In contrast to the approach that denigrates persuasion, many homileticians, from varying theological perspectives, stress that preaching has as its goal the effecting of change in the listeners. Peter Adam affirms that the preacher's purpose must embrace "not only what we call exegesis but also application and exhortation," and this includes an "emotional appeal to the hearers to respond" (Adam, 1996, p. 131).

Jay Adams maintains that the "purpose of preaching, then is to effect changes [italics his] among the members of God's church that build them up individually and that build up the body as a whole" (Adams, 1982, p. 13). Baumann asserts "that a sermon has the explicit purpose of eliciting behavioral change," and that preaching "fails when it allows the listener to be neutral or indifferent" (Baumann, 1981, p. 205). Broadus encouraged his readers toward "persuasion unto vital response," and stated that persuasion "is not generally best accomplished by mere exhortation but by urging, in the first place, some motive or motives for acting, or determining to act, as we propose" (Broadus, 1944, p. 214). Larsen advocates the legitimacy of persuasion and has a chapter on the question, "When Does Persuasion Become Manipulation? The Issue of Ethicality" (Larsen, 1989, ch. 11). Lewis regarded it of such importance that the word "Persuasive" is in his book's title (Lewis, 1979).

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McLaughlin argues that persuasion can be good or bad, that the issue is one of ethics, and that the Christian preacher certainly should persuade following biblically ethical standards (McLaughlin, 1979). Nash cogently argues that Christians, not just preachers, should "Use Persuasion" (ch. 14) and "Promote Action" (ch. 17) in their overall communication endeavors (Nash, 1995). Vines adds his voice, "By persuasion I mean all ethical methods the preacher may use in his preaching to induce people to make the right decisions and do the right things. The sermons in the New Testament include many techniques of persuasion. The New Testament preachers preached for a verdict" (Vines, 1986, p. 95; see also Vines and Shaddix, 1999, p. 249).

For the biblical expositor, the issue is not what the homileticians assert, but what the Scriptures themselves set forth. Paul's assertion that his preaching was "not in persuasive words of wisdom" (1 Cor. 2:4) appears to indicate that persuasion was not his goal. In contrast, a rhetorical examination of Paul's sermons in the book of Acts, whether preaching to Jewish, Gentile or Christian audiences seems clearly to show that Paul consciously made "a continuous attempt to persuade" (Sunukjian, 1982, p. 296).4 This seemingly contradictory evidence can be reconciled through a proper understanding of persuasion in the New Testament.

Persuasion in Greek Literature

Although Paul uses the unique word peithos (a hapax)5 for "persuasive" in 1 Corinthians 2:4, it is related to the common verb for persuasion, peitho, a word used numerous times in both the New Testament6 and extrabiblical literature.7 An examination of the use of peitho provides insight into its significance for the biblical preacher and persuasive messages.