Dr. Robert Martin

I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable . . .I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:20, 27).

In previous studies, we have seen that Paul appeals to the Ephesians’ knowledge of his consistent humility, compassion, and unselfishness. In this chapter, we begin to take up the next mark of a true pastor, which is that he is an able and faithful preacher of God’s Word. Paul says to the Ephesian elders,

Ye yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, after what manner I was with you all the time, . . . how I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. . . . But I hold not my life of any account as dear unto myself, so that I may accomplish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I testify unto you this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God (20:18-21, 24-27).

In these verses we see (1) the scope of Paul’s preaching, (2) the focus and recurring themes of Paul’s preaching, (3) the courageous manner of Paul’s preaching, and (4) the fruit of Paul’s preaching in his own conscience.

1. The Scope of Paul’s Preaching

In later chapters, we will examine the foci and recurring themes of Paul’s preaching. There we will consider what Paul means when he speaks of “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (20:21), of “testifying the gospel of the grace of God” (20:24), and of “preaching the kingdom” (20:25). These statements identify the primary foci of Paul’s preaching and the recurring emphasis that he placed on the gospel as the heart of his message. Indeed, so central was the gospel in his preaching that he said to the Corinthians, “we preach Christ crucified” (1 Cor. 1:23) and “I determined not to know anything among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:2). Some take these words to imply that the preacher should limit his labors to proclaiming Christ and the cross exclusively. No responsible pastor can consent to such a plan, because he understands that the needs of Christ’s sheep transcend their need for justification. Better to say with C. P. McIlvaine, “You may take truth from the immediate neighborhood of the cross, or from the farthest boundaries of the domain of Christianity, and when its just relation to Christ and His redemption is exhibited Christ is preached. Thus there is no reason why, in the most faithful ministry, there may not be abundant variety of topic and instruction.”¹

We must not infer from Paul’s statements that he only preached evangelistically or only preached the doctrine of Christ, or even that preaching Christ explicitly was a primary emphasis in every sermon. From his letters to Corinth we know that he addressed a wide variety of doctrinal and practical issues. Not only did he preach Christ in the more pointed and explicit way that characterized his evangelistic preaching, but he also proclaimed the revelation of God’s will on such subjects as marriage, spiritual gifts, church unity, Christian liberty, and a host of other themes. Indeed, when he writes to Timothy about preaching the Word, he says,

All scripture is God-breathed, and is also profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work. I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Tim. 3:16-4:2).

From his own example and from this exhortation to Timothy, it is clear that in Paul’s mind and practice there was broad scope to preaching, so much so that the legitimate field of profitable preaching was the entirety of God-breathed Scripture. And it is this wider scope that Paul had in mind when he said to the Ephesian elders, “I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable” (20:20), “I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God” (20:27).

In both these statements, Paul tells us about his state of mind as a preacher. The word u`poste,llw (“to draw back”) was used of soldiers who shrank from duty out of fear. We will consider the implications of this word more fully when we take up the manner of Paul’s preaching; but, for now simply note that Paul is saying that from the first day he set foot in Asia, all the time that he went in and out among the Ephesians, at no time had he been a coward in his preaching. At no time had he retreated from his duty to God and to them out of fear of what might happen if he preached the whole counsel of God, i.e., if he preached everything needed for the profit of their souls. In simple terms, the fear of man did not determine the limits of what Paul said. The content of his preaching was not determined by consulting the faces of his hearers, or by consulting his own fears or prejudices. Instead, the only question was, “Is this part of the whole counsel of God, revealed for the profit of men’s souls?” This concern alone determined the scope of Paul’s preaching.

It is important that we understand what Paul meant by “the whole counsel of God.” Some speak of this expression in such a way that the practical effect is to restrict its meaning to the preaching of God’s plan of salvation. But this isn’t correct. In the immediate context Paul shows us what he means. At verse 20 he says virtually the same thing as at verse 27, but he chooses a different expression to describe the scope of his preaching. He says,

I shrank not from declaring unto you anything that was profitable (20:20).
I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole counsel of God (20:27).

If we interpret these verses in light of one another, we see that the “whole counsel of God” is comprised of “anything that was profitable” to Paul’s hearers. This includes the full scope of the doctrine of salvation; but it also includes much more.

The word translated “counsel” (boulh,) refers first to a deliberation (cf., Isa. 8:10, LXX), i.e., a consideration of the right course in a given matter. It refers also to the result of such deliberation manifested in a decision of the will, a judgment, a pronouncement, a resolution, an edict or decree (cf., Acts 2:23).² Understood in this sense, “the whole counsel of God” is God’s reasoned, deliberated, wise and holy will on whatever subject he has chosen to reveal his mind. And it is a declaration of what he has purposed to do as the result of his eternal counsels. The precise character of the divine revelation, whether evangelical, doctrinal, or moral, is irrelevant. All is traceable to the mind of God, and all is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man of God may be complete, furnished completely unto every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).

