Video summary
When a pastor or any believer faces serious accusations of sin, the biblical response is grounded in the requirement for evidence and a proper defense rather than immediate dismissal or acceptance. The Scripture, particularly in First Timothy, establishes that an accusation against an elder must be supported by two or three witnesses to be valid, ensuring that claims are not based on slander or isolated rumors. This standard protects individuals from false charges while maintaining integrity within the church community. If allegations are serious and involve moral failings such as sexual sin, abuse, or doctrinal corruption, they cannot be ignored or swept under the rug; instead, the accused must respond with gentleness and reverence, ready to give an account of their life and faith to anyone who asks. This principle applies equally to pastors and regular believers, emphasizing that personal conduct directly impacts how others perceive the message being preached.
The qualifications for church leaders further reinforce the necessity of addressing serious accusations publicly and honestly. A pastor must be above reproach in the present moment, meaning they are not currently engaged in sin, even if past mistakes have been confessed and repented of. Additionally, a leader must be respectable in the eyes of the community and well thought of by those outside the faith, as their behavior influences how non-believers view the gospel. If someone is accused of dissipation or immoral behavior, they cannot simply claim ignorance; they must either deny the charge with evidence or accept responsibility and face appropriate consequences. Ignoring such accusations casts a shadow of uncertainty over the entire body of believers and can lead others astray, which is why the church must take proactive steps to address them rather than allowing sin to fester unnoticed.
Historical examples from Scripture illustrate the importance of defending oneself when faced with credible allegations. In Acts, Paul consistently provided defenses against false accusations brought by his opponents, clarifying his actions and upholding the truth before governing authorities and Jewish leaders. Similarly, Jesus responded to unjust claims of sinfulness by challenging His accusers to prove their own righteousness, demonstrating that one cannot condemn others while harboring unconfessed guilt. These examples show that defending oneself is not about pride or self-justification but about preserving the integrity of the gospel and protecting the reputation of Christ. When accusations lack merit, a clear defense can expose falsehoods; when they are true, accountability leads to repentance or removal from leadership roles as necessary for spiritual health.
Ultimately, the church has a responsibility to handle accusations with wisdom, fairness, and courage, ensuring that neither false nor true claims go unaddressed. If an individual refuses to respond to serious charges or flees from investigation, they may be presumed guilty until proven otherwise, much like in a legal setting. The goal is not merely to clear one's name but to safeguard the purity of the church and prevent harm to others who might follow false teachings or immoral examples. While grace remains available for restoration when repentance occurs, persistent unrepentant behavior requires decisive action to remove toxic influences from the community. By standing firm in biblical principles and acting as faithful stewards, believers can uphold justice, protect the vulnerable, and glorify God even in the midst of difficult accusations.
Read the full video transcript
What should a pastor do if he's accused
of a serious sin? What should you do if
you are accused of a serious sin? And
what should you do if someone else or a
pastor is accused of a serious sin?
[music]
>> Live long enough and someone's going to
accuse you of something. something that
might be true, something that's not
true, something that seems like it's
true, or maybe they're just throwing out
different slanderous things to just make
you look bad in front of people. How do
you handle those things? And even should
you answer every charge? Well, the Bible
does teach us about those things
particularly and as as of late. Well, I
guess shouldn't say as of late, but it's
always been in the news seemingly that
some pastor, some preacher somewhere is
being accused of something, sometimes
being charged and even convicted and
going to jail for it or just the
evidence is overwhelming and the person
is put out. Often times though, more and
more unfortunately, we've got pastors
who are accused of things and nothing
happens. Either they don't answer the
charges or they do or they just let it
kind of go by. What is the proper way of
doing things? Now, the Bible is clear in
first Timothy that we should not receive
an accusation against an elder except on
the basis of two or three witnesses. In
other words, no one should be able to
come and say this about a person and
then let it stand. So, there should be
actual evidence or what looks like
evidence. Obviously, that can be judged
differently depending upon the people,
but there should be at least two or
three or more people who are saying the
same thing. not one sin over here and
another sin over there. That could kind
of make some sort of amalgamation of a
sinful life, then sure, those can be
brought up. And the question is, how is
it supposed to be handled? Particularly
if the pastor is the one that's
receiving these accusations. And then
how you should look at the pastor, what
should you expect? Yes, some people are
going to come after a preacher. It's
going to happen without without
question. Now, if we go to the
qualifications of a pastor, I want you
to notice two things. One, at the very
outset, he speaks about that a pastor
must be this. And here's the word in in
1 Timothy chapter 3 verse starting at
verse two. He says, "Then the overseer
must be above reproach." This above
reproach, this is what he must be. This
is in which is right now at the present
moment. He must be above reproach. What
does that mean to be above reproach?
