The Work of the Ministry

Sylvester Hassell The Gospel Messenger–May 1926 The work of the gospel ministry is to teach all their hearers the momentous and eternal truths of the scriptures, without adding to or taking from those divine truths, and to baptize in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, those who receive those…

The Dynamics of Pulpit Preparation

By Michael Gowens It would be admittedly presumptuous to address this important, yet essentially subjective, topic without a preliminary disclaimer. Beyond the instructions regarding what the gospel minister should preach (i.e. “…preach the word…” – 2Ti 4:2), the command to study (2Ti 2:15), and a few recorded examples of how Jesus and the apostles delivered…

The Value of Expository Preaching

By Michael Gowens I believe that sustained expository preaching, under the blessings of God the Holy Spirit, builds strong, mature believers. Even though each message is a complete message in and of itself (that is, has a theme, an explanation of that theme, and an application of it to life), each also builds on the…

Ministerial Qualifications

Editor’s note: Elder Joe Holder publishes a weekly email devotional called “Gospel Gleanings.” From August 15 through September 5 he directed his attention to 1 Timothy 3:1. 1 Timothy 3:1 reads, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” The series name is “Ministerial Qualifications.”…

Exaltation of Christ in the Ministry

By David Wise “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.” – John 1:6-8 John the Baptist was a very…

Pastors

By Michael Ivey “And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15 When we think about the role of pastors, we likely think of preachers. We associate preaching the gospel to the duty of a pastor. Certainly, preaching the word is part of a pastor’s…

Justification By Faith: Historical Versus Biblical

By Joseph R Holder Is our eternal justification solely by the merits and grace of Jesus Christ? If so, where does justification by faith come into the picture? In this edition of Gospel Gleanings, Elder Joe Holder examines the concept in light of scripture, rather than Reformed or Arminian tradition. ~Editor Gospel Gleanings: July 8, 2007…

The Effectual Call and the Gospel Call

By Matt Jordan The Effectual Call and The Gospel Call The effectual call is a call to eternal salvation; the gospel call is a call to repentance and faith. The effectual call is a call to sonship; the gospel call is a call to discipleship. God speaks directly in the effectual call; God speaks through…