Bible study about "spiritual covering" . . .

[Alive]

I discern you are asking an honest question sincerely, but perhaps you have concerns or are unsure.

With that said, I will offer a couple thoughts that I hope and pray will help.

There is only one True authority for the church and individual saints and that is Christ as Head. Any covering is an extension of Christ’s Headship. We have an illustration of this in a husband and wife analogous to Christ and His bride…also His Body just as Eve was formed from Adam.

This is a great mystery.

We know it is good for children to honor parents and I see no harm in the principle as you have described the family.

Perceived authority/covering is only honored by God where Christ is Lord and Head.

I counsel that you honor and cherish and love your husband in the sight of your Lord and Savior. He will also honor this.

Understand your covering/authority is Christ.

I will be praying for light, understanding and Peace.

God Bless

[com7fy8]

1 hour ago, Alive said:

Any covering is an extension of Christ’s Headship. 

I think this is a good point. The pastor or husband doing the covering needs to be under the authority and direction of Jesus; I believe this is what you mean.

And I would like to offer, how a husband needs to lead by example >

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

And therefore he needs to be an example of how to be submissive to Jesus, and feed this example to his wife.

So, if God wants you to be submissive to a covering person, this needs to be how Jesus has you being submissive . . . how your submission to a covering person comes within your being submissive to Jesus.

And so, this will be in God's love with His guiding of what you do, with Him personally satisfying you to do whatever He really desires. So you won't be just a puppet forcing yourself to go along with your husband.

But Jesus will satisfy you to do what He really wants. If your submission to a covering person is done the way Jesus desires, "you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30)

[Alive]

2 minutes ago, com7fy8 said:

I think this is a good point. The pastor or husband doing the covering needs to be under the authority and direction of Jesus; I believe this is what you mean.

And I would like to offer, how a husband needs to lead by example >

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

And therefore he needs to be an example of how to be submissive to Jesus, and feed this example to his wife.

So, if God wants you to be submissive to a covering person, this needs to be how Jesus has you being submissive . . . how your submission to a covering person comes within your being submissive to Jesus.

And so, this will be in God's love with His guiding of what you do, with Him personally satisfying you to do whatever He really desires. So you won't be just a puppet forcing yourself to go along with your husband.

But Jesus will satisfy you to do what He really wants. If your submission to a covering person is done the way Jesus desires, "you will find rest for your souls." (in Matthew 11:28-30)

Yup--this is very important as I have seen and fellowshipped with a group that took the whole 'spiritual covering' thing and warped it, as men often do--to become an authoritarian movement under which must leverage is applied to the poor saints taken in by the manipulation of talented individuals lifting themselves above the saints. I believe at the core of these types of errors is the spirit of the Nicolaitans. It is analogous to the high priests that lorded it over God's chosen--when we are a kingdom of priests. ANyway, I got on a roll there, but experiencing these things and seeing saints devastated will do that.

The point is that there can be 'only one' and that One is Christ. It is when all are looking to Him and each member is accountable to every other member that there is a healthy environment....speaking of the context of a local expression of Christ.

When that is not the case, the result is like turning off a faucet--preventing the flow of Life.

[Michael37]

2 hours ago, Alive said:

Yup--this is very important as I have seen and fellowshipped with a group that took the whole 'spiritual covering' thing and warped it, as men often do--to become an authoritarian movement under which must leverage is applied to the poor saints taken in by the manipulation of talented individuals lifting themselves above the saints. I believe at the core of these types of errors is the spirit of the Nicolaitans. It is analogous to the high priests that lorded it over God's chosen--when we are a kingdom of priests. ANyway, I got on a roll there, but experiencing these things and seeing saints devastated will do that.

The point is that there can be 'only one' and that One is Christ. It is when all are looking to Him and each member is accountable to every other member that there is a healthy environment....speaking of the context of a local expression of Christ.

When that is not the case, the result is like turning off a faucet--preventing the flow of Life.

Hi Alive.

I came up through a lot of heavy shepherding and remember the question, "Whose covering are you under?" being asked in situations where Christian folks were meeting for the first time. Various answers were acceptable ranging from a whole denomination, to a pastor and his wife, to a group leader, and to the head of a household. The teaching was that we should beware of mavericks, those who free range without being in submission to oversight.

Yes, the very, very, very abusive extreme end of the cult of covering can be devastating, as anyone who has actually been in a cult can testify.

There is a test of whether authority is from God or not.

