Covering and Authority

I came across an interesting passage today studying Paul’s perspective on love.  It is found in 1Cor 13:7.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
(1Co 13:7 NET.)

At first glance this might not seem like it has much to do with covering and authority.  The word translated “bears” is stego which literally means to cover, like a roof.  Up until now I never found any passage that speaks literally of a covering in church relationship aside from Peter’s famous statement about love covering a multitude of sins.  Perhaps I’ve missed something. 

For this passage lots of translations render stego as “bears” but the NIV/TNIV do not.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
(1Co 13:7 TNIV)

I took a look at Stego in the TDNT and found a strong case to render the word according to its more literal meaning.

Various renderings are suggested for 1 Cor. 13:7. In view of the earlier “bear” the sense “to endure” raises problems, since it seems to be repetitive. “To excuse”, is hardly possible, and the middle would be required for the sense “restrains itself.” The meaning, then, is perhaps that love “covers” all things. In full self-giving to others, the love that is rooted in God’s love keeps silent about unfavorable matters.

Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. (1995). Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (1073). Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans.

I found lots of commentators that bring the meaning of protective covering in to their interpretation of this text.  The covering here isn’t about protection from malevolent spiritual beings but more in the sense of keeping in confidence the weaknesses and failings of the people we love.  Love doesn’t broadcast the faults and failings of others.  They believe the text speaks to a gracious amount of concealment.  It does concern me how this might be taken too far if corruption is hidden from view when it should be exposed.

I have my own sense of what this could look like in church life.  There is protection in love.  When people know they are loved and are tangibly supported they can be transparent about their weaknesses and failings.  The community can then respond by supporting that person in the ways that they need support.  We can cover for each other’s weaknesses and be ready with a gentle helping hand.  In another sense genuine love is the best response to a lot of dysfunction.  It is a universal elixir for a great many interpersonal ailments. 

In my experience the most effective ministry is the continual proclamation of the gospel in the context of a relationship flooded with God’s divine love.

Do not let anyone accuse or contend against anyone else:
for my case is against you priests! You stumble day and night,
and the false prophets stumble with you;
You have destroyed your own people! You have destroyed my people
by failing to acknowledge me!
Because you refuse to acknowledge me,
I will reject you as my priests.
Because you reject the law of your God,
I will reject your descendants. The more the priests increased in numbers,
the more they rebelled against me.
They have turned their glorious calling
into a shameful disgrace!
(Hos 4:4-7 NET.)

I’ve been studying the topic of love lately.  As I jump from passage to passage I come across ones that I find are applicable over here.

I urge you, as I did when I was on my way to Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus so that you may instruct certain people not to teach any different doctrine, and not to occupy themselves with myths and endless genealogies that promote speculations rather than the divine training that is known by faith. But the aim of such instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. Some people have deviated from these and turned to meaningless talk,
(1Ti 1:3-6 NRSV)

Paul tells Timothy to deal with a problem in Ephesus.  Some people are teaching “different doctrine.”  The word is heterodidaskeleo.  The meaning of hetero is much like it is English.  It means simply different or another.  Homogeneous means everything is the same, and heterogeneous means things are different.   The 2nd half of the word means teaching or doctrine.  Literally it isn’t as strong “false teaching” although some of the major translations render the word this way (NIV, NET, TNIV).  When the word false is used to describe testimony, teachers, prophets or Christs the word pseudo is used. 

I don’t believe Paul’s concern was that the people in Ephesus were teaching things directly contrary to apostolic doctrine, just that it was futile, vain and empty.  They promoted meaningless speculations or controversies.  What they taught distracted people from the grand purpose of apostolic teaching.

The purpose is love.  Love that comes from:

• pure heart
• a good conscience
• sincere faith

I think Paul is giving us some guidelines which we can use to test  teaching.  Does the teaching lead me to love or something else?  Does it tempt me towards showmanship and pretension or sincerity?  Is my conscience clean as I apply it?  Is it about faith or fear?

It has never been my goal with this website to trash any particular stream in the body of Christ.  I have to say though that the Charismatic stream really needs to consider this passage.  I’m watching a video of a prophetic conference and it is filled with teaching that amounts of meaningless speculation.  None of it seems like an obvious false teaching, it just places so much emphasis on things that  don’t matter all that much. 

