abuse requires power

“of all bad men, religious bad men are the worst.” —c.s. lewis

the first-century pharisees set themselves up as rulers and judges of the people in order to create a certain type of religious community, one they could control. they became “keepers of the gate,” deciding who was “in” and who was “out,” (see john 12:42-43 in the New Testament), and gained power through their complicated system of rules … power to abuse. Jesus went out of His way to break their rules publicly and to teach against them. Jesus let everyone — tax collectors, prostitutes, anyone and everyone — into His new community. and the pharisees hated Him for it.

matthew 23 tells us how Jesus was angry with the pharisees for victimizing people with their false religious authority. they gained their authority via their knowledge of the law of moses, which the common people did not have access to or strong knowledge of. (the “seat of moses” was an actual stone chair or throne on which the pharisees sat in front of the synagogue and exercised their authority and power.)

today, many church leaders set themselves up similarly as “keepers of the gate” with various criteria for acceptance or rejection based on their own interpretation and implementation of their religious rules, customs or principles. and while they don’t use big stone chairs, these leaders use leadership titles, academic degrees and church offices to lord their authority and superior knowledge over the common people. it’s the same recipe for abuse, a false basis of authority. any appeal to authority based on position, title, degree or office is false. the only authority God recognizes — and to which we should submit — is the truth.

don’t let anyone look down on you or make you feel inadequate, unworthy or not good enough — not “pastor,” not “director,” not “elder,” not “doctor,” not “senior pastor,” not “lead pastor,” not whatever the current cool title happens to be. they are no closer to God than you can be if you seek Him. no title or office or position gives anyone a closer track with God. not convinced? here’s what THE AUTHORITY, Jesus, said:

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and He is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.” — Matthew 23:8-15

WOW!

[these points and quotes are derived from the book, “healing spiritual abuse,” by ken blue. read it. it will set you free.]