Authority that "dims" the light of the Holy Spirit is identified by these features:

• D =  Domination
• I  =  Intimidation
• M=  Manipulation
• S =   Seduction  

   1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

[Alive]

14 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Hi Alive.

I came up through a lot of heavy shepherding and remember the question, "Whose covering are you under?" being asked in situations where Christian folks were meeting for the first time. Various answers were acceptable ranging from a whole denomination, to a pastor and his wife, to a group leader, and to the head of a household. The teaching was that we should beware of mavericks, those who free range without being in submission to oversight.

Yes, the very, very, very abusive extreme end of the cult of covering can be devastating, as anyone who has actually been in a cult can testify.

There is a test of whether authority is from God or not.

Authority that "dims" the light of the Holy Spirit is identified by these features:

• D =  Domination
• I  =  Intimidation
• M=  Manipulation
• S =   Seduction  

   1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I agree--its obvious you have seen some things. The Lord may use this for you to recognize these things and help folks--just as I suspect has heppened.

I like that list--it is spot on.

My primary test is what I believe is one of the two main purposes of the Holy Spirit on this earth---to point to Christ.

[Michael37]

6 minutes ago, Alive said:

-to point to Christ.

Perfect.

The Bible makes wonderful sense when we see the signposts that point to Christ.

I'm having a good day. 

[Alive]

3 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Perfect.

The Bible makes wonderful sense when we see the signposts that point to Christ.

I'm having a good day. 

This is profound and simple at the same time.

PTL

[David1701]

51 minutes ago, Michael37 said:

Hi Alive.

I came up through a lot of heavy shepherding and remember the question, "Whose covering are you under?" being asked in situations where Christian folks were meeting for the first time. Various answers were acceptable ranging from a whole denomination, to a pastor and his wife, to a group leader, and to the head of a household. The teaching was that we should beware of mavericks, those who free range without being in submission to oversight.

Yes, the very, very, very abusive extreme end of the cult of covering can be devastating, as anyone who has actually been in a cult can testify.

There is a test of whether authority is from God or not.

Authority that "dims" the light of the Holy Spirit is identified by these features:

• D =  Domination
• I  =  Intimidation
• M=  Manipulation
• S =   Seduction  

   1Jn 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

I came across that "Whose covering are you under?" stuff as well, in the 1980s.  It was part of the Restoration Movement, which placed far too much emphasis on the authority of elders and pastors; in fact, some of them went so far as to claim that the door of salvation was through obedience to the elders!

[com7fy8]

8 hours ago, Alive said:

 It is when all are looking to Him and each member is accountable to every other member that there is a healthy environment....speaking of the context of a local expression of Christ.

Thank you  I would say so.

"nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock." (1 Peter 5:3)

But we do have >

"Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch for your souls, as ones who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would not be profitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17)

So, from this I see how Jesus rules us well, and He has ones whom He approves to rule . . . care for . . . His people. And Jesus proves Himself to us and proves whomever He approves, and these are ones Jesus Himself trusts.

And we have qualifications for who is qualified to "take care of the church of God" > 1 Timothy 3:1-10. It looks to me like this is a man who has been proven at home first. He knows how to do well in marriage, and how to rule "his own house well", so we know he can take care of our Father's children in our Father's family caring and sharing way.

And how he is encouraging is our example of how we need to be encouraging with our own selves and one another . . . "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord" (in Ephesians 6:4) - - - not only with our children but with all children of God, I would say.

So, for me this means I need to pray and submit to God so He guides me about whom He wants me to trust, and how He has me trust each person. 

And with people who are getting to know me I challenge them to be able to make sure with God about if and how they should trust me. Because I know I can talk smart and act nice, and ones can fall only for how they see me act and hear me talk Jesus, but not be able to make sure with God . . . so they trust the right people for marriage, among other things. 

"For not he who commends himself is approved, but whom the Lord commends." (2 Corinthians 10:18)

Edited November 13, 2022 by com7fy8

[com7fy8]

6 hours ago, Michael37 said:

 

• D =  Domination
• I  =  Intimidation
• M=  Manipulation
• S =   Seduction  

   

You are saying these are four ways a wrong covering arrangement operates.

I think of >

"They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them." (Galatians 4:17)

I consider that "exclude", here, can mean isolating you with a person or group so they can control and use you.

And one thing that can give this away is how people seduce your attention away from God, and to them. They do not make sure they challenge you to become able to submit to God in His peace so He is guiding you reliably according to all He knows . . . about them and all else.

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)