Does it mean that he's never sinned? No,
but it means that he's not blameful of a
sin, which necessarily means that if
he's committed a sin in the past, he's
not engaged in it or that sin is no
longer attached to him. So, he's owned
up to it, repented of it, what have you,
but it's not something he just kind of
swept under the rug or got away with or
you know what, it has never owned up.
It's never come to light. And so, these
are things that have to be pulled
forward. So, he says that he must be
blameless or not blamew worthy of a sin.
or um in the present that he's not
involved in a sin. Now, it's vitally
important that you recognize that these
have to do with what God says are the
requirements. Doesn't matter how
important this person is or what he may
have done in someone's life, how
influential, no one escapes this. This
is for a person to continue to be in the
pulpit. Now, is there a mechanism for us
to take them out? No. No. We can't
determine if this person is unfit and
then we on our own go and physically
remove him. No. So the onus is also
going to be on the people where they
should remove themselves. Unfortunately
today the pull pit is not esteemed or
just the name of Christ or being a
Christian is not esteemed to the point
to where it should be. So we almost
allow anything to go and when anything
does go we just kind of turn a blind eye
to it too often. But notice what it also
says in this same dialogue, the same set
of qualifications for a pastor or an
elder. He says that he must be
temperate, self-control. Look what it
says. Respectable. Now, I want to pause
here for a second. If a person is
respectable in whose eyes,
this is not speaking about respectable
in God's eye. This is respectable in our
eyes. Because now we're leaving it up to
us to figure out what God thinks. And
somebody can say, "Well, I know God
respects me. You don't respect me."
Well, then there's no way to settle that
argument. So, the respectable is how
people look at you. This person, all of
these things, these qualifications are
pointing outward. How he treats another
person. He must be tempered in our eyes.
We have to see that he must be
self-controlled, respectable. People
have to respect him. That makes sense
because if you're listening to the
preacher and you don't respect him, then
you won't listen to what he's preaching.
So that should make pretty good sense.
And now some of these others are pretty
easy to understand. But then let's drop
down to verse let's start in verse 7.
And he must be well thought of by those
outside of the church. Outside of the
faith. Notice what it says. Well thought
of by those outside of the faith. So in
other words, non-believers have to see
this person in a light. Why? Because if
you're going to preach to them the good
news and share with them how they ought
to be living and you're not living that
way, they have to esteem you higher than
some common sinful person. So it's
important. Therefore, it is vitally
important that you answer any sinful
accusations that have some sort of
evidence. If they're ongoing, you must
give a defense. As a matter of fact, the
Bible says, Paul says this, "Sanctify
Christ in your heart as Lord, always
being ready to make a defense to
everyone who asks you to give an account
for the hope that is in you, yet with
gentleness and reverence." So, if what's
being alleged of you has to do with your
standing with the body and how you
deliver the word, especially for a
preacher, but also you as well. So, when
someone asks you to explain yourself
doctrally, you do. But also if it's
sinfully and it affects your doctrine
and how they view the doctrine, you must
do so. You have to give a defense of the
hopeless in you that that includes
everything regarding Christ. And so your
behavior, not just your doctrine, is
vitally important according to Paul as
he speaks to Timothy. So there is no way
of getting around this. I want to show
you something. Now obviously we are
called to expose the unfruitful deeds of
darkness. That's us doing so. So if
someone's involved in something and we
know it, we expose. We let it be known
so that other people won't be involved
that they will know that these things
cannot happen if so there are
consequences. So what happens when you
have these things these these
accusations should be brought against a
a preacher on the basis again it's a
it's a higher bar for the pastor because
he's a higher target on the basis of two
or three witnesses and there must be
some evidence to accompany that. And so
I want to look at the same the same
qualifications of a pastor that Paul
writes but this time not to Timothy but
to Titus in chapter 1 verse 6. He says
namely if a man is above reproach same
thing the husband of one wife having
children who believe and here it is not
accused of dissipation. He absolutely
has to be in right standing with the
people and he has to be seen that way.
He is not allowed to just you know what
that's your accusations doesn't matter
to me I don't I don't believe this
matter of fact let's look at what he
says in in the net Bible I also like the
way that he says here an elder must be
blameless the husband of one wife
without with faithful children who
cannot be charged with dissipation
now the NASB says not accused so let's
just use both and I want to use both of
those words not accused of dissipation
or not be charged with dissipation now
the word dissipation here is associas
which means that this person is not in
debauchery.
