How do pastors know on which issues to be principled to the end?

Certainly, such issues need to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, but here are seven general areas in which pastors may be called upon to put their position on the line:

1. Gospel. The closer the issue is to the Gospel, the more strongly the pastor should defend his position. This certainly includes opposing a false gospel or the teaching that might lead to it. But it can also include standing against a ministry philosophy that compromises the Gospel, such as a decision to stop or downplay evangelism and focus on social work.
2. Unity. The pastor must stand firmly against anyone or anything that might unjustly divide the church.
3. Teaching about Scripture. The pastor must defend the authority of Scripture (for example, against attacks on its inerrancy), since Scripture itself is the source of the life and health of the church.
4. Personal purity. A pastor should do nothing that would compromise his personal piety or cause him to compromise his own conscience before God's Word.
5. The holiness of the church. The pastor must resist anything that might tarnish the holiness of the church or its members.
6. The Good of the Flock. If a pastor is not willing to sacrifice his position for the spiritual good of his people, then he is not a true pastor.
7. Preaching. The most important thing a pastor does is preach the Word of God. Therefore, he should be prepared to leave the church if he is not allowed to proclaim the Scriptures openly and clearly. This does not mean that he should not exercise wisdom in when and how to preach certain biblical doctrines.

In any given situation, it will not always be clear whether one of these principles is at stake. However, these principles point to a question that a pastor should ask himself when making a decision:

«"If I don't act in this situation, will my flock suffer?"»