Should Christians obey their pastors?

from the old testament

• The command to obey one’s pastors is not found in the Old Testament.

from the new testament

• Hebrews 13:17 teaches, "Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you." Believers are clearly called to follow their teachers under normal circumstances when they are doing God’s work by teaching His word.
• Obedience should not be blind, though. Believers must evaluate a leader's teaching for consistency with Scripture. Acts 17:11 says of the Bereans, "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." If a pastor's teaching is inconsistent with God's Word or contradicts it, believers are obligated to not obey it.
• The Bible warns us of false teachers. Though there are many noble ministers of God's Word, others preach and lead for selfish personal reasons. Second Peter 2:1 says, "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction." We must reject such teachers and earnestly “contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 3).

implications for today

The “real deal” is sometimes hard to detect. Knock-offs abound—from Rolexes to Gucci purses to “diamonds” that turn out to be cubic zirconia. Chances are, if you aren’t familiar with the real thing, you’ll be taken in by the fake.

Sadly, this is also true of church leaders. Many godly men lead their congregations faithfully. But some are the wolves in sheep’s clothing that Jesus warned us about (Matthew 6:15). How do you tell the difference between the genuine and the real? Be so familiar with God’s word that you instantly know when someone is twisting it for personal gain.

This doesn’t mean believers should be argumentative or confrontational about secondary issues (e.g., eschatology, cessationism versus continuationism, etc.). It means that concerning the core teachings of Scripture — Christ’s deity, His resurrection, salvation through grace rather than works, etc.---there is no wiggle room.

So what should believers do when they detect a leader abusing God’s word for personal gain? In cases in which an ungodly or false teacher exists in a church, two or more witnesses are required before presenting the case to the church (1 Timothy 5:19). Paul advised Timothy that if accusations are found true, "rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear" (1 Timothy 5:20). In some cases, this will involve discipline of some sort. In other cases, the concern will lead to removal from leadership.

But all this doesn’t negate that we should honor and respect godly leaders. First Timothy 5:17 says, "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching." This "double honor" likely included financial support as well (see v. 18). Church leaders who serve well should be respected as such by their congregations and will also be greatly rewarded in eternity (1 Peter 5:1-4).