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Response to the Word of God in Preaching

The apostle Peter commands that "if anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God" [1], establishing the foundational principle that preaching must be received not as human opinion but as divine address. This imperative shapes how congregations are to respond when the Word is proclaimed: not with passive hearing, but with active faith and obedience grounded in the recognition that God himself speaks through his appointed messengers.

The Nature of Preaching as Divine Word

Paul reminded the Thessalonians that when they received the gospel he preached, they "received it, not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God" [16]. Augustine echoed this understanding, noting that though the apostles' preaching was called "their word," it remained "the word of God" because it was "freely given by God" [10]. The preacher functions as an instrument through whom God addresses his people—Paul described himself and his fellow ministers as those who "speak in Christ" with sincerity, "in the sight of God," refusing to peddle God's word for profit [4]. This dual authorship—human proclamation carrying divine authority—demands a response that acknowledges both the messenger's role and the ultimate Speaker behind the message.

Faith as the Proper Response

The primary response to preached truth is faith. Paul's declaration that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" [11] establishes the causal relationship between proclamation and belief. Adam Clarke observed that "preaching the Gospel is the ordinary means of salvation; faith in Christ is the result of hearing the word, the doctrine of God preached" [7]. This is not automatic; the word must be "heard attentively" for faith to be produced [7]. The call of God comes "by his ministers" and "by his gospel" [2], and while this call is "addressed to all," it proves "effectual to saints" [2] through the Spirit's work accompanying the preached word.

Charles Hodge emphasized that the effectiveness of preaching depends not on human eloquence but on "the attending 'demonstration of the Spirit'" [15]. Paul thanked God that the gospel came to the Thessalonians "not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost" [15]. The congregation's response, therefore, involves both hearing the human voice and receiving the Spirit's internal testimony that authenticates the message as God's own.

Reverence and Attentiveness

Luther's catechism instructs believers to "not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it" [9]. This reverence manifests in careful attention to both what is heard and how it is heard. Scripture commands heedfulness "in what we hear" and "in how we hear" [6], recognizing that the same message can be received with varying degrees of spiritual profit depending on the hearer's disposition. The congregation must approach preaching with the awareness that they stand "in the house and worship of God" [6], where God himself addresses them through his appointed means.

Obedience and Transformation

Hearing that produces faith must issue in obedience. Matthew Henry noted that at Pentecost, the Spirit's influence upon hearers resulted in thousands being "brought by it to the obedience of faith" [8]. The word preached is not merely informational but transformative, as God works in believers "both to will and to do of his good pleasure" [15]. The proper response includes keeping God's commandments [6] and allowing the proclaimed truth to shape conduct, speech, and relationships [6].

Corporate Participation

The congregation's response is not merely individual but corporate. In public worship, believers join together in receiving the word, and Christ "sanctifies by his presence" when his people gather [3]. The rabbinic tradition preserved a pattern of responsive blessing during sacred proclamation [12, 13, 14], illustrating the principle that hearing God's word calls forth praise and acknowledgment of his authority. Paul's vision of preaching includes "teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness" [5], and the congregation responds by affirming and submitting to that apostolic testimony.

The response to preaching, then, encompasses reverent attention, Spirit-wrought faith, obedient transformation, and corporate acknowledgment that in the proclaimed word, God himself addresses his people with saving power.