In a word, “the whole counsel of God” is all that God has revealed on any subject whatever. And in his infinite wisdom, knowing what is needed to fulfill his purposes and to profit men’s souls, he has given this broad revelation, now inscripturated in the Bible, so that it may be preached, believed, and obeyed. This understanding of the content of “the whole counsel of God,” of course, accords with the use that the Confession makes of the phrase in its statement on the sufficiency of Scripture. The Confession says that “the whole counsel of God,” which is “either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture,” concerns “all things necessary for his own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life.”³ Understood this way, the proper scope of preaching, which is the “whole counsel of God,” is the whole Word of God. As John Dick remarks, “The instructions of Paul were not confined to a few favorite topics, but comprehended a complete system of necessary truths.”⁴ His preaching included the gospel of the grace of God, and it included repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, but it embraced much more in opening up the broad revelation of God’s mind on all those subjects profitable to the souls of his people.

Imitation of Paul’s ministry at this point requires that a man be a faithful and able preacher of the Scriptures. Surely it is clear that before a man can be acknowledged to be a preacher after the apostolic model, he must be a faithful expounder of the whole counsel of God. Any man, for whatever reason, who either will not or cannot preach the whole counsel of God–no matter how eloquent his speech or charismatic his manner–is not imitating Paul’s example at the point of the overall scope of his preaching.

Many years ago, when I was a seminarian, I was asked to teach a series of studies on the book of Romans in a church in Texas. My task in five nights was to survey Romans, giving attention to its major themes. As the week progressed, I moved steadily through the first eight chapters. But when I came to chapters 9-11, I excused myself (for the sake of time) from treating them, jumped to 12:1, and then continued to the end of the book. In reality, I skipped Romans 9-11 because at best I had no idea what these chapters meant and at worst, if they meant what they seemed to teach, then what I believed about the saving work of God was grossly deficient. I have no idea what benefit the people of that church received from those studies. But I came away with a lesson that radically changed my view of the work of preaching. I vowed that I would follow God’s Word wherever it led. I promised the Lord that if he would teach me “the whole counsel of God,” I would believe and preach the truth in its fullness, regardless of the traditions and ideas that had to be jettisoned in the process, and regardless of the frowns on the faces of those who heard me. I swore that I would never again knowingly skip over any part of God’s Word because its teaching embarrassed me. I promised the Lord that I would pay whatever price was necessary to prepare myself for the work of preaching and that in the work itself I would never go to the pulpit without a clear sense that I understood the mind of God on the text or subject of the hour.

At the time, I had no idea where this determination would lead or what it would cost. That was never an issue. My mind and heart were captive to the Word and my pledge to God was that I would not shrink back from declaring the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. The transformation that eventually followed in my understanding of the truth (and the determination to faithfully and fairly represent the whole counsel of God) eventually led me out of the sphere where I thought that God meant for me to serve (where my reforming views of doctrine and preaching were not welcome) and into the fellowship of brethren with similar commitments.

My point in telling you my story is not to imply that I am some kind of martyr or that I have arrived as a preacher. I am painfully aware of my remaining deficiencies, and I know that there are those who have paid a much dearer price than I have for preaching the whole truth. But I want you to understand that my perspective on these things is not merely academic. I have wrestled through the question in my own experience, and have come away with the deeply-held conviction that those men are sinning who would be called “pastor” or “preacher,” but who are not willing to follow the whole truth whatever it costs, or who are not willing to do whatever is needed to prepare themselves to preach the whole counsel of God.

Sadly, there are those who preach only what suits their fancy, or what is popular and traditional, or what may be served up with little preparation, with little apparent concern for the will of God or the ultimate good of their hearers. Some will preach salvation but not damnation, heaven but not hell, grace but not law, human responsibility but not divine sovereignty, promise but not duty, assurance but not perseverance. And for every preacher unbalanced in one of these areas, there seems to be another who is unbalanced on the other side of the same issue. There seem to be so very many who will preach only part of God’s Word. How few there seem to be in comparison who will preach the whole truth, no matter where it leads or what it costs. Yet these alone imitate Paul. And these alone will know God’s blessing and final approbation. Spurgeon says,

The true minister of Christ feels impelled to preach the whole truth, because it and it alone can meet the wants of man. What evils has this world seen through a distorted, mangled, man-moulded gospel. What mischiefs have been done to the souls of men by men who have preached only one part and not all the counsel of God. . . . The believer in Christ, if he is to be kept pure, simple, holy, charitable, Christ-like, is only to be kept so by a preaching of the whole truth as it is in Jesus. And as for the salvation of sinners, ah, my hearers, we can never expect God to bless our ministry for the conversion of sinners unless we preach the gospel as a whole. Let me get but one part of the truth, and always dwell upon it, to the exclusion of every other, and I cannot expect my Master’s blessing. If I preach as he would have me preach, he will certainly own the word; he will never leave it without his own living witness. But let me imagine that I can improve the gospel, that I can make it consistent [in the eyes of men], that I can dress it up and make it look finer, I shall find that my Master is departed, and that Ichabod is written on the walls of the sanctuary.⁵

