Toward a Theology of Preaching, Part 2: God’s Ordinary Way of Speaking

Jul 27

The foolishness of preaching is not a liability that the church must overcome, but precisely the way that God has chosen to bring His people to Himself. If God has chosen to save through proclamation, the question naturally follows: has He always worked this way?

The answer is yes.

When we think about preaching, one may be tempted to think of it as a New Testament phenomenon. Such an assumption fails to recognize the continuity that exists between Old Testament proclamation and New Testament preaching. The ministry of the Word did not emerge suddenly in the first century but stands firmly rooted in the redemptive history of Israel.

Throughout the Old Testament, God binds His acts of redemption to proclamation, calling His mighty works to be declared, made known, and announced both among His people and before the nations. David repeatedly calls Israel to “declare his glory among the nations” and to “make known his deeds among the peoples” (Ps. 96:3; 105:1). The Word of God is not meant to remain silent but is to be spoken aloud as testimony to God’s saving action in history.

This emphasis is not accidental. Even the language used for proclamation reflects a gospel logic, grounded in the announcement of God’s redemptive deeds and oriented toward faith and response.

What is proclaimed is never random. It is always the acts of God on behalf of His people. His deliverance, His covenant faithfulness, His mercy, and His kingship form the substance of proclamation. It is theological and doxological, always rooted in what God has done to call the hearer to trust.

In Nehemiah 8, the public reading and explanation of the Law shows that God builds and restores His people through the clear exposition of His Word. The Levites read, explained, and gave the sense so that the people understood. Proclamation becomes a means of renewal and restoration.

At the same time, proclamation presses outward. Jonah is sent to outsiders. Rahab believes what she hears. From the beginning, preaching carries a missional purpose because God’s saving speech is never meant to stop with one group.

Promise and Fulfillment

Old Testament proclamation functions in the category of promise. The heralds announce what God has done while pointing forward to what He will do.

The New Testament does not replace this. It fulfills it.

What was proclaimed in promise is now proclaimed in fulfillment. God has spoken through His Son (Heb. 1:2). The message remains the same in substance, but now it is centered explicitly on Christ.

The language of preaching in the New Testament confirms this. The terms used describe a herald announcing the words of a king. The preacher is not improving the message or ensuring its success. He is delivering what has been given.

This establishes the structure of preaching:

God is the sender
The Word is the message
The people are the hearers

The preacher stands in service to that structure, not above it.

God Still Speaks Through Proclamation

Because preaching is the proclamation of God’s Word, it must be understood as a divine–human encounter rather than an exchange of information. When the Word is proclaimed, God Himself addresses His people.

This does not elevate the preacher. It exalts the Word.

Scripture is breathed out by God (2 Tim. 3:16), and when it is proclaimed, that authority is exercised in its hearing (Rom. 10:17). Preaching is not merely speech about God, but God’s Word mediated through human voices.

This means the preacher speaks with authority only as he speaks Scripture.

The Content of Preaching

If God speaks through preaching, what does He say?

The apostles answer clearly: Christ and Him crucified.

Paul insists that the message of the cross is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor. 1:23–24). Remove the cross, and preaching ceases to be Christian.

This exposes a common temptation. When the message seems insufficient, the church begins to supplement it with techniques, emotional manipulation, or strategic additions. The issue is not that these exist, but what they assume. They assume the Word is not enough.

Paul rejects that. He embraces weakness so that power is clearly God’s (1 Cor. 2:1–5).

The Spirit and the Word

The Word is never alone. The Spirit works through it. The gospel comes not only in word, but in power and in the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 1:5). The Spirit does not bypass the Word. He works through it. The preacher announces. The Spirit applies. Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17).

Hope for the Rural Pastor

This is where everything lands.

Week after week, you stand before the same faces. The setting is ordinary. The results seem small. Nothing about it feels impressive.

But that is exactly the point.

If God saves by speaking, then your ministry is not small. It is precisely where God has promised to work.

You are not failing because growth is slow. You are not ineffective because results are unseen. You are not deficient because your ministry does not look like someone else’s.

You have been given:

A people
A Word

That is enough.

Your hope is not in your ability, your delivery, or your results. Your hope is in the promise that Christ still speaks.

So preach.

Preach Christ crucified to your small congregation. Preach knowing heaven is not silent when the Scriptures are opened. Preach knowing that the same gospel that sounded foolish in Corinth still carries the power of God today.

And trust that long after methods fade and platforms collapse, God will still be gathering His people by the sound of His voice through the faithful preaching of His Word.

Jeffrey Perry is a pastor at Gospelway Baptist Church, co-host of Marrowcast, and author of The Hope That Beckons Home. He earned his B.A. from Spurgeon College and his M.A. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he is currently pursuing a Ph.D. Jeffrey and his wife, Lindsay, have four children: Reese, Raegan, Rhett, and Rowen.

You can follow him on X (Twitter) @jeffreyperry09

Kathryn Puckett