Few of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 
James 3:1

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The throng of men in suits loitering in front of a church in Dallas, Texas, made me feel uneasy. On a Sunday morning in April of 1987, I had decided to go to a church while on a business trip, but the uneasiness I felt convinced me to walk on by and return to the hotel. Instead, later that Sunday, I attended an evening service at a different church. 

That night, as I listened to the evening news, I learned of a nearly tragic crime involving the wife of the pastor of the church I had decided not to attend. A few years later, her husband, the pastor, was charged in the crime. Perhaps that’s why I had such an uneasy feeling that day. 

Most spiritual leaders or teachers do not commit such intense crimes, but we have certainly seen enough pastors fall from grace in recent years to make it feel commonplace. The consequences of this level of sin has caused many to turn away from church and disuades the hearts of the unchurched, “They are all hypocrites. You can’t believe a word that comes out of their mouths.”

Perhaps it’s for this reason that we find in today’s scripture a warning (or gentle reminder) to those who are spiritual teachers (or leaders), “Few of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly” (James 3:1).

Besides the more strict judgment, there are the lasting consequences. And such consequences are not limited to the breaking news variety of sin but to the everyday human nature foibles. For example, an angry word might leave a negative impression on a youngster.

Such a disastrous effect is not limited to a teaching pastor’s behavior or to other pastoral staff. It applies to volunteer leaders: small group leaders, team leaders, greeters—all of us in the body of Christ from the top of the head to the tip of the toes.

Next Steps

Read Galatians 5:16-21 and 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Do you recognize any patterns of sin in your life? Confess them to God and a spiritual leader. Bringing it into the light is the first step in preventing any more damage our sin might cause.