EXTRACT

Preachers and Preaching

Paul says, “We preach not ourselves but Christ Jesus the Lord”. He was converted and saved from his own importance. Christ Jesus is the One to preach. Then Paul said, “and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake”. So with Peter, when Cornelius would have worshipped him; in Acts 10: 26 Peter did not simply tell Cornelius to get up, but he took him up, saying, “Stand up; I myself also am a man”. That is the preacher; he is saved from himself.

Peter is thinking of Cornelius, that he might be saved, and entering into his house he finds there a fine congregation, not a vast one, but one of quality. Cornelius says. We are “all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God”. They were not there out of curiosity, but to hear what Peter had to say. And what did he have to say? He spoke about Jesus, that God had anointed Him—not that God had anointed Peter, or made him an apostle, but that God had anointed Jesus, “who went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him”. That is the kind of preaching. And so Peter preached. I am sure his words were with power; the Holy Spirit records the words and He gives the sense conveyed in the words, and that has to be understood. As Peter preached “the Holy Spirit fell on all those who were hearing the word”—those who heard the word, not who heard Peter simply; the true preacher preaches the word, for that is the thing. Those who heard the word are taken possession of by the Holy Spirit, that is the idea of salvation. You cannot be saved without the Holy Spirit. You cannot be saved without the death of Christ, surely; but you cannot be saved without the Holy Spirit, who is the great power for salvation in this present time. We need that power, the Holy Spirit here, sent down by Christ to effect salvation completely in those who believe.

J. Taylor (Vol. 76, p.563)

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