“We come now to #3 in the series: “Spiritual abuse is not in the Bible or church history—it’s just a modern psychological construct.”
“A number of folks may balk at the idea of spiritual abuse solely on the grounds that the terminology itself is relatively modern. If it does not appear in the Bible (or church history), it is argued, then we can’t affirm it.
“While the impetus behind such a concern is fundamentally valid (the Bible is our highest standard and church history an important guide), this objection is guilty of the word-concept fallacy. Sure, the terminology itself may be relatively new, but the concept is not. Indeed, the concept is rooted deep in Scripture and church history.”