Gordon Clark: Negative Preaching (The Southern Presbyterian Journal)

1956. Negative Preaching. The Southern Presbyterian Journal. XV (25), Oct. 17, pg. 4.

Negative Preaching

In religious periodicals today there are frequent recommendations of the power of positive preaching. It is even suggested that our daily ills and annoyances can be cured if we only think positively. Negativism is bad and leads to mental disorders.

Undoubtedly positive preaching and thinking are necessary. For example, when a little boy is fussy because he does not know how to occupy his time, the wise mother will make a positive admonition to go skating or to play with finger paints. The little boy needs some definite direction because he does not know what to do.

But we are not all little children, and many of our daily situations do not correspond to this example.  If to avoid strain on the heart a man decides to reduce, his physician will tell him not to eat butter and other fats. Or, in cases of allergy, the physician will direct him not to eat tomatoes, or not to get in contact with chicken feathers, or not to do something else. The patient may do pretty much as he pleases, except that he must not do this one thing.

The same thing is true in religious matters, whether preaching from the pulpit, or conversing with friends, or private meditation. Of course, positive statements must be made. Sinners must be told positively that Christ died for their sins. But it is unwise to avoid negative statements. Sinners also need to be told negatively that they cannot earn heaven by their own merits. To be sure, we should positively require the worship of God in spirit and in truth. But we should also negatively prohibit bowing before images and praying to the Virgin.

Negative preaching and thinking is necessary because it is exemplified in the Bible. It is God's method, at least a part of God's method of dealing with us. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not covet. Nor does it take much brilliance to see the wisdom of this method. Suppose a young man asks himself who he should marry. Well, there are a lot of girls, and he is free to marry any of them — except a certain few. He must not commit adultery or incest. A positive command could apply to one person only. God might tell Hosea precisely whom to marry; but such a command applies to no one else. A general command for such practical problems must usually be a negative command. Raise sheep, buy real estate, sell cloth, make money in nearly any way you wish; but, says the Lord, Thou shalt not steal.

Now, why is the wisdom of negative thinking recognized in medicine, in child training, in all secular matters, but so vehemently condemned in religious affairs? Why — unless our popular religious leaders have discarded the Bible and are blind to God's example? G.H.C.