Self is the subtle threat to every preacher. Preaching self instead of the Savior tempts the preacher, yet no preacher can preach the Savior except through self. Truth flows through personality because every sermon is incarnational truth. The key to incarnational preaching requires self to enhance the message but not intrude upon the centrality of the Savior.
Paul wrote, For we do not preach ourselves but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves as your bond-servants for Jesus' sake (2 Corinthians 4:5). The conjunction "and" (δὲ) is a particle used to connect two clauses where there is some contrast combined with significant continuity (BAGD, p.171). We do not preach ourselves (ἑαυτοὺς), but we do preach ourselves (ἑαυτοὺς)! We preachers must not be the message of the sermon, but we are the servants of the Savior. We must always maintain that subtle but vital distinction in our preaching.
The word translated "preach" (κηρύσσομεν) comes from the noun for "herald" (κῆρυξ) which referred to a government official commissioned to proclaim the news of the kingdom in the Greco-Roman world (NIDNTT, 3:48). The verb (κηρύσσω) is one of the most important words in the New Testament for preaching, but the New Testament writers avoided connecting the act of proclaiming truth - preaching - with the office of the Herald (NIDNTT, 3:52). Neither the office nor the person is as important as the act of proclamation to the first century preachers.
We do not proclaim ourselves "but" (ἀλλὰ) "Jesus Christ as Lord" (Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν κύριον). Here we have a double accusative - the name and the title (Rienecker & Rogers, Key, p.463). We preach the person of Jesus Christ, and the content of the Christian proclamation (κηρύγμα - kerygma) is that Christ is Lord. The content of our preaching should be the Lordship of Christ (Meyer, 2 Corinthians, p.491).
We preach Christ as Lord and (δὲ) ourselves (ἑαυτοὺς) as "your servants" (δούλους ὑμῶν). Once again we have a double accusative. We do preach ourselves not as Lord but as servants of others. The incarnational content of our preaching is our servanthood. We proclaim Christ as Lord and ourselves as servants. Here is the correct balance of incarnational preaching.
The final prepositional clause "for Jesus' sake" (διὰ Ἰησοῦν) shows the motivation behind our servanthood as preachers. Some ancient manuscripts have the genitive Ἰησοῦ which would change the meaning of the preposition διὰ to "through" (BAGD, p.179). However, the stronger evidence is for the accusative Ἰησοῦν. We are servants of those to whom we preach, but our servanthood does not negate leadership. We are not servants of people. We are servants of Jesus, and our service to people is for His sake, not their demands.
Lord, help me keep self and Savior in balance as I preach your Lordship by my servanthood.
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