What If Your Pastor Is Wrong?

[David]

That is not a comfortable question, but it is a necessary one. A lot of people act like asking it is automatically rebellious, proud, or divisive. It is not. In fact, refusing to ask it can be far more dangerous. If a man is teaching the Word of God, then what he says should stand up to the Word of God. If it does not, then the problem is not with the person who tests the teaching. The problem is with the teaching. Pastors matter. Faithful shepherds are a gift from God. Scripture tells us that Christ gave pastors and teachers for the building up of His people (Ephesians 4:11-12). A godly pastor should be respected, heard carefully, and treated with honor. But none of that means he becomes our final authority. Scripture never gives that place to a pastor. It gives that place to the Word of God.

Acts 17:11 says, “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” That verse should settle a lot of things for us. The Bereans were not checking a false teacher. They were checking Paul. They heard his preaching, received it eagerly, and then searched the Scriptures to see whether it was true. The Holy Spirit calls that noble, not disrespectful. That means testing preaching by Scripture is not a sign of spiritual arrogance. It is a sign of spiritual seriousness.

Think about it this way. If a doctor tells you something serious about your health, you do not prove your humility by refusing to check it. If a contractor tells you the foundation of your house is sound, you do not prove your respect by ignoring visible cracks in the walls. In both cases, the issue is too important to just nod along and hope for the best. Truth matters. Accuracy matters. The condition of your soul matters even more.

And yet many Christians will carefully compare prices before buying a refrigerator, read reviews before hiring a mechanic, and double-check a bank statement over a minor charge, but will sit under teaching week after week without ever asking, “Where does the Bible actually say that?” That is backwards.

A pastor can be sincere and still be wrong. He can be educated and still be wrong. He can have good intentions and still be wrong. He can have a large church, a polished presentation, and a long ministry record and still be wrong. None of those things make a man infallible. Only Scripture is God-breathed. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Timothy 3:16). Not sermons. Not church traditions. Not denominational statements. Scripture.

This is one of the great problems in our time. Many people say they believe the Bible, but in practice they believe whatever they have always heard at church. If you challenge the teaching, they do not open the Scriptures. They appeal to the pastor. They say, “My pastor says…” as if that ends the discussion. But the real question is not what your pastor says. The real question is what God says. That is why 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” Scripture does not tell us to swallow everything whole. It tells us to test. It tells us to examine. It tells us to hold fast to what is good only after it has been proven.

Paul goes even farther in Galatians 1:8: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.” Notice how strong that is. Paul does not ask for loyalty to personalities. He demands loyalty to the true gospel. He even puts himself under that same standard. If the message departs from the truth already given by God, it is to be rejected no matter who brings it.

That destroys the mindset that says, “I know what the Bible says, but my pastor explains it differently, so I will just go with him.” No. If the teaching does not agree with Scripture, Scripture wins. Every time.

Some people hear that and immediately worry that it will lead to pride, independence, and everybody becoming their own authority. That danger is real, but it does not cancel the biblical command to test all things. The answer to blind trust in pastors is not arrogant self-trust. The answer is humble submission to Scripture. A believer is not called to exalt his own opinions over a pastor’s opinions. He is called to bring both under the authority of God’s Word. That is an important difference.

There is also a deeper heart issue here. Sometimes people do not want to test what they are hearing because they are afraid of what they might find. If they discover their pastor has been wrong about something important, then they may have to admit they were wrong too. They may have to change their views. They may have to leave a comfortable tradition behind. That can be costly. But truth is still worth it.

The Pharisees are a warning to all of us on this point. Jesus said, “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:9). Their problem was not that they were too concerned with religious things. Their problem was that they elevated human teaching above the Word of God. That same danger is still with us. It just wears modern clothes.

A faithful pastor should not be threatened by this. He should welcome it. If a man truly wants to preach the truth, then he should want his teaching examined by the truth. A pastor who gets angry because people search the Scriptures is acting more like a controller than a shepherd. The goal of biblical ministry is not to produce dependence on the pastor. It is to produce obedience to Christ through His Word.

