Rightly Treating Spiritual Leaders

We live in an era where people are often judged by media.  Worse still, by social media where it is often driven by rumours and innuendo, by emotions and shrillness.  Unfortunately, such trial by media has also occurred to various church leaders, for better or worse.  It would seem that these trials often lead to strong judgements even condemnations upon these leaders.  Is this the way to go?  Is this biblical? 

In 1 Timothy, the Apostle Paul had to deal with errant elders with Timothy.  Yet the instructions inspired by the Holy Spirit speaks to us today and provides us principles on how we should treat our spiritual leaders rightly.  I will unpack those passages and highlight 3 key areas of consideration.

PROTECTION OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS

1 Timothy 5:19 (NIV) Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.

It is important to understand the significance of this instruction in order that we may appreciate the principles behind it.  The word “entertain” in the Greek is paradechomai which means to “consider in our mind”.  In other words, we are asked not to even consider it in our minds such an accusation brought against an elder.  We are to simply put it aside.  Basically, it is saying, we should not entertain unsubstantiated/baseless accusations. 

The principle of protecting our spiritual leaders from baseless attacks.

If there are 2 or more witnesses, then the allegations should be investigated properly.  This does not mean the elder or spiritual leader is guilty.  They may well be innocent, perhaps just misunderstood. Now what is the significance of this instruction to us today?  It speaks about the principle of protecting our spiritual leaders from baseless attacks.

The more significant a spiritual leader, the more the person is usually exposed to attacks.  There are always people who are eager to falsely accuse the man of God.  Some do so because they resent the person’s calling, or reject his teaching, resist biblical teaching, or are jealous of God’s blessings upon his life, etc.

Ps. Rick Warren stated that he would not even go into a lift with another woman alone.  Why?  Is he so afraid of women?  No!  Is he paranoid?  No!  To protect himself from unnecessary accusations!  Because he has been criticised, attacked so much.  Moses faced this in Numbers 12:1 (NIV) Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. God judged Miriam and struck her with leprosy!

Devil will use every means to destroy the ministry and life of the servant of God. 

Ultimately, such accusers become the messengers of the Devil.  For the Devil will use every means to destroy the ministry and life of the servant of God.  We must be careful not to become unwitting tools of the enemy.  Sadly, there are many Christians, including some leaders, who fail to understand this and attack other spiritual leaders vigorously under the guise of protecting what they perceive to be right.

Let’s examine more closely what we are to protect:

Protection of the person

The effectiveness of a person’s spiritual leadership is based on trust.

The effectiveness of a person’s spiritual leadership is based on trust.  It is sacred.  Without the trust of others, the person cannot be effective.  And trust is gained because of a person’s perceived integrity, credibility and competency.  If these can be undermined, then trust is lost, and his ministry destroyed. That is why gossip and slander is one of the Devil’s greatest tool.  That is why we cannot suspend or stop an elder from functioning simply because someone brought up an accusation.  It must be substantiated by at least 2 or 3 witnesses. Deuteronomy 19:15 (NIV) One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 

Gossip and slander is one of the Devil’s greatest tool.

Further, when a person is faced with continual attacks without sufficient support from his peers or leaders over them, it can eventually cause discouragement.   A discouraged leader will become an ineffective leader.  For example, Elijah became depressed after the threats upon his life. 1 Kings 19:10 (NIV) He replied, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.” 

It is important for the church to appropriately protect spiritual leaders from malicious accusations. 

Hence, it is important for the church to appropriately protect spiritual leaders from malicious accusations. 

Protection of the office

The tearing down of the respect for an office and its integrity is even more dangerous than the tearing down of a person. 

An elder is not just the person, but they represent the role of an office which they are in.  Sometimes the false accusations serve to tear down the office of an elder.  The tearing down of the respect for an office and its integrity is even more dangerous than the tearing down of a person. 

Can you imagine when the roles of fathers and mothers are torn down, and children no longer respect their parents?  There would be chaos in every family.  Even though individual fathers and mothers may be full of integrity, wisdom and love, their effectiveness is severely limited due to the general disregard for parents.  That is why the Devil wants to destroy this role and sadly, to some extent he has succeeded in our society. That is why we should protect the role of parents.  Ephesians 6:2 (NIV) “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 

Rom 13:1 teaches us to respect all authority as well.  Similarly, we should protect the role of spiritual leaders.  We should uphold it high!

CORRECTION OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS

1 Timothy 5:20–21 (NIV) 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. 21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

Why is it that after explaining the need to protect the office of an elder and the person, does Scripture now talk about public rebuke?  It is almost like we make extra effort to protect the elder but now we are making extra effort to rebuke the elder strongly!  Do we drop people like hot potatoes just because they muck up?  The key is to understand the principle of upholding the integrity of the office of an elder or spiritual leader.

Upholding the integrity of the office.

Critical to distinguish between the person who sin or failed and the office.

One way to examine whether our understanding of a biblical principle is correct, is to examine how consistently it can explain various Scriptural instructions.  It is this very principle of upholding the integrity of the office that requires us to offer it extra protection against unsubstantiated accusations.  It must not be easily undermined by false accusations.  On the other hand, if the accusations are proven true, then it is critical to distinguish between the person who sin or failed and the office.  The only way in which the office can continue to maintain its integrity is when the person who has been entrusted to upholding its integrity is dealt with clearly and firmly.

