Our job as Christians is to preach the word of God to the lost and dying world. This is not so just for “preachers,” but for all Christians. When persecution first came upon the first century Christians, “those who had been scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). Since faith comes by hearing the word of God, it is necessary to teach it in order for proper faith to develop (Rom. 10:13-17).

How shall we teach? I’ve heard it suggested that it doesn’t matter how it is said, as long as it is said. This opens the door for offensive sarcasm and all manner of abusive presentation. Is this really what the Lord wants? Hardly.

The apostle wrote, “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned, as it were, with salt, so that you may know how you should respond to each person” (Col. 4:6). It matters how we respond to people. It matters how we teach people. This, too, is part of the gospel plan. While it is true that people will be responsible for the truth regardless of how they receive it, it is also true that the one teaching will be responsible for how it is taught. One can teach the truth in such an offensive manner that it drives people away. We are to avoid this.

By its very nature, truth will drive some people away. When Jesus taught, there were times when He offended people by the truth so that they turned away (John 6). Yet, it was the truth itself and not the manner in which He taught that drove the people away. If people will reject truth, then let us make sure that it is the truth itself they reject, and not an ungodly manner of presenting the truth.

The wise man wrote, “sweetness of speech increases persuasiveness” (Prov. 16:21b). “The heart of the wise teaches his mouth, and adds persuasiveness to his lips. Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones” (vv. 23-24). We do not help the cause of the gospel by being rude, abusive, and overly sarcastic (i.e., through mockery and ridicule). These are not “with grace.” This is not to say that we should compromise the truth. This does not mean that we do not take a firm stand for what it right. It simply means that there is way to teach without being insensitive and mean. I believe that preaching should be forceful and persuasive, but not unkind and abrasive. Our Lord gave us a great example of the former, but not of the latter. Let’s seek to imitate Him.

The word of God has the power to do the job that God desires (Rom. 1:16; Heb. 4:12; Isa. 55:10-11). It will not return void. Thus, if we will just stick to the Book and speak “as the utterances of God” (1 Pet. 4:11), we will have done our job. People will reject it; they always have. This is not our problem, for we cannot force anyone to accept truth. But there will be those who receive the word “with readiness” (Acts 17:11). They will accept it “as the word of God,” and let it work effectively in them (1 Thess. 2:13). We are looking for people like this.

In our teaching, we must magnify the word of God, and not ourselves or our manner. We should do all that we can to put the Scriptures in the forefront and ourselves in the back seat. Let the word of God shine through! How we teach has everything to do with this.

May we all respectfully study God’s word and seek to faithfully teach it so that God Himself is glorified. We are humble servants, striving to magnify our Lord. May God help us in this task.

Doy Moyer