The “man of God” myth – dismantling the illusion of a superior Christian

Tendai Ruben Mbofana

When we look at the religious landscape of Zimbabwe today, it is impossible to ignore the rise of a new, elite class of spiritual aristocrats. 

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They call themselves prophets, apostles, and major men of God. 

They move with the pomp of absolute monarchs, flanked by security details, driving the latest luxury vehicles, and exerting an almost hypnotic control over millions of desperate souls. 

Somewhere along the way, the profound, humbling biblical description of a “man of God” was hijacked. 

It has been twisted into a corporate brand, a shield against accountability, and a license for spiritual exploitation. 

The prevailing narrative suggests that these individuals exist in a superior spiritual tier—closer to the Creator than the ordinary believer, and operating in the exclusive, infallible realm of Moses, Elijah, or Jeremiah. 

But a sober, honest examination of Scripture reveals that this modern phenomenon is not just an inaccurate reading of the Bible; it is a complete inversion of it.

To understand how far we have drifted, we must look at what the term actually meant when it was forged in the Old Testament. 

The Hebrew phrase ‘ish Elohim’ did not denote privilege, wealth, or untouchable authority. 

It simply meant “a man who belongs to God.” 

It was a declaration of total divine ownership, and it came with a terrifyingly heavy burden. 

The biblical men of God did not live in opulent mansions while their congregants sold their last possessions to buy anointed oil. 

They were often outcasts, fugitives, and targets of corrupt political regimes. 

Elijah spent his ministry fleeing for his life from Ahab and Jezebel, sleeping in caves and being fed by ravens. 

Jeremiah wept in lonely dungeons because the truth he spoke made him an enemy of the state. 

The title was never a badge of self-exaltation worn to demand subservience; it was an acknowledgment of sacrificial suffering and absolute obedience.

The greatest deception of the modern prophetic movement in Zimbabwe, however, lies in its deliberate ignorance of the New Testament. 

The coming of Jesus Christ completely shattered the old, centralized hierarchy of spiritual authority. 

When Christ died on the cross, the heavy temple veil that separated the ordinary person from the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom. 

This was a radical democratization of spiritual access. 

The New Testament establishes what theologians call the priesthood of all believers. 

According to the book of Hebrews, every single person who aligns their heart with God has direct, unhindered access to the throne of grace. 

There is no longer a need for a human intermediary, a spiritual gatekeeper, or a charismatic broker to secure a blessing, a healing, or a word from heaven. 

The Apostle Paul explicitly states in his first letter to Timothy that there is only one mediator between God and mankind—the man Christ Jesus. 

Therefore, any religious leader who positions themselves as a mandatory bridge between the believer and the Almighty is committing a profound theological usurpation.

It is telling that in the entire New Testament, the exact phrase “man of God” appears only twice, and both times it is used by Paul in his letters to a young pastor named Timothy. 

In these passages, Paul does not tie the identity of a man of God to signs, wonders, political influence, or financial prosperity. 

Instead, he commands Timothy to flee the love of money and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. 

He later notes that the purpose of Scripture itself is to ensure that the man of God is thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

In the New Testament context, a man of God is simply a person of mature Christian character who submits entirely to the word of Truth. 

It is a description available to any believer, not an elite title reserved for a select, charismatic few who claim a monopoly on the Holy Spirit.

The weaponization of the phrase “touch not my anointed” has become the ultimate defense mechanism for the modern religious empire-builder.

It is abused to silence critics, suppress investigative journalism, and insulate leaders from basic accountability. 

Yet, this represents a spectacular distortion of Psalm 105. 

In its true context, God’s command to “touch not my anointed” was not a protective shield for an elite class of powerful leaders; it was a warning to pagan kings not to physically harm the wandering, vulnerable nation of Israel. 

The “anointed” were simply the ordinary people of God – which, today, includes every single believer in Jesus Christ.

The “touching” meant physical slaughter, not intellectual or moral scrutiny. 

To use this verse today as an immunity card against criticism is a complete inversion of its meaning. 

Even when David famously refused to physically harm King Saul because he was “the Lord’s anointed,” he never hesitated to loudly expose and rebuke Saul’s corruption. 

Another foundational myth to dismantle is the distortion of the “five-fold ministry” gifts—apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers—mentioned in Ephesians 4:11. 

Modern religious figures wield these titles as aristocratic ranks in a spiritual hierarchy designed to command subservience from the pews.

Yet, the very next verse explicitly states that the sole purpose of these roles is to equip ordinary believers to do the work of ministry themselves, ensuring that the entire body grows together in maturity.

In the New Testament economy, an apostle is simply a messenger sent out and a pastor is a servant shepherd.

These are functional tasks of sacrificial labor meant to make the believer spiritually mature and independent, not heavy badges of personal power to keep the masses dependent on a man.

If the biblical writers used accountability to challenge the powerful, by what arrogance do modern preachers declare themselves above scrutiny?

True biblical leadership is defined by lowliness, not power projection. 

Jesus made it unequivocally clear that the greatest among us must be the servant of all. 

When a title is used to construct a rigid, unquestionable hierarchy that drains the poor to enrich the powerful, it ceases to be a ministry and becomes a cult of personality. 

It is time for Zimbabweans to look past the theatrical displays, the manufactured miracles, and the grand titles. 

We must return to the simple, liberating truth of Scripture: in the kingdom of God, there are no first-class and second-class citizens. 

The true man or woman of God is not found on a gilded stage demanding worship. 

They are found in the trenches of humility, pointing people away from themselves and toward Christ alone.

• Tendai Ruben Mbofana is a social justice advocate and writer. To directly receive his articles please join his WhatsApp Channel on: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaqprWCIyPtRnKpkHe08