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A GREETING, NOT A GUARANTEE: UNDERSTANDING 3 JOHN 1:2 IN ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT (PART II)

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“When a Greeting Becomes a Gospel: Baba Adeboye’s Distortion of 3 John 1:2” By Akin Ojumu Regardless of a preacher’s oratorical flair or theatrical sermon delivery, no religious gathering can rightly be called a church without the true Gospel. Fabulous stories, astonishing accounts of supernatural encounters, enormous congregations, imposing auditoriums, sophisticated branding, and aggressive marketing cannot transform a religious organization into a Church of God. A true Church is distinguished by the faithful proclamation of the Gospel and the sound teaching of God’s Word. Contrary to what many modern-day preachers would have their followers believe, the knowledge of God is not an esoteric secret reserved for a select few who have attained some higher spiritual status through prolonged prayer and fasting. Scripture is God’s gracious gift to His Church. In it, He has revealed Himself and made known everything necessary for faith and godly living. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is br...

ABEL DAMINA’S ASSAULT ON THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST

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By Akin Ojumu Recently, Abel Damina was the guest speaker at the L.O.G.I.C. religious business enterprise in Lekki, Lagos.  What sort of religious organization calls itself L.O.G.I.C, anyways? As is often the case, Damina captivated the spiritually undiscerning crowd with theatrical gestures, rhetorical flourishes, and an air of profundity. He unleashed his torrent of heretical teachings upon a biblically uninformed audience. Yet beneath the dramatic presentation was the same aberrant theology for which he has become notorious. Taking his cue from the ancient deceiver, Lucifer, Abel Damina sought to diminish the uniqueness of Jesus Christ and the incomparable wonder of His incarnation. According to Damina, there is apparently nothing particularly extraordinary about the eternal Word becoming flesh, entering His creation, and dwelling among humanity. With characteristic confidence and theatrical bravado, he declared: “It’s not only Jesus that the Word became flesh in!” The statement...

A GREETING, NOT A GUARANTEE: UNDERSTANDING 3 JOHN 1:2 IN ITS HISTORICAL CONTEXT (PART I)

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“Personal Letters in Ancient Greco-Roman World” By Akin Ojumu One of the remarkable features of the modern prosperity movement is the way it has transformed a single verse from the brief Third Epistle of John into a sweeping promise of health, wealth, and material success. 3 John 1:2 (KJV) “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” 3 John 1:2 (ESV) “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” From this verse, advocates of the so-called Prosperity Gospel claim that God guarantees every believer financial prosperity, physical health, and worldly success. But is that what the Apostle John intended to communicate? To interpret this verse accurately, a careful student of Scripture must ask several important questions: (1) Who wrote the letter? (2) To whom was it written? (3) Why was it written? (4) What did the writer intend to communicate? (5) How would the...

THE SOLE ATTRACTION: SEEING CHRIST ACROSS ALL SCRIPTURE

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By Akin Ojumu From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is ultimately a divine autobiography of the Messiah, penned through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Every single book is intentional. Together, they form a magnificent, cohesive narrative centered on one Person: Jesus, the Anointed One. Christ is not merely the main attraction of Scripture; He is the sole attraction. Every historical account, poem, prophecy, and miracle is designed with a singular purpose: to point us to Christ, anchor our faith in Him as the Savior, and unfold the grand story of redemption. Luke 24:27 “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.” John 1:45 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” John 5:39,46 “ You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness abo...

THERE ARE NO MORE APOSTLES. PERIOD!

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By Akin Ojumu Anyone who calls himself an apostle today is a phony. It doesn’t take a doctorate degree in Theology or an angelic visitation to know that. For the diligent Bible student who is serious about knowing the truth of God, the qualifications for the office of an Apostle are plain to see. Just pick up your Bible and read.  The Office of the Apostle is unique. Together with the Office of the Prophet, the Apostles laid the foundation of the Christian faith. Common sense tells us that you don’t lay the foundation of a building perpetually. Once the foundation of a house is laid, it is laid. What remains is to build on it.  Ephesians 2:18-20 “For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” As soon as the Apostles laid the foundation...

NO! ABRAHAM DID NOT LIVE 375 YEARS

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By Akin Ojumu During the recently concluded Holy Ghost Service, the Daddy GO of the RCCG Religious Enterprise LTD claimed that Abraham lived for 375 years. It is a remarkable assertion. The only problem? It completely contradicts the Bible. When we open the Scriptures to Genesis 25:7, Abraham’s age at the time of his death is entirely unambiguous. Genesis 25:7 (KJV) “And these are the days of the years of Abraham ’ s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.” Genesis 25:7 (NIV) “Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years.” Genesis 25:7 (NLT) “Abraham lived for 175 years.” Some will inevitably argue that this was merely an honest mistake – a simple slip of the tongue. But that defense doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. The RCCG Daddy GO didn’t just misread a number; he went on to build an entire commentary around it, explicitly contrasting Abraham’s fictional 375-year lifespan with that of his son, Isaac. This wasn’t a momentary glitch; it was a glaring symptom of p...