Have you ever tried to teach someone the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they end up getting angry with you?  Jesus certainly had that problem.  He came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10), but that which was lost sought to kill Him.  Why?  They desired to kill Jesus because His word had no place in them (John 8:37).  For telling the truth, they wanted to kill our Savior (John 8:40).  Much like John the Baptist, Jesus’ message was one of repentance (Matthew 3:8 and Matthew 4:17).  The same problem existed then as does often now.  People don’t want to hear that they need to change.

     Today we preach to the lost the way to be saved.  Yet, many of those lost refuse to admit such, to even listen to the Gospel.  Thus, they defend themselves instead of listening to the Gospel which is able to save them (Romans 1:16, Ephesians 1:13, and James 1:21).  Too many are bent on being self-righteous rather than allowing themselves to truly become the righteous children of God through obedience to His will (Ephesians 4:21-24).

     The same problem exists among Christians at times.  As Christians we can certainly err and fall away (Romans 6:1-2, I Corinthians 9:27; 10:12, Galatians 5:4, Hebrews 6:4-6, and Revelation 2:1-5).  If we, as Christians, do err and fall away; our brethren have the responsibility of trying to restore us (Galatians 6:1 and James 5:19-20).  How some brethren receive correction is a problem that Paul faced.  In fact, he was even mocked for trying to restore his brethren to spiritual well-being.  They would challenge that Paul walked according to the flesh (II Corinthians 10:2).  They would talk of Paul having a weighty pen and a weak presence when in person.  Moreover, their problem was not looking at themselves but seeking to place blame.  Paul answered these charges and also established the importance of being approved by the Lord.  Notice the following passages:

“Do ye look on things after the outward appearance? If any man trust to himself that he is Christ's, let him of himself think this again, that, as he is Christ's, even so are we Christ's.  For though I should boast somewhat more of our authority, which the Lord hath given us for edification, and not for your destruction, I should not be ashamed: That I may not seem as if I would terrify you by letters.  For his letters, say they, are weighty and powerful; but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.  Let such an one think this, that, such as we are in word by letters when we are absent, such will we be also in deed when we are present.  For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.  But we will not boast of things without our measure, but according to the measure of the rule which God hath distributed to us, a measure to reach even unto you.  For we stretch not ourselves beyond our measure, as though we reached not unto you: for we are come as far as to you also in preaching the gospel of Christ: Not boasting of things without our measure, that is, of other men's labours; but having hope, when your faith is increased, that we shall be enlarged by you according to our rule abundantly, To preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, and not to boast in another man's line of things made ready to our hand. But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.  For not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth” (II Corinthians 10:7-18).

     Too often, the messenger that is hated is put on the defense.  If a preacher of the Gospel is defending himself, he is often not condemning the sins of others.  For some reason, people seem to find comfort in this.  Yet, a skillful teacher of the word of God will not allow the message to change from what is right to who is right.  One can defend the truth while at the same time condemning those who hate the truth.  Our earlier cited context shows Paul answering charges, but he was not allowing blame to be passed to him.  Jesus was a master at turning the finger back to the sinner (Matthew 4:1-12; 16:1-4; 22:23-46, Mark 10:2-12, John 8:2-11, etc.).  It is amazing how those who hate the messenger never consider why he is preaching the truth to them in the first place.

     Truly there are many false teachers who do not love helping souls to be saved (II Peter 2:1-3).  However, those who preach the truth do so because they love the one’s they are trying to teach.  Using Paul as one example, he often shed tears over the brethren (Acts 20:31).  When he wrote the brethren in Corinth he said: “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you” (II Corinthians 2:4).

     Paul had a reason for preaching and teaching so boldly and directly: “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences” (II Corinthians 5:11).  Paul, like all faithful preachers of the Gospel, realized what terror awaited the disobedient in the Judgment Day (II Thessalonians 1:7-9).  Paul preached the truth in clear terms because he wanted to spare men the terror that would be if they did not obey the Lord.  This is love (Proverbs 27:5 and Revelation 3:19)!  Still yet, brethren not only in Corinth, but other places also, did not appreciate the love Paul had for their souls.  Truly, they missed why Paul took the time to write and preach to them.  Paul, like many of today, was hated because he taught the truth.

     To the saints in the area of Galatia Paul asked: “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth” (Galatians 4:16)?  Too often, the answer to that question is “yes”.  Speaking the truth is an act of love (Ephesians 4:15).  Dear reader, we all need to realize that if we do not receive the truth we cannot be saved (II Thessalonians 2:10).

     How many will hate the messenger and try to claim it’s not because of the message?  You’ll here “he’s too arrogant” or “to offensive”.  Yet confidence (often misconstrued as arrogance) is how we ought to teach (Acts 28:31 and II Corinthians 10:2).  Faith will bring confidence and boldness (Ephesians 3:12).  Direct preaching is often hated, but is it not what we see as our example in teaching (Matthew 23:1ff., Acts 7:51ff., Acts 8:20-24, I Corinthians 2:1-5, II Corinthians 3:12, etc.)?  What are we saying when we do not like those who plainly declare the truth to us because they want us to be saved?

     When we don’t like hearing the truth it is because we are not walking in it.  Hating the messenger is merely an escape tactic.  People believe they can hate those who teach truth and therefore they can hate everything they say.  Oh, but to the contrary.  If you hate the messenger when he is preaching the truth, you are also saying you hate the source of that truth.  In the case of the Gospel, Jesus is the source (Hebrews 1:1-2).  Moreover, if he were on earth to preach today many preachers would pale in comparison to the sharp words and confidence He would use in preaching.

     People of the world, as well as many “brethren” today, aren’t even hearing the kind of preaching that needs to occur.  They hate the messengers today because they don’t read the word of God.  If they did, they would hate our Lord even more.  When you hate the messenger of the Gospel, you are in true danger (Matthew 10:14-15).