Are we supposed to obey our pastors?

And now look at another scripture, where there is nothing ecclesiastical, and found in the last epistle we would have thought of looking at for light and guidance as to rule in the Assembly. "Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken to you the Word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation" "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" "Salute all them that have the rule over you, and all the saints. They of Italy salute' you" (Heb. 13:7, 17, 24). What were these? They were guides? Does putting a man into an official place make him this? No! Verse 7 speaks for itself. A man who brings to you the Word of God in a moment of difficulty, so that you know it is God's Word, and your soul is guided by it, is a guide. You will own him as such, and remember him in your prayers, and welcome him, when he again comes along.

Hence as one must feel in the intricacies which so frequently beset the saints in such a world as this, and with a nature on which the enemy can readily act through present things, there is ample room for constant need of godly counsel, serious admonition, or even sharp rebuke: and as to all this the word is "obey your leaders and submit." How often a real guide can point out what a perplexed saint saw not before it was set before him, but, when so set, at once perceives to be of God! For if there be a word of wisdom given to the one through the Spirit, the same Spirit dwelling in the other appreciates the true and the right, through the grace of Christ which sets independence aside as well as worldly lust or any other evil thing. Thus is the Lord honoured in the chiefs no less than in those who submit to them. Sacerdotal claim is now excluded; and lawlessness is judged as hateful to God. Christ Himself led the way here below in this path of invariable and unswerving obedience; and those that guide will only guide aright if walking in the revealed ways of God which they urge on others; as these are only blessed as they walk in obedience and submission, instead of a vain clamour for their own rights, which if realised would be Satan's slavery. We are, every one of us, bondsmen of the Lord Jesus.

But it is well to note that the Vulgate has fallen into the perversion, so natural to the official mind, that the guides will have to give an account of the souls under their supervision. Such is the strange reading of the Alexandrian MS. followed by Lachmann in his Greek Testament of 1831. Tischendorf who noticed this should have seen that L. corrected the error in his larger ed. of 1840-50. Certainly there is no excuse for anyone failing to recognise the overwhelming testimony in favour of the ancient copies as well as of the Received Text, which speak of the guides exercising their wakeful care on behalf of the souls of the saints, as having to render an account. But this means not of other men's souls, but of their own conduct in relation to them. For each shall bear his own burden; and whatever, or whoever, comes between the conscience and God is of the enemy. Herein Romanism is the chief but far from the only offender in availing itself of a transparent error, and pursuing its most evil consequences. As the saints are shown the solemn responsibility of their leaders, they are told to cultivate a gracious readiness to obey and submit, that the guides might do their watchful work with joy, and not with groans over their refractoriness, which would be profitless for the saints. Compare for the other side 1 John 2:28, and 2 John 8 and for this side 3 John 4.

Then comes a second exhortation as to their guides, or leading men among the brethren. (Compare Acts 15:22.) Obey your leaders, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as those that shall give account." There is no sanction here, of course, of the vulgar and outrageous error that pastors give an account of the souls of their flock. It is an idea that superstition hatched, for the purpose of spuriously exalting a clerical order. The meaning is, that spiritual guides shall give an account of their own behaviour in watching over other souls; for it is a work that calls for much jealousy over self, patience with others, painstaking labour, lowliness of mind, and that hearty love which can bear all, endure all, believe all. There is then the solemn admonition of the account they are to render by-and-by. They watch as those that shall give an account. Now is the time for self-denying labour, and endurance in grace; by-and-by the account must be given to the Lord that appointed them. And the apostle would that their work of watching might be done with joy, and not groaning for this would be unprofitable for the saints.

We may be asked, "Do not the above passages set forth the principle of obedience to certain men? And, if so, why object to human authority?" The answer is very simple. Wherever Christ imparts a spiritual gift, whether it be the gift of teaching, the gift of rule, or the gift of pastorship, it is the bounden duty and privilege of Christians to recognise and appreciate such gifts. Not to do so, would be to forsake our own mercies. But then we must bear in mind that, in all such cases, the gift must be a reality — a plain, palpable, bona fide, divinely given thing. It is not a man assuming a certain place or position, or being appointed by his fellow to any so-called ministry. All this is perfectly worthless and worse than worthless; it is a daring intrusion upon a sacred domain which must, sooner or later, bring down the judgement of God.

Their guides or leaders are again referred to — now the living ones; and they are exhorted to obey them, as those watching for their souls. This is plainly not official, but something to which love would prompt, and which ought to be found among us, if the true-heartedness of a remnant characterizes us, whatever the broken condition of things may be. "As those that shall give account" means of course, the leaders, of their own conduct as caring for the souls of others; but it involves those for whom they watch, who may hinder what might be profitable to themselves. How many of us recognize responsibility as to the souls of others?

But the apostle says — "Know them which labour among you, and are over you, in the Lord, and admonish you." Know them and respect them, and bow to them, when they act IN the Lord. The next verse, at the same time, giving the common responsibility of all the saints, "Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men" (1 Thess. 5:14-15). If you ask me — Do you own them in the Church? — I say that if in any gathering, however small, I find any person, a sober, faithful man, who goes out leading and helping the saints of God, I respect that man's judgment, I bow to it as to one in authority; but mark, I cannot appoint him. If I see anyone that acts like an elder described in Timothy, I own him; but I cannot appoint him. And on this point also Heb. 13 gives clear light. There they are told to "remember them which have the rule over you (or "guide you," in the margin), who have spoken unto you the word of God." This is authority indeed. It is one thing to assume "rule," another to "speak the word of God," which is what characterises a sure "guide." By him, the present mind of God for his saints is communicated. These were doubtless now departed; hence the word "remember." But, in the Lord's faithfulness, others filled their place; hence, in ver. 17, the word "obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves;" and in ver. 24, "Salute them, etc.'"

