

Del Tarr writes:

"One of the best expressions of the gift of prophecy is related to the composition of the sermon and its outline, and especially in the extemporaneous moment while speaking. God, by his Holy Spirit, can supernaturally take good preparation and make it more fitting to the audience than whatever would have been possible for human communication skills alone."

With such an awesome responsibility it is comforting to know that God has given his Holy Spirit to equip the preacher. The Holy Spirit desires to be involved in every facet of the preaching event, from preparation to presentation. Every preacher has been anointed by God to proclaim his gospel of peace. The supply of the Spirit is made available. Yet, the individual preacher is responsible to be filled with the Spirit and empowered by the Spirit, so that men and women come to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

Gordon Fee comments on the tension in preaching between self-reliance and dependence on the Holy Spirit:

"The danger always lies in letting the form and content get in the way of what should be the single concern: the gospel proclaimed through human weakness but accompanied by the powerful work of the Spirit so that lives are changed through a divine-human encounter. That is hard to teach in a course in homiletics, but it still stands as a true need in genuinely Christian preaching."

The role of the Holy Spirit in preaching needs a greater profile in the modern church. Technical skill in the preparation and delivery of sermons is admirable and necessary but cannot become a substitute for the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In light of the issues surrounding preaching as spiritual warfare, the dependence on the Holy Spirit in preaching will hopefully become more central and fundamental to the practice of preaching.

--64.187.40.172 17:48, 3 Jun 2005 (UTC)