Hidden Treasures: Pastors Should Teach the Whole Counsel of God

Titus 1:9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. NIV


This verse is talking about the qualifications of bishops (pastors, elders).  This is just a part of a longer list.  This is a very important qualification.  We have far too many pastors in the pulpit these days who do not hold firmly to the Word of God as taught by the apostles of the early church.  As a result we have far too many Christians who are not grounded in sound Biblical doctrine.  They are tossed about by every wave of human "wisdom" and teaching that comes around.

I was listening to Elizabeth Elliot speaking on sexual purity.  She pointed out that churches are not teaching what the Bible has to say on this and so young people do not have any guidance in this area.  Many of them are involving themselves in sexual activity before marriage as a result.  When she gave a speech on this at a college, she was given a standing ovation for her stand on sexual purity.  Clearly, young people want guidance from the church and their parents but they are not getting it.

Pastors need to take a second look at what the Bible says their qualifications should be and work hard to abide by them. They need to teach the whole counsel of God, not just what they think people are comfortable with.