In a similar vein, John Dick says,

Those who are influenced by selfish considerations are in constant danger of forsaking the path of rectitude. Instead of preaching those doctrines which would be profitable to others, they are tempted to preach such only as are profitable to themselves. The apostle was a man of a different spirit. To the suggestions of worldly prudence he paid no attention; his counselor was conscience; and the source of his actions was a benevolent heart, which sought the salvation of others with an ardour little inferior to that which it laboured for its own. Contenting himself with the consciousness of upright intention, and the approbation of his Master in heaven, he did not hesitate to bring forward, in the proper season, whatever would contribute to the instruction and establishment of those to whom he ministered. If his doctrine should ultimately be productive of salutary effects, he was satisfied, although, in some instances, it should awaken temporary displeasure. In religion, as in medicine, things are often wholesome which are not agreeable to the taste; and the physician of the soul, may occasionally expect, like the physician of the body, to incur the censures of the patient. But, he who is bound by his office, as well as prompted by his feelings, to do good to others, must be superior to every consideration but that of his duty. He must even undertake the ungracious task of endeavouring to serve them in opposition to their wishes, and at the risk of offending them in the mean time; trusting to their wiser thoughts and subsequent experience for the justification of his conduct, or calmly waiting the sentence of God, who, in recompensing his servants, will regard their intention, and not their success.⁶

Paul exhorted Timothy, “Give diligence to present thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, handling aright⁷ the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). If he would “handle aright the word of truth” and preach the whole counsel of God with accuracy and in “harmonious proportion,”⁸ a faithful and able preacher must labor to whatever extent is required that he may be “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed” before his Master. He must be “apt to teach” (i.e., able or skillful in teaching), lest he mislead God’s people. And he must always remember that he labors not to be approved of men but that he may show himself approved of God. Such men are the need of the hour. Such men are preachers after the apostolic example.

Further, consider that those who desire to sit under an able and faithful ministry must be willing to receive it. Our text focuses on the commitment required of preachers who would imitate Paul’s example in their preaching. Also implied, however, is the commitment required of those who would have such a blessing, that they be willing to receive it in the way that the Bible commands. Perhaps the best way to make this point is to look at two passages in which the issue of receiving the word is highlighted.

At 2 Tim. 4:2-4, Paul speaks to Timothy of his duty as a preacher in light of the behavior of those who are unwilling to receive the whole counsel of God.

I charge thee in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts; and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables.

In time some of Timothy’s hearers will demonstrate their unwillingness to hear sound doctrine by gravitating to teachers who will teach fables rather than the truth, and who will leave them alone in their lusts rather than preach the whole counsel of God to them. In his preaching, however, Timothy is not to waver from the apostolic model. Now, I think that we would be hard pressed to find a single professing Christian who would admit that he or she did not want to hear the whole counsel of God. Yet the world is full of folk who will not receive such a ministry and have gravitated to unfaithful and unskilled teachers who leave them alone in their sins. Is this what you will do? This, of course, is not the biblical model of rightly hearing the Word of God.

Luke says of the Jews of Berea, “Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness of mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). The nobility of the Bereans was exhibited in two things: (1) in their open, teachable spirit, and (2) in their uncompromising zeal to know truth for themselves from the Word of God.

First, the Bereans were not so prejudiced by their own opinions and traditions that they were unwilling to learn from those able to teach them. Before the gospel came to Berea, their views of Messiah were no different from the views of Jews in other places. Yet their nobility of character is seen in that they were more devoted to the truth (the whole counsel of God) than to their own opinions, no matter how dearly held. Therefore, they gave Paul and Silas a fair hearing–they “received the word with all readiness of mind.”

Second, the Bereans were uncompromising in their determination to know the truth for themselves from the Word of God. Their openness to instruction was not wedded to an uncritical, gullible spirit. Though they were open to be taught, they were closed to anything that could not be proven from the Scriptures. In order to gain their confidence and consciences, everything that Paul and Silas said had to be grounded in the Scriptures–for as they were setting the doctrines of the gospel before them, the Bereans were “examining (searching carefully) the scriptures daily, whether these things were so.”

What then are the preacher’s options? He may (1) depart from his commission and use Scripture like a cafeteria line or a nose of wax, or (2) be true to his Master and proclaim all that he has revealed–no more and no less. Which kind of pastor do you want? And what are your options? You may (1) turn away from the truth and heap to yourselves teachers who will leave you alone, or (2) receive the Word with all readiness of mind, with your Bibles and eyes wide open, willing to hear and believe and obey the whole counsel of God. What kind of hearer will you be? The scope of preaching and hearing should be as broad as the whole counsel of God.
 
Notes:

1. Charles Pettit McIlvaine, The Work of Preaching Christ (Boston: Gospel Book and Tract Depository, 1871), 61.
2. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1978), 3:1015.
3. 2ndLCF 1.6. The Westminster Confession stated this doctrine in this form: “The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man’s salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture” (WC 1.6).
4. John Dick, Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles, 357.
5. Cited in Iain H. Murray, Spurgeon v. Hyper-Calvinism: The Battle for Gospel Preaching (Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1995), 155-57.
6. John Dick, Lectures on the Acts of the Apostles, 357-58.
7. “Rightly dividing,” KJV ( ovrqotome,w, “cutting a straight course in”).
8. C. H. Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students (reprint ed., Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), 75.

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