By: Brian G. Chilton, Ph.D., M.Div. | June 9, 2023
As we travel down the road of life, we often come across events that cause us to stop and ponder, such as observing the beauty of a mountainside or taking in the calm of the rhythmic patterns of the ocean waves. But on other occasions, we take off-ramps that force us to consider deeper-level ideas that have pervaded our communities and church life.
Recently, I took one of those off-ramps when I heard some folks say something that seemed quite bizarre. Within the same week, I heard two or three people assert that a preacher should not study for their message on Sunday. Should a preacher be well-studied? According to this logic, a preacher should not consider what message to bring prior to standing up in the pulpit. No notes should be used, and no outside study should be employed. According to this viewpoint, a preacher should just stand up and let the Spirit speak through them.
The idea is especially fluent in Appalachian culture, particularly in some independent Baptist and charismatic circles—but certainly not all. The viewpoint comes from a flawed interpretation of Jesus’s messages, where Jesus said that a person should not focus on what one will say, but rather the person should depend on the Spirit for guidance. But did Jesus intend to say that a preacher should be ill-prepared for their message? Most assuredly, he did not. We will speak more on a proper interpretation of this message a little later. Nevertheless, when we examine the totality of Scripture, we note that a preacher—and really every child of God—should be well-studied in the Word of God for three important reasons.
 
A Preacher Should Be Well-Studied to Proclaim Accurate Messages
I cannot stress enough the vast importance of being fully prepared for a message. Paul writes, “Be diligent to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who doesn’t need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth. Avoid irreverent and empty speech, since those who engage in it will produce even more godlessness, and their teaching will spread like gangrene” (2 Tim. 2:14–17a). This text alone shows the vast importance of being well-studied in preparation for a message and anytime the Word of God is expounded.
In Paul’s day, those who had not been faithful to the proper exposition of God’s Word had allowed godless teaching to spread like a virus. Paul used the descriptive term γάγγραινα—meaning gangrene—to illustrate the toxicity that false teaching causes. Gangrene is an infection that spreads to the point that the limb becomes useless and needs to be amputated. If the infection is not stopped, it will spread, poisoning the entire system.
Paul was one who certainly placed a high value on being a well-studied man. 2 Timothy is likely the last letter that Paul wrote before his execution. Even facing the potential of death, Paul placed a high value on his studies, as he requested that his friends bring “the scrolls, especially the parchments” (2 Tim. 2:13). The scrolls and parchment were likely Old Testament Scriptures along with personal books and writing papers that Paul held in his possession.
 
A Preacher Should Be Well-Studied for Deeper Devotions
I attended a leadership seminar in which a CEO asserted a leadership principle that is especially pertinent for Christian discipleship. The CEO said, “To be a good leader, you must first learn how to be a good follower.” He went on to say, “Everyone has to answer to someone. Even as a CEO, I answer to my board members.” This is a principle of such magnitude that it cannot be over-emphasized.
A pastor is not the ultimate authority over the church. Christ is. Even then, Christ, while coequal with the Father in essence, is under the Father’s authority. Thus, God is the ultimate authority of the church. If a pastor is not under the direct authority of God,