{b) Resurrection and Messiahship of Jesus. — It was no mere abstract conception of the personality of Jesus that was preached. As pointed out by B. Weiss, ' like Jesus Himself, His apostles com- mence, not with a religious doctrine or an ethical demand, but with the proclamation of a fact' (Biblical Theol. of NT, Eng. tr., 1882-83, i. 173). That fact was the Messiahship of Jesus. But another fact formed the basis of this proclama- tion— and that was the fact that Jesus had been
raised from the dead. 'The resurrection of Jesus,' says G. V. Lechler, 'api>ears in primitive Christian preaching as the fundamental fact, the Al]ihaand Omega of apostolic announcement' (Apostolic <tnd Post-Apostolic Times, iMig. tr., 1S86, i. 267). Hence it was after the Uesurrection and the sUjiernatural gift at Pentecost that the apostles 'ceased not to teach and preach (eTO77fXif(i/iCTOi) Jesus as the Christ' (Ac 5" ; cf. 'J™ 3'*'' 4'" 5^'). This close connexion between the Resurrection and Messiahship of Jesus api)ears also in the preaching of the Apostle of the Gentiles. St. Paul declared in the synagogue at Thessalonica : ' it behoved the Christ to sutler, and to rise again from the dead ; an<l this Jesus whom I proclaim unto you is the Christ' (Ac 17^ ; cf. 1 Th 1'"). Later in Corinth he testified that 'Jesus was the Christ' (18'), reminding them after- wards that the ' gospel preached ' unto them was that ' Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures . . . and that he hath been raised on the third day according to the scriptures' (1 Co IS'"*). It must be remembered that the good tidings of the resurrection of Jesuscarried with it the glad message also of the believers ' share in the Messianic blessings (Ac 3'"'"*), and a participation in the future resurrection (1 Co 15-'"'- ; cf. Ac 17": St. Paul ' preached Jesus and the resurrection ').
(c) Death and Atonement of Christ. — The earliest hearers of the gospel, however, could not lose sight of the prior sinister fact of the crucifixion and death of Jesus. That was a ' stumbling-block ' to the Jews and ' foolishness ' to the Greeks. But St. Paul found in the death of Christ the central theme of his preaching, for in it he discerned Christ's redeeming work as Saviour of all men. ' We preach' (KT}pv(riTofi.ev), he says, 'a Messiah crucified' (1 Co 1-"). ' I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified' (2^). It was because 'tlie word of the cross' (1'*) was also the ' word of reconciliation ' (2 Co 5'^) that St. Paul preached it so fervently, and because he had proved in his own experience that this, ' his gospel,' was the 'power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth' (Ko 1'*). 'Only a man,' says W. Beyschlag, ' in whom the Lord who is the Spirit has come to dwell, who exhibits the love of Christ in its transforming power, can kindle that flame of divine life in others ; and the fire is spread, not liy instruction in a doctrinal system, but by testimony to a personal experience of the gospel of God coming from the heart with individual truth and freedom ' (NT Theology, 1895, ii. 169). That this conception of the redeeming efficacy of the death of Christ formed a large part of apostolic preaching may be inferred from many different passages (He 9"'-, 1 P 1"'-, 1 Jn 1' 2=).
To ' preach Christ,' then, was to proclaim, as good news to sinful and dying men, the many-sided fact of Christ, the whole scheme of salvation — pardon, regeneration, spiritual enrichment, per- sonal immortality — involved in Christ's death, resurrection, and exaltation. This may be seen from several expressions in which the term ' preach- ing ' does not apply to the gospel message, e.g. ' Moses hath in every city them that pre.ach (x-qpia- aovrai) him ' (Ac 15^'), where the whole Mosaic dispensation is the content of the preaching. Again, ' the baptism which John preached ' (iK-qpu^ev, Ac 10^'), and to ' preach circumcision ' (Gal 5"), indicate clearly other and wider contents than ' baptism ' and 'circumcision.' If to 'preach Moses' meant to i)roclaim the validity of the whole Mosaic legislation, then to 'preach Christ' involves not only the i)roclamation of the religious significance of Jesus Christ but the whole evangelical scheme of redemption and reconciliation that centres in Him. Hence one can 'preach peace' (Eph 2") in view of the results of the gospel, or ' preach the
PKECIOUS
PRECIOUS STONES
261
faith' (Gal l'^), or 'preach the word of God' (Ac 13') as a Divinely given message to be proclaimed and as a gospel of salvation.
LlTKRATUBE.— In addition to the works quoted above, nee J. Ker, Lectures mi the Uistory oj Preachimj, 1S88 ; M. Dods, ' The FooUshness o( Preachins,' in Expnsitor'g Kible, • 1 Corinth- ians," 1S89 ; artt. on ' Prcai-hins,' by W. F. Adeney, in llOB and DCG, and art. on 'PreacliinK Christ,' by J. Denney, in DCG ; A. W. Momerie, Preaching aiul Uearing, IsSC ; J. B. Ligrhtfoot. Ordinatiim Addresses, ISSlOjpp. 3-lli); J. H. Jowett, A/wxIolic llplimiS7n, 1910, p. 2U2 ; W. T. Davison, Strength fnr the Way, rKiJ,p. 137; R. W. Dale, C/im(i(in Dvctrine, 1S94, 11. SK ; j. M. E. Ross, The Christian Standpoint, 1911, p. 16; A. M. Fairbairn, Christ in the Centuries, 1S93, p. 23.