One of the sources for this philosophy is Pastor Jack Hyles of Hammond, Indiana. He has promoted this thinking through his writings, his annual Pastors' Schools, and through Hyles Anderson College. Hyles preached many times at Tennessee Temple during my student days there in the mid-1970s, but I felt then, even as a young Christian, that the man exalted himself more than he exalted Jesus Christ. I have not changed my opinion. I believe he has done great harm to the cause of Christ among fundamental Baptist churches through his big-numbers-promotion-crazy no-repentance-pray-this-prayer-and-get-a-ticket-to-heaven approach to evangelism and the church. He also is one of the champions of the pastoral lordship philosophy. This appears to be a trait that has gotten increasingly more cultic through the years of his ministry. At his Pastors' Schools he has taught church leaders to demand unquestioning and blind loyalty of their people. He has demonstrated this in many foolish ways. For example, he has one of his deacons come up to the platform, then he repeatedly makes a demeaning type of demand of the deacon before the crowd of astonished preachers, such as "sit down," "stand up," "sit down," "stand up," "sit down," stand up," "sit down," etc. The deacon is supposed to obey instantly and joyfully to this silly demonstration, proving that he is loyal to "his preacher." In one of his sermons that I have on tape, Hyles said, "If I told my deacons to bow down and kiss my feet, they would do it." That is probably true, but it does not prove that they are men of God; it proves, rather, that they are willing to give honor to a mere man that belongs solely to the Lord Jesus Christ. The blind obedience philosophy is evident in the
following rules for students at Hyles Anderson. A copy of the rules
was given to me recently by a student who graduated from there in 1989
and today is the wife of a pastor who practices godly and biblical leadership
rather than the cultic type promoted by Jack Hyles. The following
rules were repeated and emphasized each school year: LOYALTY TO LEADERSHIP (AT HYLES ANDERSON COLLEGE) 1. ALWAYS think the leader is right. NEVER GIVE YOUR OPINION when the leader feels strongly. 4. DON'T CORRECT THE LEADER ANYTIME! The people are better off hearing a wrong answer than to see the leader put down by a follower. I look at it as a putdown when a leader is corrected. 5. If the leader asks "Is that right?" answer hesitantly and almost unsure the correct answer. To say abruptly the correct answer after the leader has said one thing would be a putdown. 6. Always make the leader look good to others. Saying: "Oh, you know how wise he is," or "If you need help go to him; he can help anyone." 7. Jump to fill the leader's needs. 8. ALWAYS DO ANYTHING THE LEADER ASKS WHETHER IT IS RIGHT OR NOT. Why? a.) I trust him to not ask me to do something immoral or sinful! b.) If I do something I think will hurt someone, it is him who is responsible to God for it. 15. Never say anything negative about the
leader. Not even in a joke.
WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT PASTORAL AUTHORITY These unbiblical rules represent the type of thinking that led to the formation of the Catholic Church and the setting up of an "infallible" Pope in the fourth century. There are two problems that I frequently observe among independent Baptist churches pertaining to pastoral authority: One, there is rebellion against pastoral authority on the part of some church members; and two, there is misuse of pastoral authority on the part of some pastors. Pastors definitely have God-given authority. God's word says, "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you" (Heb. 13:17). Church members do not all have the same authority in the congregations. Pastors have ruling authority, and those who are not pastors are to submit themselves to this authority. Sadly, there is widespread rebellion against pastoral authority today. Many people who leave GOOD fundamental Baptist churches do so because they do not understand or they refuse to submit to biblical pastoral authority. They think they have just as much right as the pastor to make decisions in the church, but that is not true. Some within the home school movement, for example, refuse to join a proper New Testament church and to submit to godly pastoral authority. They are content with a loose-knit home Bible study. This is wrong. Let me hasten to add that I am very much in favor of home schooling; I am merely using this as an example of what I have observed in recent years. We have dealt with this problem in articles such as "SEVEN KEYS TO FRUITFUL CHURCH MEMBERSHIP" (see the Church section of the End Times Apostasy Database at the Way of Life web site -- http://wayoflife.org/ ). At the same time, the authority exercised by a pastor or elder is to be distinctly different from that exercised by leaders in the secular world, and there are pastors who are abusing their authority. The pastor's authority is not unlimited or unquestionable. Those who demand blind obedience from their people are cult leaders, and those who give blind obedience are not being faithful to Jesus Christ, who alone can demand our unquestioning obedience. Note the following verses which destroy the idea that church leaders are to be given unquestioning loyalty: "PROVE ALL THINGS; hold fast that which is good" (1 Thess. 5:21). The Bible says all things are to be proven by God's Word. Church leaders are not above this Scriptural obligation. "The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going" (Proverbs 14:15). This Proverbs teaches us that a wise man is careful about everything he hears, whereas it is the simple or the gullible or foolish person who gullibly "believeth every word" and refuses to test everything by the Scriptures. Those who blindly follow a church leader are the simple of Proverbs 14:15. "Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses. THEM THAT SIN REBUKE BEFORE ALL, that others also may fear" (1 Timothy 5:19,20). This passage describes how discipline is to be brought against church leaders. It is to be exercised with caution and wisdom, but it is obvious that church leaders are not above discipline and correction. "But when Peter was come to Antioch, I WITHSTOOD HIM TO THE FACE, BECAUSE HE WAS TO BE BLAMED. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I SAID UNTO PETER BEFORE THEM ALL, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews? We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles" (Galatians 2:11-15). Here we find Paul rebuking Peter publicly for his hypocrisy and dissimulation. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; NEITHER AS BEING LORDS OVER GOD'S HERITAGE, but being ensamples to the flock" (1 Peter 5:1-3). The Word of God plainly forbids pastors to acts as lords over God's heritage. This one passage is enough to destroy the philosophy that pastors are to demand and be given unquestioning obedience. Peter reminds pastors that the church is not their property; it is God's. They are not the head of the church; Jesus Christ is. They are to gently care for and lead Christ's flock as humble undershepherds, mindful that they will give account to the Great Shepherd for any abuse of the sheep. "But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. BUT IT SHALL NOT BE SO AMONG YOU: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant" (Matthew 20:25-27). The Lord Jesus Christ warned the apostles that they were not to act like worldly leaders who pompously "exercise authority over" their subjects. This is exactly what many pastors are doing today, and they will answer to God for it. "Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God" (1 John 3:11). This verse warns us NOT to follow evil. In order to obey this command, a Christian must carefully evaluate every situation and reject that which is evil, regardless of its source. This explodes the Hyles Anderson philosophy that it is not the Christian's business to analyze whether his church leaders are doing right or wrong, because God will take care of them. It is every Christian's responsibility to "follow not that which is evil, but that which is good." LIMITATIONS TO THE PASTOR'S AUTHORITY A pastor only has such authority as is delegated to him by God. Christians are never told to submit blindly to a church leader, but to submit to God-called, biblically qualified men who are leading according to the Word of God. As the Apostle Paul said, "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). Paul could demand that others follow him because he was following Christ and was faithfully preaching the message given to him by Christ. Apart from that, even Paul had no authority. He warned the churches of Galatia that if he were to preach any other gospel, they were to reject him (Gal. 1:8). Even in matters pertaining to his own associates, Paul's authority was not absolute and unquestionable. When Paul "greatly desired" for Apollos to minister at Corinth, Apollos refused to obey (1 Cor. 16:12). A pastor's authority is limited in the following ways: (1) A PASTOR'S AUTHORITY IS LIMITED BY THE BIBLE. Hebrews 13:7 instructs Christians to submit to those who have spoken the Word of God. A preacher's authority is in God's Word, not in his own words and desires. If a pastor or teacher strays from the Bible, his listeners have no responsibility to follow him; he has exceeded his authority. The Bereans are praised in God's Word because they carefully examined Paul's preaching instead of blindly following (Acts 17:11). God's people are instructed to "prove all things" (1 Thess. 5:21). Every sermon is to be judged by those who hear it (1 Cor. 14:29). A pastor does not have authority to lord it over every detail of the people's lives. They are the Lord's people, not the pastor's. He is merely a humble undershepherd who is temporarily caring for the Lord's flock. The people have the indwelling Spirit of God and He is their teacher. "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him" (1 John 2:27). (2) A PASTOR'S AUTHORITY IS BASED ON HIS CALL FROM GOD AND HIS GODLY QUALFICATIONS (Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3; Titus 1:5). The elders of the church at Ephesus were appointed by the Holy Spirit. This is a foundational basis for spiritual authority. Christians are only to submit to men who give plain evidence that they are called of God. The pastor's qualifications are clearly stated in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Many men are unfit to exercise pastoral authority because their wives are unspiritual, or because their children are unruly, or because they have a poor testimony in the community, or because of their covetousness or their adultery or their temper or for other reasons clearly spelled out in the Bible. Brethren, we must submit ourselves to godly, qualified pastors who are leading the churches according to the Word of God. Many good pastors are discouraged today and need their hands held up through the faithfulness and prayers of their people. Not to do so is rebellion and confusion. But we must beware of men who exercise unscriptural cultic pastoral authority, regardless of what denominational label they wear. It is this Diotrephes mentality that led to the formation of the Roman Catholic Church, with its archbishops and cardinals and popes. [Distributed by Way of Life Literature's Fundamental Baptist Information Service. Copyright 2000. These articles cannot be duplicated on other BBS or Internet sites. The articles cannot be sold or placed by themselves or with other material in any format, electronic or otherwise, for sale, but may be distributed for free by e-mail or by print. They must be left intact and nothing removed or changed, including these informational headers. This is a listing for Fundamental Baptists and other fundamentalist, Bible-believing Christians. Our goal is not devotional. OUR PRIMARY PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST PREACHERS IN THE PROTECTION OF THE CHURCHES IN THIS APOSTATE HOUR. If you desire to receive this type of material on a regular basis, e-mail us, tell us who you are and where you are located, and request to be placed on the list. Also include your postal address and the name of the church of which you are a member. Please note that this is not a free service. We take up a quarterly offering to fund this ministry, and each subscriber is expected to participate. To unsubscribe or to submit a change of address, send your name and the request to fbns@wayoflife.org . This is not an automated list. Changes in the database often require two to four days. Some of these articles are from O Timothy magazine. David W. Cloud, Editor. O Timothy is a monthly magazine in its 17th year of publication. Subscription is $20/yr. Way of Life Literature, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277. The Way of Life web site is http://wayoflife.org/ . The End Times Apostasy Online Database is located at this web site. (360) 675-8311 (voice), 240-8347 (fax). fbns@wayoflife.org (e-mail)] April 18, 2000 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, 1701 Harns Rd., Oak Harbor, WA 98277, dcloud@wayoflife.org ) -- In September of last year I published an article entitled "Unquestioning Loyalty to Pastoral Leadership Is the Mark of a Cult." Since then I have seen many other examples of this unscriptural attitude which has affected many independent Baptist churches.] |