So what should a Christian do? Listen carefully. Open your Bible. Read the context. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Do not just ask whether a sermon sounded powerful. Ask whether it was true. Do not ask whether it matched your tradition. Ask whether it matched the text. If your pastor teaches what the Bible teaches, receive it with joy. If he teaches something that does not stand up to Scripture, then reject the error and cling to the Word of God. That is not being contentious. That is being faithful.

At the end of the day, every pastor is just a man. Some are sound. Some are careless. Some are blind guides. Some mix truth with error. But the Word of God remains pure. Psalm 12:6 says, “The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” If you want something you can trust completely, trust that.

We do need to ask the question: What if your pastor is wrong?

The better question after that is this: Are you willing to follow Scripture even if it means admitting he is?

That is where the real test begins.

What do you think? Have you ever found that something you were taught in church was not actually supported by Scripture? How should a Christian handle that?

 

[bobinfaith]

What do you think? Have you ever found that something you were taught in church was not actually supported by Scripture? How should a Christian handle that?

Good morning, David;

I found What If Your Pastor Is Wrong? encouraging and necessary to know.

We had our installation for our new Senior Pastor last Sunday. It was a good turnout, somewhat emotional and filled with fellowship, joy and fun. As I shared before he's only 37 with a wife and 5 kids, but the vetting process for the last year and a half was necessary.

Toward the end of seminary I took a class titled TFE "Theological Field Education." I was assigned an Elder from our Church, a couple of seasoned Christian friends who served in ministry and my class instructor, all participated to hold me accountable. They drilled me (as they should) in the most important areas - faith in Christ, prayer, study of the Bible, grasping God's unconditional love.

In the "people ministry," there were many mistakes on my part and I had to learn to be quick to admit or confess and seek forgiveness.

I've attended many installations and ordinations over the years, many that went "far too quick" for the minister being raised and the negative results showed later, as you pointed out.

Examples in the Bible include Joseph as a youngster was arrogant and overconfident in Genesis, Joshua was unaware of what was going on in the camp regarding Achan and played the victim card to God in Joshua 7, Peter often spoke without thinking in Matthew and Zechariah who doubted on his own terms Gabriel's promise of a son.

All Christian leaders must be called out when they are not in align with God's Word. If we don't then their error will fester in the area of "false teacher." This is where the devil is cunning and deceptive. Go to the leader and point out their error, ask questions and give them the opportunity to catch themselves. Just the same, if they end up correct it's also important for us to stand corrected.

In Matthew 23:1-39 Jesus called out the religious leaders.

God bless you, David, and thank you for sharing.

Bob

 

[Yesua888]

View attachment 644
So what should a Christian do? Listen carefully. Open your Bible. Read the context. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Do not just ask whether a sermon sounded powerful. Ask whether it was true. Do not ask whether it matched your tradition. Ask whether it matched the text. If your pastor teaches what the Bible teaches, receive it with joy. If he teaches something that does not stand up to Scripture, then reject the error and cling to the Word of God. That is not being contentious. That is being faithful.

...

What do you think? Have you ever found that something you were taught in church was not actually supported by Scripture? How should a Christian handle that?

Thank you David,
This Important Point needs to be addressed, over and over again, Everywhere.
So many Christians are going along with "progress" or "evolution" if you will ...
That is ManMade, not of God Almighty.
Why are we here at this Time on Planet Earth, but to learn how to Turn Back to Our Lord, and choose the "Narrow Path".
Following the "crowd" is the danger!
It is our responsibility to wake up to this important point and start Standing Up to God's Word!
It is our responsibility to Live the Life that Christ showed us.
We need to focus on fixing what is broken inside of us, and to shine God's Light for others to see.
How wonderful it would be if we could do this, and rest assured that some of our loved ones, brothers and sisters, will "grab" the Light and run with it too.
Good things expand exponentially!
We may not see the "evidence" out there broadcast over social media, the news or in our churches.
However, we know in our hearts that God quietly Moves, is gaining ground, and Wins.
How Wonderful to be able to choose which side we want to be on, regardless of the noise out there.
The Bible never mentions a building called "church" in the Gospels. He emphasized that the church is a community of believers (a "spiritual house") rather than a physical structure of brick and mortar.

