Spiritual Pirates Who Plunder Christians

by Van Robison

It is nothing short of astonishing how so many Christians today allow themselves to be plundered and robbed by spiritual pirates in the pulpits. In the New Testament, Jesus called these spiritual pirates false prophets and false teachers (Matthew 24:5). They are also called false apostles in 2 Corinthians 11:13 ("apostles" meaning "one sent"), and they have not been sent. These preacher pirates have appointed themselves to represent Jesus Christ, and in that role, they have plundered your gold and silver and emptied your bank account into their private treasure chest. Many of these "angels of light" live in million dollar or multi-million dollar homes, and some even own private jets worth millions, and drive around in Rolls Royces or other luxury vehicles, and all at the expense of their megachurch sponges in the pews and their television money donors.

It goes without saying that if Christians could see through this piracy and would get up and walk out of every megachurch on earth and never return, all these pirate ships would sink. Gold, silver, coins, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, jewels, fine clothing, fancy autos, mansions, jet airplanes, luxury boats, and the finest material things in life are the obsessions of spiritual pirates (2 Peter 2:1-3), along with power and authority over your life. Spiritual pirates don't wear pirate's clothing or brandish swords and swig down brandy, but they are nevertheless pirates.

Spiritual pirates use the name of Jesus Christ and will rob your pockets until the day you die, if you let them. You see these pirates on television 365 days of the year, and many who are not on national television are nevertheless the CEOs of their own private churches. They don't call themselves pirates, but rather they call themselves "Pastor" or "Senior Pastor" or "Reverend Senior Pastor" or "Bishop" or some other fancy, self flattering title, which is the same thing as being called "Master" or "Senior Master" or "Reverend Senior Master." And we all know that Jesus Christ said to "Call no man Master, for one is your Master, even Christ (Matthew 23:10)."

Television has become a great vehicle and tool of deception. Many are the church lemmings who rush over the bluff and headlong onto the rocks below. Christian lemmings follow men instead of Jesus Christ. The focus on "pastors" has led many deluded seekers of truth into a world of deception and a tangled web of deceit. Real "pastors" are not controllers, nor authoritarian, and do not steal your money by claiming that you are serving God by sending them a weekly paycheck, and they are not overlords. The whole Christian world would be much better off, if there were no pastors as we think of pastors in our day and age, but rather--elders or shepherds, in the sense of setting an example, and gently mentoring in the manner that Jesus Christ did. There is nothing wrong with being a mentor, but no one needs a full time "pastor" plundering their income and dictating and controlling their relationship with Jesus Christ. One of the best examples of mentoring is found in Acts 8, which is the story of Philip, who mentored the Ethiopian eunuch for a short period of time in one day, baptized the eunuch in water, and then disappeared from the eunuch's life forever. Philip did not take up tithes and offerings from the eunuch. Perhaps "pastors" need to learn a lesson and stop trying to lord it over the lives of Christians for life, because they want money, power, and control. Pastors have the misconception that common Christians cannot function in life, or have a relationship with God unless they do so through the church doors, and through submission to the false authority of pastors. It is not pastors, but rather Jesus Christ who places individuals into the spiritual ekklesia or assembly. Christ does not manufacture church members, but rather he molds sons and daughters for the Kingdom of God.

Once you learn the truth about Jesus Christ, and you have repented (Matthew 4:17) as Jesus said to do, and you believe that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, and you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit--do you need to be bottle fed by overlords called "pastors" for the rest of your life? Fellowship with others does not require professional clergy to be present. Jesus simply stated that "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there Am I in the midst (Matthew 18:20)", and He did not qualify fellowship as "church service" or "going to church" and being preached at. If the life of Christians revolves around pastors, then where does faith in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit come into the life of the individual? Jeremiah 31:33 states, "But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (34) And THEY SHALL TEACH NO MORE EVERY MAN HIS NEIGHBOR, and every man his brother, saying, know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord..."

One of the great false beliefs in the world of churchianty is the "clergy/laity" system of churches, and the idea that to be a Christian, one must attend church for life and give money to the church system. Are Christians just simply robots and pawns of pastors? How much preaching does one need to hear in life? Do Christians ever mature beyond being spiritual infants, who must be nurtured by preachers for the total duration of their lives? Pastors and gullible Christians alike seem to think so, because that is the life millions live. If you think that "Obey them that have the rule over you..." (Hebrews 13:17) is a proper translation, then I would highly recommend to you the study paper The Great Ecclesiastical Conspiracy by George Davis and Michael Clark. Another great article about would be pastor-rulers is that of Men Who Would Be "Kings" by John M. Bland. Also, a New Testament translation that eliminates all ecclesiastical terminology is A Non-Ecclesiastical New Testament by Frank Daniels. Many other sources have also published articles or books on the "clergy/laity" system of churchianity and false authority over God's people by would be pastor-rulers.

Do pastors and spiritual pirates recoil at this type of article which challenges the very foundation of their piracy and looting? Yes they do, and just like Jeremiah in the Old Testament, they want to hang the watchman on the gallows by the neck, or make the watchman walk the plank into shark infested waters. Jeremiah 26:8 states, "Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that THE PRIESTS and THE PROPHETS and all the people took him, saying, YOU SHALL SURELY DIE." And verse 11: Then spoke THE PRIESTS and THE PROPHETS unto the princes and to all the people, saying THIS MAN IS WORTHY TO DIE; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears."

Likewise in the time of Jesus Christ and the original disciples, it was the SPIRITUAL LEADERS who railed against Christ and sought His death. John 11:47 states, "Then gathered THE CHIEF PRIESTS and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man does many miracles. (48) If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away our place and nation. (53) Then from that day forth they took counsel together for TO PUT HIM TO DEATH."

The apostles for the most part, were all martyred because the religious leaders HATED what they taught. And today, all pastors of modern day churches HATE being told that the "clergy/laity" system of churchianity is a 100% man-made invention. They HATE being told that they DO NOT have authority to control (1 Peter 5:1-3), rule over, lord it over and dominate the followers of Jesus Christ. They HATE being told that TITHING is a false doctrine. They all want to build buildings to secure their empires, because they all seek personal followers. Many are the church empires that have placed the deceived in chains of bondage. Many pastors today are no different than the religious leaders of the time of Christ, and most are not willing to acknowledge real truth, because it would take away their power, their authority and their free welfare church money which they live on and love. And for many, truth takes away the wealth, the riches, and the luxuries falsely gained by spiritual piracy.

If you are sick and tired of being plundered by spiritual bandits and spiritual pirates and you are ready to really follow Jesus Christ, then here is GOOD NEWS direct from the teaching of Jesus Christ about His mission on earth: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised" (Luke 4:18).

Jesus Christ does not plunder your pocketbook in the name of preaching the Gospel to the world; nor does he coerce you to follow Him. Spiritual pirates on the other hand, do plunder your pocketbooks and they press hard on you with false promises of prosperity, and even fear and intimidation, that you must "go to church" and "you must submit to the authority of the pastor" as if your salvation depends on it.

Do you really follow Jesus Christ, or do you follow spiritual pirates who plunder others for personal gain?