So if there's a particular sexual sin or
some sort of moral failing or abuse or
anything like that, that person cannot
just let that bypass. He can't ignore it
because you cannot be as the text say be
charged with it or be accused of it.
Well, wait a minute. So that means
anybody can accuse you of something so
no one can qualify? No, it doesn't mean
that when someone brings an allegation,
meaning that you have given your defense
and so that accusation does not stand.
This necessarily has to deal with the
person who's being accused, the
preacher, that he gives evidence or a
defense. One of two things has to be
either the allegations are true, a
accepts it, and is punished accordingly,
or they're not true, and you give the
defense necessary that's required.
You cannot ignore those things. Why?
Because it leaves a it casts a shadow of
uncertainty over the body and over the
pastor, which means it causes a shadow
over the person who's unsaved. Looking
at the people who are claiming to be
saved and what they're preaching. Now,
there are some Old Testament rules that
also uh regard this. And I kind of want
to bring these up. I want I want to show
you how God, who by the way does not
change, how he gave the rules to the
Jews. In Deuteronomy 19:15 says, "A
single witness shall not rise up against
a man on account of any iniquity or any
sin which he has committed on the
evidence of two or three witnesses, a
matter shall be confirmed." Now, notice
what he says here. If a person what if
the person is lying? Well, if a
malicious witness rises up against a man
to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both
the men who uh have the dispute shall
stand before the Lord, before the
priests and the judges who will be in
office in those days, and the judge
shall investigate thoroughly. And so if
it found out that the accused has lied,
then whatever the punishment for the the
person that was being accused shall be
levied against the person who's doing
who's making up these lies. Now if you
participate in the lies, the same would
hold true to you. We have a story. Now
the principle is still there. Even
though the question as to whether this
was authentic to the actual gospel or if
it just doesn't belong in John 8:7 the
end of John the end of John 7 and the
beginning of John 8 the woman caught in
adultery and the statement you who are
without sin cast the first stone meaning
that you can't bring these accusations
one if you're also guilty yourself but
two um you have to be in a position as
well when you're blaming these people.
So you as the person that hears these
accusations, if you blame this person as
well, are you also guilty yourself? Paul
says, "You who steal, do you also you
tell people not to steal, do you also
steal yourself?" So you also have to be
uh in the right stand in the right frame
and you cannot be making accusations
against people uh in an ungodly fashion
just because you don't like them. There
needs to be true accusations and you
can't just parrot what someone else
says. But in light of the accusations
being brought forward and there is no
movement on the part of that particular
pastor or that church, that person, you
can say you are well within your right
to do what Paul says in Ephesians 5,
expose that person and to make sure that
no one else goes. Now people after the
exposure, after the warning, they still
run to that person. Well, then now it's
on them, but their blood is no longer on
your hands or their guilt is no longer
against you. You've done your job. Now
you don't. Now, when you stop warning,
that varies from person to person. And
so we can talk about that another time.
But you should always stand for the name
of Christ and then the people who might
be hurt and then after that then the
person who's doing the sin and if
possible restore the person that is
according to how Galatians 6 says if you
are spiritual. So we consider how we
have been in the past and we look at
this other person and you want to offer
grace but it's kind of hard to offer
grace and mercy to the person who's
unrepentant or who will just ignore
whatever charges come against them. So
the preacher just like you have to give
an account if someone is blaming you of
a serious sin. If the person is not a
believer, we do not bring those charges
to a non-believer by a believer. this
person, the church is going to hold this
person accountable who's not a believer.
Paul says it this way. He says, "It's
actually been reported that there is
immorality among you and immorality of
such a kind that does not even exist."
Now, notice what Paul says. Paul hasn't
investigated, but he's going off of he
has to be going off of the accounts of
other people. It's been reported that
there is immorality among you. Well, so
Paul's not there, so someone is telling
him. So, what is Paul doing? Paul is
making a judgment based on this and the
person apparently has not repented, has
not um disagreed with it. It apparently
it seems to be true. And so what does
Paul do? Paul has said this person needs
to be put out. But he also deals with
the church as well. He says, "You have
become arrogant and have not mourned.
Instead,
you're not even sorrowful for it.
Instead, but what you have done is uh
you allow the evil one to stay there."
He says, "The person should have been
removed from your midst." And so, let's
let's drop down further because I want
you to see. He says, "I've delivered
this person over to Satan for the
destruction of his his flesh so that he
would be saved in the day of the Lord."
Possibly, hoping, hopefully, but your
boasting is not good. You think that by
sitting there and allowing this to go
forward and you simply just doing what?
We'll pray for this person. You think
that's adequate enough. Meanwhile, this
sin continues to fester and permeates
through the body. Look what Paul says.
