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Authority, accountability and spiritual covering; are they Biblical?
Last week I got to record a podcast with SJ Hill again and for the first time author and speaker Dr. Stephen Crosby, who I’ve been getting to know a bit better through Skype and having had lunch with him the last time I was in Charlotte, North Carolina. The play button can be found at the bottom of this article below.
I’ve been meaning to have Dr. Crosby on the podcast for a long time, and just now finally did one together. I think it turned out great. It flows a bit out of what Dave Edwards and I talked about the week before, and the whole Mars Hill excommunication controversy.
Is Spiritual Covering Just a Pyramid Scheme for Church Leaders?
While searching for a royalty-free stock photo or something to use to go along with the post, I came across a written article online that underscored the very reason we’ve felt the need to discuss the things we were discussing today. I found it at this link, which states without an ounce of Biblical reference anywhere on this particular page that
The pastor in a conventional church has very little spiritual protection. Spiritually, he is at the top of a pyramid. This pyramid structure makes him very vulnerable. Anyone who has been on the top of a human pyramid knows that it is a very insecure place to be. It is easy to lose ones (sic) balance and fall.
Along with it is the following photo:
It was hard for me to tell if this should be treated as a joke, if this is what the author believes, or just documenting what others believe without encouraging it. But the sad reality is there’s an awful lot of this thinking in the Body of Christ. I’ve seen it most prominently in charismatic circles.
It still begged the question regarding these ‘pyramid’ views of how spiritual authority in the Kingdom of God and the Church works. Eventually, you have someone at the top who is not covered!
This is, of course, ridiculous and unbiblical.
That being said, join me this week for a sacred cow barbecue with a couple of insightful authors: SJ Hill, international speaker and author of Enjoying God and previous recurring guest on the podcast, along with Dr Stephen R. Crosby, author of Authority, Accountability and the Apostolic Movement.
We tackle this stuff today:
- Do we base our idea of accountability on the Bible, or do we do it like a business or even the military?
- Is accountability enforced or lived out by signing documents?
- Does the Bible really teach that pastors or leaders are superior in any way to the rest of the Body of Christ?
- Did Jesus make his disciples sign documents when they left all to follow Him?
I can tell you right now that if anything the Body of Christ is NOT a pyramid, but looks more like this picture below, and we hope to unravel some of this silliness for as many of you as possible will listen to the show.
Related Links:
Visit www.sjhillonline.com for more about SJ Hill’s ministry and resources
Related Articles
Unconditional Obedience? Steve Bremner
Spiritual Covering – A Doctrine of Demons – Dr. Crosby
Also, don’t forget to visit www.audibletrial.com/fireonyourhead and grab yourself a free audiobook when you sign up for a 30-day free trial.
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