Preaching and Teaching by Roswell F. Cottrell

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 27, 1872

Preaching and Teaching.

By Roswell F. Cottrell

The distinction between them is easily understood. Preaching is the announcement or proclamation of facts—things done or being done—as the heralding of some good news or glad tidings to the people. Teaching is the setting forth in order things that are written. The two are combined in the gospel ministry. We do not say that the school teacher preaches grammar, when he merely takes the standard authors on that subject, and explains their sense to his pupils. We say he teaches grammar. But if he has some new system which he wishes to introduce, to which he is calling the attention of students, we might say he is preaching a new theory of grammar. If his theory is really an advancement toward perfection in the science, he is the bearer of good news.

Said the Saviour, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” That is, tell the glad tidings that the great scheme of salvation is being wrought out, that the promised Messiah has come, and that he has made the great offering for sin; and so God’s promises are being fulfilled. The apostles were sent out as messengers, and they had some news to tell, and that news was “present truth.” This was what made their teaching efficacious. Their teaching was the purest of ethics, the soundest of morality; but their preaching of present truth was what added the motive power. Progress in the promised work of redemption—promises fulfilled and fulfilling—was the glad tidings that electrified the people, and moved them out to action.

Well, the great work of the Lord for the salvation of our race is moving onward to its completion; the promised work is still being done; and the minister of Jesus Christ has still something to do, in the way of preaching, as well as teaching. There is a message of present truth to preach; and the proclamation will give force to the teaching of the commandments of God, the only true principles of morality.

I would make no invidious comparisons between ourselves and others. But the question has been asked by S. D. Baptists, why we were more successful in winning men to the Sabbath than they. The answer is easy. There is a message of present truth for the present time; and we are trying to preach it. The motive power is in this. They may teach the commandments as well as we. They can convince men’s judgments that they ought to keep the Sabbath, if they can gain their attention. But God has a preaching for this generation; and until they unite with us in preaching it, they will lack the motive power which God has provided in prophecy for this very time.

Come, brethren, unite with us in preaching present truth, that is, the present fulfillments of prophecy, which constitute the signs of our times; not the least of which is the proclamation of the message of Rev. 14: 9–12. Can you not see that this message is now due? And if it is due, it is already in the world; for the Lord is not slack concerning his promises. We cannot say that his pledges are overdue and not paid. You tolerate both sides on the immortality question; therefore our views on that need not be a bar. It is true, you cannot preach this third message, unless you acknowledge the first and the second as already announced, and recognize the leading features of the past and present Advent movement to be a fulfillment of prophecy, and consequently from Heaven and not of

men. We believe it to be from Heaven; and this supports our vitality, the little we have, keeps us partly awake, in this drowsy portion of the night, and gives to our efforts whatever vigor and efficiency they have.

But we return from this digression to our subject. In these days, when a discourse is given on moral duties it is called preaching, practical preaching. But when the subject is the fulfillment of prophecy and the signs of the times, it is called lecturing on the prophecies. We prefer to have the terms exchanged. Let the people be lectured on moral duties, while we preach to them the present fulfillments of prophecy, proclaiming the glad tidings that God is fulfilling his word. This is the kind of preaching that causes the people to see that God lives, and that he has not forgotten his word of promise.

The first apostles were model preachers. It is safe to follow them in our manner of discourse. We will therefore close this writing by an examination of Paul’s discourse at Antioch in Pisidia, recorded in Acts 13: 16–41.

1. The apostle states, in the first place, a few facts in the past history of Israel, of God’s dealing with them, from the time they dwelt in Egypt, to the days of David, to whom he renewed the promise made to the more ancient fathers, that the promised Saviour should be of his seed.

2. He states the facts that had transpired recently; that the promised Son of David had come, preceded by his harbinger, John the Baptist, and that they who dwelt at Jerusalem, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets, which had spoken of him, had fulfilled them in condemning him; that he had died in fulfillment of prophecy, and that God had raised him from the dead. And having thus briefly stated the truth then present, he continues, “And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled to us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again.” This was the good news, the present truth.

3. He then confirms his claims by an appeal to the Scriptures, showing that David prophesied of the resurrection of Christ. His argument is perfectly logical. The major premise or general proposition implied is, that harmonious fulfillment of prophecy is the true fulfillment. The minor premise or particular proposition is, that in Jesus the different predictions all harmonize—all the specifications are harmoniously fulfilled in him. The conclusion which necessarily follows is, That Jesus is the Christ, the promised Saviour. This is just the way that we arrive at present truth in our own day.

4. Having proved that Jesus is the Christ, he preaches through him the forgiveness of sins.

5. He concludes his discourse with a cautionary exhortation as follows: “Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets: Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.”

And with the same caution to the reader, not to let the Lord work in fulfillment of prophecy, in our own day, and he not believe it, though fully declared and proclaimed, I leave the subject. R. F. COTTRELL.