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Titus 2:7 - Reverence and Humour in Preaching

Jim Butler · 2020-05-19 · 468 words · 3 min

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Summary

Expository

The preacher is called to dignity and gravity in proclamation, which does not exclude judicious humor but does exclude the coarse, shock-value speech that marks many contemporary celebrity preachers.

Titus 2:7 calls the preacher to manifest dignity and gravity (Greek: semnotes) in the proclamation of the word. This brief exposition distinguishes judicious, fitting humor — illustrated from Spurgeon, Elijah's mockery of Baal's prophets, and Christ's condemnation of the Pharisees — from the coarse, shock-value language that has characterised certain celebrity preachers, treating reverence in preaching as a positive imperative with direct application to contemporary ministry.

Key quotes

If you knew how much I kept back you would be proud of me.
Some of these celebrity preachers use coarse language — they like to put themselves on the cutting edge, and while doing so they compromise this imperative that Titus was to manifest in his own preaching.
A judicious use of humor at certain points and times in a sermon helps the mind — it helps us go from trying to process very serious data to lightening things up a bit, and at times the knowledge seeps in in a way that it wouldn't have before.

Applications

  1. Preach with dignity and gravity, not with coarse or shock-value language.
  2. Use humor judiciously — as a window that lets in light — without allowing it to undermine the reverence owed to God's word.
  3. Evaluate contemporary preaching models against the standard of semnotes, not cultural cutting-edge acceptability.

Questions this sermon answers

Does the Bible allow humor in preaching?

The speaker argues that Paul does not prohibit judicious humor, pointing to Christ's satirical condemnation of the Pharisees and Elijah's mocking of the Baal prophets as examples of fitting wit in the service of truth.

What does 'gravity' or 'dignity' mean for a preacher in Titus 2:7?

The speaker, following Philip Towner, understands semnotes as the accent of respectability that distinguishes sound teaching from the rambling arguments of opponents and disarms critics before they begin.

What is wrong with shock-value language in preaching?

The speaker holds that preachers who use coarse or crass language to appear on the cutting edge directly violate the imperative of dignity that Paul lays on Titus, compromising the holiness of God's word.

Reverence and Dignity in Preaching

goes on from there to nth dimension reverence the need for reverence this work could also meet mean dignity or gravity and refers to the manner in which Titus preaches and teaches the word Philip towner comments this quality is meant to provide Titus as teaching with the accent of respectability that will distance it from the opponent's rambling arguments chapter one verses 10 and 11 and then chapter 3 verse 9 and disarm any critics outside the church before they get started so I think that's a great emphasis not only in Titus day but also in our own day in doctrine showing integrity but as well showing reverence gravity dignity now I think I've shared with you before that a woman once approached Charles Spurgeon and said pastor Spurgeon I find that you use way too much humor in your sermons and Spurgeon says my good madam if you knew how much I kept back you would be proud of me

Judicious Use of Humor

I do not think that Paul is barring a judicious use of humor especially in light of our Lord's ministry when he said or condemned the Pharisees as the sorts of persons that would strain out gnats and swallow camels that my brothers and sisters was funny when Elijah the prophet challenges no.not challenges mocks the prophets of bale on Mount Carmel he suggests that Bale is relieving himself in the latrine again that was funny a subsequent Israelite reflecting on that interchange would have had a bit of a laugh concerning it a judicious use of humor at certain points and times in a sermon helps the mind it helps the brain it helps us go from trying to process very serious data to lightening things up a bit and at times you'll see that the knowledge then seeps in in a way that it wouldn't have before illustration is good for that as well Spurgeon described illustration as knows you throw open the window and some light comes in and you're able to ascertain or determine a specific thing

Application to Contemporary Preaching

but when Paul enjoins upon Titus this gravity or this dignity relative to the proclamation of the word there is peculiar application in our own day some of these celebrity preachers use coarse language they use crass language they like to put themselves on the cutting edge and while doing so they compromise this imperative that Titus was to manifest in his own preaching if you have never seen Perry Noble if you have never seen Mark Driscoll they would be very excellent examples of what a lack of dignity and a lack of gravity means in the proclamation of God's holy word not everything they said to be sure that there were some things that they themselves said were calculated for shock value

Scripture References

Study notes

Theological terms

  • Gravity×4
  • Proclamation×2

People cited

  • Charles Spurgeon×2
  • Philip Towner