Open Air Preaching

Examples:

Jesus Sermon on the Mount etc

He went up on the mountain—to seclusion in which people followed

John the Baptist

He was in the wilderness and people followed

Jewish Christian fleeing persecution from Jerusalem in Acts

They preached only to Jews (denotes not open air in the contemporary sense)

Paul at Mars Hill

He was invited to preach

Jonah

Prophets

It appears that when open air was practiced it was within the organic realm of explicitly commanded of God (Jonah and Prophets) or it was because a crowd was interested around the speaker.

I am not sure as of yet if open air preaching ever occured in an inorganic way without any interest revealed in crowd. Love compels us to pray for open doors which involves God creating an interest in the crowd to hear.

A major theme is that when open air preaching is practiced it is married with a general interest of the crowd preaching to. Preaching at a crowd that has shown no interest is not sin but is not the practice of the church.

Acts 2:6 “6 And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language.”

Acts 3:11–12 “11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon’s. 12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?”

Acts 5:16 “16 The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed.”

Acts 6:8–9 “8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.”

Acts 6:12 “12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council,”

Acts 8:4–8 “4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ. 6 And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was much joy in that city.”

Acts 8:26 “26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Rise and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is a desert place.”

Acts 8:29 “29 And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.””

Acts 8:30–31 “30 So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.”

Acts 9:20 “20 And immediately he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.””

Acts 10:29 “29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.””

Open Air preaching tends to support churchless evangelism where evangelism in Acts is interlinked with church

Acts 9:31 “31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”

Acts 11:19 “19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.”

This is often used to support modern day open air preaching but notice they were reserved to who they preach (although it was not needed for them to be)

Acts 11:20–21 “20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.”

Now this does not say how they preached, but it seems to reason it would be like everything above.

FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Acts 13:5 “5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them.”

Acts 13:7 “7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.”

Acts 13:14–15 “14 but they went on from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. And on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, say it.””

Then followed preaching

Acts 13:42 “42 As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath.”

Acts 13:44 “44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.”

Acts 14:1 “1 Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.”

Acts 14:6–7 “6 they learned of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.”

Again not told how but it seems to reason it would be like above. And also what happens next.

Acts 14:10–11 “10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!””

Acts 14:14–15 “14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.”

Acts 14:21 “21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,”

Not told but again assumed it was like above.

Acts 14:25 “25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia,”

Again, not told

SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY

Acts 16:9–10 “9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”

Acts 16:13 “13 And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together.”

Acts 17:1–2 “1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,”

Acts 17:10 “10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue.”

Acts 17:16–17 “16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there.”

Acts 17:19 “19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?”

Acts 17:22 “22 So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious.”

Acts 18:4 “4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and tried to persuade Jews and Greeks.”

Examples of Not Open Preaching

Paul went to public places where discourse was normal:

Synagogues

Market Place (not to preach but get in conversations)

What does it mean when Paul says an open door to spread the gospel?

1 Corinthians 16:9 “9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

Colossians 4:3 “3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—”

Acts 14:27 “27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.”

If the goal is simply go to a populated area and preach how is this not always an open door? Or perhaps Paul attaches this with an opportunity for people to listen

1 Corinthians 16:9 “9 for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.”

Effective: Barnes’ Notes on the Bible: That is, effective, or adapted to success; presenting opportunity for great effects. There is abundant opportunity to preach the gospel; there is attention to what is spoken, and great interest in it; there is great encouragement to labor. It is possible that this was one of the reasons why Paul had changed his mind about Macedonia. It would require time to visit Corinth, as he would wish to remain there; and an unexpected opportunity having arisen for doing good, he judged it best to remain at Ephesus as long as practicable, and then to go at once to Macedonia.

Many adversaries: Obviously Paul’s understanding of an open door is not a lack of adversaries stopping.

Gill on door: For a great door,.... Meaning an opportunity of ministering the word at Ephesus, a very populous city, and where he might have hope great good would be done. Some think that by this fair opportunity, or hopeful prospect, he means the populousness of the city; others, the conversion of some great men in it, which had made way for the introduction of Gospel there: but it seems rather to intend the desire that there appeared in many persons here to have the Gospel preached unto them; they flocked unto it; their hearts were opened to attend to it, and great numbers believed; and the apostle found a door of utterance in himself, and a door of entrance in them, which were reasons with him to tarry here.

Colossians 4:3 “3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison—”

Gill: but the door of the word; that there might be an opportunity of preaching it; in which sense this phrase is used, 1 Corinthians 16:9 that whereas he could not go abroad to preach it, the hearts of men might be inclined to come to him, and hear it from his mouth; and that the door of their hearts might be opened, that they might attend unto it; that it might have an entrance into them, and a place in them: or else the door of his own speech and words is intended,

After the churches in the Roman world had been established, Paul does not seem to expect the local churches to mimic what he did before their local church was established. it seems like he expects them to carry out their mission in a different way than how he established the church.