Pastors Mishandling the Bible
Observations of a Pastoral Intern
I was a pastoral intern from January 2014 to December 2018. If four years sounds like a long time for an internship — it is! It was only supposed to have lasted eighteen months. Still, one thing led to another (the only pastor taking a three-month sabbatical a few months into my internship, the only pastor receiving a charge from a member of our church to which I was put in place to lead a four-month investigation, two older pastors joining the team both with checkered pasts and passing my written and oral ordination boards causing pastors in the region to conspire to ensure I would never be voted in as a pastor) and before you know — SNAP! — four years went by.
I saw a lot in those four years. Things that will haunt me for the rest of my life.
“I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.” ~ Acts 20:29–30
Paul spoke these words to the elders at Ephesus during his farewell speech. He was leaving for Jerusalem, not knowing what awaited him there. Therefore, knowing he needed to go and also having such warm affection for the church in Ephesus, Paul warned them. His love for them moved him to protect them while he was away.
Paul told them (1) what the threat would be and (2) where it would come from.
The Threat
Paul stated that savage wolves are the threat. Not literal wolves, however. Paul did not think the Ephesian church should be warned about a pack of hungry wolves hunting to eat them. What makes these wolves savage and dangerous is their weapon, not their teeth, but it does come from their mouths: Their speech.
Various translations and the original Greek word for “speaking” indicate that the wolves’ speech has to do with their teachings. Such teachings of perverse things will ravage the flock. The church is built on the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like Satan attacked God’s words in the Garden of Eden, these savage wolves will devour the church by twisting the Scriptures and teaching deceptive practices, driving away disciples.
The Source
What is most shocking about Paul’s warning is that these savage wolves are not coming from the outside. They’re not breaking into the church. These savage wolves are among the church, “from among your own selves.” The church of the living God is meant to be “the pillar and support of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), not a safe haven for false teachers driving people away from the gospel.
These savage wolves are already among the fellowship of Christians, which means they are not visibly recognizable as wolves. The only identifier these wolves have is their false teachings/strange doctrines. Jesus taught, “My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27). Christ’s genuine sheep know His voice, and when a savage wolf begins spewing out false teachings, the Christian will not recognize their voice and should not follow them.
Mishandling of Scripture Observed
Back to my four-year internship. Once a week, there was a Leadership Team meeting. The team consisted of the sole pastor of the church, me the intern, and four “yes men” hand-picked by the pastor (one of whom was his best friend). After a few meetings, I observed that I was the only one at these meetings with a Bible. Not even the pastor brought a Bible (physical or digital). Since our meetings aimed to agree on a vision for the church and plan how to move it in that direction, it troubled me that the men on this team were not looking to the Word for guidance and wisdom.
As the weeks turned into months, it became clear that the Leadership Team didn’t bring a Bible to our meetings because their view of it was shallow. They did not see its value, partly because they did not know how to handle/interpret Scripture rightly. This type of negligence on the leadership level directly reflected the one leading the leadership team, the pastor. So, the problem started from the top down. Like the wolves Paul warned the Ephesian elders of, strange teachings would come from within.
There were many instances and Biblical passages that I observed were taken out of their context and twisted to be made to say what the pastor or leader wanted. For the sake of brevity, I’ve narrowed it down to the following four examples to share:
#1) 2 Corinthians 3:18
“But we all, with unveiled faces, looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
The context for this discussion: During a Leadership Team meeting.
As you can imagine, the church was not Biblically literate then. The team reviewed the church’s mission verse and would plan how best to implement this mission verse into all the church would do.
The pastor read the verse and, assuming we all agreed with what the verse meant, he shifted into planning mode: How do we implement this verse into Small Groups, Men’s & Women’s Ministries, Children’s Ministries, Youth Ministries, etc.? I asked the out-of-place question, “Are we all in agreement with what this verse means?” Some interrogation of my motives was pursued, and we could address my question after a while. As though it was a given that we were all in accord with the interpretation of this verse, a general answer was provided, and then the group tried to move on to the more important things, like how to apply this verse.
I decided to try one more time but ask a more specific question. “If we are to behold the glory of the Lord,” I began, “then where are we to look to see this glory? Where does Paul, in this passage, want us to fix our gaze so we can see the glory of the Lord?”
That question seemed to stun the team. Then, the answers came flying in from everyone!
· “The glory of the Lord can be seen in a baby’s face or a sunset.”
· “The Bible says the heavens are declaring the glory of the Lord.”
· “People see the Lord’s glory in songs.”
“But is that what Paul had in mind when he wrote this verse?” I replied. Oh, man! They did not like that I was challenging them. So, then began the ad hominin attacks:
· “Keith, you seem to be having trouble with this verse.”
· “Keith, you are being a reductionist in your interpretation.”
· “Keith, why are you making such a big deal out of this little thing?”