The misconception which has grown out of these scriptures springs from an error in translation. It is not those "that have the rule over you," for this would imply the office of elders, but it is rather "your leaders," or those "who have the lead among you." There is a great difference between these two things: in the former case it would be an ecclesiastical office, before the ruin and confusion had set in, as, for example, like that indicated in Paul's direction to Titus, "Appoint elders in every city"; in the latter it describes such as those who, through spiritual power and divine gift in the ministry of the word, are qualified for the guidance and help of the saints; those who, through their devoted service and ministry, are marked out by the Lord and acknowledged by the saints as leaders. There is no such thing in Scripture as any taking the place of lead, or regarding themselves as leaders because they superintend, or care for, the business of the assembly. The characteristics of the leaders here given support the above conclusions. Remember, says the apostle, those who have the rule over you (your leaders), who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation, or, more accurately, "considering the issue of their conversation, imitate their faith." These things, then, distinguished their leaders; they had ministered the word of God, they had lived such devoted lives, believing upon Him who is the same yesterday, today, and for ever, that, now they had passed away, the apostle could call upon the saints to treasure up their memory, and to imitate their faith. These were their past leaders, who had kept the faith until death; in verse 17 they are the living leaders. Another feature of leadership, enhancing its solemn character, is here given: "They watch for your souls as they that must give account," etc. They were thus devoted to the Lord in caring for the spiritual welfare of the saints, and were to remember at the same time that in this service they were responsible to the Lord alone, and that to Him they would have to render account (not for the souls of the saints, but for their ministry) before His judgment-seat. How solemn a thing it is, then, to be in the place of a leader! And in this connection it may be recalled that in the seven churches the angels of the churches (and these include all who lead and all who teach) are held responsible for the state of the churches. There is one thing more: the saints are to obey those who are true leaders, and to submit themselves. Is it asked if this is carried out in practice? In some cases undoubtedly so, and where scriptural leaders are found, and where ready obedience and submission to them is rendered, there order and blessing will be seen; but where man and man's will, independency, prevail, there envying and strife will be produced, with their bitter fruits of confusion and every evil work.

“They watch for your souls.” True leaders are not only to be remembered, they are to be obeyed. They are not pressing their own claims, but the claims of God; so that obedience to them would be obedience to the word of God which they faithfully ministered. The submission enjoined is not to the will of man, but to the will of God. It is not only the good of the saints that dictates their words and actions; they know the day is coming when they must give an account of all they have done and said to their Master.

This will of course also be conducive to orderly conduct. "Obey your leaders, and be submissive; for they watch for your souls as those that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not groaning, for this would be unprofitable for you." These of course are living leaders, in contrast to verse 7; but the verse supposes a normal Christian character of godly concern for souls. If leaders depart from the faith, they must not be fol­lowed, but if seeking to walk with God and to watch for souls, it is a serious responsibility to obey them. A truly worshipping heart will find no difficulty in honest submission in matters of order and government. For let us remember that leaders must give account to the God whom they are responsible to serve. It would seem that this refers, not to the future judgment seat of Christ, but to a present accounting before God of the state and wel­fare of the assembly,-which may be with "anguish of heart," in which exercise before God the apostle wrote to Corinth, (2 Cor. 2:4); or with profound joy, as in the case of the Thessalonians: "For what thanks can we ren­der to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before God" (1 Thess. 3:9). But though a leader may have to give account with groaning, let us mark that this is not said to be unprofitable for the leader, but "for you." It is the insubject heart that suf­fers loss, while godly leaders may be deeply pained for the sake of that precious soul, and pour out their hearts in humiliation and prayer before God. Indeed, this very exercise will prove spiritually profitable for the leader, but the disobedient child of God will lose.

Children of Christians often offer this spectacle. Their parents' faith guides their first steps, a thing which is legitimate and approved of God. They later manifest a genuine faith, but not stripped of its first habits, looking to men rather than to God Himself. Their conscience has never been deeply exercised about man's sinful state and his natural distance from God. They believe that which they have always believed; however one cannot doubt that they have life. Their conduct leaves nothing to be desired, and they have a real interest in the things of God. The Word is not unknown to them, and one sees a Joash reminding even the high priest of the "tribute of Moses the servant of Jehovah laid upon the congregation of Israel, for the tent of testimony" (2 Chr. 24:6). But the hour of their spiritual emancipation has not yet sounded, when it should have taken place long ago. Knowledge and real piety do not make up for the lack of a direct relationship of the soul with the Lord. The Christian must seek this before all else. Thousands of godly souls remain in a condition of childhood, depending first of all upon their parents, and later upon their spiritual leaders, instead of depending upon God and the Word. Let the leader disappear, and their godliness disappears with him; let him turn aside, and their soul turns aside after him. However amiable certain traits of this piety may be, let us be kept from it, especially during the difficult times that we are passing through. Let us meditate often on this word of the apostle, addressed to the "little children": "And ye have the unction from the holy one, and ye know all things" (1 John 2:20, 26-27). Not that obedience to leaders should be wanting Christians are to obey their leaders and submit to them because "they watch over your souls"; the apostle also charges them to "Remember your leaders who have spoken to you the word of God" (Heb. 13:7, 17). In no wise, however, does this imply that they must submit to all these without discernment, nor, if they would be kept, that they should refrain from seeking direct and immediate communion with the Lord. Joash obeyed leaders indiscriminately, whether Jehoiada or the princes — and that was his ruin.