{"id":55437,"date":"2008-11-04T19:30:00","date_gmt":"2008-11-05T01:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/?p=55437"},"modified":"2022-11-04T19:45:18","modified_gmt":"2022-11-05T00:45:18","slug":"can-we-have-too-much-positive-preaching","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-we-have-too-much-positive-preaching\/","title":{"rendered":"Can We Have Too Much “Positive” Preaching?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

by Greg Gwin<\/p>\n

We readily acknowledge the importance of positive preaching. Brethren need the “comfort of the Scriptures<\/em>” (Romans 15:4). Paul sent Tychicus to the Ephesians so that he could “comfort your hearts.<\/em>” Timothy was dispatched to Philippi (Philippians 2:9) and Thessalonica (I Thessalonians 3:2) in order to comfort the brethren. Clearly, this kind of positive encouragement is essential. The Bible has much to say about it. No one denies this.<\/p>\n

There are, however, some among us who are determined to only preach positive things. They want to specialize in positive preaching and to emphasize only those things which (they claim) are designed to “build up” the hearers. They will not deal with controversial topics, and they refuse to spend time rebuking the sins and weaknesses that exist in men’s lives.<\/p>\n

This “positive” approach fails to present the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27), and at least two serious consequences will follow:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Christians will not be admonished to root out the evil that is in their lives. We must “put off the old man<\/em>” (Colossians 3:9). We will never become the “new man<\/em>” that we ought to be (Colossians 3:10) until we have been instructed adequately in this regard.<\/li>\n
  2. Christians will become conditioned to only want this sort of teaching and preaching. After having a steady diet of positive emphasis, brethren will lose all tolerance for forceful preaching on important doctrinal and moral issues. The apostle Paul anticipated such a scenario: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears<\/em>” (II Timothy 4:3).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    We are not at liberty to be “specialists” in only one aspect of the work. If we emphasize the positive while neglecting the negative, we have not done “the work of an evangelist<\/em>” (II Timothy 4:5). Our job involves both the positive and the negative. We are to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort<\/em>” (II Timothy 4:2).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    by Greg Gwin We readily acknowledge the importance of positive preaching. Brethren need the “comfort of the Scriptures” (Romans 15:4). Paul sent Tychicus to the Ephesians so that he could “comfort your hearts.” Timothy was dispatched to Philippi (Philippians 2:9) and Thessalonica (I Thessalonians 3:2) in order to comfort the brethren. Clearly, this kind of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[27],"tags":[536,1598],"class_list":["post-55437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-article","tag-preaching","tag-rebukes"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":92600,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-positive-about-the-negative\/","url_meta":{"origin":55437,"position":0},"title":"The Positive About the Negative","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"December 15, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Lee Moses Many a faithful Gospel preacher has been chided for being \"too negative\" in his preaching. True, a preacher can certainly be overly negative, robbing Christians of the joy that is rightfully theirs by blasting the congregation from the pulpit every Lord's Day, condemning them for sins they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":42038,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-aim-of-preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":55437,"position":1},"title":"The Aim of Preaching","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"by Frank Himmel Churches that are all about numbers gladly alter their activities to accommodate popular demand. While music usually gets special attention, preaching is no less targeted. Perhaps it would be timely to remind us all what God intends preaching to accomplish. Preaching is to Instruct In His wisdom,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/arrow-and-target-203x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":86025,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/the-greatest-need\/","url_meta":{"origin":55437,"position":2},"title":"The Greatest Need","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Author Unknown originally published in Bible Herald,\u00a0September 15, 1953 republished in\u00a0Reminders, Vol. 2 No. 10, March 6, 1966 via \"Tidbits by Tom Butterfield,\"\u00a0Sentry Magazine, Vol. 16 No. 3, September 30, 1990 The greatest need of all mankind is the Christ. We need to know more about Him, we need to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":92048,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/preaching-is-a-different-kind-of-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":55437,"position":3},"title":"Preaching Is a Different Kind of Work","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 11, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Zeke Flores There are both good and bad, positive and negative aspects to it. But I can say that the positive far outweighs the negative. Because of the nature of the work, you get opportunities to serve the best people in the world - Christians - all the time.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":69822,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/preaching\/","url_meta":{"origin":55437,"position":4},"title":"Preaching","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 15, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by John Iverson Introduction Even those who have a vague idea of what the Bible teaches know preaching is ordained of God (Titus 1:1-3) Some of the greatest men who have ever lived were proclaimers of God's Word. Noah (II Peter 2:5) Solomon (Ecclesiastes 1:1) Paul (I Timothy 2:7) Jesus\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":58607,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/pauls-fears\/","url_meta":{"origin":55437,"position":5},"title":"Paul’s Fears","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 1, 2005","format":false,"excerpt":"by Edward O. Bragwell, Sr. Guardian of Truth XXXI: 3, pp. 76-77, February 5, 1987 \"For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side. Outside were conflicts, inside were fears\" (II Corinthians 7:5). Paul admitting to fear? 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