13th March, 2024
By Paul Dada
The era of total and unquestioned acquiescence by the Nigerian Christian faithful to whatever famous men of the pulpits do or say no matter how outrageous, is seemingly over. Some of Nigerian pulpit bigwigs especially those who belong to the Pentecostal variant of Christianity, have in recent times been drawing more of the ire, fierce criticisms and even mockery from Christians over some of their utterances and public dispositions now deemed to be anti-Biblical, illogical and ludicrous.
Christians, not atheists, agnostics, and other skeptics have recently been the most strident voices calling out the publicly erring pulpit superstars like Pastor Enoch Adeboye, Apostle Johnson Suleman, Apostle Joshua Selman, Dr. Abel Damina, among others.
Pastor Enoch Adeboye:- The 82-year-old cleric is easily the most influential Pentecostal Nigerian cleric. He oversees The Redeemed Christian Church of God which is the Nigerian Pentecostal denomination with the largest membership. As of 2021, the RCCG is said to have 9,938,617 members and 51,580 congregations worldwide. In 2023, Adeboye and 11 other Nigerians made it to the list of “100 Most Reputable Africans” released by Reputation Poll International, a global reputation firm. In 2019, The African Report called Adeboye the fourth most influential Nigerian.
His denomination which he took over in 1981 after the demise of its founder, Pa Josiah Akindayomi, has prominent Nigerian politicians, top business owners, reputable professionals and other classes of Nigerians as members.
But the octogenarian has been recently castigated for some of his utterances adjudged by not a few persons to be some of the most absurd and terribly uncharitable gaffes coming from him. In a video which went viral in January, Adeboye was heard praying for the members of his congregation thus:”Before this time next year, your colleagues will be coming to you for food. They will be coming to you for refreshment. I decree that in your family, you will be the go to person in Jesus’ name”. Anger by not a few Christians, greeted the allegedly cruel prayer which sounded more like Adeboye’s curse on the colleagues and families of his followers.
The dust had not yet settled on that when another video which also showed Adeboye praying amiss, surfaced. In the second video, the former Mathematics lecturer prayed that as the prophet’s sons bowed to Elisha, Christians from other denominations would bow before the members of his church. The prayer fuelled more criticisms. Some saw the prayer as a mark of witchcraft while others believed the RCCG leader was being afflicted by old age. All efforts at damage control by sworn lovers of Adeboye have done little or nothing to sway the minds of those who are now disenchanted with Adeboye’s ways.
Apostle Joshua Selman: 43-year-old Joshua Selman is the founder of Eternity Network International based in Abuja and popularly known as Koinonia. Selman who goes by the title of ‘Apostle’ is the ‘rave of the moment’ among young Nigerian Christians. Possessing charisma, elocution and oratory, Selman postures himself as someone with divine enablement to unravel hitherto unknown spiritual mysteries. He speaks English impeccably and teaches his doctrines in a manner that continues to bedazzle his followers even if he engages sophistry as a tool.
However, many of his doctrines are viewed as anathematic by Christians who say they are perceptive and discerning.
For example, Selman is known for knocking Bible characters widely held in high esteem by Christians. He once or twice described John the Baptist as one who died untimely because he lost focus in his ministry by taking on Herod who took off his head as the comeuppance for his ministerial misadventure. Meanwhile, Jesus always talked about John the Baptist in complimentary terms. Selman also called Elijah a prophet loved by Christians, proud and self-centred for thinking he was the only one left in Israel who was still faithful to God.
Selman has also been called out for teaching that Adam was not the first man contrary to what the Bible teachings.
Selman’s penchant for allegedly ridiculous statements when he preaches the prosperity gospel riles not a few Christians. Some of his loathsome statements are: “Prosperity played a role in salvation. It took prosperity and Influence for salvation to come”; “The Gospel is heavy, it takes wealth as an ark-bearer to lift it” and “If you want your name to be mentioned globally, your feet must touch Abeokuta and Lagos…Abeokuta gave birth to Lagos”.
