Covering and Authority

The more I think about Covering Theology the more I believe the real issue isn’t about authority but the gospel itself. Covering Theology takes several free benefits of salvation like divine protection from evil and ads a condition to keep them or acquire them.  That condition is submission to church leaders.  Covering and Authority is not so different from the issue of circumcision in scripture. On the surface seems biblical but it lacks power. We gain the following benefits of salvation by grace through faith in Christ:

• in the eternal plan of God
• reconciled
• redeemed
• removed form condemnation
• under grace instead of judgement
• dead to sinful nature
• free from the law
• regenerated
• adopted as sons and daughters
• made acceptable to God
• justified
• forgiven
• delivered from the kingdom of Satan
• transferred to God’s kingdom
• given access to God
• objects of his power
• objects of his faithfulness
• objects of his peace
• recipients of the Holy Spirit
• complete in Him

Click here for a complete list with scripture passages.

The only way to lose these benefits are to pursue something other than faith in Christ (and some believe you can never lose at least some of them).  In Covering Theology many of the items listed above are presented as conditional benefits that hinge upon whether you are submitted to authority.  Submission to human authority isn’t necessary for that which we receive freely  through faith in Christ.   The only path to Christlikeness is the path of faith in Christ leading to a new creation.  We submit to those who have the right to speak in to our lives in our desire to come to more faith in Christ.  The role of leadership to point to Jesus, not to put barriers between people and Jesus and influence people to funnel their relationship to God through them.

The following passage of scripture is about idolatry but it very much applies to Covering Theology.

Rom 1:15  Thus I am eager also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome.
Rom 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Rom 1:17  For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith to faith, just as it is written, "The righteous by faith will live."
Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth by their unrighteousness,
Rom 1:19  because what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.
Rom 1:20  For since the creation of the world his invisible attributes — his eternal power and divine nature — have been clearly seen, because they are understood through what has been made. So people are without excuse.
Rom 1:21  For although they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or give him thanks, but they became futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts were darkened.
Rom 1:22  Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools

Rom 1:25  They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

The people who accept Covering Theology have made a shift from honouring God as a God and honouring their pastor as God just as Paul describes in v21.  It often isn’t intentional.  It is subtle.  It might come to a choice.  Do I do what I know is right or do I maintain the unity of the body?  If I read “CoveringAndAuthority.com” am I rebelling against authority?  Slowly, subtly everything starts to be filtered through the “is this contributing to the unity of the body” lens not the  “does this honour God lens.”

The people who honour men as God are no different than the idolaters that Paul speaks of.  Because they do not glorify God they become futile in their thoughts and their senseless hearts are darkened.  Claiming to be wise they become fools. 

The irony is thick because in Covering Theology people are more open to deception when they leave their church covering.  In reality it is the opposite.  Once they accept any person other than Jesus as their cover the deception sets in.

One of the lynch pins in Covering Theology is Romans 13:1-7. 

Rom 13:1  Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.
Rom 13:2  So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment
Rom 13:3  (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation,
Rom 13:4  for it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be in fear, for it does not bear the sword in vain. It is God’s servant to administer retribution on the wrongdoer.
Rom 13:5  Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath of the authorities but also because of your conscience.
Rom 13:6  For this reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants devoted to governing.
Rom 13:7  Pay everyone what is owed: taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due.

In Covering Theology this passage is applied to all areas of life.  All types of authorities (family, civic, church etc…) are deemed to be appointed by God.  This leads us to the following question.  Do we represent God just because we are in charge?

Consider Paul.  He received his authority from Jesus Christ and God the Father.  He plainly states that it didn’t come from men or a man.

Galatians 1:1

(NASB)  Paul, an apostle (not sent from men nor through the agency of man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead),

(NRSV)  Paul an apostle–sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead–

(NLT)  This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ Himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead.

(TNIV)  Paul, an apostle—sent not with a human commission nor by human authority, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—

In Paul’s thought there is a clear difference between being appointed by God and appointed by people.  Paul was appointed by God but he wasn’t appointed through human agency.  For Paul they aren’t the same thing.  Some are appointed by people or by human agency and others are appointed by God.  While logically some could be appointed by both it is clear that there isn’t a one to one relationship between human authority and divine appointment.