Here are some blurbs I heard tonight:

• 2011 is a year of transition as 11 is a the number of transition
• Every word that came out tonight opened a gate for a new level of intimacy with God
• Enter in and experience a deeper level in the spirit realms

None of these kinds of things are in direct opposition to orthodox Christian teaching.  But when all the teaching and direction we receive is like this when it seems to crowd out the basic biblical doctrines.  

They seem to be distractions that take us away from Christ and they can subtly lead us away from precious and plain truths in the Christian faith.  People don’t need to go to the next conference to receive the next word to gain a new level of intimacy with God.  The plain truth is that sincere faith leads to love of God and intimacy. 

The covering teaching starts off like this.  It tempts with promises of increased favour, authority, blessing and protection.  I think where it ends up is more like straight up false teaching.  Is the purpose of the covering teaching love or control?  Not just appreciation or friendliness but love that comes from pure heart.  Is the love real, or is it manufactured to fit in with a system?  Is the faith or trust sincere or is derived from coercion or fear? 

If what motivates us to act is manipulation or legalism we won’t be acting out of a pure heart, good conscience and a sincere faith.

I was looking up some information on Greek language tenses and came upon these passages.

1Pe 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1Pe 1:4  that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you,
1Pe 1:5  who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

One of the great things I discovered I came to when researching for this website was that our salvation begins in this life and it is entirely accessible through faith in Christ.  In verse 3 Peter says we have been given a new birth and living hope through the resurrection.  A living hope is a hope that continues and is available to us through what Christ has done.

We are the same people that are protected by God’s power through faith.  Which is also stated by Paul in 2Tim 1:12-14.  There is no reason to fear those who say you are no longer protected if you leave a church or come out from under someone’s authority.  Your faith in Christ is what protects all the precious things granted to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The servant leader. Jesus chose a servant as the countermodel for His followers. Nothing could be farther from our idea of greatness or leadership. We tend to see, as did the disciples, the pomp of power. The TV cameras focus on the great seal of the United States, a hushed quiet falls, the band in the background plays “Hail to the Chief,” and the announcer’s voice is heard: “Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States.” We feel that is greatness. That is what being a leader is all about.
But then Jesus directs our attention to a quiet person standing off camera; a person in overalls with the working tools of his trade. And Jesus says that is greatness! That is what being a leader is all about.
This graphic contrast must have jolted the disciples just as it jolts us. Yet Jesus clearly wants us to see each of these people as leaders. Each of them is to be seen as having authority and the power to move other men. What, then, are the significant contrasts between the two?
While the secular ruler is above those he leads, Jesus said, “Not so with you” (v. 26). Instead of relational distance, there is relational closeness. The Christian leader must seek to be one with those he or she is called to serve.
Instead of “exercising authority” as a ruler who demands and enforces conformity, the Christian leader is to abandon coercion. Jesus said firmly and plainly, “Not so with you.” Force, manipulation, demand—all are ruled out in the way by which the servant leader exercises Christian authority. Outward force can produce conformity, but it can never produce that inner commitment which moves people to choose to follow Jesus.
How, then, does the servant lead? By serving! The secular ruler speaks the commands, but the spiritual leader demonstrates by his example the kingdom way of life into which he is called to lead others. No wonder Peter picked up this same theme and wrote as an elder to fellow elders, “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care … not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2–3). By serving, the Christian leader demonstrates the greatness of the love of God, and gently motivates others to follow him. “Whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:27–28).

Richards, L., & Richards, L. O. (1987). The teacher’s commentary (576). Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books.

Jana Bishop tells her story of leadership in a church that has bought in to Covering Theology. 

1. The leader must be in control of every aspect at all times.

2. When problems arise, immediately find a guilty party to blame.

3. Don’t make mistakes.

4. Never point out the reality of a situation.

5. Never express your feelings unless they are positive.

6. Don’t ask questions, especially if they are tough ones.

7. Don’t do anything outside your role.

8. Don’t trust anyone.

9. Nothing is more important than giving money to the organization

10. At all costs, keep up the image of the organization or family.

Taken from Toxic Faith page 223.

