(1)  Woe is a word that is not used so often today as it was centuries ago. It was a common word in the old English; but there is a meaning attached to it at present, we think, that was not in the original word. Nearly all who read the parable where the Master speaks of "weeping and gnashing of teeth" seem to have the thought of eternal torment. Woe, when used in the King James Version of the Bible, means the same or similar in some minds. So these construe our text to mean: "I will be eternally lost if I do not preach the Good News." This is because of the traditions and doctrines that have been adopted by various religious groups and organizations.

(2)  We understand the apostle to mean here: "I would be very unhappy if I could not preach the Good News; it would be a cause of great distress to me. In view of my former course of persecution, and Yahweh's great mercy to me, it would mean a loss of his favor and blessing should I refrain from proclaiming his message." We also notice that The New English Bible Paul's words are rendered: "It would be misery to me if I did not preach." The context seems to bear out this thought. So it would be great distress to those whom Yahweh has granted the illumination of his truth, if the opportunity of preaching this glorious Good News were taken from them.

(3)  From one standpoint, the apostle's words would apply only to his public ministry of the Word. From another standpoint, any one of Yahweh's dedicated people is a minister, ordained to preach; for ordination means commission, right, authorization. The commission to preach the Good News is mentioned by the Prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 61:1-3) There the called-out ones are brought to our attention through their Head, Jesus Christ, who is represented, primarily, as the speaker. We read: "The spirit of Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek. He has sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to preach the acceptable year of Yahweh, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint to them that mourn in Zion -- to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness -- that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of Yahweh, that he might be glorified."

Many Ways of Preaching
the Good News

(4)  Here the commission of the holy spirit to Christ was prophetically announced, long in advance. Those who belong to the Christ, who have received the same anointing through him, have also received this commission to preach the Good News. (1 Corinthians 1:21; Acts 8:4) If the disciple of Christ properly appreciates the privilege of being a messenger of God, an ambassador for God, it would be woe, a sadness indeed to him if he could not proclaim the message, to the extent of his ability and opportunity. -- 2 Corinthians 5:17-19.

(5)  There are some who have the thought that there is no way to preach except by a public discourse from the platform. But the Bible does not give this thought as the even the preferred method of preaching. Jesus talked to the people by the seaside, and along the road. (Mark 2:13; Matthew 21:19-21) At one time he sat on the edge of a well and preached the message of the Kingdom. (John 4:6-30) He preached to his disciples up in the mountain. (Matthew 5:1,2) He taught the people while standing on a ship. (Luke 5:1-4) He told his disciples to preach in the streets. (Luke 10:10) The apostle Paul said he preached in the homes. (Acts 5:42; 20:20) Even after being arrested the early Christians were "daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as Christ." (Acts 5:42) And so with us if we would in developing Christlikeness be like Christ. Whatever way or time we may for preaching the Good News we should use.

(6)  We are to tell the "glad tidings of great joy." This may done in the daily walk of our life, as we meet the butcher, the baker and grocery man, or our neighbors and friends, as well as preaching the message from house-to-house. It may be done by literature sent through the mails, or by offering literature to passersby on the sidewalks, or by preaching from the platform. All of these methods are preaching the Good News, making known the Good Tidings, for preaching means merely to make known, and does not relate to the manner in which the knowledge is imparted. The question is, if you are a dedicated disciple of Christ, are you using your opportunities, even making opportunities to preach the Good News?

Basis and Superstructure
of the Good News

(7)  There is much preaching being done today. Most, however, do not preach the Good News. They preach bad tidings of great misery. Most tracts follow this trend. Some tell of billions spending an eternity in indescribable suffering. Others tell of millions of men, women and children being eternally destroyed because of their being under Satan's blindness. These kinds of tracts we do not wish to circulate. The more we spread of such tidings the less preaching of the Good News we would do. We are to remember that our Lord Jesus especially identified the Good News with the kingdom. This has been God's method for gathering the church, and will be the witness to the world. (Matthew 24:14) We still have opportunity for making known this good message of the kingdom. The basis of this Good News is the death of our Lord Jesus, as a sacrifice for sinners, his resurrection and his ascension to the right hand of the Father, Yahweh. Its superstructure is the salvation of the church, "those who have ears to hear," (Matthew 11:5; 13:9,43; Mark 4:9,23; 7:16; Luke 14:35) and the world in the next age -- "whosoever will." (Revelation 22:17) The blessings of God are all through Christ.
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See our studies:
What Does the Bible Actually Say About Hell?
http://reslight.net/biblehell.html
Will Billions Be Eternally Destroyed in the Battle of Armageddon?
http://reslight.net/armageddon.html