Do you not know that a little leaven, a
little sin leavenvens the whole lump? So
what should you do? Clean out the old
leaven. Clean out the sin just as you
are in fact unleavened. For Christ is
our Passover. Therefore, let us
celebrate the feast. Not with old
leaven, not with this old sin. Let's not
keep hanging out with the people who are
doing these things and enjoying it and
think it's okay. No, but with a
lifestyle dedicated to no sin. He says,
"I I I told you not to associate with
immoral people who are believers, not
the unbelievers. You've got to go and
deal with them so you can bring them
into the fold if possible." But he says,
"I don't want you to associate with
so-called brothers if he is immoral."
Well, in order to determine if he's
immoral covetous, there has to be an
accusation brought and the person has to
either deny it, fight it, or agree with
it. If he does not denies it, uh there
needs to be some sort of investigation.
If he doesn't deny it, then guess what?
I'm sorry. If he doesn't answer it, if
there's no answer to it or runs away
from it, then there is no investigation
needed, you are presumed to be guilty.
Just the same way if you were to go to a
court of law, if you do not show up to
give yourself a defense, well then there
it is. And we're going to show you two
prominent people that actually defend
themselves against sinful charges.
And so he says, "For what do I have to
do with judging outsiders? Do you not
judge those who are within the church?
So what do we do? We judge the things
the activities of people who are in the
body. What if they don't belong to my
local body? Doesn't matter. Are they
claiming to be part of the body, part of
the church? Well, then we can make an
accus make a judgment call based on the
accusations. Do we have a lot of teeth?
No. The best we can do is just stay away
from the person, warn others that church
might have the might desire to put the
person out. Or maybe they won't. too
often doesn't happen whereas it should.
But I want to point you to two people
who gave a defense about people alleging
that they were sin. Now what I want you
to look at, we won't spend time on this
one is Acts chapter 21 and 22. They make
these allegations against Paul. Paul is
brought before the people. The Roman the
guards bring him and he asks to if he
can speak before the people and he gives
a defense of what he did not do. Also in
Acts 24:10, let's go there.
And when the governor had nodded for him
to speak, Paul responded, "Knowing that
for many years you have been been a
judge to this nation, I cheerfully make
my defense since you can take note of
the fact that no more than 12 days ago I
went up to Jerusalem to worship." Now,
Paul's point is, I am now going to give
my defense. I need to be able to give a
defense. He says, "Nor can they prove to
you the charges of which they now, verse
13, accuse me, but this I admit to you
that according to the way which they
call a sect, I do serve the God of our
fathers." And so Paul is giving a
defense. Why? Because that defense
personally about him validates if if
they are wrong and he's right, then what
he's saying should be taken as true.
Also, often times folks will give levy
an allegation against you that will
impugn the gospel. That's why these
allegations that would hurt the gospel
need to be addressed and that's just
what Paul is doing. Another example of
Paul actually giving a defense of
himself is in 1 Corinthians 9. This is
that Paul should not be regarded as an
apostle. Paul says, "Am I not free? Am I
not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus
our Lord? Are you not my work?" So Paul
has given defense of himself and his
position which you must do. Guess who
else did that? Jesus gave a defense of
himself when they would say things
calling him a sinner. Remember they
called Jesus uh a wine bibber or a
drunk. Uh the same thing that they
levied against John the Baptist. And so
Jesus gave a defense for himself. But
then also look at this in John 8:46.
Which one of you convicts me of sin? If
I speak the truth, why do you not
believe me? And so Jesus gives a
defense. Now you don't have to make it a
habit to constantly go and defend
yourself of every little accusation. But
if the accusation has some sort of merit
or some sort of proof by one person or
two people or three people and it's
imputing uh the message that is coming
forth then you are allowed as a matter
of fact promoted to do so to go ahead
and defend yourself. Now you don't want
to just naturally just defend yourself.
Someone says that you are mean someone
says you're not they use some unkind
adjectives. That's not what we're out
here defending. But serious allegations
such as sin that affects other people or
doctrinal issues that affect other
people, those things have to be
answered. So with all the hubbub and the
commotion about how we should or should
not deal with someone who has an
accusation, if we did a better job of
reading the text and understand what
what the Bible is saying and why, we
would be much better stewards of his
word. And so people would not be able to
get over on us and say and do whatever
they want to. And then you've got people
in the church that will stand back and
allow the person to continue in their
sinful ways or being a wolf or being a
false teacher and hurt other people
because we should let God take care of
it. No, God has made us stewards of his
church, but he will hold us accountable
if we don't do it in the right way.
Amen.
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