THE HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS OPPRESSION
The History of Religious Oppression
And WHY YOU NEED BIBLE STUDIES
On October 31, 1517, the German priest, theologian, monk, and author Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of Castle Church, also known as All Saints’ Church, in Wittenberg, Germany. Considered a rebel in his day and time, Luther performed this radical act daring to declare that the Church had gotten things wrong, and he wanted anyone who would read his theses to know it. Protestant Christians everywhere commemorate this day every year as Reformation Day and mark it as the beginning of the Protestant Church.
Can you imagine something like this happening to the North American Church? Picture it: An exasperated minister rushing up to the front entrances of some of the most popular mega-churches in America and hanging up a statement listing all the teaching, doctrines, and practices their pastors and leaders have gotten wrong. Maybe it wouldn’t be posted on their front doors or on a billboard. Maybe it would be a post on social media that goes viral throughout the metaverse and other virtual platforms. Maybe we don’t have to imagine this since it’s happening all around us. Reports of misconduct, abuse of power, and misapplication of Scripture are making headlines every day. Can you imagine how the religious leaders of these churches may be angry and may want to silence the ones who have spoken up?
This is just how it was for Martin Luther. While today we may assign merit to what he did, at the time his actions weren’t celebrated. The Catholic Church wasn’t too pleased with him. In Matthew 23, we find Jesus doing the same thing. In His day, there were scribes and Pharisees who had begun to put forth practices that were not in line with God’s law or agenda. Although they knew His law—they understood the letter of it down to a T—they were doing something completely different.
In this chapter in Matthew, Jesus goes through a list of some of the things they would do—from always wanting the best seat in the house, to demanding that they be called by a certain title. Yet there was one twist to the Gospel message used to oppress the people. From about the third century to the time of Martin Luther, it was a common occurrence for priests to sell “indulgences,” as they were called. In other words, priests were charging people for the assurance that they would get into heaven. “If you want to be saved,” the priests would say, “then you must pay this amount of money . . .” “If you want that healing to take place, then pay this amount . . .” Unfortunately, we still see this kind of manipulation happening in the Church world today, and it’s out of balance. It’s not the will of God, nor is it sanctioned by Scripture.
Jesus warned of this during His day. He said, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). False prophets and wolves are religious leaders who manipulate the Word of God to bring greater influence and attention to themselves, keeping people dependent on them instead of on God, and twisting the Word to keep people in bondage. When they do this, Jesus said they “shut up the kingdom of heaven against men” (Matthew 23:13). Or as one translation puts it, they “shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces” (NLT). Another translation says they “lock up the kingdom of heaven from people” (HCSB). In other words, these religious oppressors set up strongholds that keep people from accessing the things they need from God and from heaven by teaching them false doctrines and requiring things from them that God never intended.
When Jesus used the phrase “kingdom of heaven” in this sense, He wasn’t talking about entering into heaven when you die. He was talking about entering into heaven on earth, experiencing the Kingdom of God right here and now. Through religious oppression, the spirit of religion has tried to enter into our churches and ministries to shut down the move of God. It’s very possible that due to this oppressive spirit, some of us are experiencing a plateau, limitation, or ceiling over our lives.
We sit under leaders who take the Scriptures and twist them, teaching us in error and suppressing an outpouring from heaven. Yet since we have access to the Scriptures and can now study for ourselves, how are we, in this modern era of the Church, finding ourselves shut out from heaven? It may be that some of us were raised by people or were surrounded by abusive figures who constantly told us what we couldn’t do: “You can’t do this . . . You’re not going to be able to succeed in that . . . You can’t do this . . . That’s not going to work for you . . .” If these words got into your spirit, then to this day your adult self—your thirty- or forty- or fifty-year-old self—is still fighting words that were said to you when you were perhaps just ten years old.
Because of this trauma, we may find ourselves in churches with leaders who echo some of the words we have heard and dysfunctional behaviors we have experienced from others. These leaders twist and manipulate the Word of the Lord, which affects our understanding of God. This in turn limits our access to the things of heaven. Now it’s easier to understand why the verse about faith coming by hearing is so significant: “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). When you hear error over and over again, you begin to believe it. And as the saying goes, “Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits. Your habits become your values. Your values become your destiny. You don’t want your purposes and destiny impacted by error.
What you hear matters. Social media and political entities understand this. That’s why they’re fighting for your attention with commercials, because it’s not the truth that you will believe; it’s what you hear the most that you will believe. Repetition embeds information in your subconscious, whether it’s true or false. This is why the enemy doesn’t care if you only come to church on Sunday, because there are six other whole days out of the week when he can wage a war and fight to control what you hear—six of the days out of the week when demonic spirits fight for your attention and people fight for your ear. Everybody wants your ear. Everybody wants to convince you of something and get you to side with their beliefs. Therefore, you must guard your ears.
The people of Jesus’ time and Martin Luther’s time suffered because of ignorance and their lack of access to the Scriptures. The Bible says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). This applies in a lesser degree to believers in our day and time because many of us do have access to the Scriptures. No one can convince us without our being responsible at some level for what we believe, because we have personal access to the Bible. No one can convince us of a lie without our choosing to believe that lie. We can read and study for ourselves, and because of Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice on the cross, we no longer need a priest to go before the Lord on our behalf. Although we do need preachers so we can hear the Word, we can approach the throne of God boldly on our own as we seek His wisdom and provision (see Hebrews 4:16).
To break the bondage of religious oppression and resist the influence of leaders who have shut up the heavens over you, you must read and study the Word for yourself. As 2 Timothy 2:15 says, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (KJV).
There is no excuse now for you to sit under oppressive religious teaching. You can combat false teachings and religious spirits with the truth of God’s Word, which you know and are convinced of for yourself. To grow strong in the faith, read the Word, but don’t just read it silently in your mind. Read it aloud, because then you’ll be receiving it three times. Your eyes will see it, your mind will perceive it, and your ears will hear it. The Word of God is truth, and the truth will set you free from religiously oppressive leaders’ manipulation and influence.
Make reading the Word aloud a regular practice, and you will begin to see a break in the bondage you’ve been under. Next, repent for your part in leaving your spiritual growth in the hands of someone else. The Bible says we must each work out our own salvation with fear and trembling (see Philippians 2:12). The Holy Spirit, who leads us into all truth, dwells in us and abides with us, empowering us to know God’s will and plan for our lives (see John 16:13). He is personally available to each of us. Ask Him, inquire of Him, and by His Spirit test everything you hear or are asked to do. But you must know Him and His voice first, so that it becomes the plumb line for everything else. Then you’ll want to renounce the hold on your life that you’ve given to ungodly leaders and false prophets—those who have spoken things over your life that have locked up your access to heaven.
Recommit to giving God His rightful place as Lord over your life, and pray that He will surround you with righteous leaders, mentors, and friends whose teaching, prayers, and words will encourage you and help stir up the gift of God within you. As you are healed from the effects of various kinds of spiritually abusive relationships, pray that your discernment will be increased, and that you will know and cultivate authentic, godly connections and networks.
Finally, guard your ears. They are the gateway to your belief system. As you seek the Lord for breakthrough in this season where you are feeling as if you’ve hit a ceiling, ask yourself, Who has been talking to me? Who has my ear? Whom have I been listening to? Whom have I been receiving from? Whoever it is, whatever you’ve been open to, whatever you hear the most, that’s what you will believe and what will shape and influence how you are able to move in the assignment and purpose God has given you in this season.
Giles, Joshua. Mantled for Greatness: Your Prophetic Guide to Releasing a God-Sized Dream (p. 85). Baker Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.