(8)  Some Bible literature preaches a certain individual, group or organization as specially chosen by God. In effect they end up giving their organization, or its leader(s), the position held by Jesus. The Watchtower of March 1, 1979 displayed on its front cover: "Put Faith in a Victorious Organization"! This attitude only reflects many statements that have gone before and after from Watchtower publications in the last few decades preceeding. For instance, in The Watchtower of October 1, 1967 we find this statement: "Make haste to identify the visible organization of God that represents his king, Jesus Christ. It is essential for life. Doing so, be complete in accepting its every aspect. We cannot claim to love God, yet deny his Word and channel of communication." But notice what Jesus himself said: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6) Thus the Watchtower leaders make themselves take the position of Yahweh's son! That this is true can be further seen by the statement made in The Watchtower of February 15, 1981 (page 19): "The record that the `faithful and discreet slave' organization has made for the past more than 100 years forces us to the conclusion that Peter expressed when Jesus asked if his apostles also wanted to leave him, namely, `Whom shall we go away to?' (John 6:66-69) No question about it. We all need help to understand the Bible, and we cannot find the Scriptural guidance we need outside the `faithful and discreet slave' organization." Thus, by applying a scripture to their "faithful and discreet slave" what the apostles said of Jesus, the Watchtower leaders put themselves on par with Jesus. The rest of Peter's answer tells us to whom we should go: "You [that is, Jesus] have the sayings of everlasting life."

(9)  How grateful we can be that the rich blessing of Yahweh for both the church and the world are to follow the second coming of Jesus. (See Restoration Light Publication: The Restoration of All Things) Then the church will be glorified and exalted; and the world will be raised from the dead to enter into the era of blessing God has promised will come as a result of His kingdom. It is this happy message that we find so wonderful that we feel great sadness if we do not preach it!

(10)  Whoever, therefore, understands this real Good News, or Gospel, and appreciates his own ordination to preach it, must necessarily feel unhappy if he should be hindered from preaching it. Some can preach in several ways. Others can preach in nearly every way. Some can preach in very few ways. All can preach in some way. The more we do, the more happy we should be. So we thank God that we have so many helps in our day: Bible literature, Bible concordances and reference works, etc. We greatly appreciate all these and are seeking to make good use of them to the blessing of others as well as for our own up building.

(11)  As has already been noted, every member of the Church (whose names are "enrolled in heaven" -- Hebrews 12:23) in the early times was a preacher. We know this not only because it is recorded that they "went around preaching the word" (Acts 8:4), but because we know that no one then or now who is being led of the Spirit of Christ could help being a preacher of the glad tidings. If the anointing of the spirit led Jesus to preach; if the same spirit in Paul led him to feel "woe is me if I do not preach the Good News" (1 Corinthians 9:16), wherever the same mind or spirit of Christ may be, it will have the same general effect, it will make a preacher of the one controlled by it as surely as it did of those referred to above. Of the Church whose names are written in heaven -- every member is a preacher. Are you one? Are you faithful to your ministry?

(12)  The Greek word rendered "preach" in the above citations is Strong's #2097, Euaggelizo. It signifies --"to bring good news, to announce glad tidings."* One definition of our English word preach is, "To give religious or moral instruction." (Dictionary.com) The English word "preach" is derived the Late Latin word praedicre, meaing, to proclaim. Scripturally, it we can see that to confine the use of the word preach to a public discourse, as it usually is, is an error, begotten no doubt of the custom of having a special class (often referred to as the "clergy") do all the expounding of what is considered the glad tidings, while others (often called the "laity") feel themselves relieved from it while they sit in the pews or audience and are "served" the tidings being delivered.
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Thayer and Smith. "Greek Lexicon entry for Euaggelizo". "The KJV New Testament Greek Lexicon".
http://www.biblestudytools.net/Lexicons/Greek/grk.cgi?number=2097&version=kjv.

(13)  The true "glad tidings of great joy" always did and always will kindle a flame of holy fire, which must find vent through tongue or pen, and to restrain which would be "woe to me" if the one who has received it does not preach it. However, the Gospel message has been so handled by Satan and his able assistant "Babylon the Great," that the "glad" element has been obscured, and the whole turned into "bad tidings" of great evil and misery for something like more than ninety-nine in every hundred of the human race. Nevertheless, it is greatly to the credit of the Church, that many have lost interest in the promulgation of the bad news. It makes evident, too, another thing, viz.: that the bad news, called gospel-preaching, now preached by those who are paid good salaries for so doing, must be a very different story from that which every member of the early Church preached for nothing. Nevertheless, the early disciples of Jesus got regular wages, but instead of money and titles and respect, they got stripes, imprisonments, and revilings, being accounted the filth and offscourings of the world -- driven from their homes, so "they that were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the Word." -- Acts 8:4.

(14)  Ah, yes! with such exhibitions of self-sacrifice and devotion on the part of the preachers, could we doubt that their message was really "glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people," and that the humblest of them felt, as Paul expressed it, that he was "not ASHAMED of the gospel of Christ." What wonder, too, that "under such a message" by such preachers -- "the number of the disciples was multiplied"? (Acts 6:1) Could the same be true in your congregation if there were such a zeal for proclaiming the true Gospel today?

(15)  Yes, we believe that now, when under the providence of God the church is getting back to the "good tidings" as originally held by the church in the days of the apostles, and getting rid of the traditions of men under which it had been buried for centuries by contending sects and factions, we believe that the real "glad tidings" will have today the same effect that it had in early times upon all imbued with its spirit of truth. It is now, as then, impossible for anyone to receive the glad tidings and the spirit of it, without becoming a preacher of it, even though by so doing such meet with the same opposition as did their brothers in early times with the same glad tidings of the ransom for all and consequent resurrection hope for all.