Noticing that no one was working through the text of 2 Corinthians 3:18 (probably since no one brought a Bible except me), I looked at the pastor. I petitioned, “Can we take a few minutes and work our way through this verse and the surrounding verses so that we can be likeminded on this verse’ interpretation?” Seemed like a reasonable request from me. I asked for the leadership team of a church to read the Bible passage together and work together to understand it. However, the conversation was settled in his mind — the problem was me; I was making way too much out of the verse. The pastor chastised me, and then the meeting continued with misapplications from 2 Corinthians 3:18.
If we had read the passage in its context together, I would have pointed out the following observations:
· In the previous verses, Paul compares the glory of the Law during Moses’ day to the glory of the Spirit. The Law (“ministry of death” in verse. 7) was “engraved in letters on stones,” and the Spirit was written on human hearts (verse 3).
· Then, in verses 8–11, Paul summarizes that in the ministry of the Spirit, there is a surpassing glory over “the ministry of condemnation.”
- The entire chapter three seems to be fixed on explaining “glory.”
- The entire chapter three also has the theme of veiled and unveiled glory.
· Paul continues his flow of thought through chapter 4:6.
· Focus first on the last part of verse 4.
“In their case [those who are perishing] the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Then, notice the close parallel to the last words of verse 4 in the last part of verse 6:
“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Notice the similar words in verses 4 and 6:
Verse 4: “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ who is the image of God.”
Verse 6: “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”
In both verses, the word “light” is parallel. Then the words “gospel” and “knowledge” are parallel: “Light of the gospel” and “light of knowledge.” Then, the term “glory of Christ” is parallel to “glory of God”: “the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ” and “the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.” In both verses, Paul adds words to show how the “glory of God” is “the glory of Christ.” He does it in verse 4 by saying Christ is the “image of God,” so Christ’s glory is the glory of God. And he does it in verse 6 by saying that God’s glory is seen “in the face of Christ,” so God’s glory is the glory of Christ.
Therefore, yes, God’s glory is seen in creation. But this glory in 2 Corinthians 3:18 is about the glory of Christ in the gospel. The Bible was written for the Spirit to open the eyes of the heart so the soul can taste and see the glory of Christ!
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” ~ John 1:14
For us to grow in our knowledge of the gospel is to see the glory of Christ clearer. This will not come by looking at a baby’s face, singing a song, or staring at the sunset.
The answer to the question, “Where do we look to find the glory of the Lord in 2 Corinthians 3:18?” is the Bible.
Through God’s Word, we see Christ and grow in our knowledge of His glory.
This means our ministries should have been Bible-centric, emphasizing seeing and showing the gospel of the glory of Christ.
#2) Ephesians 4:11–12
“And He gave some apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.”
The context for this discussion: I was alone in the church office with the pastor, and he was creating Men’s and Women’s Ministries. He wanted my buy-in on how he interpreted these two verses since his interpretation affected what the ministries looked like.
He correctly observed that the church’s pastors are not the lone rangers to do the work of ministry but that pastors are to train and equip the people in the church for the work of ministry. What’s the problem?
The problem was what he thought was “the work of ministry.”
He thought:
“The work of ministry for a husband is to lead, provide, and protect his wife and children. Therefore, Men’s Ministries should be us, the pastors, equipping men to be better husbands, fathers, and providers.”
“The work of ministry for a wife is to submit to, nurture, and affirm her husband. Therefore, our Women’s Ministries should be us, the pastors, equipping women to be better wives, mothers, and nurturers.”
You see the problem now.
The “work of ministry” in this section has nothing to do with stereotypical gender roles but has to do with “building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12–13). The “work of ministry” the saints are to do is to contribute in the growth of one another’s faith in Christ.
Paul’s talking about faith, not budgeting and Tupperware.
The “work of ministry” in this passage is not broken up into gender ministries (men and women) or season of life ministries (children, youth, singles, seniors). The “work of ministry” is for every Christian to contribute to the growth of each other’s faith until perfection. We need one another for the good of our spiritual growth. Paul continues this theme in verses 14–16.
As I began telling the pastor these things, he cut me off and said, “Keith, if you can’t get on board with this, then I don’t think your internship is going to work here.” This was our first conversation about this topic. It lasted 2 minutes. It ended with an ultimatum.
#3) 1 Timothy 3:5
“He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity.”
The context for this discussion: This one is not a discussion. During my first summer, the pastor went on a three-month sabbatical. One of my responsibilities was to drive to the airport and pick up/drop off the guest pastor we’d have to preach that Sunday.
That summer of 2014, I chauffeured eight pastors from different churches and states. Before my first pick-up, I decided to ask each pastor the same question to compare the answers by the end of the Summer. The question I asked each pastor that Summer was, “What does it mean to ‘manage’ your household well from 1 Timothy 3:5?”
The answers were all over the board:
· “The household is the man’s assets and property. This verse is about how the man handles his finances.”
