“To feed the church of God, it is necessary, that the truth of the gospel be preached. Error can never nourish the soul. Error, even when mingled with truth, is like poison in our food. It is a thing much to be dreaded and avoided, to preach what is not true; or, what God has never commanded us to teach. The pastors of Christ’s flock, have the strongest motives to induce them to ‘take heed to themselves and to their doctrine’. They should be exceedingly solicitous to know what the truth is, not only for their own sakes, but for the sake of the people; and when they do know the revealed will of God, woe be unto them, if they do not preach it faithfully.

The whole counsel of God should be declared. Nothing that can be profitable should be kept back. The scribe well instructed in the kingdom of God, brings out of his treasure things new and old. The Old Testament and the New; the law and the gospel; the promises and the precepts; the predictions and the histories; the justice and the grace of God; – in short, everything which the Scriptures have it as their object to reveal, we must preach. Yet as in every system, while all parts are necessary in their place, some are more absolutely essential; so, in the system of scriptural doctrines, some truths must be made more conspicuous than others; and must be more frequently and earnestly inculcated, because on the knowledge of these, salvation is suspended. But every part of divine revelation should receive proper attention. The people need to be instructed in all that God has revealed for the edification of his church.”

– Archibald Alexander, found in the chapter entitled The Pastoral Office, pg. 100-101, The Pastor: His Call, Character, and Work published by Banner of Truth