​

 

[by grace]

Have you ever found that something you were taught in church was not actually supported by Scripture? How should a Christian handle that?

i have to say that i have always set under sound teaching... have i heard some things not so sure of ? yes have i studied them out ? yes my conclusion is if its not salvation threatening best of let it be,, example for years i been studying the plan of salvation is it so secure than man can never be exuded once our name is wrote in the lambs book of life. vs it can be. ..myself in studying come to this point intead of yes you can or no you cant.. i have no plans of finding out if one can..

what i am saying if not careful we can get into gnat straining . then we have end time teaching rapture before the great trib or after it..

now if the teaching is complexly wrong say a work based salvation. it should be addressed in private. if that dont work take someone else who knows the word try to discuss it again . if that fails take it before the Church...

we have to many joel olsteens kenneth copeland mike murdoch the money man..paul told timiothy Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.


to many arguments / splits have happened over silly stuff

 

[David]

Thank you David,
This Important Point needs to be addressed, over and over again, Everywhere.
So many Christians are going along with "progress" or "evolution" if you will ...
That is ManMade, not of God Almighty.
Why are we here at this Time on Planet Earth, but to learn how to Turn Back to Our Lord, and choose the "Narrow Path".
Following the "crowd" is the danger!
It is our responsibility to wake up to this important point and start Standing Up to God's Word!
It is our responsibility to Live the Life that Christ showed us.
We need to focus on fixing what is broken inside of us, and to shine God's Light for others to see.
How wonderful it would be if we could do this, and rest assured that some of our loved ones, brothers and sisters, will "grab" the Light and run with it too.
Good things expand exponentially!
We may not see the "evidence" out there broadcast over social media, the news or in our churches.
However, we know in our hearts that God quietly Moves, is gaining ground, and Wins.
How Wonderful to be able to choose which side we want to be on, regardless of the noise out there.
The Bible never mentions a building called "church" in the Gospels. He emphasized that the church is a community of believers (a "spiritual house") rather than a physical structure of brick and mortar.

View attachment 673​

I agree about the danger of following the crowd instead of standing on the Word of God. And I think you make an important point about the church. When the Bible talks about the church, it is talking about the people, not the building they meet in. Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). He was not talking about a building made out of wood, stone, or brick. Peter says that believers are “living stones” and are being “built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5).

The early Christians met in homes and wherever they could gather, but the church was the believers themselves. I think a lot of times we can get too focused on the building, the organization, or even the name on the sign, and forget what really matters. Are we following Christ? Are we standing on His Word? Are we willing to reject something when Scripture shows us it is wrong, even if everybody around us accepts it? That is where the real test comes in.

 

[David]

i have to say that i have always set under sound teaching... have i heard some things not so sure of ? yes have i studied them out ? yes my conclusion is if its not salvation threatening best of let it be,, example for years i been studying the plan of salvation is it so secure than man can never be exuded once our name is wrote in the lambs book of life. vs it can be. ..myself in studying come to this point intead of yes you can or no you cant.. i have no plans of finding out if one can..

what i am saying if not careful we can get into gnat straining . then we have end time teaching rapture before the great trib or after it..

now if the teaching is complexly wrong say a work based salvation. it should be addressed in private. if that dont work take someone else who knows the word try to discuss it again . if that fails take it before the Church...

we have to many joel olsteens kenneth copeland mike murdoch the money man..paul told timiothy Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.


to many arguments / splits have happened over silly stuff

I agree with you. I think sometimes we can make too much out of things that really do not need to become a big argument.

We are not going to agree on every single point, but that does not mean every difference has to divide us. At the same time, if something clearly goes against Scripture or changes the gospel, then that is a different matter and it needs to be addressed.

Your point about studying it out for ourselves is really the key. That is what the Bereans did in Acts 17:11. They listened, then went back to the Scriptures to see if what they were being told was true.

