The words of a pastor carry weight in the life of their congregation. For better or for worse, people look to their pastor for help understanding not only the Bible and theology but also many of the cultural issues of the day.
This is why Paul encouraged Timothy to “keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers” (1 Timothy 4:16).
Most pastors take this responsibility incredibly seriously. That doesn’t mean they always get it right, though. Sometimes, the way in which they get it wrong can be dangerous to the lives and faith of the people they lead.
This is never more the case than when pastors bring their ideological or political assumptions to their reading of Scripture and do so uncritically, passing along their personal beliefs to the congregation as though they were given by God.
Commitment to a particular political vision may cause a pastor to approach the Bible with…
