Touch not God’s anointed?

Other than “judge not,” I doubt any other passage in Scripture has been so misused and misquoted.  

As an attorney (now retired) and local elder, over the years I’ve voluntarily helped victims and their families by investigating and confronting more than a few predatory and abusive church leaders. 

I even helped put some in jail. 

In every single instance, however, I’d hear from misguided people quoting King David’s admonition in 1 Chron. 16:22 and Psalms 105:15 to “touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.”

Here’s one typical response someone actually sent to me in one of those cases:

“In my opinion Jim, you should seek God and HIS word. Does not the bible say ‘touch not mine anointed and do my profits no harm.’ Pastor [Name Removed] is anointed and is right where he should be.”

When I first read it, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the misspelling of “profits” for “prophets,” because protecting the income of a church or ministry is often a key motive for those who want to sweep allegations of pastoral abuse under the rug. 

Maybe that was a proverbial Freudian slip! 

Regardless, even if you get past the exegetical hurdle of somehow saying those verses apply to an unrepentant predatory church leader, the Hebrew word for “touch” means to physically assault.

I can assure you, I have never physically assaulted any church leader – predatory or not!

Nonetheless, 1 Tim 5:19-21 commands us to confront abusive church leaders – on behalf of their victims and ultimately to protect others – by investigating, exposing, and stopping them. 

So don’t let the bad exegesis of one part of Scripture keep us from obeying the clear mandate of another part of Scripture …

Which commands us to protect His church from those who use their positions of authority and influence in the church to exploit others.