The paper considers the first boundary value problem for a second-order semilinear elliptic equation. Problems of this class often arise in the modeling of processes occurring in chemistry, physics, biology, etc. A special place among the methods of analysis of the problems under consideration is occupied by the so-called constructive research methods, which allow not only to prove the existence of a problem solution, but also offer an algorithm for finding it with a given accuracy. For a constructive study of a nonlinear boundary value problem, it is proposed to use two versions of the method of two-sided approximations. Both methods are based on the transition from a differential problem to an equivalent nonlinear integral equation (using the Green’s function or using the Green-Rvachev’s quasi-function), which is analyzed by methods of the theory of nonlinear operators in semi-ordered Banach spaces. Conclusions about the existence of positive solutions of the constructed integral equations and the two-sided convergence of successive approximations to these solutions are made on the basis of the results of V.I. Opojcev on the solvability of nonlinear equations with a heterotone operator. The practical implementation of the method of two-sided approximations based on the use of the Green's function has certain limitations associated with the need to have an explicit expression for this function, which narrows the range of areas in which the method can actually be applied. The method of two-sided approximations, based on the use of the Green-Rvachev’s quasi-function, which can be constructed using the apparatus of the R-functions theory for regions of sufficiently arbitrary geometry, is free from this shortcoming. The proposed methods are illustrated by computational experiments for elliptic equations with Laplace and Helmholtz operators and heterotone power nonlinearity in a number of two- and three-dimensional domains. The results of both methods of two-sided approximations were compared with each other.