Paul clearly thought he was doing both in Acts 20:20-21
how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. (ESV)

"anything that was profitable" is more than the plain gospel.

Hebrews 6 doesn't explicitly state preaching is the primary means we grow to maturity. Even if it did it's clear from Acts that Paul didn't just expect that to happen in the public worship but also less publically in homes.
The Hippo Critic | 05.09.05 - 2:26 pm | #

John,
I am a preacher and I love preaching but preaching is not a good way at all to bring about maturity. You do not become good at Christianity by listening to sermons. Maturity is learned by doing with a mentor. I will post on this if I get time. That is the point of my Christianity is learned more like gymnastics than geometry statements.
brad | Homepage | 05.09.05 - 3:07 pm | #

I agree that the PRIMARY function of the leadership of the church is the maturity of the saints, but Paul thoroughly expected the ministry in the open assembly to be of a nature that if an unbeliever were to come in then he would be convinced that God was with them. (see ICor.14.23-40) The emphasis was on the ability to understand what was going on. At my church, The NET (thenetchurch.org), we model on a G12 system. The open assembly is seaker sysnitive but those who wish to go further are encouraged to go through the leadership process which causes the body to minister to the comunity at large.
the gryffyn | 05.11.05 - 3:05 pm | #