53-3. Preaching requires much study, meditation, and prayer, and ministers should prepare their sermons with care, and not indulge themselves in loose, extemporary harangues, nor serve God with that which costs them naught. They should, however, keep to the simplicity of the Gospel, and express themselves in language that can be understood by all. They should also by their lives adorn the Gospel which they preach, and be examples to believers in word and deed.

DIGEST: The current PCA text has remained unchanged from that of PCUS 1933.

BACKGROUND AND COMPARISONS :
1. PCA 1973, Adopted text, DfW 6-3 [M1GA, Appendix, p. 156]
2. Continuing Presbyterian Church 1973, DfW Proposed text, p. 65-66.
3. PCUS 1933, DfW, VI, §324.
4. PCUS 1929, DfW, VI, §324.
Preaching requires much study, meditation, and prayer, and ministers should prepare their sermons with care, and not indulge themselves in loose, extemporary harangues, nor serve God with that which costs them naught. They should, however keep to the simplicity of the gospel, and express themselves in language that can be understood by all. They should also by their lives adorn the gospel which they preach, and be examples to believers in word and deed.

1. PCUS 1927, DfW, VI-3, §324.
2. PCUS 1894, DfW, VI-3.
The method of preaching requires much study, meditation, and prayer. Ministers ought, in general, to prepare their sermons with care, and not to indulge themselves in loose, extemporary harangues; nor to serve God with that which cost them naught. They ought, however, to keep to the simplicity of the gospel, expressing themselves in language agreeable to Scripture, and adapted to the understanding of the meanest of their hearers, carefully avoiding ostentation, either of gifts or learning. They ought also to adorn, by their lives, the doctrine which they teach; and to be examples to the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

PCUSA 1789, DfW VI-3
The method of preaching requires much study, meditation, and prayer.—Ministers ought, in general, to prepare their sermons with care ; and not to indulge themselves in loose, extemporary harangues; nor to serve God with that which cost them nought.—They ought, however, to keep to the simplicity of the gospel; expressing themselves in language agreeable to Scripture, and level to the understanding of the meanest of their hearers, carefully avoiding ostentation, either of parts or learning.—They ought also to adorn, by their lives, the doctrine which they teach; and to be examples to the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.

PCUSA 1786, DfW, 2d draft
This method of preaching requires much study, meditation, and prayer. Ministers ought, in general, to write their sermons, and not to indulge themselves in loose extempore harangues, but to carry beaten oil into the sanctuary of the Lord. They ought so to digest their sermons, and commit them to memory, as not, ordinarily, to use their notes in public. But if any chose to have their notes before them, let them use them with the glance of the eye, but not read their sermons from the pulpit.

COMMENTARY:
Morton H. Smith, Commentary on the Book of Church Order, 6th edition, 2007, p. 424.
Here again is a paragraph that speaks of the seriousness of preaching, and calling upon the minister to be serious in his preparation for entering the pulpit. Also, the minister is urged to make the message so plain that all will understand it. Ministers ought to avoid the temptation to show how erudite they are. The real purpose of preaching is to communicate the Gospel clearly to the congregation. Of course, a minister must not only be preachers, but also be doers of the Word.