Preaching failures

Abstract

The ministry of proclaiming God’s word is associated not only with success, but also with painful failures and disappointments. This has also been experienced by prominent preachers, from Jesus Christ, His apostles and disciples, until the present day. The article presents the mechanisms in which preachers failed at various stages of the history of the Church. Authentic proclamation of the word of God is not a neutral event, indifferent to the listeners. In order to properly understand the Good News, sometimes they must make a very painful change in themselves. Conversion is associated with an admission of committing sins stigmatized by the preacher. Reluctance to recognize oneself as a sinner in need of conversion is subconsciously transferred by the listener to the publisher, accusing him of lack of competence or formal shortcomings. Preaching failures can also be allowed by the Lord who wants to warn his servant that he does not associate the salvific effects of preaching only with the formal perfection of the speech, because they are in His discretion. The examples of the failures of great speakers presented in the article prove that the experienced failure often became part of the mystery of proclaiming the word of God.