Page 81 - A Dissertation for Doctor of Philosophy

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ministry of proclaiming the Kingdom of God. Matthew presents a strong picture of Jesus as a
preacher and a trainer of preachers.

In any judicial description of the ministry of Jesus, it is incumbent to include his performing

various miracles, his love, his suffering, and his death and resurrection. Yet, his preaching the

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Kingdom of God and its ethics is “an integral and essential part of his ministry and revelation.”
Though the Synoptic writers provide different aspects of Jesus’ preaching ministry, they witness

unanimously that Jesus was a preacher and a trainer of preachers. They picture Jesus preaching

both “in public, formal teaching in synagogues or on the mountain, in private instruction to his

disciples, in answer to questions raised by others and in private conversations, he spoke the

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Word.” Jesus escaped consistently to the next town whenever other ministries such as healing

came to eclipse his preaching by the miracle-seeking crowd. Jesus came to preach. A fortiori, he

came to charge his followers to preach the Gospel. “Go into all the world and proclaim the good

news to the whole creation” (Mark. 16:15).

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Ibid., 141-143. Old provides three points of this sermon of Jesus: 1. A true preacher
must be sent by God himself, the Lord of the harvest. (Matt. 9:38); 2. Christian preaching must
be gratuitous. (Matt. 10:8); and 3. The preacher must devote himself to a fearless profession of
faith and a wholehearted commitment. (Matt. 10:32-33)

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Peter Adam pp. 47.
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Ibid.