Silent Pastors

https://youtu.be/iZqYUuFcrBE?si=ecIN5Vb2jvM6x-ShAre silent pastors holding to Jesus’ teaching when they don’t engage culture?

The answer has to be No.

Those who deliberately avoid engaging, confronting, or shaping culture on contentious moral, ethical, or spiritual issues—are not fully holding to Jesus’ teaching in the John 8:31 which says “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples”.

Jesus’ own example was never culturally silent

He publicly rebuked religious leaders, drove money-changers out of the temple, spoke directly into the sexual ethics of His day, confronted Roman political power and was never silent when God’s truth was at stake in the public square.

The New Testament pattern for leaders is public courage, not silence

John the Baptist lost his head for publicly calling out Herod, Paul reasoned in the marketplace daily and virtually every epistle contains public moral instruction meant to be read aloud in the churches, confronting the surrounding Greco-Roman culture.

Silence in the face of evil is itself condemned

Conclusion

A pastor’s sustained posture of silence on abortion, sexual ethics, religious liberty, racism, injustice, or any area where Scripture speaks clearly is not “holding to Jesus’ teaching.” It is functionally denying it by works (Titus 1:16). Faithful disciples, especially those called to shepherd and teach, are required to speak the truth in love (Eph 4:15), to contend for the faith (Jude 3), and to expose darkness (Eph 5:11)—even, and especially, when the culture hates the light.

So no, chronic cultural silence from the pulpit is not obedience to “If you hold to my teaching.”

deirion

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