A message given by Art Katz to a group of pastors and lay leaders in Phoenix, Arizona on Dec. 9^th, 2000. It is a message given principally to those who have the task of bringing the word of God to their fellowships. But because of the generally worldly nature of church life, pastors are often compromised to bring biblically correct messages that appeal to their audiences instead of a word that brings requirement—and therefore lose the very means by which maturity can be gained.

I believe that God wants to make a statement concerning the phenomenon of the preached word, not only for those who are responsible for bringing the word of God, but also for the whole church at large. In my observation, we do not adequately esteem the spoken word as being the word of God. We do not understand what ‘preaching the word’ means or the condition of the vessel that brings it. It is the responsibility of the church to provide the environment and atmosphere conducive to bringing the word of God. When I say ‘word of God,’ I am not speaking about a biblical message. It is better understood as the appointed and express word that God Himself gives.

I have therefore entitled this essay, Preachers of Righteousness. The thing that makes any preacher righteous is that he is not speaking his own word. The word is not his own; it is God’s, and that alone is what makes it righteous – in the refusal to speak out of his own capability and savvy. It is a phenomenon that has been so little addressed by the church. There is hardly any understanding of the dynamic and great weight of the divine things between God and man involved in true proclamation.

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