2 Corinthians 7:3 (KJV)
I speak not this to condemn you: for I have said before, that ye are in our hearts to die and live with you.
It may have always been the case, but it is certainly the case today that there are considerable attacks on preachers in my Independent Baptist circles for being harsh, unloving, and the like. There are movements such as the “XIFB” and the “Recovering IFB,” and likely others as well. I see social media groups intended to allow former students of Independent Baptist colleges to “debrief” and support one another, often as if these churches, pastors, and colleges were guilty of spiritual abuse—if not emotional, mental, and some would even suggest physical abuse (they received demerits and had to do yard work).
In my forty-two years of ministry, I have become aware of some churches, pastors, and even colleges that were over the line in certain matters. No doubt, there have been bad actors who found in the pulpit a platform to work evil. Those should be exposed and, in cases such as sexual predators, judged and jailed. Never should such people be protected or hidden.
However, it is my firm conviction that such cases within Independent Baptist churches are—the exception rather than the rule. It is a bald-faced lie, propagated by the devil, that Independent Baptist churches as a whole are prone to such evil. Far from it. These are the very churches where souls are most likely to be rescued from the sins of both flesh and spirit.
Here is the truth of the matter. When a preacher—such as Paul—speaks the Word of God with boldness, he does not do so to judge, condemn, or express hatred. The very people to whom he preaches are those he would gladly claim as his family in the faith—those with whom he would live and die.
There are individuals today who will have nothing to do with me because they took offense at messages I preached or decisions I believed were necessary. Yet even now, I would gladly receive them and fellowship with them for the rest of my life.
Paul’s rebuke of Corinth was not abuse—it was love expressed through truth. He did not speak to condemn, but to restore. That same spirit still marks faithful preaching today. Those who confuse correction with cruelty have misunderstood both the gospel and the pastor’s calling. A shepherd who truly loves his people is willing to walk with them through discomfort, for he has already given them his heart—to live and die with them.
#PreachInLove #HeartsToLiveAndDie #TruthWithGrace #BiblicalBoldness #FaithfulShepherds
Strong Preaching Is Not Abuse—And Never Was: A Pastor’s Heart in an Age of Offense
If this spoke to you—whether you agree or disagree—I’d genuinely like to hear your thoughts. Thoughtful conversation sharpens understanding, and Scripture welcomes honest engagement. Leave a comment below and share how you’ve seen the balance between truth and love lived out in real ministry.
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