PREACH, PREACHER, PREACHING (prech, prech'er, prech'ing). By preaching is gen erally understood the delivering of a religious discourse based upon a text of Scripture.
1. Scripture germs.
1. Baw-sar' (Heb. to he cheerful, joyful, Ps. xI:9; Is. lxi:t).
2. Kaw-raw' (Heb. to call out, to pro claim, Neh. vi:7; viii:8; comp. Jonah iii:2).
3. Ko-heh'leth (Heb. n77', an assembler, Eccles. i:2).
4. Ang-gher/o (Gr. evy.yAXEd, to announce), in several combinations, as : €6ctyy€XIN (yoo-ang-ghel id'zo, to announce good tidings, evangelize, Matt. xi:5; Luke vii:22; Heb. iv:2, 6).
In general "to preach," is loudly to proclaim the will of God, as his appointed heralds (Eph.
8). The gospel "is preached to the dead," etc., to mortal men, that they, through the power of God attending it, may, by the quickening influ ence of the Holy Ghost, live conformably to the image and will of God, in fellowship with him, and to his glory (I Pet. iv :6).
2. Old Testament Preachers. In the Old Testament Enoch prophesied (Jude 14, 15). We have a very short account of this prophet and his doctrine; enough, however, to convince us that he taught the principal truths of natural and revealed religion. Conviction of sin was in his doctrine, and communion with God was exempli fied in his conduct (Gen. v:24 ; Heb. xi:5, 6). From the days of Enoch to the time of Moses, each patriarch worshiped God with his family; probably several assembled at new moons, and alternately instructed the whole company.—Noah, it is said, was a preacher of righteousness (2 Pet. ii :5 ; I Pet. iii :19, 2o). Abraham commanded his household after him to keep the way of the Lord, and to do justice and judgment (Gen. xviii :19) ; and Jacob, when his house lapsed to idolatry, remonstrated against it, and exhorted them and all that were with him to put away strange gods, and go up with him to Bethel (Gen. x ; xxv :2, 3). Melchisedek, also we may consider as the father, the prince, and the priest of his people, publishing the glad tidings of peace and salvation (Gen. xviii ; Heb. vii).
Moses was a most eminent prophet and preacher, raised up by the authority of God, and by whom, it is said, came the law (John i :I7)• This great man had much at heart the promulga tion of his doctrine ; he directed it to be inscribed on pillars, to be transcribed in books, and to be taught both in public and private by word of mouth (Dcut. xi :19 ; vi :9 ; xxxi t9 ; xvii :18 ; Num.
v :23 ; Dcut. iv :9). He himself set the example of each; and how he and Aaron sermonized, we may sec by several parts of his writings. The first discourse was heard with profound reverence and attention; the last was both uttered and re ceived in raptures (Exod. iv :31 ; Deut. xxxiii :7, 8). Public preaching does not appear under this economy to have been attached to the priesthood: priests were not officially preachers ; and we have innumerable instances of discourses delivered in religious assemblies by men of other tribes besides that of Levi (Ps. lxviii :II). Joshua was an Eph raimite ; but being full of the spirit of wisdom, he gathered the tribes of Shechem, and harangued the people of God (Deut. xxxiv :9 ; Joshua xxiv). Solomon was a prince of the house of Judah, Amos a herdsman of Tekoa ; yet both were preachers, and one at least was a prophet (1 Kings ii ; Amos vii :14, is). Shemaiah preached to Rehoboam, etc. (2 Chron. xii:5). Azariah and Hanani preached to Asa and his army (2 Chron. xv :1, sq.; xvi :7. Solomon, or the writer of Ec clesiastes, is called a "preacher," as being one qualified and appointed to expound and enforce divine truth (Eccl. :I; xii :to).
3. JVew Testament Examples. Our Lord im proved the opportunities afforded him by the synagogue discourses to set forth the kingdom. (See SYNAGOGUE.) The apostles were preach ers. So was Apollos. Timothy, Titus, and others mentioned in the New Testament. A preacher's life, too, must be correspondent with his instruc tions, otherwise he becomes guilty of attempting to make his hearers believe that all he says is but a "cunningly-devised fable:" nor can he deserve the name of a preacher, who does not, by frequent and effectual fervent prayer, cry for the blessing of God on his labors ; for "Paul may plant, and Apollos may water, but it is God alone that giveth the increase" (1 Cor. iii :7). Since the full establishment of the Christian Church preaching has been regarded as a sacred profession, and has, for the most part, been confined to an appointed and specially trained order of men.