Pastors are flawed, sinful people, just like the rest of us. But those called to vocational ministry are and should be held to a high standard of personal holiness. Paul told Timothy that elders must be “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2). James warns, “Not many of you should become teachers . . . because you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (3:1).
This standard presents a difficult situation for pastors in dealing with their own temptations and sin. If they try to conceal their sin, they imperil their souls. If they confess their sin, they risk losing their jobs—even if what they confess doesn’t disqualify them from ministry according to Scripture. Healthy spirituality is only possible when sin can be openly confessed, but this is a tricky thing for pastors to do well.
To talk about these difficult questions, I’m joined on this podcast by Ray Ortlund.
Related Resources from TGC
- Dangerous Calling
- The Pattern Among Fallen Pastors
- Should Churches Offer Vocational Retraining for Fallen Pastors?
- When You Are No Longer a Pastor’s Wife
Related Ministries
Free eBook by Tim Keller: ‘The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness’
Imagine a life where you don’t feel inadequate, easily offended, desperate to prove yourself, or endlessly preoccupied with how you look to others. Imagine relishing, not resenting, the success of others. Living this way isn’t far-fetched. It’s actually guaranteed to believers, as they learn to receive God’s approval, rather than striving to earn it.
In Tim Keller’s short ebook, The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness: The Path To True Christian Joy, he explains how to overcome the toxic tendencies of our age一not by diluting biblical truth or denying our differences一but by rooting our identity in Christ.
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