Boles on Preachers

This morning, I was scanning through some old books. In a 1949 edition of Boles' Outlines by BC Goodpasture; I ran the following outline, "Responsibilities of Gospel Preachers." An online biography of Brother Boles relates, "H. Leo Boles was preeminently a teacher. In the fall of 1906, he became a member of the faculty of David Lipscomb College (then Nashville Bible School). While doing regular work as teacher, he took lessons daily in the Bible under the lamented David Lipscomb. For seven years he taught philosophy and mathematics but, on becoming president of David Lipscomb College in 1913, he began to give more and more time to teaching the Bible. It was a rare treat to attend his classes in logic, ethics, and evidences of Christianity. He taught his students the Bible-not merely some course related to the book, but the book itself. His students were taught to oppose all modernism, speculation and denominationalism. About 1,500 young preachers received instruction in his classes, besides hundreds of students who never became preachers."

Since many of my readers are preachers, I thought I would share this challenge to each of us.

Introduction: He should know his responsibilities as a gospel preacher and be able to meet them. Being ignorant of them disqualifies him. Willful failure to meet them disqualifies him.

I. Gospel Preacher's Motto: (1 Tim 4:16)
1. Two parts:
a. Take heed to thyself (Mat 5;19; Acts 1:1).
b. Take heed to thy teaching.
2. It reveals the preacher's responsibility.
3. It should be his guide.

II. Responsibilities to God.
1. To know the truth of God.
2. To love the truth of God.
3. To preach only the truth of God.
4. To live the truth of God.
5. People cannot separate a man and his message.

III. Responsibilities to the Church.
1. The Church is the great brotherhood of Christians.
2. It stands for the Bible truth.
3. Gospel preachers represent the brotherhood.
4. Must represent it fairly.
5. Many misrepresent it.
6. Such ought to get out of it.
7. They have no right to enjoy its honors and at the same time misrepresent it.

IV. Responsibilities to Hearers.
1. Must give them the truth.
2. They need the truth of God.
3. Preacher is debtor to hearers (Rom 1:14).
4. All responsibilities of a teacher to a pupil rests upon the gospel preacher.
5. Live as an example (1 Tim 4:12).

There is a lot for those of us who preach to consider.

Scott