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What makes a pastor a false pastor?

Is it bad preaching? A different personality? A disagreement over doctrine? A pastor who preaches hard? Not necessarily.

In this episode of Dad Jokes and Discernment, we take a biblical look at what happens when a man entrusted with the pulpit abuses that responsibility. We talk about false pastors, false teachers, wolves in the pulpit, spiritual abuse, legalism, pulpit bullying, compromise, celebrity pastors, church growth, pastoral authority, and the danger of building a following around a man instead of pointing people to Christ.

The Bible gives us a standard for evaluating those who lead God's people—and that standard isn't personality, popularity, attendance, charisma, or how many people follow them online.

The standard is Scripture.

We look at passages including Matthew 7, Acts 20, 1 Peter 5, 2 Timothy 4, Titus 1, James 3, Ephesians 4, and others to ask some uncomfortable questions:

• Is the pastor faithfully preaching the Word?
• Is he shepherding God's people or controlling them?
• Is he equipping disciples or building an audience?
• Does he submit to Scripture—or elevate his own traditions to the level of Scripture?
• Does he confront sin faithfully without humiliating people?
• Is he pointing people toward Christ—or toward himself?
• What does a faithful shepherd actually look like?

And perhaps most importantly: how do we distinguish a genuinely false pastor from a faithful pastor who simply isn't our favorite preacher?

This isn't an episode about naming names or attacking pastors. It's about giving Christians biblical tools to test what they hear, recognize spiritual danger, and keep Christ—not a preacher—at the center of the church.

Because the sheep don't belong to the pastor.

They belong to Christ.

And when a man stands behind the pulpit, the question isn't, “How can I make people follow me?”

It's:

“How can I faithfully point them back to Christ?”