Teaching vs. Preaching

Eugene Peterson:

“Teaching tells us what we need to know and do; it is about us. Preaching tells us who God is and what He does; it is about God. And that is what the Prophet does. He doesn’t talk about God, explain God, or argue for God. Neither does he explain ourselves to ourselves, give counsel on how to survive the exile, provide directions to improve our lives. He preaches the gospel: tells us that God is alive, present, and savingly active in places where we are living and among the people with whom we are living. There are implications, of course, for the way we live, but only if we understand that the living reality that concern is God here and among us. Preaching that is primarily about us is not gospel preaching at all. That would be bad news, not good news.” (from chapter 7 in The Jesus Way: A Conversation on the Ways that Jesus is the Way)

Amen and Amen.