· “It has to do with what kind of a father you are and do your kids respect you.”
· “To ‘manage’ means how well you do with the cards you’ve been dealt in life.”
· “This verse considers all of the man’s life; his marriage, parenting, finances, reputation, it’s all in view here.”
That’s just a sample of these pastors’ differing interpretations of this verse. What’s crazy is this verse is a qualification for an elder/pastor/overseer. To have this wide discrepancy on what this verse even means is problematic. Are pastors just spinning a wheel to figure this stuff out?
This verse has nothing to do with assets, possessions, or finances. “Household” could include the spouse, but the context is talking about how one does parenting since the following words are focused on his children. To manage can mean protecting, presiding over, caring for, and showing compassion. If the kids don’t respect their father, then what kind of leader will he be to the household of God?
This verse does not mean children can’t be squirrelly and have fun. It also does not mean children aren’t allowed to get in trouble, make mistakes, and sin. But when the child does these things, do they return and ask for forgiveness out of a contrite heart? Are the children growing mature and learning life lessons? The parent must give his children room to ask questions, make mistakes, and fail since these are the best ways humans learn. And if a child does not respect his dad, that points more to the dad’s failures than to the child’s. Maybe the child is right not to respect his dad? Perhaps the dad is not worthy of respect? The family dynamics have a way of revealing character in a way that can’t be fake or digitally touched up. Who you are at 10 p.m. in the privacy of your home speaks authentically about who you truly are. That’s the point of this qualification in 1 Timothy 3:5.
#4) 1 Corinthians 11:1
“Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”
I served alongside a pastor who thought this verse (and all the “Imitate me” verses) warranted you to teach your unbelieving children the form of Christianity. As ambiguous as that is, this pastor found me unfit to be an elder because I wouldn’t spank my adolescent sons for not reading the Bible on their own and for not standing to sing during the worship time of church service.
I was rebuked for not “creating a culture of redemption” in my family.
· It didn’t matter that I led weekly family Bible studies.
· It didn’t matter that I bought each son their Bible with a passionate plea written inside the cover to read to delight in Christ.
· It didn’t matter that I intentionally played worship music in the car and sang worship songs at the house.
What mattered was I was not disciplining my children for not acting like Christians. Since I would never force my children to perform acts that require faith (and faith cannot be forced upon a person), and since that’s NOT what this text meant, I knew this discussion was heading towards disagreement.
When I tried to talk with this pastor about his interpretation, I highlighted that nowhere in the Bible does Paul or Jesus tell an unbeliever to “imitate me.” That’s because Christ is most concerned with a person’s heart — whether the person loves Christ and trusts Him — this was Christ’s emphasis.
I would tell this savage wolf “Pastor” that Christians are to teach the substance before the form, while he shook his head in disgust; I’d read Matthew 15:7–8 to him, where Jesus rebuked the hypocrites for honoring with their lips while their heart was far from him, while he shook his head in disagreement; I reminded him of Christ’s strong words for the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 23:27 when He tells them they are like whitewashed tombs which appear on the outside beautiful (“form”), but inside they are full of dead men’s bones (“substance”), while he shook his head.
Lastly, I pointed out that all of the “Imitate me” verses are written to the church — those who are already Christian, those who are regenerated and filled with the Holy Spirit with the power to grow in sanctification. Yet, he was applying it to my unbelieving children. But, like Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:2, this false teacher’s conscience was already seared… He didn’t want to conform his thoughts to the Bible. So I left. Heck, my internship would still be continuing to this day if I hadn’t made the decision to flee from these savage wolves! But their voices didn’t sound like Jesus, and their words contradicted Scripture’s.
Conclusion
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a worker who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:15
Christian, please work to know your God through His Word. This endeavor will have its obstacles and distractions, but it will be worth it. The ears of your soul will be in tune with Christ’s voice; you’ll know if a teacher sounds like Christ or like a savage wolf.
“But his delight is in the Law of the LORD, and on His Law he meditates day and night.” ~ Psalm 1:2
Know your Bible as the delight of your soul. Memorize Scripture. Swim deep in the Word. Dig for gold. If you do, you “will be like a tree planted by streams of water.”
Lastly, the authority of the church is Christ Jesus. He is the Head, and His Word is authoritative. Pastors/Elders/Overseers/Bishops/Popes have NO authority in themselves; they are merely sinful people. When Christians neglect to understand their Bibles, then they position themselves to be at the mercy of the human teacher, who may or may not know the Bible either. How would you know if you’re being led astray if you don’t know your Bible? The freedom we have in this country to read our Bibles is amazing and an opportunity to equip ourselves with the truth. Too many people have been hurt because of the Scriptures being twisted that they throw the baby of the Bible out with the bathwater called savage wolf. Don’t empower corrupt authority!
Learn your Bible, know Christ’s voice, and like the Bereans, hold your leaders accountable to the Word of God.
