05/05/2026
I would have to say that the burden of proof is on you to prove that humor and reverence cannot coexist, since your assertion is that if one employs humor, they neglect reverence.
I find this is a consistent problem within the reformed circle (of which I consider myself a part of). I think we can take ourselves too seriously and believe the only form of true reverent Christianity is stoic, bland, and passionless. I believe a lot of it is probably reactionary. Maybe some grew up in churches that did joke too much and didn’t take the office of pastor/elder seriously. Maybe some are aware of churches in their area who are this way. So, in an effort to avoid true irreverent preaching, they’ve swung the pendulum all the way in the other direction to a form of dead preaching.
However, if one would read the sermons of Charles Spurgeon, or Jean Claude, or John Bunyan, one would find their style of preaching much different than probably many in the reformed circles today would expect. You’d find emotion, passion, urgency, humor, and even sarcasm. It would still be ladened with reverence, sincerity, and biblical truth, but it wouldn’t be dead.
In Scripture, God Himself employs sarcasm when speaking with Job.
You would be hard pressed to assert that Elijah was not being humorous.
You would be hard pressed to assert Paul was not being humorous when he told judaizers to mutilate themselves.
In fact, I assert that to say they were not being humorous violates the simple plain exposition of the text that exegesis requires.
Expositional exegetical preaching does not have to be bland in order to be obedient. So, the burden of proof is on you. Why can’t well placed humor be in line with reverent expositional preaching? What evidence can you present of this dichotomy?
My post about R.C. Sproul and joking in preaching now has 600+ comments and so, even if I wanted to, I simply cannot read and respond to all.
It is quite possible that many interpreted my post against the use of joking in preaching as an attack upon R.C. Sproul himself. But the point of the post was actually to refute the common and widespread practice of joking and jesting and lightheartedness within the solemn assembly of God's holy and divine worship (see Heb. 12:28-29). I did not say anything disrespectful to R.C. Sproul. He was usually very sound, I have benefitted from him over the years and I can charitably say that I believe he is in heaven. However, I am not infallible, nor the Judge of all the earth and I cannot look into his heart, and neither can any of us. He was just a man, and he was not above correction or criticism. He was capable of error. Just as many strongly criticised me, they are free to do so. If I have said something unbiblical, may I repent. And so Sproul, as a public figure who has massively influenced Christianity, should actually be held to an even greater standard.
Since Scripture explicitly says that teaching in the ministry must be done with "gravity" i.e., dignified seriousness (Titus 2:7-8), Greek scholarship and biblical commentators agreeing with this definition, then the burden of proof actually lies heavily on those that argue that joking in church, amusing others, or being amused is lawful. Spurgeon warned against amusing the goats. We are not to be like the false teachers who tickled men's ears (2 Tim. 4:3) nor like the pharisees who loved the applause of men (John 12:43). Is not God infinitely holy beyond our imagination? His law is beyond all perfection: "I have seen an end of all perfection: but Thy commandment is exceeding broad" (Psa. 119:96). Is not Christ unspeakably precious and worthy of the highest adoration? Are not all our souls each immortal and never dying, worth more than an entire world (Matt. 16:26)? Is Christ pleased with our laughing and levity in His holy sanctuary? I can confess my own sin and irreverence. I have broken the third commandment. I have been light and casual in the holy assembly. I am not pleading innocent. I need to be even more serious and reverent. I need to care even more for the immortal souls around me. I trust that God's sovereign grace and Christ's precious blood has covered my foolishness. I have no excuse. But I care for your soul, reader. I desire a high and biblical standard for you.
It seems the best arguments that could be used to support joking in church or laughter and levity fall under Pragmatism. What if a pastor had the gift of humour? What if humour can be wisely employed in a sermon? But Christians are not meant to be pragmatists focusing on results or consequences or self-expression. We are meant to be Bible-believing Christians. If something in God's worship has no biblical warrant, then it is forbidden (Deut. 12:32, Matt. 28:20, Col. 2:20-23). As a result of this claim, many compared preaching to trivial things, saying neither is there biblical warrant in electricity or wearing a tie to church etc. Do they understand the difference between circumstances and elements of God's worship? Preaching is a divine ordinance of God, and those things are not. Preaching is the primary means God has ordained to lead lost sinners to eternal salvation: "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe" (1 Cor. 1:21). There is no comparison. You must have an EXCELLENT and BIBLICAL reason to employ a joke in your gospel preaching.
From scanning the comments, it doesn't seem to me that anyone actually addressed my arguments, especially based on Titus 2:7-8, and the Reformed Standards that I referenced (WCF 21.5, WLC 112, 113, 185, WSC 54) that sound preaching must always be reverent and that the use of all God's divine ordinances must be with holiness and reverence. Many mocked and scoffed at what I wrote. 176 people and counting (the majority) pressed laugh on the post. Is this not at minimum unkind? It was clear that I was writing sincerely and endeavouring to base what I wrote upon Scripture. But all this just illustrates my sad theory that the majority of the Reformed Church today are lighthearted, careless and at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). Do they also believe their soul's interest is a trivial matter? Eternity is on the line and Christ is too precious to be laid-back. So this argument falls within the "enticing words of man's wisdom" which Paul warned about (1 Cor. 2:4).
Another argument was to claim our Lord, the prophets or apostles, used humour. Or that "God has a sense of humour." But they have inserted "humour" into the Scriptures. It is one thing to use a vivid or memorable illustration, a colourful analogy, exaggeration or even mockery, but it is an entirely different thing to crack a joke while preaching as an ambassador of the King of kings. How do we know Elijah, for example, did not mock the prophets of Baal with solemnity and grief in his heart? Besides, he was not preaching in the pulpit a message to his congregation or the visible people of God. Let us take heed against making Scripture mean what we want it to mean.
Lastly, it is indeed true that the gospel should bring us joy, delight and mirth. But to assume this involves preachers joking and an audience laughing is a twisting of Scripture. I am by no means advocating that every sermon should be perpetually heavy or grim. There must be many precious promises and encouragements brought forth. Joking is not necessary to keep the attention of one's congregation. It is not necessary at all. If a preacher requires a joke to catch people's attention, is he even "apt to teach"? Isn't he acting like the world and using human wisdom instead of God's?
Can anyone provide me with an example in Scripture of a rightly employed use humour while preaching?
Scripture on the other hand says:
"Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness" (Jam. 4:9).
"But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness" (2 Tim. 2:16).
"For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness (earnestness) it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter" (2 Cor. 7:11).
"It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart. Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth" (Ecc. 7:2-4).
"Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted" (Matt. 5:4).
