Is Spiritual Abuse In The Bible?
By Iris Lennox
Author’s Note: I welcome thoughtful critique on this post and am open to learning more. This is my best effort to faithfully reflect what Scripture says about spiritual abuse and accountability. If you see something I’ve misunderstood or overlooked, I’d be grateful to hear from you.
Someone recently asked me: Is spiritual abuse actually in the Bible?
It’s a fair question. The term spiritual abuse is relatively modern, but the concept is certainly biblical. Scripture is full of warnings against those who misuse spiritual authority to exploit, deceive, or harm others. While the exact phrase doesn’t appear in the Word, the equivalent behaviors and consequences are named, often with grave seriousness.
Exploiting others for personal gain
Deceiving or manipulating those seeking God
Abusing authority through control or coercion
Neglecting or wounding the vulnerable
Gatekeeping access to God through legalism or hypocrisy
Prioritizing image and power over truth and care
Here are six biblical equivalents to what we now call spiritual abuse:
1. Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing
Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.”
Jesus directly names religious leaders who appear trustworthy, even godly, but inwardly exploit others for selfish gain. This image—wolves disguised as sheep—is perhaps the most vivid biblical representation of spiritual abuse.
2. Shepherds Who Feed Themselves
Ezekiel 34
“Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. 4 The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them.”
Ezekiel 34 is an indictment of spiritual leaders who neglect and abuse the flock. God promises to remove these shepherds and tend His people Himself. It is one of the clearest Old Testament parallels to the modern understanding of spiritual abuse: those in religious authority using their role to serve themselves rather than the vulnerable.
3. The Pharisees’ Hypocrisy and Control
Matthew 23: 4,13
“They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.”
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither enter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.”
Jesus doesn’t just critique the Pharisees for bad theology. He condemns them for spiritual manipulation, oppressive legalism, and gatekeeping access to God. Matthew 23 is a rebuke of spiritual leaders who use truth as a weapon instead of a lifeline.
4. Lording Authority Instead of Serving
1 Peter 5:2–3
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.”
Peter warns elders and leaders not to dominate or control those under their care. The Greek word for lording it over implies abusive authority, which could include bullying, coercion, or authoritarian leadership masked as godliness.
5. Abuse of Power Among the Corinthians
2 Corinthians 11:20
“For you bear it if someone makes slaves of you, or devours you, or takes advantage of you, or puts on airs, or strikes you in the face.”
Paul rebukes the Corinthian church for tolerating abusive leadership. His list of red flags, which include enslavement, exploitation, and manipulation, reads like a modern checklist of spiritual abuse behaviors.
6. Scattering the Flock
Jeremiah 23:1–2
“‘Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!’ declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who care for my people: ‘You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord.’”
Jeremiah echoes Ezekiel: leaders who wound, confuse, or scatter God’s people are accountable to God. This kind of leadership creates disillusionment and spiritual exile, which are hallmarks of spiritual abuse survivors today.
How Modern Christian Writers Are Addressing Spiritual Abuse
Wade Mullen (Something’s Not Right)
Mullen writes as a Christian and former pastor, examining spiritual abuse through psychological, relational, and theological lenses. He highlights patterns such as:
Emotional manipulation disguised as spiritual care
Misuse of confessional or counseling power
Coercion presented as “godly” leadership
Mullen’s framework reflects biblical warnings against leaders who exploit the vulnerable.
Diane Langberg (Redeeming Power, Suffering and the Heart of God)
Langberg, a Christian psychologist with decades of experience, writes about spiritual abuse as a distortion of trust and sacred responsibility. She often references:
The servant-leadership model in Paul’s epistles
Biblical themes of shame, secrecy, and healing drawn from Hebrews, 1 Peter, and the Gospels
Scriptural narratives that expose abusive leadership (e.g., Saul, David, and corrupt priests)
Langberg builds a biblically grounded theology of power and protection for the vulnerable.
June Hunt (Hope for the Heart)
June Hunt, founder of Hope for the Heart, directly addresses spiritual abuse in her booklet Spiritual Abuse: Religion at Its Worst. As a Christian counselor and radio host, she identifies the key dynamics of spiritual abuse, including:
Twisting Scripture to control: She warns against leaders who subtly manipulate the Word to enforce conformity instead of grace.
Legalism over truth: She emphasizes the difference between biblical law and man-made rules, helping people recognize legalistic spiritual control.
Manipulation disguised as spiritual care: She outlines how leaders use shame, fear, and guilt to regulate appearance and behavior under the guise of godliness.
Hunt includes checklists to help readers identify these behaviors and provides practical steps to break free, anchored in prayer, Scripture, and healthy community, positioning spiritual abuse as a deeply biblical issue that affects churches and homes alike.
In Summary
At the very least, the biblical equivalent of spiritual abuse includes:
Misuse of religious authority for personal gain (Ezekiel 34, Matthew 23)
Legalistic control and gatekeeping access to God (Matthew 23)
Hypocrisy and manipulation (2 Corinthians 11, Matthew 7)
Neglect of the weak and vulnerable (Jeremiah 23, 1 Peter 5)
While Scripture doesn’t use modern terminology, it gives us a clear theology of spiritual accountability and a holy anger against those who distort the shepherd role into predation.