(16)  Some inquire where are our bishops (overseers), apostles, pastors and preachers? We reply that above all we have Yahweh (Jehovah) as our Most High Pastor (Shepherd). (Psalm 23:1) The true sheep are indeed the flock of the God and Father of Jesus. ( 1 Peter 1:3; 5:2) It is Yahweh to whom the Christian believer is returned by the sacrifice of Jesus, and thus it is Yahweh who is the Pastor (Shepherd) and Overseer of our souls. (1 Peter 2:24,25; Acts 20:32; 26:18,20; Romans 5:20; John 10:29) Yahweh prophesied that the time would come when He Himself would shepherd (pastor) His sheep. (Ezekiel 34:15) However, in the same prophecy in Ezekiel 34, Yahweh says: "I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd." (Ezekiel 34:23) Thus Yahweh prophesies of another pastor, another shepherd, who was shepherd His sheep. There were many false shepherds of Israel, but Jesus stated: "I am the genuine shepherd. The genuine shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." (John 10:11) It is Jesus, the son of the man David, who is the one who fulfills the role prophesied by Ezekiel. Thus, our Pastor, as appointed by Yahweh, is none of than Yahweh's son, Jesus. Yahweh, the God and Father of Jesus, is the one who gives His sheep to Jesus, for Jesus says: "My Father, who has given them [the sheep] to me, is greater than all". (John 10:29) Thus Jesus acknowledges his God and Father as the Most High Pastor, greater than all. Thus, Jesus, recognizing his God and Father as that Most High Shepherd and the Most High Overseer of the sheep, prayed: "Holy Father, keep them through your name which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are." -- John 17:11.

(16)  As already mentioned, we not only have the Most High Yahweh as our Pastor, but we also have as our Pastor the one whom Yahweh appointed, that is, Jesus. Jesus spoke of himself as a that shepherd when quoted to words of his God and Father: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered." (Mark 14:27; Zechariah 13:7) Thus, by allowing the arrest and death of Jesus, Yahweh struck His appointed pastor. However, Hebrews 13:20 tell us that "the God of peace ... brought again from the dead the great shepherd [pastor] of the sheep." The great shepherd [pastor] did not remain dead, is still today our great pastor.

(17)  However, the scriptures speak of others who also serve Yahweh and his son Jesus as pastors. We read::

Acts 20:17 - From Miletus he [the apostle Paul] sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him.
Acts 20:18 - From Miletus he [Paul} sent a message to Ephesus, asking the elders of the church to meet him. -- New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Acts 20:28 - Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God F166 that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. -- NRSV.

Paul called the elders [Greek transliteration, presbuterouv, Strong's #4245, adjective] of Ephesus both bishops (episkopouv, Strong's #1985, noun, overseers) and he also used the verb for pastor regarding them.(Strong's #5721, poimainein). 7,18,28) Thus, the elders are especially called upon to be led by the holy spirit as they pastor the flock of God. (1 Peter 5:1,2) Contrary, however, to what some have thought, the fact that a congregation may vote a person into the office of an elder does not necessarily mean that the person so appointed by the congregtion has actually received an appointment by the holy spirit, for it was foretold that many would appoint teachers to satisfy their itching ears according to their own desires. (2 Timohty 4:3; 2 Peter 2:1) Indeed, it appears from the scriptures that the true shepherds of the flock are appointed by God through his holy spirit even before such an appointment by the congregation. Thus, it is only as a congregation may be truly endeavoring to appoint one who has the spiritual qualifications that one already has that it could be said that the elder so appointed by the congregation was indeed made an overseer by the holy spirit. -- 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:6-9.

Updated January 13, 2008; more to be added later...

Based on R670 and R5893

Last update: 6/30/2005

Questions

(2)  How should we view the apostle's words in 1 Corinthians 9:16?

(3)  What does Isaiah 61:1-3 tell about preaching the Good News, and to whom does it directly apply?

(4)  To whom is given the commission to preach?

(5)  What examples from the Bible do we have of various methods of preaching?

(6)  What are some ways the glad tidings can be preached?

(7)  What kind of preaching is mostly being spread today, yet is this the kind of preaching we should want to be spreading?

(8)  How does some preaching lead one to put faith in others than Jesus Christ?

(9)  Of what can we be glad and happy to preach?

(10)  What should we expect of all who understand the Good News and the ordination to preach?

(11)  Who in the church should preach the gospel, and how do we know this? What questions should each child of God ask himself?

Related Material:
We are general agreement with what is said by these authors; we do not necessarily agree with every conclusion or application of scripture as given.

The Herald of Christ's Kingdom

Preach What?
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1988_5.htm#_Toc36984001
September, October 1988.

The Many Cold -- The Few Faithful
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1921_2.htm#_Toc517709915
February 1921.

Rest in the Lord (Hebrews 4:3)
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1970_4.htm#_Toc31128199
July/August 1970.

The Anointed Only Are Commissioned to Preach
http://www.heraldmag.org/archives/1919_4.htm#_Toc517708189
April 1919.