Nuts and Bolts of Spiritual Abuse

by Van Robison

Who was the first spiritual abuser?
Answer: The serpent in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3).

Who was the serpent in the Garden?
Answer: Satan the Devil (Rev. 12:9).

How did the serpent spiritually abuse Adam and Eve? Answer: He was an orator--a skilled and very effective public speaker (Gen. 3:1). He was also a liar (Gen. 3:4-5) and a crafty, cunning, deceiver (Gen. 3:13).

In the beginning of human creation, God the Creator offered Adam and Eve no mediator or go between, between God Himself and Adam and Eve. They had direct contact and communication with their Creator. There were no human priests, no human pastors, nor any professional clergy and no church organization. Adam and Eve were thrust from the presence of Almighty God because they listened to the voice of a wolf in sheep's clothing. They did what God said not to do, and the penalty was separation from God which equates to death. When Adam and Eve were cast out from the Garden of Eden, it was their IMAGINATION that had gotten them into trouble. That is to say that what they thought was right, was actually wrong. This is human nature. Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way which SEEMS RIGHT unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." From the time of Adam and Eve, virtually all human beings have what we call human nature. We call it the natural mind of man, and which mind does not understand the things of the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Abuse takes many forms in human life. Human governments are abusive in countless ways. Politics is very often an abusive human enterprise. Corporations can be abusive in various ways and they often are, especially for money. Abuse can happen in the home or in the work place, or it can potentially happen anywhere one human being abuses another, or one group abuses an individual or another group. False accusations are in themselves abuse, and often innocent people are victimized by false accusations. Jesus Christ was Himself falsely accused and He was victimized by abusers. In the world of churches, spiritual abuse may be unintentional or it may be intentional. A great deal of church abuse comes from the IMAGINATIONS of "spiritual leaders". They "think" they are suppose to have power and authority over those who are seekers of God/Jesus Christ. They "think" that people are in "rebellion" if people don't yield and submit to their false authority. They give the impression that the seekers of God/Jesus Christ are their "personal property".

A great deal of this kind of thinking stems from two sources. First, is that spiritual leaders see certain scriptures in the New Testament which indeed give "authority" to rulers. Without really digging deep and asking the question whether certain passages are really translated properly, or properly understood, many "spiritual leaders" jump on these passages and love to quote any scripture that supports their supposed "authority over" others. When the disciples of Jesus Christ were arguing among themselves as to who would be the greatest, Jesus gave a clear answer that they were NOT to have authority over one another Matthew 20: 25-26). Is there indeed scriptural contradiction? Did not Jesus also say "call no man Master, for one is your Master, even Christ" (Matthew 23: 10).

Does the forgiveness of sins, the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross, the gift of the Holy Spirit, eternal life, and relationship with our heavenly Father/Jesus Christ---depend upon---submission to human "spiritual authority?" Does the eternal salvation of any human being on earth depend upon being "under" the authority of "professional overlords" or "professional spiritual rulers?" If anyone believes their salvation does hinge upon "professional overlords", I would suggest they have never read the teachings of Jesus Christ. All preachers pick and choose their scriptures for support of their belief system. It is not only cult groups that cause people to live in fear of authority, it happens in many "mainstream" churches of this world as well.

The second source of wrong thinking is that seekers of God/Jesus Christ are intimidated by false authority, by celebrity preachers, by bombastic personalities, by liars in the pulpits, by false prophets, by anyone with an exalted title such as pastor, senior pastor, bishop, reverend, prophet, scribe, celebrity book author, youth pastor, prophetess, evangelist, Sunday School teacher, or any one of a number of ecclesiastical titles. Have you never read that it was the "spiritual overlords" who betrayed Jesus Christ? Luke 9:22 "...The Son of man must suffer many things, AND BE REJECTED OF THE ELDERS and CHIEF PRIESTS and SCRIBES, and be slain, and be raised the third day." Is that not cause to be cautious about those who proclaim "authority over" others? I would also highly recommend reading the book of Jeremiah and what was said about prophets, pastors, priests, and scribes in the Old Testament.

Originally, in human life there were no human priests or human pastors. Jesus Christ has restored living in the presence of God Almighty by His sacrifice and resurrection. We all who belong to Jesus Christ, have through the Holy Spirit access into the presence of our Father/Jesus Christ, so how does a human priest, a human pastor, a human mediator become wedged between Jesus Christ and His people? Makes absolutely no sense. The only purpose of a human shepherd is to point others to Jesus Christ, but not to control, dominate, threaten, or demand submission to themselves. If they do this, it is nothing short of spiritual abuse. You are not the "personal property" of any religious overlord, church, organization, institution, or hierarchy.

Spiritual abusers all seek personal followers, but we are not called to follow men, we are called to "take up our cross daily, and follow Jesus Christ" (Luke 9:23). It is not the serpent, nor orators, nor the crafty, nor the cunning, nor the money beggars, nor the deceivers, that are the Way, or the Truth, or the Life, or the Living Waters, but rather it is Jesus Christ. If you physically died and went to heaven, do you suppose that Jesus Christ will appoint a "professional pastor" to rule over you for all eternity? Of course not, and neither in this life, did He ever assign "spiritual experts" to lord it over His heritage. So why do millions of Christians seemingly bow before and practically worship "pastors?" Spiritual abuse?

Neither in the Garden of Eden did God require a professional clergy class of people to stand between Himself and Adam and Eve, nor since Jesus Christ has God appointed a professional clergy class of people to officiate rituals and legalism (going to church) as the means of relationship with the Creator. Spiritual abuse will end when those who believe in Jesus Christ really see Jesus Christ, instead of "Holy men" in robes standing in pulpits as their true Head.