But hath in due times manifested His Word through preaching
A timely revelation
I. A timely revelation--the purpose of salvation through Christ Jesus.
II. A sacred trust--to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ.
III. A divine commission--to preach “according to the commandment of God.” (F. Wagstaff.)
Salvation revealed
I. That salvation is more clearly revealed than in former ages appeareth in that all the time of the law was but the infancy and nonage of the Church, which then was as a child under tutors and governors; and as a child was initiated in rudiments and elements of Christian religion, and endued with a small measure of knowledge and faith, because the time was not come wherein the mysteries of Christ were unfolded.
II. The Lord (who doth not only by His wisdom order His greatest works, but every circumstance of them) effecteth all His promises and purposes in the due season of them.
III. The manifestation of salvation is to be sought for in the preaching of the Word. Which point is plain, in that the preaching of the Word is an ordinance of God.
1. To make Christ known, in whose name alone salvation is to be had.
2. To beget and confirm faith in the heart, by which alone, as by an hand, we apprehend and apply Him with His merits to our salvation. (T. Taylor, D. D.)
God’s Word manifested through preaching
I. The manifestation of god’s word. This was gradually made to men--to all nations, both Jews and Gentiles--in general, and to particular places.
II. The instrumentality employed for that manifestation. We should imitate the simplicity, zeal and affection displayed in the apostle’s preaching. (W. Lucy.)
Preaching in God’s name
An American gentleman once went to hear Whitefield for the first lime, in consequence of the report he heard of his preaching powers. The day was rainy, the congregation comparatively thin, and the beginning of the sermon rather heavy. Our American friend began to say to himself, “This man is no great wonder, after all.” He looked round, and saw the congregation as little interested as himself. One old man in front of the pulpit had fallen asleep. But all at once Whitefield stopped short. His countenance changed. And then he suddenly broke forth in an altered tone: “If I had come to speak to you in my own name, you might well rest your elbows on your knees, and your heads on your hands, and sleep; and once in a while look up, and say, What is this babbler talking of? But I have not come to you in my own name. No! I have come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts” (here he brought down his hand and foot with a force that made the building ring), “and I must, and will be heard.” The congregation started. The old man woke up at once. “Ay, ay!” cried Whitefield, fixing his eyes on him, “I have waked you up, have I? I meant to do it. I am not come here to preach to stocks and stones. I have come to you in the name of the Lord God of Bests, and I must, and will, have an audience.” The hearers were stripped of their apathy at once. Every word of the sermon was attended to. And the American gentleman never forgot it. (J. G. Ryle.)
The best ally in Christian work
Frederick the Great was once in company with a number of French wits, and there was a brave Scotchman also at the table, who was the ambassador of England. Frederick the Great was then contemplating a war, in which he would be dependent upon English subsidies, and by and by the ambassador, as he listened to the king and these French wits making fun of religion, and speaking of its certain and sudden decay, said, “By the help of God England will stand by Prussia in the war.” Frederick turned round and said, rather sneeringly, “By the help of God! I did not know that you bad an ally of that name.” But the Scotchman turned round to the king, and said, “May it please your majesty, that is the only ally England has to whom England does not send subsidies.” Now, let me say, that we as a Christian Church and as a missionary society have an ally of that name. Our ally is the Lord of Hosts, and it is because His name has been upon our banners that we have succeeded in the past. (T. H. Hunt.)
Which is committed unto me, according to the commandment of God our Saviour
The Christian ministry
I. Every minister called by God is one of Christ’s committees, unto whom He betrusteth now after His departure the care and oversight of His spouse, who is dearer unto Him than His own life, appeareth in that they are called stewards of this great house, having received the keys to open the kingdom of heaven, and to distribute to the necessity of their fellow servants; chosen vessels, as Paul, not to contain, but to carry the pearl and the treasure of the kingdom; feeders, as Peter, husband men, to whom the vineyard is let out till His return.
1. The honour of a minister is faithfulness in the diligent and careful discharging himself of that trust committed unto him; the principal part of which repose standeth in the faithful dispensing of Christ’s legacies to His Church, according to His own testament; which as it is his duty enjoined (1 Corinthians 4:2), so is it his crown, his joy, his glory, that by his faithful pains he hath procured the welfare of his people, and bringeth with it a great recompense of reward; for if he that showeth himself a good and faithful servant in little things, shall be ruler over much; what may he expect that is faithful in the greatest?
2. The ministry is no calling of ease, but a matter of great charge; nor contemptible, as many contemptuous persons think it too base a calling for their children; but honourable, near unto God, a calling committing unto men great matters, which not only the angels themselves have dispensed sundry times, but even the Lord of the angels, Jesus Christ Himself, all the while lie ministered upon earth; the honour of which calling is such, as those who are employed in the duties of it, are called not only angels, but coworkers with Christ in the salvation of men.
II. Whosoever would find comfort in themselves, or clear and justify their callings to others, or do good in that place of the body wherein they are set, must be able to prove that they are not intruders, but pressed by this calling and commandment of god: that as Paul performed every duty in the Church by virtue of his extraordinary calling, so they by virtue of their ordinary. For can any man think that a small advantage to himself, which our apostle doth so dwell upon in his own person, and that in every epistle, making his calling known to be committed unto him, not of men, nor by men, but by Jesus Christ? (See Galatians 1:1; Galatians 2:7; Ephesians 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:4)
1. Let no man presume to take upon him any office in the Church uncalled; no man taketh this honour to himself. Christ Himself must he appointed of His Father.
2. Let none content himself with the calling of man separated from God’s calling; for this was the guise of the false apostles against whom our apostle opposeth himself and calling almost everywhere, who were called of men, but not of God.
3. In all other callings let men be assured they have God’s warrant, both in the lawfulness of the callings themselves, and in their holy exercise of them; passing through them daily in the exercise of faith and repentance, not forgetting daily to sanctify them by the Word and prayer.
III. Ministers may and ought to be more or less in the commendation of their calling, as the nature and necessity of the people to whom they write or speak do require.
1. As the apostle here magnifieth his authority in that he is a servant of God.
2. An apostle of Jesus Christ,
3. That he received his apostleship by commission and commandment of Christ Himself; and
4. All this while hath by sundry other arguments amplified the excellency of his calling: the reason of all which is not so much to persuade Titus, who was before sufficiently persuaded of it; but partly for the Cretians’ sake, that they might the rather entertain this doctrine so commended in the person of the bringer; and partly because many in this isle lifted up themselves against him and Titus, as men thrusting in their sickles into other men’s fields too busily; or else if they had a calling, yet taking too much upon them, both in correcting disorders and establishing such novelties among them as best liked them; so as here being to deal against false apostles, perverse people, and erroneous doctrines he is more prolix and lofty in his title; otherwise, where he met not with such strong opposition, he is more sparing in his titles, as in the Epistles to the Colossians, Thessalonians, etc. (T. Taylor, D. D.)