What Admonishment Is (and Isn't)

The word admonishment rarely comes up in everyday conversation, even among believers. It sounds formal, maybe even uncomfortable. Yet in Scripture, admonishment is one of the clearest expressions of Christian love. It is caring enough about someone’s spiritual health to speak truth for their good, even when that truth is hard to hear.

Paul urged believers in his letter to the Colossians to let Christ’s teaching shape them so that they could wisely instruct and correct one another (Col. 3:16). That call is not about lecturing or scolding. It is about guiding. The Greek term Paul used, noutheteō, means “to warn, instruct, or counsel.” True admonishment aims not to shame but to redirect a person toward truth and holiness.

Modern culture often confuses admonishment with criticism. Criticism looks down on others, while admonishment comes alongside them. One speaks from pride; the other from compassion. Criticism seeks to win an argument. Admonishment seeks to win a heart.

Nathan’s confrontation of King David after his sin with Bathsheba shows what this looks like in practice (2 Sam. 12:1-13). Nathan did not storm in with accusations. Instead, he shared a story that mirrored David’s wrongdoing and allowed the king to recognize his own guilt before God. Nathan’s intent was not to condemn but to restore. His words were guided by love and anchored in truth.

Admonishment is a sacred balance between those two virtues. Love without truth tolerates sin and leads to drift. Truth without love wounds and alienates. When love and truth work together, the result is restoration. Godly correction always aims to heal what sin has broken.

Paul expressed confidence to the believers in Rome that they were filled with goodness, had understanding, and were capable of helping one another stay on the right path (Rom. 15:14). Their readiness to correct others came not from authority or superiority, but from spiritual maturity and humility before the Lord.

It is important to understand what admonishment is not. It is not judgmentalism. It is not playing spiritual referee or asserting moral dominance. It does not say, “I’m right and you’re wrong.” Rather, it says, “I care enough about you to help you find your way back.”

When we think of admonishment, we should not think first of confrontation but of conversation. It is a hard conversation, yes, but one rooted in grace. Love speaks up when silence would allow a fellow believer to stumble further from truth. To remain quiet when the Spirit prompts us to speak is to neglect the very love that defines the body of Christ.

Father, help me love others enough to speak truth when needed, and to do so with humility and grace. Keep my motives pure and my words gentle. Teach me to restore rather than to criticize, to listen before I speak, and to point others toward You. In Jesus’ name, amen.