Published by LT on 07 Dec 2008 at 05:57 pm
Why it is false
Covering theology is wrong on several levels. First and foremost it distorts the gospel of Jesus Christ. It redefines sin, grace and faith through an authoritarian lens. It takes the precious things the bible tells us are available to us solely through faith like God’s protection and provision and makes them conditional upon submission to a church leader. This is no different than the false teachers of Paul’s day who tried to teach that circumcision was necessary to have a complete relationship with God. Paul’s response? Gal 3:3 ”Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
Covering theology teaches that the kingdom of God operates like the Roman Empire with a clearly defined hierarchical order. The one verse that is used to support this notion is Romans 13:1-7 but the original context of the passage has to be ignored to make this fit. In this passage Paul wasn’t talking about the church, he was talking about the Roman Christians should relate to the Roman empire. Jesus makes it very clear in Mat 20:25-26 that the church should not operate like the Roman Empire.
Covering theology is coercive and inevitably leads to spiritual abuse. It compels people to submit through the threat of spiritual disaster. It is manipulative because the threat is not real. There is no scripture that indicates people put themselves at peril if they aren’t completely submitted to authority.
Most of the Christian church doesn’t believe in covering theology. It appeared on the scene in North America about 40 years ago through something called the shepherding movement. That movement was completely discredited and some of the leaders have publicly repented of their involvement.
Covering Theology focuses on a couple of scriptures but ignores several others. It just doesn’t fit with Jesus’ words about leadership. It doesn’t fit with Pauls concept of the church as a body. It doesn’t fit with how Paul conducted himself with Peter and what he thought of Christian leaders in Jerusalem.
Several questions have to be answered before Covering Theology can fit with the greater biblical story. If submission to church leaders is based on their position is so important why isn’t it clearly laid out in scripture and reinforced by example? Why would Paul go to such great lengths to the convince the Corinthians that they should listen to him because of his life and ministry and not the people who had “letters of recommendation” and judge things according to the flesh? How could prophets like Jeremiah and John the Baptist say such negative things about their leaders if we are called to be unconditionally submitted to authority? Why aren’t we warned in the New Testament that we open ourselves up to demonic deception and spiritual disaster if we don’t submit to the authority of church leaders? This would be a really big deal if it were true and yet the entire New Testament is silent on it? This just so much in the bible that doesn’t fit with Covering Theology.
We must also consider the fruit of this teaching. Jesus tells us that a good tree will bear good fruit. Have the churches that implemented this teaching ever experienced the revival that is promised will accompany this so called alignment? Why are there continual reports of abuse and spiritual shipwreck in the lives of the people? Why do so many sincere Christians have such a problem reading “Under Cover” because there is such a check in their spirit?
I have no doubt there are sincere Christians that have accepted covering theology and a great many others that could rightly be considered wolves in sheep’s clothing. To those who are sincere I ask you:
- Do you really want to reject hundreds of years of protestant/evangelical biblical interpretation?
- Do you really think that you’ve discovered some hidden structural change to bring about revival? Has it worked so far?
- Do you really want to accept a theology that redefines the central concepts in our understanding of salvation such as faith, sin and grace?
- Have you ever winced inside when you observed the application of this theology and watched people go in to great distress?
Being a leader isn’t easy. Watching people make their own choices and their own mistakes is difficult. However we cannot fix that by scaring them in to listening to us. It doesn’t work, it doesn’t help, it is isn’t leadership and it certainly isn’t biblical.
- Covering theology usurps the rightful place of Christ in our lives and replaces it with a person.
- Not all authorities are established by God nor do they directly represent God in our lives.
- We are not called to obey leaders because they have the authority to control us, but we are called to allow ourselves to be persuaded because so we may gain the profit of their counsel.
- God provides our spiritual protection, not human leadership.
- If we are mistreated by an leader we should follow proper biblical protocol rather than suffer silently and wait for God to exact vengeance.
- We are judged not on our level of submission to leadership but on the fruit of our lives.
- Our leaders gain the authority to build us up by several criteria, not just rank or position.
- We follow God’s authority by discerning his will as a church body. God is not funnelled exclusively through human leaders.
- Biblical submission is a voluntary attitude, not derived from fear, manipulation or coercion.
- Covering theology subverts and destroys effective accountability
- Personal freedom is required for sincere and genuine love and sacrifice
- Freedom is an inherent part of salvation
- Christians are not called to live in perpetual fear and anxiety about their relationship with God
- Paul calls on all Christians to submit to each other, and anyone devoted to ministry.
- Jesus instructed the disciples not to exercise authority over one another, but to serve
- Peter instructed elders not to exercise authority over their flock, but to lead as examples
- Jesus instructed the disciples to be discerning about the teaching and example of leaders
- We must obey God rather than people
- David never stayed submitted to Saul, he just respected his position
- Paul did not follow people solely on the basis of their position
- Covering theology redefines the central tenets of the gospel distorting and subverting its message
(NRSV) Gal 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Audrey James on 18 Oct 2009 at 12:10 am #
Thank God for me discovering your page its a blessing to me at this time of my christian walk,it will be of great help to me. Thank you, of a truth only what we do for Christ will last or will we be able to stand in these testing times. My heart aches for truth in how to walk in understanding of God’s word,i pray everyday to God for it, to better my understanding for i don’t want to be yoked up, but to walk in humility of honoring those set over me but not to be taken advantage of by those in authority for it seem to be the in thing and my heart break and i am before God in tears over this. It was a relief to stumble across your page God bless you i believe you are a answer to my prayer.
