PREACHING THE TRUTH IN LOVE

We are hearing somewhat about certain “methods of approach” in preaching the gospel, which seems to mean the soft pedal art of “getting it over” to the hearer in such easy style that he does not realize it--sort of anesthetic preaching. The apostles were not trained in that art. On Pentecost Peter’s hearers were “pricked in the heart.” A brilliant young preacher in the Jerusalem church named “Stephen” preached a sermon to the Jews so caustic that they were “cut to the heart,” and they killed him. But it is better to preach one sermon like that and die than live in the praise and plaudits of the modern sort.

But we are softly told that we should preach in love. Paul was the author of the admonition, “speaking the truth in love,” yet to one who was opposed to the truth and sought to turn people from the faith he said: “O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). He was accused of “turning the world upside down,” of being a disturber of the peace, of clashing with other religions, opposing other parties, and unsettling things generally.

Preaching the truth in love does not mean that the preacher ought to sentimentally love all people so well that he will let them die in disobedience and go to hell rather than say anything to nettle their feelings or stir their consciences. Paul charged a certain young preacher to “reprove, rebuke, exhort.” Some preaching heard and heard about these days would make one think Paul had said, “exhort, exhort, exhort!”

The man who loves the truth does not have to try to preach it in love. A young man once asked a veteran preacher how to best prepare himself to preach. The pioneer preacher, known for his plainness in preaching, said: “Get brimful and running over with the word of God, and it will come out.” We add that the methods, the gestures, and the love will take care of themselves.

Foy E. Wallace, Jr.