What does it mean to preach Christ? When teaching Christ to the lost, what should we include, what do we say something about? Do we just preach about who Jesus was and the fact that He died for our sins? We have an inspired answer in Acts 8.
“Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them….But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized” (Acts 8:5, 12).
When Philip preached Christ to the Samaritans, he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God. Although a mixed race of Jew and Gentile, Samaritans anticipated the coming Messiah (John 4:25). But what were they anticipating? They and the Jews were looking for an earthly kingdom. To preach the kingdom of God would be to preach the spiritual kingdom that Jesus established and in which He now reigns as King. Many religious people today do not believe the kingdom to be in existence; rather, they believe in a millennial kingdom to come later. But forgiveness is tied to being transferred into the kingdom (Colossians 1:13). And the kingdom is His church (Matthew 16:18-19), and there is one church (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23). When we preach Christ today, we, like Philip, need to speak the truth about the kingdom that presently exists. We must not be ashamed to teach that the kingdom is the church and that there is one church.
When Philip preached Christ, he also preached things concerning the name of Jesus Christ. While that name is the only name by which one can be saved (Acts 4:12), what does “the name of” mean? To preach His name is to preach about His power and authority. His authority is His right to rule and to command. When we preach Christ today, we, like Philip, need to speak about Christ’s authority so that men may know the conditions He commanded for salvation as well as the desire and need to continue to submit to His authority once a Christian.
When Philip preached Christ, he also preached about baptism. While that is not explicitly stated, those who heard his preaching were baptized. So it is a necessary conclusion that Philip preached baptism, and that should be no surprise, for Jesus said that making disciples involved baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). When we preach Christ today, we, like Philip, need to teach the purpose and necessity of baptism.
Do all preachers today preach Christ as Philip preached? Clearly not. Some may preach that Jesus died for our sins and that we need to believe in Him as our Savior, but where is their preaching about the kingdom, the name of Jesus, and baptism? Preaching His kingdom and His name proclaims His authority and rule and thus the need to repent and obey Him. Preaching baptism means showing that it is part of man’s necessary response in order to enter the kingdom. When men exclude from their preaching to the lost the need to be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins, they have not preached the Christ that Philip preached. Teaching things concerning the kingdom, the name of Christ, and baptism in His name are critical parts of preaching Christ to the lost.
-Larry Jones