For those of you who may have attended Quest (especially those of you who were members in a lifegroup) there is probably much fear and confusion associated with this verse. It is used at Quest to support blindly following church leaders as THEY hear from Christ on your behalf . If/ when there is opposition to a leader’s decision or guidance, this verse is quickly quoted or pointed to in effect to say “if you are not following me (a sinful human), you are not following Jesus (son of God, creator of the Universe)”. This kind of deductive reasoning is however misguided and twists the true meaning Hebrews 13:17, which like all other scriptures can not be extracted from its original context to appoint authority not given by Christ (who has all authority.. Matt. 28).
Now...here is where everyone who has ever felt shame or guilt for not agreeing with their leaders or was told to question their relationship/devotion with Christ because they heard something different from Jesus than their leader did….can just…..take...a…long deep…….breath. The truth is, Quest teaches a kind of submissiveness and obedience to their leadership that is simply not Biblical. Go ahead...look for it...comb the Gospels…..explore the Books of the Prophets….it’s safe to do, because it’s not there. And it’s not there, because Jesus knew better. Despite our good intentions, we are sinful people and cannot be trusted with that sort of absolute authority and so...Jesus never granted it. Those who assume that position (even at Quest) have manufactured this authority-- it is counterfeit and they will have to answer for it in front of the Lord one day. Pray for them for repentance and truth.
If you break down the verse as to what it truly says, the lie the Quest uses it to support is quickly exposed. Most translations read, “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” The Greek word used for “submit” in this verse is hupeiko, and means “to retire, or withdraw.” We are not being called to follow orders or trust blindly, we are are being called not to hinder those who God has called to His ministry. (Can you imagine someone throwing banana peels in front of Paul the whole way to Corinth? No! You can’t, because we were told NOT to do that in this verse! =) ) If we consider this, the rest of the verse makes PERFECT sense. We obey them (as not to hinder them) so their work is joy for they are accountable for the things they do and teach along the way. It wouldn’t benefit us or the cause of Christ to hinder those called to be beacon’s of light in a land of darkness...DUH!=)
There is another Greek word that translates to “obey” ...this form of the word actually references obedience to magistrates or those in authority. This word Peitharcheo is found in Acts 5:29: “We must obey (peitharcheo) God, not man.” I think that pretty much speaks for itself, don’t you? No ambiguity there. Why does Quest never point to this verse?
This is the truth about Hebrews 13:17. Let this take root in your heart and begin the healing where lies and deceit may have caused havoc. Try to set aside any anger you may feel towards those who mislead you because they themselves may have been mislead. Pray for them. We will pray together. We will pray hard and we will not cease prayer until all of God’s lost sheep know the Good News. There is so much Hope!
One of the primary ways that Hebrews 13:17 is mis-used is in controlling personal (non-moral) decisions. (ie how to use your time, whether to get married, whether to have a baby, who to date, when to go on vacation, etc.) I do not see anything in scripture that gives leaders this kind of broad (and very specific) spiritual authority.
ReplyDeleteAs a follower of Jesus, I love the fact that we do not need a mediator between us and the Father except for Jesus himself. The gift of the Holy Spirit is unique to Christianity. As we all learn to listen to His voice, we find amazing unity in hearing direction and truth. There is no leader who has a more direct pipeline to the Father than each individual believer because we all have the Holy Spirit.
fellow beloved.....
ReplyDeleteI was actually turning back to my Greek lexicon the other day on this very topic...It's one of those "minor distortions" of interpretation that has MAJOR fallout. The thing many people take out of context is that the writer of Hebrews was actually preparing this group of believers to be led by new spiritual leadership...IE, "hey, I won't be around much...but, these guys here know what is going on for spiritual matters, so you can trust them...and by the way, don't get in their way...help them lead well!"
Just like stated in the original post, It was never intended as a "do as I say" passage...after all, placing our un-questionable trust in what other people say and not in what the Holy Spirit and scripture is speaking to us sets us up for hurt and disappointment.
As a past leader within the quest community, it makes me sick to think I was told to direct people on these types of decisions...I remember being directed once to tell a dad on a last-minute Saturday phone call to serve to "Skip your son's baseball game, you need to serve at church...it's for eternity's sake...what matters more?" Of course, questioning a statement like that from a "leader" is considered "dishonoring" within Quest, and the person -- if they don't want to be tagged as "not wanting to advance the bride" -- submits.
This didn't end with serving roles, however...it bled into daily decision....a conversation it pains me to think about is when leadership tells people "you're not entitled to have a child...just because you and your spouse want one doesn't mean you should...you should let us pray about it and decide if it's the best option for you..." Words like “entitlement” and “dying to self” are used to create spiritual guilt that “if I have this desire, it must just be my own selfishness…”
The whole "obey and don't question your leader" is a scary example of what the misinterpretation of scripture can lead to...There's a massive difference between "honoring your elders and spiritual leaders" and "do what I say without question."
The sad part is, by agreeing to a relationship where we give someone else power over us to this extreme, we are agreeing that our own ability to listen to the Holy Spirit is less than theirs. Suddenly, we find ourselves questioning what we hear from Jesus more and more. And the saddest part, by believing in a skewed version of Hebrews 13:17, we begin to forget that when we confess and enter into relationship with Christ, it is through His Holy Spirit that dwells within us that we have been given DIRECT access to the God of the universe....Can you believe it?! He WANTS to speak to us DIRECTLY...He WANTS us to listen directly to HIM...but when we let the doctrines of man take precedence in our lives as if they were the teachings of God, we start to diminish one of the most amazing gifts we were given after salvation -- intimacy and communion with God Himself!!!
Theophilus, thank for your insight and bravery to start this discussion...and I encourage you to continue to pray for Quest, their fruit, and the many that fall under their influence...we should care for them the same way we would ANYONE -- with love, patience, and lifting them up in prayer.
Remember, Quest ISN'T the church -- they are just a piece of the ONE church and ONE Bride of Christ...if you've found pain or hurt through interactions with people there, offer forgiveness - even if they don't know! :) Don't settle to just be angry and hold a grudge! You were never designed for that...Don't let your interactions at a single worship gathering change the way you talk about the Church (capital "C")...There are still many loving, accepting, and doctrinally sound communities right at your fingertips!
be blessed!
My wife and I were both told to quit our jobs on more than one occaision - with this verse referenced - because something in our jobs conflicted with something at Quest. In my case, I had to be out of town for work one year during Questapalooza. "Well...how much do you really need that job anyway?" my "leader" asked.
ReplyDeleteYou should look this up on blueletterbible.com.
ReplyDeleteThere's a link to the Greek.
What it says in whole.