Jacob Ninan
Among the different trends we notice in Christianity all over the world, one very damaging trend is an unhealthy emphasis on spiritual authority. "Touch not the Lord's anointed" (Psa.105:15) is becoming a common rebuke against anyone who dares to question someone in authority. The example of David who refrained from killing Saul who was pursuing him to kill him – because Saul was the 'Lord's anointed' (1Sam.24:6) – is held up as the ultimate lesson for 'rebellious' spirits. Another example is that of the Roman centurion who acknowledged before Jesus that he was a man 'under authority', showing us that it is that submissive attitude towards those placed above us that will lead us to the kind of faith that this man had (Matt.8:9,10). This emphasis on authority tells us to stay 'under the cover' of authority in order to be safe.
Examples to warn us not to dare to question authority are given from Aaron and Miriam who thought that they too were qualified to be leaders and not just Moses (Num.12:1,2), and Korah and others who accused Moses of exalting himself over everyone (Num.16:1-3). God punished Miriam with leprosy for this proud outburst and made the earth to open up and swallow Korah and his supporters alive.
Most people do not quote in this context the example of Jesus who brazenly spoke out against the Pharisees who were actually spiritual authorities above Him as a man, or the newbie Paul who publicly stood up against the senior apostle Peter, when the latter strayed away from the truth (when Peter who had understood and acted upon the truth that God no longer made any distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles moved away from mingling with the Gentiles when some Jews came – Gal.2:11-14).
As a result of the emphasis on avoiding rebellion and not touching the Lord's anointed, many people are afraid of questioning their leaders when they go wrong. This sets up the leaders to assume more power for themselves over their followers, and as Lord Acton famously asserted, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely." Some of them get exposed and fall from their position, but many others continue to wield their authority and demand 'unquestioning submission'.
God appoints people in authority so that they may take responsibility for the people in their care and care for them as a mother towards her children (1Thes.2:7). He does not want them to lord it over the others as if their authority was their own and not entrusted to them by God (1Pet.5:2,3). Jesus tells us not to seek titles and positions of honour before people or to exalt ourselves over others because we are 'all brothers' (Matt.23:6-12). Of course, open rebellion and rebellious spirits are to be kept out of the church just as God did to Lucifer when he desired to be like God (Isa.14:13-15). Miriam and Korah went absolutely wrong in wanting to make themselves equal to or above Moses who was anointed as their leader. But that is not the same as leaders lording it over their flocks. In one case rebellion has to be quashed, but in the other case, authority has to be recognised as having been given for the good of the others and not for the leaders exalting themselves (2Cor.13:10).
In Psalms 105:10-15 it is clear that "Do not touch My anointed ones" refers to the people of Israel and not just their leaders. There is also a reference here to God telling King Balak of Moab that Israel was a blessed people and that he could not harm them. It is not right to take this phrase as if it refers only to 'anointed' leaders.
When people are taught, "Judge not!" under the kind of regime that unrealistically exalts leaders above the people, the leaders lose the opportunity to receive feedback on their life and ministry and the people get bound down and prevented from growing up. Then the people are given the wrong impression that no matter what leaders do, the people have no right to question them. Many leaders also threaten the people with dire consequences if they question them or leave their church. Submission is taught as if it has to be totally passive and unquestioning. In other words, authority is given the right to override truth and reality! Isn't this distortion going to end up in destroying the work of the church?
Discernment is a mark of maturity, and a part of that is to be able to detect when someone or something is straying off from what is right and proper. It recognises the fact that anyone can go wrong because we are all only people, after all, whether someone is a leader or not. When a Jewish rabbi called Paul from Jerusalem came to Berea and started interpreting the scriptures in a new way, the Jews there did not accept it straightaway. They listened to what he had to say, and then went on to check for themselves whether it agreed with the scriptures (Acts.17:10,11). Should they have told themselves instead, "This man is a rabbi. Who are we to question him?" Should Paul have looked at Peter and thought to himself, "How dare I question this Peter who is recognised as the chief of the apostles and one who was among the three disciples close to Jesus?" Yet, this is what some leaders are teaching their people to do!
None of us is without error. One of the ways God protects us from going totally wrong is to place us among other people who can balance us out. If we want to get rid of the sinful attitudes, thoughts and behaviours which we find in ourselves we sometimes need help from the others. This help could even be in the form of correction or rebuke! Many times we are totally unaware of the wrong things we say and do, even when some of the others can notice them easily. When one of them points out one of our faults, is it not God helping us through them?
How wrong it will be for a leader to imagine that only someone higher up in the hierarchy can correct him! God sometimes uses a donkey to correct an erring prophet! If it wasn't for that donkey, Balaam would have ended up getting killed by an angel (Num.22:22-33)! Sadly Balaam did not learn his lesson even after this, and went on to sell himself for wealth to King Balak and ultimately got killed as a judgment from God.
It takes honesty and courage to receive correction. Sometimes it is our insecurity about being seen as a person who is less than the image we want to give others that makes us put up a fortress around us with "Judge not", "Do not touch the Lord's anointed", etc. But actually, those who humble themselves will get approval from God first and also respect from people ultimately.
On the other side, it will be unfaithfulness to the truth, if someone notices a leader going wrong and chooses to save his own position or reputation. Of course, we cannot go around telling everyone whatever fault we see in them. First of all, we have to examine ourselves to see if we would be able to speak the truth in love and humility and if our intention is solely for the other person's good. Secondly, we must remember that every fault we notice is not serious enough to warrant immediate intervention, and our love should overlook a lot of faults. Thirdly, we also have to recognise the fact that not everyone will have an ear to hear and that we should not throw pearls before swine. The best place to start, if we notice something wrong, is to take the matter to the Lord in prayer, intercede for the leaders and seek wisdom from God before taking any action. The worst thing to do is to talk to everyone around about the leader's faults.
Of course, there is a chance that those who question the leaders will get penalised. There are many cases where they are vilified as being of a rebellious or divisive spirit, those who are seeking position, those who are disgruntled because they did not receive enough recognition, etc. In many cases, they get thrown out of the church and, in some cases, others are warned not to have any fellowship with them. In the Old Testament, we have the story of King Asa who started well as a king, but who went wrong by putting Hanani the prophet in prison, when he came to warn him (2Chr.16:7-10).
What happens when no one dares to address the wrong direction some leader is taking? The chances are that he becomes more fixed in his error and then he will end up taking the people also in the wrong direction. God will finally expose the error, but by then a lot of damage may have been already done. Many examples of this can be seen in the annals of human history and sadly in church history too.
-- Editorial in the Light of Life magazine, May 2019
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