| Spiritual Abuse is real and it must be addressed for what it is whether in the church or outside. Ecclesiastes 8:11 “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil” Abusers are to be held accountable and victims helped by the church/ Group, as did O.T Prophets and Jesus Christ and every New Testament author devoted their ministry addressing it. In the old testament, God instructed prophets to radically send message out against spiritual abuse as Ezekiel 34: 5 – “ So they scattered because there was no shepherd and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals” He wants them to know and us to know that both neglect of the sheep & Abuse of the sheep directly resulted in the wandering of sheep Jesus confronted people who used their time honoured traditions as a cloak for spiritual abuse as it is today amongst certain groups/churches. Lord Jesus Christ rebuked Spiritual Abusers in Matt.23: 13 “Woe to you teachers of the law and Pharisee, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to”. Which means they hinder a person from having a relationship with God and even while promising them the best most godly, committed relationship possible. In the new testament, Paul was explicit concerning motives of spiritual Abusers in 2Corin.11: 13 he calls them “ ……false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ” 2Cori.11: 20 he says their purpose is to enslave to exploit and take advantage of Christians Galatians 2:4 he says the motive that drove false teachers is spiritual slavery. Gal.2: 12 he highlights on the motivation to gain control over others to build a spiritual empire with themselves as leaders (emperors by fear and intimidation as the Pharisee before them.) Gal.6: 12-13 Paul gives us clues of what Spiritual Abusers had to gain from drawing people under them are
- to impress others
- To avoid persecution
- To gain bragging rights on account of converts
We have the responsibility to offer comfort and help those who are oppressed, needy, weak and distressed from constant onslaught of abuse with reassurance and protection, as highlighted in the following scriptures: Gen.42:21 – We are guilty concerning our brother as we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us and we would not hear hence this distress come upon us. Jere.22: 3 Thus saith the Lord, Execute ye judgement and righteousness and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow neither shed innocent blood in the place. We are responsible to hold the Abuser accountable, to admonish him, to judge (investigate and discern right from wrong) and to encourage him/her to change their ways. Even in the Old Testament God sent his prophets to warn those who were doing wrong of consequences without compromise in Ezekiel 3:17 – 19. “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’
and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil
ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die fortheir sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the wicked person and they do not turn from their wickedness or from their evil ways, they will die for their sin; but you will have saved yourself". In New Testament, Jesus Christ devoted time to address it in Matt.23: 23-24 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth
of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more
important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel". Luke 22:25-26."Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves". While the N.T authors mentioned it by encouraging recognition of sin, repentance & change in ways through condemnation of actions.in scriptures as :- James 5:19-20 "My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins." Gal: 6:1 – Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2Thess.3: 6 – After several admonishing, if the Abuser refuses to change their ways, they are to be marked/ shamed to the end that they realise the seriousness of their sin & repent. Leaders are not above the law, for the reasons they spiritually abuse their victims, financially, exploit & enslave members with defamatory is because they have not been held by victims of real accountability to corporate body like Charity Commission and to the Equality and Human Right Commission for their actions to damage a victim’s person, profession and in society by words to discredit, demean, shun, avoid or ridicule them by false accusation as it is infringe of Article 10(2) of the convention of Human rights for defamation For more information click on human rights page. |