I’m going over the site and doing some editing.  I focused the content by paring things down to a handful of main points. That page was sloppy.

I’ve been in dialogue with someone else who is doing their own research on Covering Theology.  I hope to link to his findings as soon as he posts them.  It has been fun connecting with others who feel addressing this issue is of huge importance.

There is an interesting facebook that has popped up.  It is called Pentellectuals, for all you charismatics who feel Jesus came to take away your sins and not your mind you might want to check it out.

I’m thinking of expanding the website with more content and publishing it as an e-book.

In many situations where authoritarians are leaders in the church there are often people supporting them.  Some are naive “yes men” that are oblivious to the danger that false teaching represents.  There are usually enablers, people who know better but don’t object because they feel it is more important to “maintain the unity of the body.”  There really is no scripture that directs us to “maintain the unity of the body.” 

In Ephesians 4 we see Paul mentioning unity of the Spirit and unity of the faith.  In only one passage we see a direct appeal to unity with other Christians. 

Rom 15:5  Now may the God of endurance and comfort give you unity with one another in accordance with Christ Jesus,
Rom 15:6  so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The word translated unity is phroneo.  We see it translated as in varying ways in the following passages:

TNIV : “the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had”
NASB : “be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus”
NLT : “live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus”
NRSV : “live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus”
NIV : “a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus”
ESV : “live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus”

There seems to be a little bit of variance in the translations telling me their is a range of meaning in phroneo.  The gist is the same.  Thayer’s lexicon suggests “have understanding”, “to feel” or “to think.”  It sort of means going in the same direction. 

A key in this verse is the part more literally translated “according to Jesus Christ.”  Baker’s NT Commentary suggests it could be “in accordance to the will of Christ” or “in accordance with the teachings and example of Christ” or both.  My guess would be both, or one would lead to the other.  If you sought to know the will of Christ that would inevitably lead to his life and teachings and Christ’s life and teachings certainly lead us to seek His will.  Which ever number you dial you get to the same place. 

We also see that the source of this unity is God.  Paul is praying that the God of endurance and comfort would provide this unity.  It isn’t established through a structural hierarchy and organizational uniformity.  It certainly isn’t arrived at through fear, coercion or manipulation. 

It is necessary for unity to be in accordance to Christ.  If someone starts bringing destructive false teaching that standard is not being met.  Maintaining unity in a local church is not more important than living in accordance to Christ’s will and teaching. 

We have some examples in scripture where Jesus is directly addressing churches that are tolerating false teaching.

Rev 2:14  But I have a few things against you: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.
Rev 2:15  In the same way, there are also some among you who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans.
Rev 2:16  Therefore, repent! If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people with the sword of my mouth.

Rev 2:20  But I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols.
Rev 2:21  I have given her time to repent, but she is not willing to repent of her sexual immorality.
Rev 2:22  Look! I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, and those who commit adultery with her into terrible suffering, unless they repent of her deeds.
Rev 2:23  Furthermore, I will strike her followers with a deadly disease, and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay each one of you what your deeds deserve.

There is something very ironic in this.  Covering Theology teaches people put themselves in terrible danger when they fail to submit to authority but some of the sternest words of impending judgment in scripture are prescribed to false teachers.  It seems to be far more dangerous to stay submitted to a false teacher than it is rebel against one.

We also find instruction in 2John.

2Jn 1:9  Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son.
2Jn 1:10  If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting,
2Jn 1:11  because the person who gives him a greeting shares in his evil deeds.

Is covering theology as bad as the false teaching mentioned in Revelation 2 or 2John?  Given Paul’s strident and emotional case for freedom as an inherent part of the gospel in Galatians my first thought would be yes.   Christ came to give us freedom (Gal 5:1) and Covering Theology takes it away as well as makes idols out of church leaders. 

It is hard to be sure because we aren’t certain what the doctrine of the Nicolatians was.  We know that some false teaching lead to sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.  The issue addressed in 2John was most likely gnosticism. 

From a biblical perspective it would be hard to make a case for “maintaining unity” in church that has embraced false teaching.  If we tolerate false teachers we become a “partner in their evil work” (2John 1:11 NLT).