That is really what I was getting at in the original post. Know the Word, check what you are being taught, and do not get pulled into arguments over every little thing.

 

[by grace]

e, if something clearly goes against Scripture or changes the gospel, then that is a different matter and it needs to be addressed

all the way there are steps to be taken when there is wrong in the church bad discipline false teaching . i know a southern gospel group brian free and assurance that will tyell you if the songs that come to them are not scripture based, they will not sing them.. for example at Christmas time we sing we 3 kings... sorry but there is no 3 kings in the Birth of Christ.. we call them wise men.. but if searched out these men who presented 3 gifts . was part of a large caravan

 

[bobinfaith]

all the way there are steps to be taken when there is wrong in the church bad discipline false teaching . i know a southern gospel group brian free and assurance that will tyell you if the songs that come to them are not scripture based, they will not sing them.. for example at Christmas time we sing we 3 kings... sorry but there is no 3 kings in the Birth of Christ.. we call them wise men.. but if searched out these men who presented 3 gifts . was part of a large caravan

Good morning, by grace;

That's true regarding the Christmas song, We Three Kings was three wise men, or magi. One thing I would like to ask, when Brian Free would not sing songs that are not Scripture based, I agree, but did he teach the reason why to the choir or musicians?

I ask because 30 years ago we had a member who left the Church on another issue. The praise team had a drummer and she was dead set against it so after almost 30 years she left with no discussion or the reason why to the Pastor.

God bless you, Jerry.

Bob

 

[David]

all the way there are steps to be taken when there is wrong in the church bad discipline false teaching . i know a southern gospel group brian free and assurance that will tyell you if the songs that come to them are not scripture based, they will not sing them.. for example at Christmas time we sing we 3 kings... sorry but there is no 3 kings in the Birth of Christ.. we call them wise men.. but if searched out these men who presented 3 gifts . was part of a large caravan

That's what I'm trying to point out. There is a difference between what is actually written in Scripture and what has been said about it over the years. A lot of things have been assumed and then repeated so often that people start treating them as though the Bible actually says them.

With the wise men, Matthew refers to them as magoi, wise men or magi. Scripture never tells us there were three of them. The idea of three most likely comes from the three kinds of gifts that are mentioned: “gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:11). There may have been three men, or there may have been more. The Bible simply does not tell us.

The same thing goes for a large caravan. Matthew never mentions one. Maybe they traveled with other people, and maybe they did not. We just are not told, so I do not think we should present that as fact either.

Their traditional names are another example. Matthew never gives us their names. Those names came later, not from the biblical text.

The later tradition of calling them kings may have developed from passages such as Psalm 72:10-11 and Isaiah 60:3, 6, which speak of kings coming and bringing gifts. Isaiah 60 even mentions gold and incense. You can see why people made the connection. But Matthew itself simply calls them magoi and never identifies them as kings.

That is really the point I am making. Assumptions become a problem when we start repeating them as though they are Scripture, or when we build arguments on them.

So I agree with you that Scripture never tells us there were three wise men. I would just stop short of saying there definitely were not three, because the Bible does not give us the number at all. And in the same way, I do not think it is fair to assume they were traveling with a huge caravan when Scripture never says that.

 

[by grace]

Good morning, by grace;

That's true regarding the Christmas song, We Three Kings was three wise men, or magi. One thing I would like to ask, when Brian Free would not sing songs that are not Scripture based, I agree, but did he teach the reason why to the choir or musicians?

I ask because 30 years ago we had a member who left the Church on another issue. The praise team had a drummer and she was dead set against it so after almost 30 years she left with no discussion or the reason why to the Pastor.

God bless you, Jerry.