Dr. Abel Damina:- When Dr. Abel Damina the Senior Pastor, Power City International, publicly said he had jettisoned the obnoxious prosperity gospel used by pulpit celebrities to manipulate the gullible, many Christians cheered him. But it soon turned out that Damina had become a relentless attacker of orthodox Christian doctrines. Many people have concluded that the man is a founder of another religion following his love for Bible revisionism.
In orthodox Christianity, God is presented as a loving Father. He is also seen as a ‘consuming fire’ who passes judgement on sinners who refuse to repent. But Damina seems to present God as one lovey-dovey Daddy who cannot and does not hurt a fly.
In Genesis 6:13, God said He would destroy the earth with flood. And He did so as recorded in Genesis 7:17-24. In Genesis 18, Abraham had a conversation with God about His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And in the next chapter, God destroyed the two cities. In Exodus 12:29, God is reported to have killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians. But Damina says it was not God that did all of those and that the Old Testament writers only thought so.
Damina claims the fire brought down by Elijah in the Bible was not from God but Satan. He denies that there is a hell fire but posits that there is just a hell full of ‘outer darkness’ where unbelievers go. He goes on to say God does not live in heaven while accusing Moses and angels of conniving to write the law. This preacher also posits that Noah was not commanded by God to build the ark as recorded in the Bible. He dismisses water baptism as mere swimming.
Although, Damina commands some following among Christians but there are those who think he should be avoided like you would a plague.
Apostle Johnson Suleman:- Recently, not a few Christians were shell-shocked to hear the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, Johnson Suleman hint that it was possible for Paul the Apostle in the Bible to have contradicted Jesus Christ. Although, Suleman is known to be in love with courting controversy, many could not hide their disbelief that he could say what sounded like an abomination about Paul the writer of at least 13 books of the Bible and a most notable champion of the Christian faith in his time.
Suleman had said: “I said something on this altar and I repeat it and stand by it. I was talking about those who preach grace and say once you are saved, you are saved. I preached all of those things before until I lost a friend. I lost a friend who was also a preacher of grace and I found out ‘what’s going on?”.
“So, I went to go and pray. And the Lord told me that ‘You are preaching Paul, you are not preaching me. And you focus on Corinthians. Who wrote the letter to the Corinthians? Who wrote to the Thessalonians?’
“God told me that the teachings of Paul are not from the lips of Jesus. They are from Paul’s lips. They are the revelations of Christ that Paul had. But Mathew, Mark, Luke and John were the accounts of what Jesus said and did.
“And he said to me that priority and focus should be on the life of Jesus. What Paul said is secondary. Paul actually learnt based on what he was told. He wasn’t there. I’m going to focus more on what Jesus said than what Paul said. If Jesus said and I look at what Paul said and is contrary to what Jesus said. I would not take what Paul said but what Jesus said”.
Quoting 2 Peter 3:15-16, Suleman went on to claim that Peter, a frontline apostle in the Bible advised Christians to be careful of the letters of Paul. He then declared” I would choose what Jesus said over what Paul said any day”.
Using scriptural and historical evidence, P.M News on 7th March, 2024, fact-checked Suleman’s insinuations and claims and found them spurious.
Dr. Isaiah Macwealth:- It sounded like a sick joke in the ears when people in a video clip heard Dr. Isaiah Macwealth of the Gospel International Churches say he saw God. He said: The Lord appeared to me. He said you have been asking to see my face. And I saw Him face to face. I was looking at the Lord as long as I can look into his face. And I looked into His face where they said no man can see the face of God. I was looking straight into His face. And I was seeing all His beard… And His face wants to look old yet it is young”
Expectedly, Macwealth was lampooned for this alleged blasphemy. His critics did not waste time in quoting 1 Timothy 6:15,16 and John 6:46 where the Bible clearly says no one can see God while still alive on earth.