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Today's Little Lift

    by Jim Bullington

Preaching Christ (Acts 8.5)
Date Posted: July 29, 2020

“Now Saul [later known as the apostle Paul] was consenting to his [Stephen’s] death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.” (Acts 8.1-5).

The passage above is literally packed with statements that arrest the attention of the Bible student. Saul is seen in his heyday as a persecutor is an amazing fact that needs studying. The fact that Luke stated that a “great persecution arose against the church” is another such statement is as much as the persecution actually was against the individual believers who made up the church. This implies that when an action is taken against all the members of the church, it is like wise taken against the church. It is such a point of wonder that when this persecution arose, that the disciples were dispersed, but that they continued to preach the gospel everywhere they went. The very actions that were intended to destroy the church actually fanned the flames of enthusiasm of the believers and resulted in the even quicker spread of the gospel. Now we come to the statement for consideration today.

“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them.” Question: What does it mean to preach Christ? Wed will let the text speak. “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.” (Acts 8.12). As much as it has been maligned, there is simply no way around the fact that preaching Christ includes the preaching of baptism! If that were not the case, then how did the Samaritans come to believe that baptism was in any way connected with Christ and the proclamation of the gospel? One can conclude without fear of contradiction, that one cannot preach Christ without preaching baptism. It is true that baptism is not all there is to it, but certainly baptism is a part of it!

Another part of preaching Christ is preaching to those who might otherwise be deemed unfit for the privileges that the gospel affords. Philip was a Jew and without the teachings of Christ would have had nothing to do with the Samaritans. However, Jesus’ own earthly ministry had resulted in His proclamation of the truth to the Samaritans (see John 4). Philip was simply following the Master Teacher when he carried the gospel to a group of people who had been the arch-enemies of the Jews for centuries. The preaching of Christ breaks down barriers of hate and prejudice; it recognizes the worth of every soul and that, indeed, the “Gospel is for all!”

Preaching Christ includes and implies the need for listening to and obeying the demands of the gospel. It is Good News that demands action, not just assent! Jesus Himself declared, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16.16). Likewise He declared, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7.21).

When we profess to preach Christ today, it should consist of the same elements as preaching Christ in biblical days. When we preach Christ today, men and women of unsavory pasts will be baptized upon the knowledge that faith alone does not save! Preach Christ!

Questions:

1. Who was the first “Christian martyr” (see the last verses of Acts 7)?

2. What effect did the great persecution have on the spread of the gospel?

3. What effect did the preaching of Christ have on the men and women of Samaria?

4. Is oral confession of belief a part of being saved? Is it all there is?

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Biography Information:
Jim Bullington - A Christian writer whose insight into the scriptures is reflected in practical application lessons in every article. The reader will find that the Bible speaks directly to him/her through these articles. God is always exalted and His word is treated with the utmost respect in this column.
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