Bob

i have no idea his stance is if the words to the song are not sound doctrine.. they dont sing it...i have seen him about 3 or 4 times . but then again were southern gospel fanatics

 

[by grace]

So I agree with you that Scripture never tells us there were three wise men. I would just stop short of saying there definitely were not three, because the Bible does not give us the number at all. And in the same way, I do not think it is fair to assume they were traveling with a huge caravan when Scripture never says that.

that was just a example ..i can honestly say i have always been under sound preaching.. even when i preach i read comments from those i trust.. plus i do my own research . this is the reaason i stay away from preaching you can or you can not be lost again... we are told warnings and we are told promises . i have good pastor friend that believes the dead can be raised even from the casket. mark says all things are possible to him who believes . bringing a person back from the dead after being embalmed would be a true miracle . i know the full process of being embalmed .. so my point is should i split hairs with him over that i dont think so.. teaching a work based salvation / water baptism salvation .i put my foot down

 

[by grace]

I ask because 30 years ago we had a member who left the Church on another issue. The praise team had a drummer and she was dead set against it so after almost 30 years she left with no discussion or the reason why to the Pastor.

a funny story a pastor was voted in first thing he did was move the piano to the other side,, a dear sainted sister who had been there for years.. told him you cant move the piano..its been that way since we started.. so he moved it back, then proceeded to move it one inch at a t time. till he got it moved to the other side.. no one noticed lol


a lady went to her pastor to inform him . this was her last sunday she begin to explain all the issues in the Church . the pastor agreed that all the issues she mentioned was true.
he then asked if she would do him a favor before leaving... he asked her to take a glass of water and carry it around the room with out spilling it. she took the challenge thinking this would be easy.

as she came back from carrying the water with out spilling it. the pastor then asked if she saw any of those problems she told him about.. she said NO. he then told her the reason she didnt she was focused on not spilling the water.

the moral of the story is we get distracted and soon we notice everything that is going on around us.. we then loose sight of what we are to be doing. Hebrews 12 looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith

 

[David]

that was just a example ..i can honestly say i have always been under sound preaching.. even when i preach i read comments from those i trust.. plus i do my own research . this is the reaason i stay away from preaching you can or you can not be lost again... we are told warnings and we are told promises . i have good pastor friend that believes the dead can be raised even from the casket. mark says all things are possible to him who believes . bringing a person back from the dead after being embalmed would be a true miracle . i know the full process of being embalmed .. so my point is should i split hairs with him over that i dont think so.. teaching a work based salvation / water baptism salvation .i put my foot down

I think that's a good spot to fall on that. Being able to say we'll just have to disagree about something and still believe it's not gospel centered. Which I know can happen on a lot of topics. But allows you to continue learning with that person.

 

[bobinfaith]

that was just a example ..i can honestly say i have always been under sound preaching.. even when i preach i read comments from those i trust.. plus i do my own research . this is the reaason i stay away from preaching you can or you can not be lost again... we are told warnings and we are told promises . i have good pastor friend that believes the dead can be raised even from the casket. mark says all things are possible to him who believes . bringing a person back from the dead after being embalmed would be a true miracle . i know the full process of being embalmed .. so my point is should i split hairs with him over that i dont think so.. teaching a work based salvation / water baptism salvation .i put my foot down

I think that's a good spot to fall on that. Being able to say we'll just have to disagree about something and still believe it's not gospel centered. Which I know can happen on a lot of topics. But allows you to continue learning with that person.

Good morning, Jerry and David;

On a personal note from reading both your posts;

I openly share how John wrote and spoke the Gospel with authority but kept his words simple with brief statements. He was a fisherman with a temper. Remember when he displayed his fierce anger in Luke 9:51-56 when the Samaritan village didn't welcome Jesus?

Later, John had no idea Jesus was building up His disciple whom He loved who would later write 5 books. John knew his stuff but kept his words simple and brief with authority.

Understandably, when we get into the Isaiahs, Ezekiels, Jeremiahs, etc...in the OT and later Revelation in the NT, I used to asked, what are these guys talking about? I kind of had a rebellious attitude in my heart. Granted, in many parts of the Bible we must dig deeper in our study to understand what the prophets were saying to the people, but we also learned about God's servants themselves.

So when someone shares their understanding of the Bible will leave me to agree or disagree, but allow me to learn more about who that person is, speaking. This is important because Christians are ultimately accountable to God for the words they speak, including how they share and teach the Bible.

God bless you, brothers.

Bob