In our Resources section we have a number of links, books, articles, essays & seminar notes that may be of help as a supplement to counseling. 

Articles 05/03 

Spiritual Abuse : Biblical Mistranslation & Misapplication (Part 2)

adapted from �Who is your Covering� by Frank Viola

by Steve Cadman MSW

  = .com US$

.co.uk GBP Who is Your Covering?: Leadership, Authority, & Accountability

Explanation of Amazon links & Shipping rates is near bottom of this page

    This article follows up on Part I, where, in order to get healing from some aspects of spiritual abuse, we began to take a long look at how certain teachings fail to line up with biblical truth. In this article we will look at a number of Greek words which have been mistranslated, & also at a number of scriptural misapplications & misunderstandings, that have led to the unfortunate twists in �covering� & �authority� teachings.

Mistranslation

    Mistranslations & misinterpretations influenced by cultural biases have cluttered the original meaning & have transformed simple words into heavily loaded ecclesiastical titles. It is a function of our tendency to bring to the NT our organizational conventions from learned cultural frameworks, & read them back into it. The word �office� is a misnomer. The Greek word for �office� is only used to describe Jesus (Heb. 5-7) & the Levitical priesthood (Luke 1:8).

    The KJV obscures many texts that have to do with ministry & oversight. It repeatedly inserts hierarchical / institutional words like �office� where it is absent from the original document. The Anglican church possessed a mindset that merged officialdom with Christianity, as it espoused the wedding of Church & State. King James VI of Scotland directed the translation not to depart from �traditional terminology�. It therefore reflects the Anglican church�s hierarchical / institutional presuppositions of the day.

    In Acts 1:20 & Rom. 11:13 the translated word is service, not �office�; in Rom. 12:4 it�s function, doing, a practice; in 1 Tim. 3:1,10,13 it�s oversight, not bishop. 1 Timothy & Titus list essential qualities of a true overseer, not a list of qualifications for an �office�.

    In Acts 20:28 the Greek says elders are �en� (amoung) the flock, rather than over them.

    In Acts 20:28, 1 Tim. 5:17, 1 Thes. 5:12, Heb. 13:7,17,24, �hegeomai� means to guide or go before, not �rule over�. In Acts 15:22 �hegeomai� means leading or guiding. Silas & Judas were probably respected elders in Jerusalem selected as temporary messengers.

    In 1 Cor. 12:28  �kubernesis� is a noun carrying the verbal idea of giving guidance, according to NT scholar Gordon Fee.

    �Proistemi� in 1 Tim. 3:4-5 does not point to their ability to wield power, but to supervision & nurture. In Rom. 12:8 �Proistemi� envisions one who superintends & gives aid to others, not governs or controls.

    In Acts 14:23 & Titus 1:5 �kathistemi� means �to set� & �Kirotoneo� means to �stretch forth the hand�. Both carry the idea of acknowledging those whom others have already endorsed. There is not a shred of evidence, to support that recognition bestows or confers authority. The laying on of hands is not a special grace or transferred authority. It does not qualify religious specialists to do what lesser mortals cannot. It is a confirmation of those already charged by the Spirit to a specific task.

    In Heb. 13:17  �peitho� means to persuade or win over. The middle passive form translates �allow yourself to be persuaded by your leaders�. It is not a command to obey them mindlessly, or to coerce, force, or brow-beat into submission. The verb �hupeiko� carries the idea of surrendering after battle. They do not demand submission, yet we are encouraged to be uncommonly biased towards their character, maturity & sacrificial service. Heb. 13:7 says we are to imitate their faith as we consider the outcome of their life.

Misapplication

    We will now also take a bit of a look at a number of scriptural misapplications & misunderstandings that have helped lead to the unfortunate twists in �covering� & �authority� teachings.

    Eph.4:11  describes the gifts or rather gifted persons that equip the church for service, gifts given to the church, not to men. These are not �offices�. The Greek has no definite article connected with these terms. They all may or may not be elders. Never once does Paul identify himself with the title �the apostle� Paul before his name. He made known his function.

    The ordering of 1 Cor. 12:28 reflects a logical priority of greater gifting in the building of the church, not a hierarchy (1 Cor. 12:7,31, 14:4,12,26), pecking order, or ladder to climb. Apostles are ranked first (chronologically) because they lay the foundation in the church building scheme. God has called us each to a different work & each is indispensable to the general upbuilding of the church.