"RECLAIMING Genuine APOSTOLIC ANOINTING"
-by J. Lee Grady.
The Bible tells us there are both true and false apostles. Let’s
learn to discern the difference.
For many years traditional denominations taught that the ministry
of the apostle passed away after the New Testament era. It was
assumed that the only people who served in apostolic roles were
early followers of Jesus who witnessed His resurrection.
Cessationists (those who believe that miracles stopped after the
canon of Scripture was completed) believe that healing,
deliverance, prophecy and all other supernatural phenomena
ceased and that apostles are no longer necessary.
But as Christians in recent years began to experience the
supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit, church leaders and even some
theologians began to teach that the gift of apostle is vital if we
hope to advance the gospel in our generation. The logic makes
sense: If we still need pastors, teachers and evangelists (all part
of Jesus’ five-fold ministry mentioned in Ephesians 4:11), we also
need the apostles and prophets who are listed in the same
passage. The Bible never says these functions were discontinued.
During the 1990s there was a renewed interest in the ministry of
the apostle. Many books were written on the topic, explaining that
the Greek word apostolos refers to God’s special ambassadors, or
"sent ones," who are commissioned to contend for pure doctrine,
preserve unity among the saints, equip leaders, model Christian
character and help the church advance into new territory.
But a strange thing happened on the way to recovering genuine
apostolic anointing. In true American fashion we began to merchandise it.
No sooner had the first book on apostles been written that some
men began to claim the title and print it on their business cards.
Apostleship became a fad. Before too long, some men were
creating networks of independent churches answerable to a
governing apostle who took ownership of their buildings and
controlled their congregations.
Some charismatic apostles became mini-popes who carved out
their fiefdoms. Suddenly the independent charismatic movement
had more invasive authoritarianism than the denominations these
pastors abandoned 10 years earlier.
In some circles apostles demanded total allegiance from the
leaders who were "under" them. Some required a policy of "tithing
up," creating a monstrous organizational structure similar to a
spiritual Amway. So-called apostles with huge "downlines" made
exorbitant amounts of money. One leader even offered pastors the
opportunity to become "spiritual sons" by contributing $1,000 a
month to his ministry.
Apostolic covering could now be bought. And apostolic grace was
reduced to the level of a motivational coach. May God forgive us
for reducing the value of such a precious gift.
I still believe we need the apostolic anointing—and I know many
wonderful apostles who have planted churches in many parts of
the world. As I have watched them, and studied the life of the
apostle Paul, I’ve seen three key truths we must reclaim today:
1. True apostles are servants. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12:28:
"And God has appointed in the church, first apostles, second
prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings,
helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues" (NASB,
emphasis added). When carnally minded people read this verse
they assume God has set up some kind of ecclesiastical
hierarchy, with apostles sitting on thrones at the top.
But if we view leadership in the way Jesus taught it, we know that
being first is not about being on top. Apostles are at the bottom of
the pecking order. They are the servants of all. And because they
serve a foundational role, their work will often remain hidden in
obscurity. They are not looking for fame or celebrity, nor are they
grasping for a title; their role is to empower everyone else.
2. True apostles are unselfish. I know one apostle in India who
goes by the name of Pastor Howell. He has planted 600 churches
in the Punjab region, trained countless young church leaders in a
makeshift Bible school and led thousands of people to Christ. He
has also seen whole villages impacted by the gospel through one
miracle of healing. He has never ridden in a limousine and he lives
in a modest home with a straw roof that he shares with about 12
Bible college students.
The apostle Paul would have gagged if he could see how some
modern American apostles profit from their downlines or how they
require pampered treatment. Apostleship has nothing to do with
privilege. In fact Paul sometimes made tents for a living in order to
avoid the appearance of entitlement.
3. True apostles share Christ’s suffering. True apostles live on the
edge. They push the boundaries of Christianity forward, into hostile
territory—and as a result they encounter more than their fair share
of persecution and spiritual warfare. They are never content to live
in a comfort zone. Yet even in foreign prisons they find joy and fulfillment.
One of my new heroes is a Nigerian pastor named Tunde Bolanta,
who bases his ministry in the dangerous northern area of his
country. I spent time with him last month when I was visiting
England. He lives in a city where Muslims have killed pastors,
maimed Christians with machetes and drowned their children in wells.
For Tunde, apostleship is not about getting the best seat on a
plane or having the largest TV audience. It is about teaching his
congregation to remain faithful to Christ even when receiving death
threats. And it is about sending his church members into difficult
regions where they could face martyrdom.
As our nation faces a turbulent economic crisis, I pray that we will
allow the Holy Spirit to shake the greed, pride and self-centeredness
out of our movement. False apostles prefer the primrose path over
the Calvary road. May God grant us true apostolic anointing that is
marked by New Testament courage, unquestionable integrity and
Christ-like humility.
-J. Lee Grady is editor of Charisma.
SOURCE:  http://charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones/19934-reclaiming-
genuine-apostolic-anointing