Pastors Who Won’t Call Out False Teachers by Name are Most Likely False Teachers

  Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. – Romans 16:17

The mantle of pastoral leadership is no light burden indeed and is laden with myriad responsibilities and duties. Everyone needs you, everyone thinks you have the answers. Everyone has no problem swallowing whatever scrap of time you have scavenged for yourself. At the same time, no one has a problem criticizing you for your perceived deficiencies.

Aside from the pressure from needy church members, a pastor must meet certain biblical qualifications:

 “ And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, (2 Tim 2:24) 

God commands pastors to be kind and patient. I can not describe how much of a blessing it has been to have pastors who are kind and patient with me. I have been blessed to sit with elders who have poured into my life leading me in godliness with patience that has refreshed my soul. I have also had pastors who were the opposite— and let me tell you, it is anything but a blessing.

Navigating the delicate balance of confronting heretical figures without breaching the divine command for universal kindness poses a significant predicament. After all, it may seem to violate God’s command to be kind and patient toward everyone to openly confront false teachers. How can a pastor be both a gentle shepherd to the church and yet oppose so forcefully the false teachings of heretics?

The Apostle Paul stands as a paragon of pastoral excellence, teaching and demonstrating the qualifications of pastoral leadership. He planted many churches, trained countless church leaders, and evangelized thousands of lost souls. He was a writer of the Sacred Writ and the same Holy Spirit that used him to pen all those commands to be gentle also used him to frequently call out heretics by name.

For example:

 ^“…holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1 Timothy 1:19-20)

As you can see in the passage quoted above, Paul names Hymenaeus and Alexander. Paul knows that while he must maintain kindness to all, he must also be responsible for sounding the alarm when men who once appeared to be brothers now preach contrary to the faith. 

Recognizing and naming false teachers is not an exercise in arrogance—to be proud or puffed up—rather it is loving toward the sheep and even the wolf. Paul displays his love for both when he warns the church of those who are straying so that the church may avoid them per Romans 16:17.

Likewise notice what he says at the end of the verse,“…whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” Paul is saying that the apostasy of Hymenaeus and Alexander is partly for their own sake, that through their deliverance to Satan, they might acknowledge their error and cry out in repentance.

Sometimes, the best way to demonstrate love is through tough love. 1 Corinthians 13 accounts for this: “it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.” Paul faithfully obeys God’s command to love as he openly rebukes the wrongdoing of these two men. Paul shows no fear in calling heresy out for what it is and naming heretics for what they are—and he does so under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Calling out heretics by name in no way violates the call to kindness but in many ways fulfills it.

So, pastors, you must remember that your sheep are not only listening to you. In our modern world, they have access to all kinds of teachings and ideas—the vast majority of them false. There are so many podcasts and YouTube channels where one can find both great resources and terrible heresies. If you are not willing to publicly say, “[fill in the blank] is a false teacher”—and be willing to defend your reasons in detail— who is going to protect your sheep from following after wolves? Further, if a heretic is never publicly rebuked for his false teaching, how will he know he must repent?

It is your duty as a pastor to defend your sheep from the increasing onslaught of wolves seeking to devour them. Follow the example of Paul, be kind as he was kind, but as fierce as he was when necessary.

https://thedissenter.substack.com/p/pastors-who-wont-call-out-false-teachers?r=f2k6y