Complete Bible Study Guide

What Does the Bible Say About Preaching?

99 Scripture references with full text and commentary

Understanding Preaching in the Bible

Explore what the Bible says about preaching. This collection of 7 key Scripture passages reveals God's wisdom and guidance on this important theme.

99
Total Verses
6
Old Testament
93
New Testament

Top 10 Verses About Preaching

  1. 1
    Exodus 4:10
    And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore , nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. eloquent: Heb. a man of words heretofore: Heb. since yesterday, nor since the third day
    KJV
  2. 2
    Exodus 4:11
    And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
    KJV
  3. 3
    Exodus 4:12
    Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
    KJV
  4. 4
    Psalms 8:2
    Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. ordained: Heb. founded
    KJV
  5. 5
    Ecclesiastes 1:1
    The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
    KJV
  6. 6
    Ecclesiastes 1:12
    I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
    KJV
  7. 7
    Matthew 3:2
    And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
    KJV
  8. 8
    Matthew 4:17
    From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
    KJV
  9. 9
    Matthew 5:1
    And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
    KJV
  10. 10
    Matthew 11:25
    At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
    KJV

Subtopics of Preaching

false preaching in
preaching the gospel
teaching and preaching
woman preaching
women preaching the gospel
Solomon called "the preacher" (Koheleth)
Noah called "preacher,"
Sitting while
Moses was slow of speech
Repentance, the subject of John the Baptist' s
Repentance, the subject of Christ' s
Repentance, the subject of the apostles
The Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the subject of Christ' s
Christ crucified and risen, the burden of Paul' s
Effective
By Azariah
By Jonah
By Peter and other apostles
By Philip
By Paul

Old Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Preaching? (6 Verses)

And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore , nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. eloquent: Heb. a man of words heretofore: Heb. since yesterday, nor since the third day
And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger. ordained: Heb. founded
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem.

New Testament: What Does the Bible Say About Preaching? (93 Verses)

And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.
Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.
John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. for: or, unto
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them.
And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;
And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
And it came to pass afterward , that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him,
In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.
But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.
And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. whom: or, whom, said he, I preach
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. words: or, speech
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock , and unto the Greeks foolishness;
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;
And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:
That no flesh should glory in his presence .
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: enticing: or, persuasible
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. stand: Gr. be
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth ; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.
For he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. understandeth: Gr. heareth
But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.
I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.
Now, brethren, if I come unto you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you, except I shall speak to you either by revelation, or by knowledge, or by prophesying, or by doctrine?
And even things without life giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall it be known what is piped or harped? sounds: or, tunes
For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?
So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? for ye shall speak into the air. easy: Gr. significant
There are, it may be, so many kinds of voices in the world, and none of them is without signification .
Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.
Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church. of spiritual gifts: Gr. of spirits
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret.
For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.
What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.
Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest?
For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified.
I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all:
Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. men: Gr. perfect, or, of a ripe age
But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all:
And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:
To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: plainness: or, boldness
If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;
Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:
Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; to fulfil: or, fully to preach the word
Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints:
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: in: or, among
Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus:
Whereunto I also labour, striving according to his working, which worketh in me mightily .
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor of uncleanness, nor in guile:
But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.
For neither at any time used we flattering words , as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:
Nor of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been burdensome , as the apostles of Christ. been: or, used authority
But we were gentle among you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children:
So being affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted unto you, not the gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye were dear unto us.
For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you the gospel of God.
Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that believe:
As ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you , as a father doth his children,
That ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory.
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: science: Gr. knowledge
Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.
But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. condemnation: or, judgment
And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

How to Study What the Bible Says About Preaching

  1. 1

    Begin by reading through every verse listed on this page, noting which ones speak most directly to your current season of life. Write them down and revisit them throughout the week.

  2. 2

    Use a concordance or the search tools on this site to find additional passages about preaching. Look for patterns across both the Old and New Testaments to gain a complete picture of what God reveals on this subject.

  3. 3

    Study the context of each verse. Read the surrounding chapter to understand who was speaking, who the audience was, and what circumstances prompted the passage. Context prevents misapplication.

  4. 4

    Memorise at least one key verse about preaching and meditate on it daily. Scripture memory transforms thinking and equips you to apply God's Word in real-time situations.

Practical Application

Studying what the Bible says about preaching is only the beginning. Scripture is meant to be lived out in daily obedience and faith. Here are practical steps to apply these truths:

  • Identify one area of your life where the biblical teaching on preaching needs to be applied more consistently. Write a specific, actionable step you can take this week.

  • Share what you have learned about preaching with a fellow believer or in a small group setting. Teaching others solidifies your own understanding and encourages mutual growth.

  • Pray through the key verses about preaching, asking God to reveal how His Word applies to your relationships, decisions, and daily habits.

How Well Do You Know What the Bible Says About Preaching?

You have studied 99 verses about preaching. Now test your knowledge with chapter-by-chapter quizzes covering the books where these verses appear.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Bible say about preaching?
Explore what the Bible says about preaching. This collection of 7 key Scripture passages reveals God's wisdom and guidance on this important theme. The Bible contains 99 key verses about preaching spanning both Old and New Testaments.
How many Bible verses about preaching are there?
There are 99 key Bible verses about preaching compiled in this study guide, drawn from books across both the Old and New Testaments.
What is the best verse about preaching?
One of the most well-known and frequently cited verses about preaching is Exodus 4:10 — "And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore , nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech,..."
Where in the Bible does it talk about preaching?
Preaching is discussed throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments. You can find 99 references to this topic across multiple books including the Psalms, Proverbs, the Gospels, and the Epistles.

Continue Studying Preaching

Topics Included

This page consolidates Bible verses from 2 related topics:

preaching