But even as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, who tests our hearts.
During the lifetime of Jesus, there were chief priests who sought to curry favor with the rulers of the synagogue rather than to acknowledge Christ openly (John 12:42). In a similar situation, a modern preacher may be tempted to soft pedal the truth out of fear of offending his auditors. As Robertson says: