What Does It Mean To Preach Christ?

It is not unusual for Gospel preachers to be given advice on how they should preach, such as,

▸ Preach the Man, Not the Plan
▸ Preach the Truth and Leave others alone
▸ Preach Christ, not the Church.
▸ Preach Christianity, not Churchanity
▸ Preach what is positive, not what is negative.
▸ Preach on what is right, not on what is wrong.
▸ Preach the Gospel, not doctrine.
▸ Preach a message of redemption, not one of condemnation.

The implication is that if you preach the plan, church, baptism, doctrine or condemnation of sin, you are not preaching Christ. Another thing that is implied is that one is not to preach on the plan, baptism or the church. However, this advice puts every genuine Gospel preacher in opposition to the teachings of the Bible. What or who gives these advisors the right to tell preachers how to preach, when Christ and His apostles have already commanded them what and how to preach?

Are these “wise men” advising men of God to preach a different Gospel? The  Good News includes an eternal plan of salvation and baptism to wash away sins and the important bride or body of Christ which is the church. Paul warned, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8-9).

What is involved in Preaching Christ?

 To Preach Christ is to Preach the PLAN

When Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, they brought sin into the world. However, God already had a plan to save man from sin before creation. After the first sin in the garden, God said, “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Gen. 3:15). Paul explains that this was part of the eternal plan of God. “From the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 3:9-11). The eternal plan of salvation involved Christ.

To obey the Man (Jesus) one must obey the plan. Salvation is in the person of Christ “unto all them that obey him” (Heb. 5:8, 9). God’s plan required the Man of God to come make the plan available to sinful man. You cannot preach the man without preaching the plan.

The plan of salvation has been preached since the first sermon on the day of Pentecost. The apostles were asked. “‘Men and brethren, what shall we do?’ Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins’” (Acts 2:37-38).

Later Philip preached this same plan to the Samaritans. “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them (Acts 8:5). As a result of preaching the plan “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). This text says Philip “preached Christ”. What did he preach? He preached “Things concerning the kingdom of God” (the church, Matt. 16:18-19) and “The name of Jesus Christ” (Christ’s authority, Matt. 28:18). As a result “They believed . . . were baptized” (the plan of salvation, Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:16). If preaching the Man doesn’t include peaching the plan, how did the Samaritans learn the plan?

Again, this plan was preached to Cornelius and his household. First, Cornelius was to hear “words, whereby you and all your house shall be saved” (Acts 11:14). Next, Peter preached that Cornelius “should hear the word (the plan) of the gospel, and believe,” Finally, Cornelius was “commanded … to be baptized, in water, in the name of the Lord” (Acts 10:47, 48). Surely preaching involves the command to be baptized.

At Corinth where Paul was preaching “Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized” (Acts 18:8). How did they know to be baptized unless it was part of Paul’s preaching?

The Gospel of Christ is powerful. “…for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” Anyone who removed Christ’s life, death, and resurrection from the Gospel would be called a false teacher. However, anyone who strips Gospel preaching of God’s plan of salvation, the importance of the Bride of Christ, the church, or being baptized into the likeness of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection is also a false teacher

 To Preach Christ is to Preach the BAPTISM

Jesus was baptized at the beginning of His earthly ministry (Matt. 3:15-17). During His early ministry, He preached the necessity of water baptism (John 3:5). Before His ascension from earth back to Heaven, Jesus commanded the preaching of baptism to the whole world (Mark. 16:16).

When Philip came up into the chariot with the Ethiopian Treasurer to explain Isaiah 53, he “opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’” (Acts 8:35-36). How did the Ethiopian know to be baptized unless preaching Jesus is preaching about the necessity of baptism.

When Paul and Silas preached to the Philippian jailer and his household about “the word of the Lord,” they were all baptized immediately (Acts 16:32,33). Again, preaching the Lord is preaching about the need for baptism.

 To Preach Christ is to Preach the CHURCH

It has been argued that “You can be just as good a Christian out of the church as you can in it” and “The church does not save you”. When Saul (later Paul) “persecuted the church of God” (Acts 8:3; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13). Jesus met him on the road to Damacus and asked, “‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ And he said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads’” (Acts 9:4-5). To persecute the church is to persecute the Lord.

To demonstrate the importance of the church as part of God’s eternal plan, Christ built the church. Jesus said, “and I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18). Furthermore, one cannot preach on the blood of Christ and not preach the church. Paul taught that the church was purchased with the blood of Christ. Paul told the elders of Ephesus, “therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

Baptism and being a part of the church is part of the plan. One is baptized into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13). Upon being baptized one is added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:38,41,47).

The church, the body of Christ, is the fulness of Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). Jesus is also “the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23).  In addition to being the body of Christ the church is the bride of Christ (Eph. 5:23f). Christ and His Church are inseparable as the head is from the body and the bride from her bridegroom. One cannot preach Christ without preaching about His Bride and Body.

One cannot preach glory to God in Christ without preaching the church. Paul proclaimed, “to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever” (Ephesian 3:21)

In summary: One cannot preach Christ without preaching His PLAN, BAPTISM, or THE CHURCH. One cannot preach the PLAN, BAPTISM, or THE CHURCH without preaching Christ.

– Daniel R. Vess