Editorial

The new life

Whenever we preach or teach the Word of God, we invite each hearer to become a new person.

Nikolaus Satelmajer is the Editor of Ministry.

How often are you asked, “Do you remember me?”

Ministers are asked that question many times, and frequently we have to acknowledge that, while we recognize the person, we just don’t remember the name. On other occasions we may not even recognize the person. Therefore, those who have not learned to acknowledge that they have a less-than-perfect memory are often embarrassed.

One Sabbath morning I was visiting a congregation that had been recently formed. They were celebrating the opening of their new church building, and I was there as a guest. The tallest man in the crowd came over to me and called me by name.

“Do you remember me?” he asked. He looked familiar, and for a moment I was tempted to say, “Yes,” but I did not, for I could not place him. To my embarrassment, he was enjoying the moment, and I realized that impressing him with my memory was not going to happen. He told me that I had been in his house, and that made the moment even more embarrassing. After he shared a few more details, I remembered the house and his family, but I still had difficulty recognizing him. He was a new person—he did not look, behave, or talk the same way. The last time I had seen him, my associate and I were visiting the family because his wife and children were attending evangelistic meetings that I was conducting. During our visit, the husband made us feel unwelcome because while we talked to the wife and children his attention was focused on the television program. At the end of the visit, I suggested we pray for the family, and he reached for the television control. Wonderful, I thought, he will turn off the television. But he didn’t—instead, he turned up the volume. That’s my memory of that man.

No wonder I did not remember him that Sabbath morning. He was a changed person.

Preaching and teaching

Whenever we preach or teach the Word of God, we invite each hearer to become a new person. In this issue, Ivan Blazen writes about the relationship of theology and life. Theology does not exist for its own sake. In fact, the most effective biblical scholars and preachers present the Word of God in such a manner that they invite their hearers to live this new life described in the Bible. Let’s look at some examples.

Acts 5:20 (NIV). In the early days of the Christian church, the preaching of the Word focused on Christ and the life of His followers with theory not separated from life. The angel who opened the prison doors for the apostles gave them a specific command: “ ‘Go . . . and tell the people the full message of this new life.’ ”

Romans 6:3, 4 (NIV). The apostle Paul states that those who are baptized are “baptized into [Christ’s] death.” But just as the Resurrection followed Christ’s death, so “we too may live a new life.” Throughout his writings, Paul focused on the importance of the Christian’s life.

Ephesians 4:22, 23 (NIV). In this passage, Paul reminds the Ephesians that they were taught to “put off your old self.” But it’s not enough to put off the old self. Paul challenges the readers “to be made new in the attitude of your minds.” As we know, attitude is reflected in our actions and words.

All three passages highlight the importance of the new life, and this new life, central in the Bible, must also be central in our preaching and teaching. To effectively present this invitation, we need to be first-class students of the Word of God. For that reason, three major articles in this issue focus on the Bible. The first is a study of 2 Corinthians 5:14–6:2 by Ivan Blazen. The second is the second part of Daniel Block’s article “Preaching the Old Testament Law to New Testament Christians” (the first part is in the May 2006 issue). And third, Greg King and Roland Shoemaker present “The pastor’s guide to resource material on the Old Testament.” (The May 2006 issue had a guide on the New Testament.) We will provide resources for other subjects in forthcoming issues.

All these, and the other articles in this issue, can help us to be more effective preachers and teachers—so that God will have more people in this world living the new life. And, as we help others experience the new life, God will help us also live that new life. Together then, preachers and those who hear the preaching can “sing to the Lord a new song” (Ps. 98:1a, NIV).


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Nikolaus Satelmajer is the Editor of Ministry.

July 2006

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More Articles In This Issue

Through the lenses of the new creation: A study in 2 Corinthians 5:14-6:2

As a result of what Jesus has done for us, we can and must both view and treat one another as He would.

What preachers can learn from aviation

There are five elements of flying an airplane that parallel preaching a sermon.

Preaching Old Testament Law to New Testament Christians - Part 2

Part two of an exploration of the relevance of Old Testament Scriptures for life in the twenty-first century.

Coping with the stresses of ministry

Five stress points that pastors will encounter at some point in time, and how to face those stressors victoriously.

The pastor's guide to resource materials on the Old Testament

Old Testament materials that are a must-have for every pastor-theologian.

Ten commandments for the senior pastor

Practical counsel for senior pastors who lead other pastors within the same congregation.

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