Acts 20:2

funny thing happened on my way to preparing the topic for this morning …

1. I did not partake of the teachings of other pastors on the context as I usually do
   1. I do this to bring out ideas for conversation
   2. I do this to help ensure that what I think is the “main thing” is actually the “main thing”
2. I did dive into the text with the attitude “let’s see what God just shows me with no outside intervention
   (which is not my normal approach)

as a result of doing something different, I got something different (good but different)

I ended up with a topic that arose due to the comparison of two similar greek words

(their differences and similarities, and what those can and should mean to us , practically)

 

Here is the one verse that I never got past 🙂

2 When he [Paul] had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation, he came to Greece.

what does exhortation mean ?

3870. παρακαλέω parakaleo; from 3844 and 2564   παρα = close beside (to or from)+ καλέω = call

7- appeal(4), appealed(1), appealing(2), 

4- beg(1), begging(2), beseeching(1), 

19- comfort(5), comforted(11), comforts(2), conciliate(m)(1), 

13- encourage(6), encouraged(4), encouraging(3), 

23- entreat(7), entreated(9), entreating(7), 

16- exhort(8), exhortations(1), exhorted(2), exhorting(3), exhorts(1), given exhortation*(1), 

2- invited(2), 

1- preach(m)(1), 

1- requested(1), 

23- urge(17), urged(5), urging(1).

79 total occurrences 

is there a difference between teaching and preaching ?

What’s the Difference Between Teaching and Preaching?

FROM R.C. Sproul Jr. Jun 16, 2012 Category: Articles

Like prose and poetry, these two terms are better understood as opposite ends of a spectrum, rather than raw opposites. When we write prose we are given to sundry poetic devices, word-plays, metaphors, etc. and when we write poetry we are communicating information. In like manner it is rather difficult if not impossible to teach without preaching to some degree, or to preach without some level of teaching.

One way to illustrate the distinction however is to note the difference between the indicative and the imperative. The former tells us what is, the latter tells us what we’re supposed to do. Teaching, obviously, tends toward the indicative while preaching tends toward the imperative. But what if we made the distinction absolute? Would not any teaching utterly bereft of any imperative cause us to yawn, to reply, “So what?” In like manner, were we to drain preaching of all indicative, and be left with only imperative, would we not have sermons that merely shout, “Do something!”? Would it not end up sound and fury, signifying nothing?

There is teaching the word, then there is preaching the Word

put in other words, 

teaching is alerting someone to information

preaching is expecting someone to do something

both have to come together in the definition and act of exhortation

so the word parakaleo is nailed down (does it sound similar to another word we use from NT greek ?

this word is different from paraclete (which occurs only 5 times in NT)   John 14:16, John 14:26; John 15:26; John 16:7; 1 John 2:1

(always refers to deity in NT)

4156   [3875]   παράκλητος, paraklētos, n.  [4123 + 2813] 

one who encourages and comforts; in the NT it refers exclusively to the Holy Spirit and to Jesus Christ

hmmm 

encourage is the translation for parakaleo 19 times

comfort is the translation for parakaleo  13 times

both start with para (close by, next to)

2813   [2564]   καλέω, kaleō, v.  

to call, invite, summon. 

The authority of the speaker dictates the nature of the calling.

This is also translated “to name,” the giving of attribution to someone or something

so the difference between these two words boils down to the authority of the one who is doing the comforting, encouraging, inviting …

a parakaleo can invite you on behalf of another.

a paraklete can invite you with His own authority.

a friend invites, a king summons

in the christian paradigm, 

a parakaleo can urge you to see yourself as God sees you.

the Paraklete tells you how He sees you with authority (to the point of naming you)

1. John 14:16 “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another ^1aHelper, that He may be with you forever;

(permanent closeness)

2. John 14:26 “But the ^aHelper, the Holy Spirit, ^bwhom the Father will send in My name, ^cHe will teach you all things, and ^dbring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

(teacher = didasko, to provide information in a manner intended to produce understanding [understanding produces action]” who brings things back to memory)

3. John 15:26 ¶ “When the ^1aHelper comes, ^bwhom I will send to you from the Father, that is ^cthe Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, ^dHe will testify about Me,

(closeness of truth and testimony of Christ)

(testify = μαρτυρέω, martyreō, v.  [3459]. to testify, give testimony; commend, speak well of, vouch for)

4. John 16:7 But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.

John 16:8 “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;

John 16:9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me;

John 16:10 and concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father and you no longer see Me;

John 16:11 and concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.

John 16:12 I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.

John 16:13 “But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come.

Paraklete reveals the truth in a convincing way (brings about repentance) regarding sin, righteousness, and judgement of both.

finally, the 5th usage in the first epistle of John

1 John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous;

(speaks on our behalf to the Father)

using the Word (and speaking in the leading and power of the Holy Spirit, the Paraklete)

 we, as parakaleo’s , can urge and invite others to receive the direct invitation of God Himself. 

• closeness and comfort, 
• teaching the Word, 
• reminder and testimony of Christ, 
• conviction (of sin, righteousness, and judgement), 
• guides us into truth, 
• advocates for us

rather like a messenger , carrying an invitation (personally handwritten by the King) to it’s intended recipient.

Our role as the parakaleo is to hold the other persons hand long enough to put it into the hand of the Paraklete and then get out of they way 

how can we as parakaleos, live in cooperation with the Paraklete ?

how can we represent the Paraklete in His ministry ?