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Submission and authority are a big issue in the church today. \u00a0Closely tied into the issue of authority is the teaching that women need a spiritual \u201ccovering.\u201d \u00a0Men, we are told, are to be the spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d to provide protection and to allow the man to have the accountability. But is a human \u201ccovering\u201d a Biblical teaching? \u00a0There is no New Testament concept of a human \u201ccovering\u201d and only one clear human \u201ccovering\u201d in the Old Testament. Please note that part 2 of this article is now up at my new blog at\u00a0https:\/\/mmoutreach.org\/wim\/2018\/02\/13\/christian-woman-spiritual-covering\/<\/strong><\/a> There was a tradition in the Old Testament of the kinsman redeemer who would \u201credeem\u201d a widow by marrying the widow of a deceased relative.<\/span><\/p>\n \nRuth 3:9 \u00a0He said, \u201cWho are you?\u201d And she answered, \u201cI am Ruth your maid. So spread your covering over your maid, for you are a close relative.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Ruth\u00a03:10 \u00a0Then he said, \u201cMay you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich.<\/span><\/p>\n Ruth\u00a03:11 \u00a0\u201cNow, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence.<\/span><\/p>\n Ruth\u00a03:12 \u00a0\u201cNow it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I.<\/span><\/p>\n Ruth\u00a03:13 \u00a0\u201cRemain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning.\u201d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n (NOTE:<\/strong> my blog has been moved to a new home.<\/strong> The new address for this post (part 1) is\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>https:\/\/mmoutreach.org\/wim\/2009\/10\/27\/woman-need-spritual-covering<\/span>\/<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0 Comments should be posted on the new location. Don\u2019t forget to sign up to follow the new blog to have access to new posts.)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The purpose of the marriage would be the protection and support of the widow who would be lost to the family and likely made destitute because of the death of her husband. \u00a0This was a very needed help in that culture where a woman was traditionally unable to make a living for herself. \u00a0But other than the kinsman redeemer in the Old Testament, there is no human \u201ccovering\u201d spoken of in the Bible.<\/span><\/p>\n But what about the teaching in the church today that a woman needs a spiritual covering? \u00a0The term spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d in reality is\u00a0spiritual \u201ccontrol.\u201d The teaching is that a woman must be under a male spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d and if she operates outside of that control she will be spiritually attacked by the devil. \u00a0This is what supposedly happened to Eve. \u00a0According to the spiritual covering teaching, the woman was created to be under the authority of her husband (her spiritual covering) and in apparent rebellion against her spiritual authority, she stepped outside of that authority by making a decision without the approval of her husband, and this caused her downfall.<\/span><\/p>\n Folks, this is a fairy tale. \u00a0Genesis does not say that a woman must have authority over her to keep her safe as if she was created to be child-like and dependent. \u00a0God did not tell Adam to rule over Eve to take control of her as her spiritual covering and God did not tell Eve to ask permission from Adam for all of her own decisions. \u00a0God created both the male and the female to make godly decisions in ruling over His creation. \u00a0That rulership was not created in the form of a hierarchy. \u00a0God created two equals who were to rule together.<\/span><\/p>\n Complementarians will also state that Adam\u2019s responsibility over<\/span>\u00a0Eve\u2019s decisions was shown when God came to Adam\u00a0first<\/em>\u00a0after the fall happened. However, there is no evidence at all by the words that God spoke to the man, that Adam would be held accountable for Eve\u2019s actions. \u00a0God only talked to Adam about what\u00a0Adam<\/em>\u00a0did. God did not ask Adam to speak for Eve nor did God say that He held Adam accountable for Eve\u2019s actions. In fact, if God held Adam accountable for Eve\u2019s sin, then God would not have approached Eve regarding her sin. \u00a0Adam would have already answered for Eve if he was responsible for everything that she did.<\/span><\/p>\n So why did God approach Adam first? It isn\u2019t rocket science to understand that Adam was both created first and had the most knowledge of God. \u00a0We know that Adam was created first and we know that Paul tells us clearly that Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:14). Why would God go to the\u00a0second<\/em>\u00a0one created\u00a0first<\/em>? Why would He go first to the one who had less experience with God and who had been seriously deceived by the serpent? God\u2019s principle is that to whomever He gives the most to, that person will have the most required from him\/her. Adam was the most responsible\u00a0for his own sin<\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n Luke 12:48 \u00a0\u2026From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Adam as first created and the one who saw some of the creative acts of God would obviously be the first in line to be required to give an account of himself. \u00a0But in no way was Adam required to give an account to God for his wife. The fact that God went to Adam first does not prove that Adam had\u00a0authority<\/em>\u00a0over Eve or that he was\u00a0responsible<\/em>\u00a0for her sin. To\u00a0<\/span>reason\u00a0that way would be to seriously misrepresent the Word of God.<\/span><\/p>\n Ask a complementarian to explain the spiritual covering of Adam over Eve in the garden, and they can only add to the text instead of pulling the teaching out of the text itself. \u00a0This is always what happens with a myth.<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, this teaching of a human needing to have a spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d has done great harm to the body of Christ through the Shepherding movement that placed everyone under a spiritual \u201ccovering.