Abuse and Recourse

.... In some parts of the church today, unscriptural teachings on ‘authority’ have produced a Christian caste system with an ‘elite’ class of Christian leaders at the top. They are elite in the sense that (according to themselves,) the rest of us are not allowed to question their actions nor defend ourselves from unnecessary abuse from them. We are simply to be submissive anyway.

.
.... For example, based on the example of Hannah and Eli (1 Samuel 1:12-17), one author considers it ‘brazen’ to disagree with a pastor who may falsely insult us! (Yes, we’re the brazen ones for disagreeing, not the pastor for speaking slanderously!) Yet he neglects the fact that Hannah, in a respectful way, did exactly that and disagreed with him, and that we are commanded to do the same:

.... "And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will."

(2 Timothy 2:24-26)

.... The same author claims, in regard to lawless ministers (Matthew 7:22-23), that we may still "access God through them." How revealing this statement is! For setting aside all necessity of serving God in truth, an outright mediation is envisioned, even in submittion to lawlessness!

.
.... Jesus would say to us all that those very same ministers never knew Him (Matthew 7:23). Far from offering us a 'safety net' through our submission, these ministers are blind leaders of the blind so that both will fall into the ditch (Luke 6:39). Forgive the pun, but that’s what comes from blind submission, especially in abusive situations.
.

.... The same author went on to claim: "God did not limit our submission to authorities to the times when we see their wisdom, agree with them, or like what they tell us. He just said ‘Obey!’" (no Scripture cited). This, too, carries the very dangerous seeds of mediation, blind submission and even usurpation. The entire argument is fraught with complications.
.

.... Contrary to the author’s claim, Christians are required to hear God for themselves and to be accountable to His leading (1 Kings 13:14-22; John 10:27,5). Nor does God purposely keep us in the dark for the sake of bolstering leadership’s authority, as the author has claimed (see James 1:5). That is simply gnostic. And it illustrates the sort of blind submission that Paul would decry:

.... "For you put up with fools gladly, since you yourselves are wise! For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face. To our shame, I say that we were too weak for that!"

(2 Corinthians 11:19-21)

.... Some Corinthian Christians believed that it was godly to suffer abuse willingly, and that only weak Christians would attempt to defend themselves in such situations. But in this passage Paul is chiding them, and deriding them as the true weaklings because they would tolerate such things.

.
.... Abuse is sometimes inescapable in life, and God does honor us when we face it patiently. But He also gives us a mouth and wisdom which none of our adversaries can gainsay nor resist, which means that His heart is with us in speaking the truth in each matter. In meekness He allows us to instruct those who are in opposition, if perhaps He may grant them repentance to the truth – and this includes abusive Christian leaders. The key to this is in our trust in God and our respectful attitude, not necessarily in our silence.

.
.... The same author claims (very brazenly) that objecting to abuse from Christian leaders is simply ‘avenging ourselves’. But by any objective standard, there is a difference between avenging and defending, as long as we do so Scripturally (Acts 28:19).

.... "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector."

(Matthew 18:15-17)

.... Christian leaders, like all other Christians, are subject to a process of discipline when it is necessary, as described above. In relation to erring leaders, Paul picks up the same process at mid-point by instructing Timothy: "Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses." (1 Timothy 5:19). Basically, he is telling Timothy to insure that the previous steps were accomplished before taking things to the next step, which is to bring the matter before the whole church:

.... "Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality."

(1 Timothy 5:20-21)

.... In other words Paul is charging Timothy not to treat leaders as an elite class in any way. They are to be shown neither partiality nor prejudice in church discipline, but they are subject to the same standard as anyone else – give me no arguments, no excuses – you had better observe this truly, do it rightly, and do it no matter what! We will continue this discussion in our next posting.

To proceed to the next lesson, click here

Daily Bible Reading: 1 Thessalonians 4