Literature.— Works on the reasonableness and the efficacv of prayer abound, but they are outside the sphere of this article. Handbooks of Biblical Theology give little help. In Bible Dictionaries the art. on ' Prayer' "in Hastings, iv. p. 42 ff., should be consulted ; also in Schaff-Herzog, iii. p. 1879, and in Herzog- Plitt, art. on ' Gebet,' some information will be found.
A. Plummee. PREACHING.— In the Gospels three Gr. words are used fur preaching, viz. K-npvcrcro}. 'proclaim as a herald,' Avith the corresponding substantive KTipvyaa ; KarayyeWcj, 'announce,' 'declare'; €(.'07- ye\ii-ui, ' tell good tidings,' with the corresponding substantive evayyeXioi', 'good tidings.' A fourth word, \a\etxi, 'talk." -discourse,' is also rendered 'preach' in Mk 2- AV (as also in Ac 8"^ ll'MS^"- 14-5 16^) ; but in KV this is rendered 'speak' ('he sprikc the word unto them "). In a general way it may be said that preaching, as the proclamation of a message, was distinguished from teaching {SiSaxv), the explanation and a indication of truth! In some cases this distinction is marked. Thus John the Baptist was emphatically a preacher, he came to announce the coming of the Kingdom of God ; Jesus began where John left ott" by also preaching this message ; and the Twelve were sent out to preach (K-qpivcreiv, Mk S'-", cf. Mt 10^ Lk 9-). The function of the Seventy was .similar (Lk 10^). But in all but His earlier ministry our Lord was more occupied in what is expressly called 'teach- ing.' "While John, and Jesus Himself at first, as well as His disciples throughout the Gospel period, only preached, announcingthe mes.sage from heaven, it was reserved to our Lord to explain the great
truths of the gospel by teaching. The forerimner and the Apostles announced that the Kingdom was to come, without discussing its nature ; Jesus Christ went further, and laboured to show what this Divine Kingdom really was. So, while John was content to prepare for the Kingdom, with the assurance that it was 'at hand,' Jesus asked, ' "Whereunto sliall I liken the kingdom of God?' and proceeded to illustrate its characteristics. This was regarded as teaching. Further, while the preaching was for all who would hear, a public utterance designed to arre.s;t attention, the teaching was more especially designed for disciples ; and while some of it was public, much of it was given in private. In the second year of our Lord's ministry, after the breach with the authorities and the defection of the multitude, there was less jireaching and more teaching in the training of the Twelve.
This distinction cannot, however, be maintained throughout. Sometimes our Lord's most public utterances are described as ' teaching,' and are of the character of instruction {c.cf. Mk 2^^ 4'- -). ^Moreover, teaching is blended with preaching. The difference is more carefullj- maintained in Mk. than in Mt. Thus Mk. states that Jesus came into Galilee preaching the Kingdom of God (Mk 1") — the public open-air proclamation ; but that He went into a synagognie to teach (Sik l-'M, where after the .scripture had been read He would ex- pound it (cf. Lk 4:^^-). But in Mt. we have teach- ing and preaching both assigned to our Lord's work in the .sjTiagogues (Mt 4"^). "We may infer from the earlier Gospel that Jesus did recognize the distinction between the two kinds of utterance, though probably one would often pass over into the other.
When Ave turn from A-erbal distinctions to the real differences, Ave may observe three methods followed by our Lord, according to circumstance and requirement : (1) The primitive proclamation, in making Avhich He AA-ent on the lines laid doA\ni by John the Baptist ; (2) the public teaching of the laAvs and principles of the Kingdom of God, offered to all Avho Avould attend to it, Avhether in tlie open air or in the sj-nagogues : (3) the private training of His OAvn disciples and discourse Avitli inquirers. Both (1) and (2) come into our modern conception of Preaching, and Ave must understand the actual preaching of Jesus to comprehend them. See also the folloA\ing article and art. Te.\ching.
"W. F. Adexey. PREACHING CHRIST.— The purpose of this article is to explain Avhat is meant by ' preaching Christ.' It is assumed that to preach'Christ is the preacher's function, and the intention is to shoAv Avhat such preaching involved in the beginning, and Avhat it must include still if it is to be true to its original. Changing conditions may demand for it different forms, but presumably under all forms there Avill be a vital continuity or rather identity in the substance Avhich is preached.
1. The NT as a Avhole presents Jesus in the character of the Christ. When the first preachers preached Him, it Avas in this charactei-. ., '(iod,' says Peter, ' hath made this same Jesus^botH Lord and Christ ' (Ac 2^). ' Saul confounded the Jcavs that dAvelt in Damascus, proving that this is the Christ ' (9-). All the Evangelists agree Avith this : see Mt l'-i«, Mk \\ Lk 2", Jn 20^1. Now 'the Christ,' or 'the Messiah,' Avas not a meaningless expression for Jcavs : it had a distinct meaning, and a great range of ideas and hopes attached to it. There Avas a ^lessianic dogmatic, a.s it has been called, among the Jews, quite apart from the ques- tion Avho Avas to be the Messiah ; or, to put it otherAvise, Jewish disciples had a Christology before they became believers in Jesus a.s the Christ. It