Luther Rice Journal of Christian Studies
P a g e | 76
The Convincing Work of the Preacher by Mark McElreath1 Introduction As Paul reached the end of his earthly life and ministry, he strove to leave behind a series of exhortations to Christians. All Christians may glean from his writings, but no one group will benefit more than preachers—in particular Paul’s preachers, Timothy and Titus. Paul’s final charge to Titus encompassed everything that Paul had taught him. Paul left Titus in Crete to “set in order the things that are wanting,” or had not met the mark of what a church should be (Titus 1:5). Titus was charged to care for these things and bring them up to the level of expectation Paul had for them. In the book of Titus, Paul lists a number of principles related to the work of pastoring, and one of these lists appears in chapter one. The list includes principles both domestic and personal, but at the end of the list comes a charge to Titus to “convince.” The convincing work of a preacher is one of the most important works the preacher has been given to do in his ministry. What Does It Mean to Convince? The word translated convince is the Greek word elencho (ἐλέγχω). Elencho is used eighteen times in the New Testament but is translated “convince” only four times. The word
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Mark McElreath is a current D.Min. student at Luther Rice College and Seminary. He serves as an adjunct professor of Bible and Church Ministry at The Crown College of the Bible in Powell, Tennessee. Mark has served in ministry for eleven years--three of those as a church planter in Ethiopia. He is planting City Baptist Church in inner-city Atlanta in November 2021. His research interests include contemporary issues and their effect on world evangelism.
