I have long been concerned for the state of pastoral ministry. I am writing this as a man who has been given the work of a shepherd of God’s people. I can honestly say that I don’t feel quite up to the task of critiquing the position and work of a pastor. However, the reality is that after roughly 20 years of pastoral ministry, premiere training by men of God at a once-premiere institution, the work of God in me, and the confirmation of men and women in the church, I have a responsibility to start speaking to these issues.
I have tried to figure out why, when men have such high degrees, such capabilities to speak, and teach, and men who otherwise “get it right,” they so often get it wrong at key points. There are men I love and have respected for decades who have simply lost that respect in my eyes because there seemed to be a shift in their abilities. There seemed to be a shift in the fundamentals of hermeneutics, and a shift in the very definition of their exegesis. Instead there is a consistent devotion to “sharing,” vague references to common ailments of the Christian, and an even greater vaguery of the meaning of the details of Scripture.
I will go further. If the Scripture has been written by simple men, or in some cases, by learned men for simple men, then why can’t some men stay consistent in their interpretation? What I mean is that I know of young people, housewives, tradesmen, non-educated work-a-day men and women who consistently, regularly, refreshingly, understand the text right in front of them.
Why is that the case?
Agenda
Titus 1:7 (LSB)
7 For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of dishonest gain,
“Self-will” as translated in the LSB, ASV, KJV (1900), is translated in the ESV as “arrogance” and “headstrong” in the NASB (1977).
This sin came to my attention as I was thinking about this problem. As I was reviewing the qualifications of identifying a man for ministry, and coming to the book of Titus, I ran straight into the term “self-will.”
I would dare say that knowing human nature as I do, it is inevitable that men in high platforms, and with large followings, and who are revered by thousands, at least social media standards, fall to the sin of self-will.
But the term is a compound Greek word made up of two separate words:
αὐτός = “he” and is used as a reflexive pronoun translated “self/self-same”
And
ἥδομαι = “I (take) pleasure/delight in”
It is simply the idea of “self-pleasure,” or a man who is pleased with himself, or simply lives to please himself. This is a broad term that essentially describes the conduct of all men of all ages, if it is not for the sanctifying and consecration work of the Holy Spirit in the man.
When it comes to leadership among the church of God, it describes a man whose agenda for the ministry is to please himself. It might come in small or large packages, but the driving force for the sermon preparation, meetings, administration, and counseling, is to promote his own pleasure in some way.
On larger platforms, writing the right books, essays, blog posts, or while preaching using the right vocabulary and speech inflection in order to garner response of praise, is the idea. It is a simple idea of just being infatuated, ever so subtly, with yourself. Given a large enough group of men doing this, and it becomes the measurement of the entire vocation.
It Is A Sin
Simply put, self-will is a sin that disqualifies a man from ministry. How can a man shepherd the flock, which requires self-denial and self-sacrifice, while being pleased with himself? He can’t.
Jesus said it like this:
John 10:12–13 (LSB)
12 “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees—and the wolf snatches and scatters them—
13 because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep.
A hired hand is day-laborer who “is not concerned about the sheep.” He is a man who has been hired to perform a job, but the actual condition of the sheep is not his interest beyond the job. He is hired to be there, and garners benefits. But, when it comes to self-sacrifice, he says, “no thank you.” He cannot see his duties as a means of self-sacrifice since that completely contradicts the whole reason he is doing the job in the first place.
Jesus Christ is not like that. His care for His church, out of His love for His Father, compelled Him to sacrifice Himself on the cross. THAT is a true Shepherd. It is not about being self-important, self-appreciated, or self-respected. In fact, it is about self-crucifixion. This language is not allowed in the pulpit, it seems. The church, wishing to feel good about their own Hedonism, hires another hedonist to lead them. This perpetuates self-will in the church and in the pulpits.
What Is The Cure?
Practically speaking, the only cure for this is that the church remove a self-willed pastor and wait for a self-sacrificing one. The church is the cure. She must demand that their leaders die on their own cross daily. When she begins to do that, she will begin to see when she is being bamboozled and used by self-willed pastors.