If we fail to deal firmly with a person who had deliberately misused/abused the office, it will eventually compromise the office.

If we fail to deal firmly with a person who had deliberately misused/abused the office, it will eventually compromise the office.  For example, if the Prime Minister can break the law and escape unpunished then it will undermine the integrity of the office of Prime Minister.  Citizens will no longer trust that the Prime Minister is accountable to do what is right within the law.

Eli’s sons were priest who took meat from sacrifices that they were not supposed to.  1 Samuel 2:12 - 17 (NIV) 12 Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD...  15 But even before the fat was burned, the servant of the priest would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw…” 17 This sin of the young men was very great in the LORD’s sight, for they were treating the LORD’s offering with contempt.

God judged them because they misused the office.  That is why the verse’s concern is “to be rebuked publicly that others may take warning.” The perception of the office is critical.  It also serves as a warning to aspiring spiritual leaders that they should not take the role and responsibilities of spiritual leadership lightly.  And if they should ever compromise the integrity of the office, they should resign rather than tarnish it.

JAG is a TV drama series about an elite legal wing of Navy officers dealing with crime in the military.  What impressed me is the occasions when they showed the integrity and honour of the officers.  Innocent officers who would rather resign than allow their office to be brought into disrepute.

Now, how we apply a public rebuke will require wisdom.  It does not necessarily mean we hold a press conference and announce the failure so that the widest public possible may be aware of it.  In the past when a life group leader fell into sin, we would require them to confess it to the leadership team and perhaps their own life group.  There was a public confession and correction.  If they had repented, we ask the leadership team to forgive them and to express it to them.  Because their sin impacts upon the entire team. Because they let the whole team down. We do it in love and help them through their issues.

If a leader is unrepentant then stronger measures may be necessary.  In 1 Timothy the likely scenario is those errant elders were the false teachers causing the controversies and opposing Paul and Timothy.  Hence the need to publicly rebuke them in front of the whole church.  So there can be variations to implementation, it just needs wisdom to extract the maximum Scriptural benefit to all. 

Adjusting the spiritual leader.

The purpose of the public rebuke is not to condemn but to adjust.

Besides upholding the integrity of the office, the errant elder needs to be adjusted.  The purpose of the public rebuke is not to condemn.  But to adjust, to correct that the errant spiritual leader may be adjusted.  That they may repent and change their ways.  They have to understand the enormity of their spiritual responsibilities before God and before the church.  Spiritual leadership is sacred and not to be taken upon lightly.  They must reach the conviction that spiritual responsibilities should not be taken lightly, and they must walk circumspectly before God.

When corrections and adjustment is done wisely in love, the errant leader who is repentant is often able to be restored and rise up to serve God again. 

When corrections and adjustment is done wisely in love, the errant leader who is repentant is often able to be restored and rise up to serve God again.  Gordon MacDonald was a pastor in Grace Chapel, involved with World Vision and later President in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.  He has taught in Bethel Theological Seminar and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.  Then in 1987 he confessed to an extramarital affair and stepped down. The Elders of the church helped him work through the problems for 2 years and he was eventually restored. Today he pastors his old church again and serves on various Christian organisations and is a well-known author.

Carrying out such instructions can be extremely difficult as the consequences are usually not easy to handle.  But has to be done.  That is why in v21, Paul charged Timothy to carry these out without partiality.

SELECTION OF SPIRITUAL LEADERS

Paul then proceeds to give some instructions about the selection and appointment of spiritual leaders.  I will highlight 2 key aspects:

Appoint carefully

1 Timothy 5:22 (NIV)  Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.

All appointments should be preceded with prayer, assessment and consultation to ensure that they are proven.

The laying on of hands refer to the ordination of spiritual leaders.  Timothy was reminded not to be hasty.  Should the church be hasty in appointing a spiritual leader who turns out to be errant, they are in effect partially participating in their sins.  Why?  They have given greater opportunity, through the neglectful appointment, for enabling the person’s sins to impact upon others to a greater degree.  So we should exercise extra care, particularly in higher levels of leadership.  All appointments should be preceded with prayer, assessment and consultation to ensure that they are proven.

Proven in life and ministry

1 Timothy 5:24–25 (NIV) 24 The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. 25 In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

The sins or some is obvious but for others it will take some time before it is discovered.  Just like Tiger Woods, the world no 1 golfer and the highest paid athlete had a reputation for clean living.  Unfortunately, it is all unravelled where many allegations surfaced and Tiger Woods finally admitting to unspecified infidelity.  He had tried to hide the truth for some time, but it finally caught up with him.

On the other hand, the good deeds of some are obvious while others also may take some time before it becomes known.  Thus, taking our time to assess and prove a person’s life and ministry is always beneficial.  Should doubt exist, we should always wait longer rather than rushing.  The Scriptures make it clear that elders should meet some minimum criteria provided in 1 Timothy 3:1-13 and Titus 1:6-9.  We should not compromise on those criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

When we choose our spiritual leaders carefully and wisely, we will reap the benefits from their godly leadership.  I am glad that our church has been careful in the selection of our spiritual leaders.  We have made very few mistakes over the years.  And that has benefited our church.

In the church community, we should protect our leaders.  Protect their integrity, pray for them and support them as much as we can.  Should any fail, they need to be corrected lovingly and wisely and nurtured in order they may be restored eventually.  That is reflective of the heart of God.

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