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!
