Our readers will recall that my first article on this subject appeared in the January issue of StraitWay. In that issue, we noted that many who are God-fearing Christians today have grave concerns regarding some tendencies prevalent among God’s people. We addressed the concerns of some about failure in many places of preaching consistent with the N.T. preaching; utilizing some material by the apostle Paul from Acts 20. We pointed out that our preaching today should also be characterized by those same principles.

In this article, I would like to take that one step further, and try to help our readers (always my purpose) with what preachers should do after declaring the word. Responsibility does not end with declaration. However, we must make sure that the gospel of Christ, nothing more and nothing less, is that which we declare. Jesus Christ said, “...Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel...” (Mk. 16:15). The apostle Paul said, “...for necessity is laid upon me; for woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel” (I Cor. 9:16).

Then, after I have done that, to be a true servant of Christ, I must STAND for that gospel. There is a great need today for preachers to “stand up” for God and His cause, and this in the face of all odds and opposition. Brethren, it is not enough just to declare the word; we must contend for it. As Jude would say, “When I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). Faith in this passage is in the objective case, and has reference to the body of doctrine contained in the N.T. The word contend here is an interesting word also. It means to strive, and many times as used in the N.T. the meaning is agonize (Luke 13:24; I Cor. 9:25; Col. 1:29; 4:12). But the word Jude uses is EPAGONIZOMAI, which is a stronger word and is given intensive force by the word earnestly. (W.E. Vine, Dic. of N.T. Words, Vol. 1, Page 233) Interesting, too, is the fact that the statement makes every member of the Lord’s church (saints) a trustee of the gospel: “once delivered unto the saints.” So, brethren, we have no choice but to declare AND defend the gospel of Christ. What a privilege!

Observe, if you will, what the apostle Paul said to the Corinthians on this issue: “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong” (I Cor. 16:13). We see a progression here from watch ye (implying a surveillance) through each step; reaching the climax in the expression be strong. In other words, grow up into men and be strong, mature Christians. By observing conditions in the church today, and desiring the church to be what GOD WANTS IT TO BE., we know that the future doesn’t belong to the faint-hearted. We must stand up boldly for the truth of the gospel.

In closing, we want to consider an example of the focus of this article in an incident in the life of the apostle Peter. In Acts chapter 2 is recorded this incident which serves our purpose well. In verse 14, we find him “standing up with the eleven, and lifted up his voice...” Our readers will recall that just a short time prior to this, Peter denied the Lord just as Jesus predicted. Not only this but the record says that Peter in his denial, “began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man” (Matt. 26:74). But Peter was remorseful, and truly repented (unlike Judas) and now on Pentecost in front of all those Jews is declaring “...that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”