\u201d \u00a0The man who was the \u201ccovering\u201d was called a Shepherd, and the ones who were covered by that Shepherd had to clear their every decision with him. \u00a0While the movement may have started with sincere desires to protect the flock, when a mere sinful human is placed in a position of complete authority over others who must obey their every word, the stage is set for controlling and abusive behavior.<\/span><\/p>\n Jesus dealt with the foundation of the spiritual covering movement contrasting the worldly leadership pattern with body ministry.<\/span><\/p>\n Matthew 20:25 \u00a0But Jesus called them to Himself and said, \u201cYou know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Matthew\u00a020:26 \u00a0\u201cIt is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Matthew\u00a020:27 \u00a0and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; Matthew\u00a020:28 \u00a0just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n \u201cLording over\u201d or \u201cexercising authority\u201d over others is not the way of the Master. \u00a0Jesus said, \u201cIt is not this way among you.\u201d \u00a0Jesus is not just condemning abusive leaders but the entire system itself. \u00a0Power and authority from a top-down hierarchical flow\u00a0<\/span>is\u00a0the worldly way, while true leadership is a servanthood model based on bottom-up support. Those who are the greatest, Jesus said, are to be at the bottom in a position of servanthood for the benefit of others.<\/span><\/p>\n In God\u2019s kingdom, authority is based on godly character, not on strength, position or rank. \u00a0This is why we are all allowed to have the authority to use our gifts. \u00a0Authority is in using what we have been given for the service of others (1 Peter 4:10, 11).<\/span><\/p>\n One of the flaws of the teaching about spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d is that it makes the one under the covering weaker instead of stronger. \u00a0We are all encouraged to grow up and to make our own decisions as we will all be ruling the world and the angels in the next life (Matthew 6:1-3). \u00a0If we place ourselves under a \u201ccovering,\u201d we are relying on someone else\u2019s wisdom instead of growing up to have our own maturity. \u00a0This doesn\u2019t mean that the wisdom of others isn\u2019t important. \u00a0We are all needed in the body of Christ, and the wisdom and strength of others can really help us. \u00a0However, if we place ourselves under the umbrella of a \u201ccovering\u201d and use that \u201ccovering\u201d to make our decisions for us, we are opening ourselves up to be spiritually abused and spiritually immature. \u00a0It is much easier to let someone else make all the decisions rather than go through the difficult steps to learn how to make wise decisions on our own. \u00a0While children need a protector, adults should grow to the position of being able to think for themselves and be able to make wise and godly decisions on their own without having to seek approval for all that they do. \u00a0Paul\u2019s admonition in 1 Corinthians 14 is for all of us:<\/span><\/p>\n 1 Corinthians 14:20 \u00a0Brethren, do not be children in your thinking; yet in evil be infants, but in your thinking be mature.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Some may ask, doesn\u2019t the Bible say that the husband is to be the woman\u2019s head? \u00a0Doesn\u2019t this mean that her husband is to have authority over her? \u00a0The picture of the \u201chead\u201d is always an attachment and not an authority of one over the other. \u00a0The \u201chead\u201d is not an office nor is it a position. \u00a0It is a relationship. \u00a0The head is a part of the body, and the body is connected to the head. \u00a0 If the \u201chead\u201d meant a \u201cboss\u201d or a higher rank and authority over the wife, then the terminology of lordship authority would have been used. \u00a0Instead, the Bible uses terms for relationship,<\/span>\u00a0not authority. \u00a0It is always head \u201cof\u201d not the head \u201cover.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Lastly, Jesus said that we are all brethren in Him and only one is to be our leader, and that is the Lord Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n Matthew 23:8 \u00a0\u201cBut do not be called Rabbi; for One is your Teacher, and you are all brothers.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Matthew\u00a023:9 \u00a0\u201cDo not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n Matthew\u00a023:10 \u00a0\u201cDo not be called leaders; for One is your Leader, that is, Christ. Matthew\u00a023:11 \u00a0\u201cBut the greatest among you shall be your servant.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n In Jesus, we have all the \u201ccovering\u201d that we need. \u00a0Does a woman need a human spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d over her? \u00a0No. \u00a0Her place is to be in the body of Christ as a fully functioning body part without having to be led and controlled by a human \u201ccovering.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Those who appoint themselves as a spiritual covering over their wives may be tempted to keep her under their own control instead of lifting her up to be a mature, functioning member of the body of Christ with full authority in her own gifts. \u00a0Staying under a \u201ccovering\u201d may be a comfortable place for a woman who has been taught to believe that she bears no responsibility whatsoever as long as she is obeying her \u201chead.\u201d \u00a0However, the Scriptures never offer\u00a0such a teaching. \u00a0All of us are responsible for our own actions, and God shows this clearly in the way that he called both Adam and Eve to account for each of their personal actions.<\/span><\/p>\n It is time\u00a0<\/span>that we lay aside the fairy tales of a human spiritual \u201ccovering\u201d and get down to our Father\u2019s business of spreading the gospel to all of the world.<\/span>\u00a0 In the kingdom, every warrior counts and all of us are in the battle. \u00a0We are to be mature, sound in judgment and practiced in wisdom and grace.<\/span><\/p>\n
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