I encourage you to keep,keeping on in the task of placing some of what God has place in you for seekers such as I. Thank you again and may God richly blesses you ministry.
Chaneth on 25 Aug 2010 at 4:33 pm #
Regards servant of God;
Thanks for the material herein presented. But I think it is very important to submit under some spiritual authority. It must not be particular or specific. If your problem is with just one of the reasons for which submitting is taught, it could be expedient to so present the matter in a way that does not completely rule out submission to authority. The truth is that there has been abuse; but that does not make the whole teaching of submission false. A man’s walk with the Lord depends so much on maturity. When someone starts taking some decisions and sealing them in one way or the other, it portrays growth. Believe me, the person to whom I submit as father in the Lord entered a covenant with God that he can never die by motor accident; and as I submit to him, I know I am covered by this covenant. Please let’s teach that some people in authority have abused those who submit to them but I am convicted and convinced that there is less evil if at all in covering theology than is presented by those who teach against it.
May the Lord bless us all to be able to understand His word and His teachings both on issues that are Biblical and on issues that are Scriptural
LT on 27 Aug 2010 at 1:32 pm #
Chaneth
I’m only going to teach what I see in scripture. I don’t put forth an alternative model of leadership because I think there are several approaches to church leadership that I find acceptable. I don’t want a debate over acceptable approaches to distract from the issue I’m attempting to address.
I believe that all authority has been given to Jesus, and our most reliable way of understanding what His will is, is found in scripture. We can be convinced and convicted all we want about this teaching or that, but it if doesn’t square with scripture it is very likely we are in rebellion to our ultimate authority: God.
WALTER KAMBULOW on 29 Aug 2010 at 7:40 am #
“And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write, ‘ These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. And you hold fast to My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells. “But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. “Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. ‘Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. Revelation 2:13-16
“Nicolaitans” means “Victorious over the people; a follower of Nicolaus, a heretic.” Anyone who uses their leadership position to manipulate others is bumping up against the thing Jesus hates. The Lord wants us to be under His control, no one else’s. But even He doesn’t use such tactics of manipulation. He wants willing obedience, not contrived. Our acceptance was paid for on the cross, therefore we need not be man- pleasers. Jesus rules by example and through serving but Nicolaitans rules through manipulation and control.
Nicolaitan authority is false authority. Therefore a believer is not required to submit to it. In fact he should take dominion over it. Nicolaitan authorities may try to label us as rebels, but Christ must reign supreme, regardless of what others say.
The root of the word Nicolaitans comes from Greek nikao, to conquer or overcome, and laos, which means people and which the word laity comes from. The two words together especially means the destruction of the people and refers to the earliest form of what we call a priestly order or clergy which later on in church history divided people and allowed for leadership other than those led by the spirit of the risen Lord Jesus Christ. A good translation of Nicolaitan would be “those who prevail over the people.” This clerical system later developed into the papal hierarchy of priests and clergy lording over the flock. The Council of Trent stated, “If anyone shall say that there is not in the Catholic Church a hierarchy established by the divine ordination, consisting of bishops, presbyters and ministers, let him be anathema.” This very idea was taken over by the Protestants with their own corruption of church leadership. The Church of Ephesus was commended for hating the deeds of the Nicolaitans. The wrong separation of the clergy from the laity is a great evil in God’s sight and He hates the lust for religious power. There is an ungodly spiritual authority in the Church today, which is nothing more than the prideful spirit of control, manipulation, domination and intimidation and a rebellion of the rightful authority of God.
Robert on 01 Sep 2010 at 5:50 pm #
Excellent points, LT. I have experienced some ‘authoritarian arrogance’ recently. I was a small group leader in my non-denom church. A busy-body, ambitious member reported to the pastors that I had ‘a glass of wine’ at a restaurant bar….so the pastor ‘called me in’ and tried to chastise me. I defended my character appropriately. Later, they wouldn’t let me be a small group leader anymore, nor serve communion as I had been scheduled.
Yes…I was ‘in rebellion’ they had decided. So I s’pose they were punishing me.
I met with them again, and they denied they were an ‘authoritarian’ church structure….then proceeded to talk harshly to me, tell me I had lied to them that I would never ‘drink’ in a bar, and when I acted like I was amazed at what was happening, they told me I ‘did not respect them as pastors’! I wish I had it all on video. Behind closed doors with them was totally different than what is presented by the Sr Pastor on stage!
Fortunately, I am mature in Christ and can see it for what it is.
Thanks so much for your time spent in keeping this website current…..I’ll bet we see more of this type behavior.