True Christian preaching is grounded in the word of God and applied by the Holy Spirit to its audience.
The Holy Spirit is identified with the proclaimed word of God
Ephesians 6:17 See also John 6:63
And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
The Holy Spirit sends God's messengers
So Barnabas and Saul, sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. And John was with them as their helper.
The Holy Spirit equips, inspires and instructs God's messengers
He inspires the OT prophets
Micah 3:8 See also Isaiah 61:1–2; Ezekiel 2:2–5; 2 Peter 1:21
As for me, however, I am filled with power by the Spirit of the LORD, with justice and courage, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.
He inspires Jesus Christ's teaching ministry
Luke 4:18–21 See also Isaiah 61:1–2; Matthew 12:18; Isaiah 42:1; John 3:34
“The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Then He rolled up the scroll, returned it to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him, and He began by saying, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The apostles preach in the Spirit's power
1 Corinthians 2:4–5 See also Luke 24:45–49; Acts 4:8–12 Peter; Acts 6:10 Stephen; Acts 13:4–5 Paul and Barnabas; 1 Thessalonians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:12
My message and my preaching were not with persuasive words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith would not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.
The Holy Spirit teaches and applies the preached word of God to its hearers
John 14:26 See also John 16:15; 1 Corinthians 2:13
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.