We love you, don’t divide:
The last blog was written to rebuke the readiness to divide that seems so prevalent among the independent minds of American Christians. There are many churches from which to choose; therefore, if the church I am attending ceases to please me, I will find another. Or, if the church to which I have joined myself makes any change that displeases me, I will disown the covenant commitments which I made and find a church that looks more like my church used to look. The Christ-dispensed authority granted to pastors to lead the church through careful exposition and application of the Bible is easily disregarded by church members who deem themselves to have the responsibility to critique and contradict pastoral authority. Consequently, pastoral authority simply does not exist in the minds of many, unless that authority agrees with them. In matters of worship and church life wherein the Bible does not speak with sufficient clarity to be dogmatic, pastors are not permitted to exercise authority in deciding how those matters will be resolved in their particular church. The mindset of so many contemporary members is that inconclusive issues must be determined by them, not by the pastors. This spirit prevails in the evangelical church at large and has crept into Reformed Baptist churches. Thus, divisions are happening over matters of, at best, secondary importance. It is a contradiction to the love and grace of the Gospel. Division on account of secondary matters grieves the Holy Spirit and creates a most unnecessary stumbling-block to the unbeliever.
Do pastors have any responsibility in these situations? Have pastors sometimes failed to behave as pastors and therefore unnecessarily accelerated the process of division rather than preventing it? This post is a meager attempt to answer that question.
There is an assumption in the Biblical doctrine of pastoral authority–a very important assumption: namely, that pastors love the people of God and will treat them with gentleness and patience. Christ is the Chief Shepherd, 1 Peter 5:4. The Lord Jesus modeled love and patience in His relations with His apostles and others who followed Him during His earthly ministry. At times He blew their minds with His statements and rebukes and actions. At other times, He patiently endured their unbelief and pride and cowardliness. He wisely discerned when the disciples were able to bear instruction and when to wait until they would be experienced enough to absorb more difficult matters. Yet, in giving and withholding, Jesus was not thrown off schedule. He wisely led His people so that His Father’s will took place just as appointed. Thus, Christ modeled for us wise, loving, aggressive leadership. The only one He lost was the unregenerate “son of perdition”. Jesus led in a radical direction; yet, He lost none of His own. Such was His love, tenderness, and wisdom. No pastor can equal Him; but, He is both our model and our resource.
Pastors must be growing in their understanding of the Bible and of how the Bible instructs the church to function for His glory. Pastors must lead their churches in change. The idea that a church should never change is a contradiction of the basic principle of sanctification. It is also a reflection of the failure to distinguish between the regulative principle as applied in the Old Covenant and as applied under the New Covenant. The “church” in the Old Covenant was inseparably bound to a Biblically defined culture. The same law which regulated the church also regulated the culture, not just morally but in terms of its form and its convergence with the church. The two were very much meshed together. There was no place for change, until the Christ came. Now, change did take place due to Divine Judgment which brought upheaval and destruction to both the church and the culture of Israel. However, the Divinely mandated change occurred with the coming of Christ. The Lord Jesus removed the church from the exclusive culture of Israel and made it universal. The expectation is that the church will go into every culture (including emerging modern cultures) and be the church. That is to say that the church will preach the same Gospel, worship the one true God with prayer and the reading and proclamation of Scripture and with the singing of Biblically rooted music and will celebrate the sacraments and will collect material offerings–the same as always. But, it is not expected that the church will always look or sound the same in every culture. The content is determined. The outward forms in which that content is expressed must be culturally responsive. Pastors are the ones required to make the necessary adjustments in expression while maintaining the Biblical content and the appropriate spirit of awe.
Pastors require super-human degrees of wisdom in order to do this. Pastors also require super-human measures of compassion and patience. This is where the love of Christ must prevail in the pastors’ hearts. While difficult decisions must be made in leading the church, those decisions and especially the application of those decisions must happen under the government of love.
Here are a couple regulative passages written to pastors:
2 Timothy 2:22-26 22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
1 Peter 5:2-4 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.
Pastors must make every effort to instruct God’s people patiently out of the Scriptures concerning whatever changes or improvements are needed. Without entertaining carnal quarrels, pastors must endeavor to gain the consciences of God’s people through loving instruction and through prayer. Tenderness and a pursuit of peace must characterize the leadership of pastors. There must be a willingness to move slowly where change is especially shocking, realizing that the sheep may not be able to bear all at once. Yet, pastors must lead the church toward ever greater conformity to the Scripture and toward an improving position for ministering the Gospel in their present cultural context.
These are dicey matters. There is much opportunity for Satan and the flesh to do mischief. It is in this regard that both pastors and people must be of the same mind regarding the absolute necessity of love and unity. If the people are unwilling to listen or to change, even where the Word of God indicates that change is needed—if they threaten disunity when change is taught and implemented even in the most careful and patient pastoral manner—Satan will win in that church. If the pastors are so set on instituting change swiftly and are unwilling to give repeated exegetical instruction, at least in private—if they are unwilling to moderate the pace of change for the sake of weak sheep who are willing to follow them but cannot do so at a rapid pace–Satan will win in that church. If pastors are unwilling to receive correction from the sheep who come to them humbly with the Scriptures and with Scripturally accurate arguments—Satan will win in that church. When I say that Satan wins I am talking about succeeding in producing division within Christ’s Body. Of course, his victory is temporary; but, it is a shame for those entrusted with the treasure of membership in Christ’s church.
Everyone must embrace the differing positions and responsibilities belonging to pastors and church members in the realm of leading the church toward greater conformity to the Bible and greater usefulness within the culture. But, there are certain vital matters wherein both pastors and members must be of the same mind: the authority of the Bible; the Gospel imperatives of love and unity; and the necessity of the Holy Spirit’s activity in making everyone concerned more devoted to the reputation of Jesus Christ in their community than to the accomplishment of their own personal preferences whether for or against change. These spiritual virtues must control pastors and people alike.
Will we all humble ourselves and plead for the graces of love, meekness, patience, forgiveness, and submissiveness? Otherwise, either we will cease to grow in grace and usefulness or we will become divided to the loss of the spiritual blessing which Christ has been pleased to give us in our beginning.
