Don’t listen to the false teachers. This is the scourge of social media. Even Christians will retweet and ‘like’ the comments of people who are false teachers, people who are unsound. People who happen, somehow or other, to say something good, and so they get quoted and approved of. No, says the apostle, don’t listen to them. The fact that they might manage to say something true once in a while doesn't mean you quote them and commend them. They are false.
This needs some explanation. Don't give ministers undue authority. They don't have authority over your lives. They are not to rule you. They only rule by the word of God, and in so far as the teach the word, listen to them, respect them, help them, be open to them. You may be more intelligent than they are; you may possibly be more educated than they are; you may earn very much more money than they do; you may have greater accomplishments, but says the word of God, ‘Be open to their help and encouragement insofar as it comes from the word of God. They are not ruling; it is the Lord through the word, and they are to be faithful to the word. These kind of heavy shepherding places, where pastors go around ordering people to do this or to do that and some of them become servile and they go to the pastor: ‘Should I do this? Should I do that?’, concerning decisions that they are supposed to make before the Lord for themselves, they are bringing to their pastors; that is ridiculous. The pastor isn’t somebody who is endowed with wisdom to make all your personal decisions for you. He is teaching from the word, and he's got to stick to the word. If he exceeds the word of God, and mixes it with his own authority and ideas and opinions, he's under the disclosure of God. He is in very serious trouble. So the preacher who never exhorts, but only teaches doctrine, is actually in trouble. He is not preaching all the counsel of God. He is not covering all the bases. He is supposed to be preaching the gospel, and the doctrine, and he is supposed to be exhorting, warning, and encouraging, and putting his finger on the problems as the word of God does. And he is supposed to be lifting up Christ and giving a sense of glory and encouragement. He's got to do it all.
When a church calls a pastor, it should make sure he believes the truth. Make sure he preaches persuasive evangelistic sermons; that is vital. But here the apostle Paul adds this point – make sure he is a labourer, that he is a hard worker for the people of God.