    Paul�s metaphor of the Body of Christ does not demonstrate hierarchical submission of the hand to the arm because the message from the Head must come through the arm to the hand. This is a flawed understanding of how the body works. The head controls all parts of the body immediately & directly through the peripheral nervous system, not through a chain of command. It is mutual subjection, not hierarchical submission that engenders proper coordination.

    Those who claim to be heads, believing that local bodies will be chaotic without a head, supplant the executive Headship of Jesus. Jesus is the only Head of each local assembly. Jesus is the only authority in the church & all are under His immediate & direct control. He is the only mediator between God & man, & we may know Him directly.

    The idea that the church includes clergy & laity is without biblical warrant. In 1 Peter 2:9-10 �laos� means �the people� which includes all Christians. Never does it refer to only a portion of the assembly. The word �clergy finds it�s roots in �kleros� which means �a lot, or an inheritance�. It is never used to refer to church leaders but rather to God�s people (1 Peter 5:3).

    The 7 angels of the 7 Revelation churches cannot be assumed to be pastors as there is no analog for the idea of a solo pastor anywhere in the NT, nor is there any text that likens pastors unto angels. Timothy & Titus were not bishops or pastors, they were apostolic co-workers (church planters). The KJV inserted these notes but they do not appear in the Greek text. Moses, Joshua, David & Solomon were Old Testament shadows of Jesus. They were not types of the modern day single pastorate.

    Psalm 105:15 �Do not touch My anointed ones, & do My prophets no harm� has been abused & misapplied to control & deflect criticism. It is instead, now the equivalent of �subject yourselves to one another in the fear of Christ�.

    Jesus did not endorse official authority by saying to obey those in the seat of Moses. Rather He rebuked the scribes & Pharisees for assuming instructional authority when they possessed none. Jesus exposed them as self appointed (Matt.23:2), & that they had usurped authority over people (Matt.23:5-7, Luke 20:46). His statement was an observation, not an endorsement. Taking this as an endorsement would contradict the next verse & all the times Jesus resolutely broke Pharisaical teaching & commanded his disciples to do the same (Matt.5:33-37,12:1-4,15:1-20,16:6-12,19:3-9,etc.). Rather it referred to a special chair set aside in each synagogue from which scripture was read. Scripture is binding regardless who reads it.

    The Exodus 18 pattern where Moses set up a hierarchy of rulers was his heathen father-in-law�s idea. There is no biblical evidence God endorsed it. Jethro himself admitted he was not sure if God would support it (Exodus 18:23). Later the Lord directed Moses to take a different course in oversight by selecting those who were already elder-ing (Num.11:16). It was organic & functional rather than a multi layered hierarchy of rulers.

    Tragically Christians have opted to return to the old covenant system of religious government, even though God dismantled it long ago. It is counterproductive in the church.

    God�s idea has always been theocracy where God is the sole king. God�s full desire was His direct reign (Ex.15:18, Num.23:21, Deut.33:5, 1 Sam.8:7), & that we be a kingdom of priests (Ex.19:6), subject to older, wiser men (elders) in times of crisis (Deut. 22:15-18,25:7-9). God succumbed to the people�s fleshly desire for a king. God still worked with His people under a human kingship but they suffered dire consequences, & it always limited His full working. God condescended to the limitations of His people.

Conclusion

    Today the Spirit has been poured out upon all to bear His oracles (1 John 2:27, Acts 2:17-18, 1 Cor.14:31). The prayer of Moses has been fulfilled (Num.11:29).

    Those in Heb. 13:17, because of their advanced maturity & spiritual gifting, are responsible for �caring for� other believers. It is not the equivalent of having authority. All believers are accountable to God.

    In Part III in the next article, we will look at the how spiritual abuse is related to seeing the church as an organization rather than as an organism, & also how it is related to focusing on hierarchical obedience rather than on mutual subjection.

    Books & 80 pages of seminar notes on "Spiritual Abuse" can be found in the "Resources / Books / Spiritual Abuse" section of this web site.

Other articles by Steve & Heidi Cadman-Neu