SCRIPTURAL SMALL-MINDEDNESS (6)

(…continues from part 5…)

6)            What does Adeboye’s building of churches in every five-minute walk across the global territorial lands connote? Could he be nursing the outrageous idea of becoming the head of the church leaders of the world? Was there any position of that sort in the Acts of the Apostles, when the modern Church got nursed to maturity? After the demise of the Apostolic Fathers, did any pastor build more than one church and sit somewhere as the Bishop or Archbishop of the several local assemblies? What I do know so clearly, from the point of Scripture, is that Ephesians 4:11 to 12 says, “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12) For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:” and the Giver of the ecclesiastic offices is the Lord Jesus.

Jesus, placing His hand on Peter, said to Peter, “Feed My sheep” (John 21:16).

                1Corinthians 12:4-6 “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5) And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6) And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.” What is this word, ‘administrations’ of verse five? It is diakonia (d̮iy-a-ko-niy’-a): ‘1. attendance (as a servant, etc.). 2. (figuratively) charitable aid. 3. (especially) official service of the Christian teacher. 4. (technically) official service of the body of stewards (deacons).’ The Members of the Trinity are involved in the giving of diverse operations of the Church. It is quite unscriptural for any man of God to decide who should pastor any local assembly: seeing that it is the Spirit that appoints to the Christians’ bucolic office. All these Bishops, Archbishops, General Overseers and General Superintendents are, by tradition, unknown to Acts Of Apostles and the Apostolic nurturing Fatherhood of Peterine, Johannine and Pauline (to mention a few) ministrations. The only reason why they could appoint pastors was simply because of their apostolic office of bringing the Church to her maturity.        

                The arguments I hear from members of churches of many branches is that, that is the way to take the word of God to far and widest places. They, however, do not understand that the Church is God’s business, not man’s property. Look at so many pastors of today; they lack true and deep knowledge of the Bible. When I see them appoint themselves to the post of Apostles (very fashionable these days) I shake my head. They do not understand that if they should show up in the Churches of great men of God like Pastor E.O. Adeboye, Pastor W.F. Kumuyi, T.D. Jakes, Bishop David Oyedepo, Pastor Tunde Bakare, or Reverend Chris Okotie, they should be accorded the regard given to Paul, Peter and John (Apostles), who have shown up (in their Apostolic Fatherhood roles) in their local assemblies to unravel deep things of the Bible. The question is, do these, so called Apostles, know enough of the Bible to teach these great men of God what they do not know? Selah! Apostles nurtured the nascent Church to adulthood and placed each local assembly in the hands of the presiding pastors to continue the work of the Lord’s vineyard.      

                It, therefore, does not surprise me when I hear some supposedly teachers of Bible taking preposterous stand like: “Well, this is Paul’s understanding and not necessarily of Jesus, I’ll rather embrace the words and teaching of Jesus.” This can only be a goading of Satanism, intended to create a ruse, making Pauline couch a faux pas. Methinks facticity of Scriptural unambiguity states: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: 17) That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2Timothy 3:16-17). A fault found in Pauline couch finds irregularities in the thoughts of the LORD God!

                Pastor S.O. who gets very angry when I tell him, “You are not an Apostle,” is in the habit of eisegetical spread of the word of God. He will say, for instance, “There are two types of love: lust and God’s love.” I have, more than once asked him, “Where did you get that?” Then he will quote, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1John 2:15). He believes he knows that since it says, “love not” then it is “lust” that particular ‘love’ means. “What if you are wrong?” but sadly enough for someone who claims ecclesiastic Apostleship of Christianity, he believes, without any qualms of being wrong, that since the Holy Spirit is dwelling in him, so, when he decides to teach the Bible, whether he pays attention to the Hebrew or Greek understanding of the context or not, he cannot be wrong! Most of these pastors do not care to study to meet the Lord’s approbation.

                Now let us look at 1John 2:15: the first and the second ‘love’ is agapaō (ag-ap-ah’-o): ‘to love (in a social or moral sense).’ This is the verb form of agapē. The third ‘love’ is agapē (ag-ah’-pay): ‘Brotherly love, affection, good will, love, benevolence; love feasts; charity; the love of God for man and of man for God.’ My friend, Pastor S.O., you are wrong. None of the ‘love’ of this verse means ‘lust’. You have again, in this Scriptural matter, failed to prove your “apostleship.” Our affection, which should be rightly given to God, our heavenly Father, Apostle John teaches in 1John 2:15, must not be spent on the world system, run by Satanism. Kosmos (kos’-mos) is the Greek for ‘world’ meaning: ‘the form, fashion of a thing, of states, order, government, Gentile nation as opposed to Jews – under God’s covenant.’ The kosmos is under satanic rule.

                Getting born again is a conscious effort on the part of an individual. Get born again. Say this sinner’s prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!” 

(…to be continued…)

Read part 5 here

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