Our Responsibility to Preach the Gospel (Plain Bible Teaching)

Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years

The following is an excerpt from the book, Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years.

Our responsibility is to preach the gospel, period. We are not responsible for the decision of others to obey the gospel. Paul said, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). We simply need to “preach the word” (2 Timothy 4:2), and let the word of God do the rest (Romans 1:16).

What if people will not listen? The fact that many are not interested in hearing the plain, unadulterated gospel is the reason often given by those who defend the practice of supplementing the gospel with other things (i.e. the social gospel). But if someone will not listen, it is their problem, not ours. We cannot “pervert” the gospel or else we stand “accursed” (Galatians 1:6-9).

When people will not listen to the gospel, we do not need to look for gimmicks to get them to listen. Instead we need to look for other hearers. Jesus told His disciples to “shake the dust off your feet” and move on when people rejected the message (Matthew 10:14). Paul and Barnabas did this very thing in Antioch in Pisidia. The Jews opposed Paul’s teaching. When they rejected it, Paul and Barnabas did not plan some community outreach programs in an attempt to make the Jews more receptive to the gospel. Instead they said, “We are turning to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). If we encounter some who will not listen to the gospel, we need to move on and find others who will.

You can read more in Plain Bible Teaching: The First Ten Years. Follow the link to learn more about the book and purchase your copy today!

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