Paul the apostle was a "persuader." He did not lightly tell people that they ought to believe in Christ Jesus, but he forcefully invaded their minds with the truth of the gospel. He was always about this task. Our scripture says, "from morning till evening."
Does not every true preacher possess the same persuasive, bold tenacity? Surely we cannot impress sinners if we do not set off a litlle dynamile in their consciousness. Rolfe Barnard used to say that every message ought to have a liltte barbed-wire in it. There must be some scraping and burning and bruising. We Ought to be earnest in "persuading them concerning Jesus."
I can hear the great theologians now saying, "It is not up to us to persuade sinners. That is God's business." I beg your pardon. Did not Paul say in 2 Cor. 5:11, "We persuade men"? And did he not "reason in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuade the Jews and the Greeks"? (Acts 18:4). Yes, Paul had his heart in this preaching Jesus, so that he used all his persuasive abilities to convince sinners to flee to the Savior.
Do we have too much head and not enough heart in our preaching? Perhaps what is needed once again is some weeping prophets as Jeremiah. It is true we must have knowledge, but we need the spirit of John Donne: "What sea could furnish my eyes with tears enough to pour out, if I should think, that of all this congregation, which looks me in the face now, I should not meet one at the resurrection, at that righl hand of God."
Yes, Paul did "persuade men." Did he not write, I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. Rom. 9:3.