“The highest moral character must be sedulously maintained. Many are disqualified for office in the church who are well enough as simple members. I hold very stern opinions with regard to Christian men who have fallen into gross sin. I rejoice that they may be truly converted, and may be with mingled hope and caution received into the church; but I question, gravely question whether a man who has grossly sinned should be very readily restored to the pulpit.
“As John Angell James remarks, "When a preacher of righteousness has stood in the way of sinners, he should never again open his lips in the great congregation until his repentance is as notorious as his sin….
“…Open immorality, in most cases, however deep the repentance, is a fatal sign that ministerial graces were never in the man's character. There must be no ugly rumors as to ministerial inconsistency in the past, or the hope of usefulness will be slender. Into the church such fallen ones are to be received as penitents, and into the ministry they may be received if God puts them there; my doubt is not about that, but as to whether God ever did place them there; and my belief is that we should be very slow to help back to the pulpit men, who having been once tried, have proved themselves to have too little grace to stand the crucial test of ministerial integrity.”
“Lectures to My Students.” n.d. Www.gracegems.org. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://www.gracegems.org/Spurgeon/lectures_to_my_student.htm.
Charles Spurgeon does not entirely rule out the possibility of fallen ministers being restored to the pulpit, but he is extremely cautious and skeptical about it. He emphasizes that restoration to the pulpit should be rare and undertaken only if there is overwhelming evidence of repentance, restoration, and God’s clear calling on the individual.
Spurgeon’s main concerns are:
1. The Reputation of the Gospel: A minister’s past immorality casts a long shadow, potentially damaging the church’s witness. Restoration requires that the individual’s repentance be as public and well-known as their sin.
2. Ministerial Grace and Calling: Spurgeon questions whether a man who has fallen into gross sin was truly called or equipped by God for ministry in the first place. He implies that falling into significant sin may reveal a lack of the necessary grace and character for the office.
3. Extreme Caution: He urges the church to be slow and deliberate in considering any restoration to ministry. The priority is protecting the integrity of the pulpit and the spiritual health of the church.
Thus, while Spurgeon leaves the door open slightly for restoration under exceptional circumstances, he frames it as an extraordinary and rare occurrence, rather than the norm. His guiding principle is the honor of Christ and the gospel, which must always take precedence.
Another way to look at this is by looking at the qualifications for a Bishop. If a man has been removed from the pulpit ministry, the qualifications for pulpit ministry have not changed; therefore, re-entry to the pastoral ministry should follow the same scriptural guidelines…
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