Yes, Elijah frequently cuffs or slaps people across the face. He expects people to offer no resistance and to thank him afterwards. The author of this website has personally seen him do this, several times in public. I cite three examples:
Job Samyrajoo (elder, Singapore church)
The occasion was just prior to public worship in John Bunyan House, Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Job Samyrajoo was welcoming new arrivers through the main doors. Something in Job’s performance displeased Elijah who summoned him over and with a face like thunder cuffed him across the mouth. Job made to return to his post but was called back, instructed to present his face and struck a second time. This happened in clear view of all who were gathered. Job is senior and often takes responsibility for the Singapore church when Elijah is absent.
Abraham Chia (longstanding member, Singapore church)
This incident occurred in front of a full conference-hall in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, Malaysia. On this occasion, Abraham Chia (a long-standing and senior member of TWT) had assisted Elijah (who has left-sided hemiplegia from a stroke in AD 1998) to his table on-stage and ensured he was seated comfortably and had his many accoutrements laid out correctly. As all eyes were fixed on Elijah, his countenance suddenly changed and reaching over his shoulder he slapped Abraham in the face. Not long after, he began to publicly berate two of the most senior missionary pastors (including Zephaniah Soh), who had failed to seat everybody exactly to Elijah’s liking.
Noah D'Lima (elder, Bombay church)
Noah, a self-sacrificial elder from the Bombay church, is especially victimised by Elijah Chacko. The author saw him during one conference looking very upset and holding a pair of smashed spectacles. He had marks on his face from where Elijah had recently struck him.
It seems inadequate to cite such examples. The practice is frequent and often not hid. Many are probably smiling to themselves and thinking that I haven’t seen anything. There is a comments section if any should wish to elaborate. Those who sleep near to Elijah’s quarters could bear witness to the shouting and bawling which punctuate the night hours. People deal with it by laughing it off. Some talk about Elijah giving someone ‘a blasting’, or sending a SCUD missile (indicating the rebuke is both personal and devastating) or a MOAB (‘mother of all bombs’). It is virtually a rite of passage. Some even long to ‘receive the law’ from Elijah (see the concluding statements in ‘A Tyrant (Part 2)’, in which Elijah says, ‘Simeon Chia… expects me to scold him. If I don’t scold him, he says there is something amiss. Only then would he be entirely ministered!’ To be scolded or hit by Elijah is to be a true son: ‘But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons (Heb 12:8).’
Elijah justifies his behaviour chiefly from Nehemiah 13. In this passage Nehemiah recounts his zeal and good deeds in reforming some notable abuses in Jerusalem. When foreign merchants sought to bring into Jerusalem all manner of merchandise on the sabbath, Nehemiah threatened to ‘lay hands’ on them (v19-21). When some of the Jews married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab, he ‘contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God… (v23-25).’ Again, Nehemiah chased the high priest’s son from him when he learned that he had married the daughter of Sanballat the Horonite (v28). No doubt Elijah also feels solidarity with the psalmist and Christ Jesus Himself, claiming that ‘the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up (Ps 69:9a; John 2:17).’ For did not Jesus make a scourge of small cords and drive the money changers out of the temple? Often he cites Psalm 141v5: ‘Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil, which shall not break my head…‘ [Though I’m pretty sure he’s always been the righteous smiter and never the meek recipient]
It is very easy to explain Nehemiah’s actions, for he was the Tirshatha or governor. He was commissioned by the great king Artaxerxes. He set himself to enforce the perfect law of God. It was of Nehemiah as Peter says, ‘Submit yourselves… unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well (1 Pet 2:14).’ Nehemiah was empowered to do far more than curse, smite and pluck off their hair, should he have wished. It is instructive to consider the difference between Ezra and Nehemiah: for Ezra was a priest and Nehemiah was a governor. One bare spiritual rule and the other bare ‘the sword’ (Rom 13:4). Hence we see Ezra in almost identical circumstances plucking off his own hair and leading the people in fasting and prayer, when he learned that the ‘holy seed had mingled themselves with the people of the lands’ (Ezra 9:1-4). It was not for Ezra to lay hands upon others.
What Jesus Christ did was not emulated by the Apostles. His actions were a fulfilment of prophecy, not an example for his disciples to literally follow. They scourged none, but were themselves beaten, submitting to the council and rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name (Acts 5:40-42). When Jesus entered the temple, He entered as the Son of the most High God. He had professed from young that the temple was His Father’s house (Luke 2:49; John 2:16) and as ‘a son over his own house‘ (Heb 3:6) He had authority to do as He wished. But Elijah Chacko is not Jesus Christ! He is at best a servant and no master. Of those who serve in His house, Christ Jesus said, ‘But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers (Luke 12:45-46).’ It was said by some of the Westminster divines, that Paul’s first epistle to Timothy is the Church’s directory for divine worship, discipline and government. In it, Paul says, ‘These things write I unto thee… that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim 3:14-15).’ In the very same chapter, Paul stipulates with divine authority that a bishop then must be of good behaviour, no striker, but patient, not a brawler (v2-3). Again, Paul charges Timothy before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels (surely the most solemn charge that might be given) that he observes these things (that same directory for divine worship, discipline and government) without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality (1 Tim 5:21). Elijah is without doubt a man who is soon angry (Tit 1:7) and who is a striker. His face changes in a flash: it is harder to imagine a man who can sooner become angry! His servants slink about like whipped dogs. He is a most partial man, preferring one before another. The author, being a doctor from the West, was rarely rebuked and never struck. The Nepali brethren who are very low in Elijah’s esteem are subject to all manner of abuses. Paul is also very clear that an ‘elder is not to be rebuked, but intreated as a father; and the younger men as brethren; the elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity‘ (1 Tim 5:1-2). Elijah’s behaviour is a complete violation of this: he treats the elders with utter contempt if they displease him. Even should an elder sin, the accusation levelled against him is to be judiciously tried, and that in the presence of two or three witnesses. Those whose sin is established beyond doubt are to be rebuked before all in a formal act of church discipline (1 Tim 5:19-20). But this is not at all Elijah’s practice. He rebukes whom he wills, when he wills, where he wills, how he wills, for what he wills. And woe betide any who question his judgment!
If we search the Scriptures for those who demeaned others by smiting them, we do not have to search long to find Elijah some companions. Our Lord Himself suffered at the hands of wicked men: ‘Then did they spit in his face, and buffeted him; and others smote him with the palms of their hands (Matt 26:67).’ Paul too was rightly indignant when the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. ‘Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law [and remember that Elijah sees himself as ‘giving the law’], and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law (Acts 23:2-3)?’ Paul was absolutely clear that to smite a man on the mouth was contrary to the law. Therefore we would do well to pay attention to Paul’s description of those who are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ in 2 Cor 11:13. Let all who suffer Elijah gladly take heed to Paul’s admonition:
‘For ye suffer fools gladly, seeing ye yourselves are wise. For ye suffer, if a man bring you into bondage, if a man devour you, if a man take of you, if a man exalt himself, if a man smite you on the face (2 Cor 11:19-20).’
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