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Is there a place for severe words in preaching? Jesus thought there was; He said, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?" (Matthew 23:33). Read Matthew 23 and see how many times Jesus called His hearers "hypocrites". He never held back to spare the feelings of his listeners. On another occasion, Christ said, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition," and then tells them that their worship is rendered in vain (Mark 7:9).

Stephen evidently believed in severe words, too. He said, "Ye stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Spirit: as your fathers did, so do you" (Acts 7:51).

I think it is hugely important to look not only at the words that Jesus and the others were speaking, but to whom they were speaking them to. On the occasions you describe Jesus was talking specifically about the Scribes and Pharisees, not all of the crowds that had gathered around Him. Stephen was speaking before the Council of the Sanhedrin, again not before the general masses. Except for the awkward exchange that Jesus has with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7:24-30, Jesus saved His harsh words for those in power, not usually for the guy in the street, and certainly not for those who came to Him for healing or deliverance. Even the words “Sell everything you have and give it to the poor” (try preaching on THAT verse) that Jesus said to the rich, young ruler, Mark writes that Jesus said that after looking at him and feeling a love for him (Mark 10:20) so we know that Jesus did not speak these words out of disdain or frustration, but from love.

There has been alot of discussion on being to harsh.

When you talk about people being “harsh” here on FR, aren’t you really talking about people being rude, dismissive and condescending?

There is one manner of being "harsh", which means speaking truth and holyness against the tide of our current culture immersed in lies and evil. This is the harshness of Scripture. It is quite another to manner of being "harsh" as merely being caustic, nasty and dishonorable. This, usually, is the harshness of FR.

I'm tossing this out unchecked but I believe that Jesus' and any of the accounts of others in the NT using harsh words were always directed at those who were contemplating murder, planning murder, or engaged in theft.

They weren't directed at those with whom doctrinal disagreements was the only issue.

When you talk about people being “harsh” here on FR, aren’t you really talking about people being rude, dismissive and condescending?

That is an issue..one I can be called on the carpet for ..alot...I But that was not what I was thinking about as I wrote that

There is one manner of being "harsh", which means speaking truth and holyness against the tide of our current culture immersed in lies and evil. This is the harshness of Scripture. It is quite another to manner of being "harsh" as merely being caustic, nasty and dishonorable. This, usually, is the harshness of FR.

Sometimes truth ..even spoken in love can sound harsh to ears that do not want to hear it..(I know that is true for me). But even if it SOUNDS harsh..we are still called to do it.....Sometimes there are no soft words to say difficult things, and sometimes failing to be "hard" is failing to speak a hard truth.