Ministers Risk Eternal Damnation
- Michael E.B. Maher
- Jun 9
- 8 min read
Ezekiel 3:16-21 “Now it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the Lord came to me, saying, (17) "Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore hear a word from My mouth, and give them warning from Me: (18) When I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life, that same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. (19) Yet, if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul. (20) "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die; because you did not give him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. (21) Nevertheless if you warn the righteous man that the righteous should not sin, and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; also you will have delivered your soul.”
In this section we want discuss the disturbing truth that ministers that are disobedient to their calling to preach the gospel are at risk of incurring eternal damnation. And so unlike the saints, who can only lose their salvation if they deny the Lord Jesus, the Lord’s ministers have an added avenue to losing their salvation, which is being disobedient to their call to minister the Lord’s gospel. In the passage of scripture quoted above the Lord warned the prophet Ezekiel of this very thing, when He told him that if the Lord’s ministers did not warn either the righteous or the wicked to turn from their wickedness then He would hold the minister accountable for their blood. In this passage the Lord tells us that the only way the Lord’s minister can deliver their own souls is to be obedient in preaching the gospel. So what does the Lord mean when He says that He will require their blood at the hands of the ministers that choose not to warn those who are perishing? The Lord simply means that He will require life for life, for the life of the man is in his blood (Leviticus 17:10), which explains why the ministers’ souls can only be delivered if they are obedient in this area. Some would foolishly accuse the Lord of judging His ministers too harshly by condemning them to eternal punishment for their disobedience. However if we just look at it logically, it would be unjust of the Lord to allow His minister to inherit eternal life while they are guilty of condemning others to eternal torment because they refused to be obedient in warning those who were perishing. And so God is not unjust in giving His minister the same sentence His minister had passed upon those he refused to warn.
Acts 20:26-27 “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. (27) For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”
Clearly the apostle Paul was fully aware of the danger that ministers place themselves in when through disobedience; they do not preach the full counsel of God. And so we see something else that ministers of the gospel need to be aware of, which is the content of the gospel that they preach and teach. In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle Paul stated that God would not hold him to account for the blood of others on that day. The reason Paul could say that was because he had not been selective in what he taught the church, for he taught the whole counsel of God even when certain parts of the gospel were not well received by certain believers. We have already seen earlier that Paul was so diligent in teaching the full counsel of God that towards the end of his ministry there were many churches that would not allow him to preach in their churches anymore. And so ministers that are selective in that which they teach the church are in great danger, for they cannot as Paul did, proclaim before the Lord that they are innocent of the blood of all men.
Matthew 25:14-30 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man travelling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. (15) And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. (16) Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. (17) And likewise, he who had received two gained two more also. (18) But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money. (19) After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (20) "So, he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.' (21) His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' (22) He also who had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.' (23) His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' (24) "Then he who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. (25) And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.' (26) "But his lord answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. (27) So, you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. (28) So, take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. (29) 'For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. (30) And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The parable quoted above is very similar to the one we looked at earlier in the section that dealt with unforgiven sin. Both parables deal with the day of judgement, but although the parables are similar, they deal with two different categories of the Lord’s servants, for unlike the first parable in which every servant received the same amount, in this parable the servants are given different amounts based on their abilities. And so we see that the first parable dealt with all the Lord’s saints, for each one received the same gift of salvation, whereas in this parable our Lord is dealing with His ministry gifts, for each one received a measure of grace according the different gifts given to each one. The outcome in both parables for the ones who did not use their minas and talents is almost identical, in that both have their inheritance taken from them. But in the above parable dealing with the Lord’s ministry gifts, the judgement pronounced is far more serious, because they not only lose their inheritance but they are also banished to outer darkness for all eternity. And so our Lord couldn’t have made the point any clearer than that, i.e. ministers who refuse to answer their call to preach the gospel are in danger of incurring eternal damnation, for to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.
Luke 12:41-46 “Then Peter said to Him, "Lord, do You speak this parable only to us, or to all people?" (42) And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of food in due season? (43) Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. (44) Truly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. (45) But if that servant says in his heart, 'My master is delaying his coming,' and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and be drunk, (46) the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.”
We have seen thus far that ministry gifts that refuse to teach the full counsel of God and ministry gifts that refuse to answer their call are both in danger of incurring eternal damnation. However as revealed to us in the above quoted passage of scripture, there is one further category of ministry gift that also has the potential to incur eternal damnation, for the Lord Jesus stated that these ministers will be appointed their portion with the unbelievers. So what behaviour do these ministers display that causes our Lord to place them with the unbelievers on that day? When this passage declares that they begin to beat the Lord’s servants, the word translated “beat” also means to “offend”. In other words these ministers live hypocritical lifestyles by living in the flesh and gratifying the lusts of their flesh, and in doing so, these ministers cause the Lord’s servants to become offended with Christianity resulting in their falling away from following the Lord. And so, just as the Lord is justified in condemning the minister who refuses to warn people to repent from their wickedness, so it is that He is also justified in condemning the minister who, through the example of living an ungodly lifestyle, causes others to enter into eternal damnation when they fall away from following the Lord Jesus.
Philippians 3:17-19 “Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. (18) For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: (19) whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame--who set their mind on earthly things.”
In the passage of scripture quoted above the apostle Paul admonished the church to follow the example of his lifestyle and other ministers like him. Paul then went on to tell us in this passage that he wept for other ministers of the gospel who were not walking as godly examples to the flock, for he tells us that they walk as enemies of the cross because their belly is their god and that they set their minds on earthly things. Paul tells us that end is of such ministers is destruction. Clearly in this passage the apostle Paul is describing the same ministers that Jesus said He would appoint their portion with the unbelievers. And so by examining various passages of scripture, we have seen in this section that the Lord’s ministers will incur a different judgement to the saints on that day. As an aside I need to mention that ministers that forfeit their salvation as discussed in this section are treated the same as all unbelievers, in that they are cast into hell at the end of their lives just as all unbelievers are.
Michael E.B. Maher
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