Railing & Preaching
Recently I have noticed many well known preachers (Assistant Pastors, Evangelists) commenting on Twitter about the subject of railing. Many layman from other churches have seem to be taking these statements and using them to separate from or condemn preachers for the sin of railing. After doing a word study on "rail, railed, railer, railing" it is clear that when the Bible is used to define itself (the best way to understand scripture is to allow it to define itself!), that railing is done by those who are acting wickedly against those doing right or even God himself. Only one time is the word used in reference towards someone doing wrong, in I Peter 3:9 "not rendering...railing for railing". Twice in a list of sins attributed to brethren or the saved. One in particular, I Timothy 6:2-5, cautions those "that have believing masters, let them not despise them, because they are brethren; but rather do them service, because they are faithful and beloved, partakers of the benefit. These things teach and exhort. [3] If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; [4] He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,..." This cautions us to be careful not to despise Christians in authority as that will lead us into many sins, even railing.
What we are seeing in this day is a dramatic attack against preaching that calls sin sin, preaching that is done in anyway that would produce any feeling of guilt or shame, preaching that would put all of the responsibility on the listener to get right or pay the cost. There are many places in scripture that would encourage us to stand stronger against sin but love the people. We are to hate the sin and not the sinner but if you are preaching with a distain for sin someone will eventually accuse you of personally railing on them.
In conclusion, from this study we can see that railing should not be (and never is in the Bible) warned against as a likely sin of preachers and pastors. In fact, warning is given about teachers who tell Christians it is alright to despise those in authority, or who teach there is "just cause" to not serve faithfully those in authority, especially believers in authority!
I love the Bible! It tells me how to act and never excuses me from acting rightly when others act wrongly! Ps. 119:165
Pastor Bill Reeves
North Platte Baptist Church
Your premise is that because there is no specific example of a pastor being guilty of railing that a pastor is therefor incapable of railing. Logically it would follow that you believe that there is a sin which a pastor cannot commit. Unfortunately this is not within the realm of biblical doctrine as we know that there is no sin which man is incapable of committing.
ReplyDeleteTherefore your conclusion, based on a faulty premise, is categorically false.
Also, it is a man in 1 Timothy that is in a position to teach doctrine which would include (but is not limited to) pastors. While in this instance he is not guilty of committing the sin of railing himself, he is complicit in stirring up railings in others as the result of his own pride. Because he is unwilling to be corrected in this area, he becomes the catalyst for others to sin.
Absolutely nowhere in this blog did I ever say that it wasn't possible for a pastor to commit the sin of railing. I said that when the Bible majors on railing it addresses the follower in more cases than the leader. The problem comes when pride enters in. Could be the pastor could be the follower but today we are doing all we can to say it is someone else's fault. The majority of scripture is a warning to the followers not to rail. It is the railer's nature to accuse preachers of railing in order to subvert their personal responsibility to stay faithful to Biblical principles. Pastors are people. Sinners! Just as wives and husbands but when a wife or a husband has this problem God doesn't tell them to separate.
DeleteWe tend to rush to blame others instead of trusting the leadership God gave us and faithfully press forward seeking the answers. You are a pastor, I know you have been on the opposite side of someone that has accused you of getting on their case and that was the furthest thing from what you were doing. My point is simple. With no perfect leadership and no perfect followship, it is Gods plan to keep things together and people's hearts soft. Separations come from hard hearted people who refuse to follow in their God given rolls. Wives submit as unto the Lord, servants to bad masters and followers to imperfect pastors. If we go by what is being taught about railing these days when parent's children run away from home they will be saying, "They were railing on me and wouldn't listen to me, it's not fair!" I am sure at times parents do rail but what makes things work is that children don't get to just end their relationships when they are not treated fairly. We teach when things are not fair to take it because it is acceptable with God. The authority is not perfect but it is God ordained to help them not hurt them.
1 Peter 2:18-20
[18] Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. [19] For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. [20] For what glory is it , if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it , ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
Pastors don't get a pass! That is what the church is for. That is what church leadership is for. Very few encourage a church member to seek communication with their pastor. Very few so called men of God talk much at all about the church member forgiving and loving and being patient with their man of God. The street doesn't run two ways only when the chruch member wants it to.
Thanks for you response.
Pastor Reeves