Sources

  1. I Peter “I Peter 4:11 (BSB) — If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Call of God, The — By Christ -- Isa 55:5; Ro 1:6. By his Spirit -- Re 22:17. By his works -- Ps 19:2,3; Ro 1:20. By his ministers -- Jer 35:15; 2Co 5:20. By his gospel -- 2Th 2:14. Is from darkness -- 1Pe 2:9. Addressed to all -- Isa 45:22; Mt 20:16. Most reject -- Pr 1:24; Mt 20:16. Effectual to saints -- Ps 110:3; Ac 2:47; 13:48; 1Co 1:24. To man is Of grace. -- Ga 1:15; 2Ti 1:9. According to the purpose of God. -- Ro 8:28; 9:11,23,24. High. -- Php 3:14. Holy. -- 1Ti 1:9. Heavenly. -- Heb 3:1. To fellowship with Christ. -- 1Co 1:9. To holiness. -- 1Th 4:7. To liber”
  3. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer, Public — Acceptable to God -- Isa 56:7. God promises to hear -- 2Ch 7:14,16. God promises to bless in -- Ex 20:24. Christ Sanctifies by his presence. -- Mt 18:20. Attended. -- Mt 12:9; Lu 4:16. Promises answers to. -- Mt 18:19. Instituted form of -- Lu 11:2. Should not be made in an unknown language -- 1Co 14:14-16. Saints delight in -- Ps 42:4; 122:1. Exhortation to -- Heb 10:25. Urge others to join in -- Ps 95:6; Zec 8:21. Exemplified Joshua. -- Jos 7:6-9. David. -- 1Ch 29:10-19. Solomon. -- 2Ch 6:1-42. Jehoshaphat. -- 2Ch 20:5-13. Jeshua. -- Ne 9:1-38. Jew”
  4. 2 Corinthians “For we are not as so many, peddling the word of God. But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, we speak in Christ. -- 2 Corinthians 2:17”
  5. Acts “preaching the Kingdom of God, and teaching the things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness, without hindrance. -- Acts 28:31”
  6. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Heedfulness — Commanded -- Ex 23:13; Pr 4:25-27. Necessary In the care of the soul. -- De 4:9. In the house and worship of God. -- Ec 5:1. In what we hear. -- Mr 4:24. In how we hear. -- Lu 8:18. In keeping God's commandments. -- Jos 22:5. In conduct. -- Eph 5:15. In speech. -- Pr 13:3; Jas 1:19. In worldly company. -- Ps 39:1; Col 4:5. In giving judgment. -- 1Ch 19:6,7. Against sin. -- Heb 12:15,16. Against unbelief. -- Heb 3:12. Against idolatry. -- De 4:15,16. Against false Christs, and false prophets. -- Mt 24:4,5,23,24. Against false teachers. -- Phm 3:2; Col 2:”
  7. Romans (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Romans 10:17: So then faith cometh by hearing - Preaching the Gospel is the ordinary means of salvation; faith in Christ is the result of hearing the word, the doctrine of God preached. Preaching, God sends; if heard attentively, faith will be produced; and if they believe the report, the arm of the Lord will be revealed in their salvation.”
  8. Acts (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Acts 2:37: We have seen the wonderful effect of the pouring out of the Spirit, in its influence upon the preachers of the gospel. Peter, in all his life, never spoke at the rate that he had done now, with such fulness, perspicuity, and power. We are now to see another blessed fruit of the pouring out of the Spirit in its influence upon the hearers of the gospel. From the first delivery of that divine message, it appeared that there was a divine power going along with it, and it was mighty, through God, to do wonders: thousands were immediately brought by it to the obedience of”
  9. Luther's Small Catechism (Lutheran) “Luther's Small Catechism (Lutheran, 1529), –Answer: 3bWe should fear: –Answer: 3bWe should fear and love God that we may not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred, and gladly hear and learn it.”
  10. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 7: Augustine — Homilies on John — CHAPTER XVII. 20. (part 5): raised Him from the dead.(9) Accordingly, this word of faith, because principally and primarily preached by the apostles who adhered to Him, was called their word. Not, however, on that account does it cease to be the word of God because it is called their word; for 408 the same apostle says that the Thessalonians received it from him "not as the word of men, but, as it is in truth, the word of God."(1) "Of God," for the very reason that it was freely given by God; but called "their word," because primarily and principally”
  11. Romans (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Romans 10:17: So then faith comes by hearing,.... That is, by preaching; for the word hearing is used in the same sense as in the preceding verse; and designs the report of the Gospel, or the preaching of the word, which is the means God makes use of, to convey faith into the hearts of his people; for preachers are ministers, or instruments, by whom others believe: and hearing by the word of God; or "of Christ", as some copies read, and so do the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions; and intends either the holy Scriptures, which have God for their author, and Christ for the subje”
  12. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 99a.78:10: § The Gemara continues to discuss the Priestly Benediction. When the priests are blessing the people, what do the people say? Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: For each blessing that the priests recite, they respond with a blessing from the Bible: “Bless the Lord, His angels, mighty in strength that fulfill His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word” (Psalms 103:20), “Bless the Lord, all of His hosts, His ministers that do His pleasure” (Psalms 103:21), and “Bless the Lord, all of His works, in all places of His dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul” ”
  13. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 99b.78:10: § The Gemara continues to discuss the Priestly Benediction. When the priests are blessing the people, what do the people say? Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: For each blessing that the priests recite, they respond with a blessing from the Bible: “Bless the Lord, His angels, mighty in strength that fulfill His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word” (Psalms 103:20), “Bless the Lord, all of His hosts, His ministers that do His pleasure” (Psalms 103:21), and “Bless the Lord, all of His works, in all places of His dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul” ”
  14. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 39b.10: § The Gemara continues to discuss the Priestly Benediction. When the priests are blessing the people, what do the people say? Rabbi Zeira says that Rav Ḥisda says: For each blessing that the priests recite, they respond with a blessing from the Bible: “Bless the Lord, His angels, mighty in strength that fulfill His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word” (Psalms 103:20), “Bless the Lord, all of His hosts, His ministers that do His pleasure” (Psalms 103:21), and “Bless the Lord, all of His works, in all places of His dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul” (Ps”
  15. CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 2, section 138: clearness with which the truth was presented, or the earnestness with which it was enforced, but on the attending “demonstration of the Spirit.” ( 1 Cor. ii. 4 .) He gave thanks to God that the Gospel came to the Thessalonians “not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost.” ( 1 Thess. i. 5 .) He prayed that God would fulfil in them “the work of faith with power.” ( 2 Thess. i. 11 .) He reminded the Philippians that it was God who worked in them “both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” ( Phil. ii. 13 .) In Hebrews xiii”
  16. 1 Thessalonians (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 1 Thessalonians 2:13: Here observe, I. The apostle makes mention of the success of his ministry among these Thessalonians (Th1 2:13), which is expressed, 1. By the manner of their receiving the word of God: When you received the word of God, which you heard of us, you received it, not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God. Where note, (1.) The word of the gospel is preached by men like ourselves, men of like passions and infirmities with others: We have this treasure in earthen vessels. The word of God, which these Thessalonians received, they heard from ”
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