African Plume

By Akin Ojumu As the theological juggernaut who launched an enduring movement, Martin Luther is the recognized leader of the Protestant Reformation. On October 31, 1517, the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the door of Wittenberg’s Castle Church, the Protestant Reformation was born. But what if I told you that the theological underpinnings and the doctrinal pillars of the Reformation and Protestantism were actually laid by St. Augustine (c. 354-430), Bishop of Hippo, more than a thousand year prior to Martin Luther? Perhaps the most significant Christian thinker after St. Paul, Augustine’s adaptation of classical thought to Christian teaching created a theological system of great power and lasting influence. His numerous written works, the most important of which are Confessions (c. 400) and The City of God (c. 413-426), shaped the practice of biblical exegesis and helped lay the foundation for much of medieval and modern Christian thought. (Source: Encyclopedia Britannica). I...

“Pharmacodynamics of a Rightly Divided Word of Truth” By Akin Ojumu Trauma bonding is the term used to describe the intense emotional attachment that forms between a victim of abuse and their abuser over a period of time. Despite the fact that the bond is damaging to their psychological, physical, and financial wellbeing, victims of abuse often develop a strong sense of loyalty towards their abuser. Stockholm syndrome is a specific, extreme form of trauma bond occurring during immediate, life-threatening captivity. Considering the abusive relationship that exists between the vast majority of church folks and the people they look up to as their spiritual leaders, you don’t have to be a licensed clinical psychologist to make a diagnosis of trauma bonding in the clergy-laity relationship dynamics. The fierce loyalty and the impassioned allegiance of many parishioners to their pastors, despite documented history of exploitation, manipulation, and deception on the part of the former, is evi...

“Preaching of the Cross is to them that Perish Foolishness” By Akin Ojumu When it comes to false teachers and their false teachings, the vast majority of people who call themselves Christians are nonchalant. The typical attitude of church folks to the distortion and twisting of Scriptures by preachers that have become pervasive in the Church today is nothing short of cavalier. In the typical laissez-faire fashion, they assume the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” posture. There are several reasons church folks refrain from confronting false teachers and their false teachings. In the previous two installments of this commentary series, we explored one of the reasons church folks readily accept false teachers and shy away from criticizing false teachings. We pointed out that because of the symbiotic relationship that exists between false teachers and those who consume their poison, there is hesitancy on the part of church folks to confront the peddlers of erroneous teachings. Pe...

By Akin Ojumu So, my son sent me a text message this morning wanting to get a better understanding of a Bible passage. As I began to ponder on how to respond, it dawned on me that a short and glib answer will not suffice. Failure to use this opportunity to provide a robust and fulsome explanation will amount to doctrinal malpractice. Hence, this 1115-word commentary is me sharing my understanding of a Bible text with my son. It is a session in Biblical exegesis with a young man who’s clearly interested in having a good grasp of Scripture. And the text in question is 1 Corinthians 15:33. My Son’s Enquiry Hey Pops, i n 1 Corinthians 15:33, can you give me a little more context. I know Paul was talking about maintaining good friendships that align with the Word. But does that mean anyone who falls short of that should not be considered friends anymore? Should we not try to help them or get them to align with the Word? I just want to get a deeper understanding. My Response to the Enquiry H...

By Akin Ojumu Maya Angelou is credited with the now famous quote, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” What she meant by that is that we should recognize and accept someone’s true character, especially the ones that announce themselves with screaming red flags, rather than make silly excuses for the person’s untenable behavior or wait for them to magically change. How many times does a man have to show us he is possessed by the demonic spirit of the antichrist before we take him at his word? At what point do we let the reality sink in that this man we are sheepishly following has, by his numerous blasphemous utterances and deeds, proven himself to be an enemy of God? To the fawning fans of Donald Trump who call themselves Christians, answering these questions honestly is a bit complicated because of their Trump Denial Syndrome. Until they close their eyes in death and find themselves in the forever burning flames of hell, the supporters of Trump will neve...

By Akin Ojumu It’s less than 3 hours to D-Day. The entire world stands on the edge of a precipice. You better pray that the madman is put in a straitjacket and heavily sedated before he plunges us all down the ravine. And for those of you with heads buried in the sand, or who assume that what’s coming will not affect you, you better wake up from your slumber to the reality of what potentially could happen in a few hours. Wherever you are in the world, you must know that your future hangs in a balance. Whether you realize it or not, we are all wading in the hot molten lava of the volcanic eruption of the dark and evil mind of a vulgar, blatant, genocidal maniac. As of this moment in human history, we are all inhaling the fumes of the miasma of carnage and destruction emanating from the soul of a malignant narcissist. I just hope that human history is not rewritten tonight. I pray that when we wake up tomorrow morning, it will not be to a world unlike we’ve ever seen in our lifetime. I s...

By Akin Ojumu Easter Sunday, the day Jesus rose again from the grave, is considered by Christians through all the ages as the Holiest Day of the Christian faith. On this glorious day, Christ triumphed over death, the sting of death was broken, and death was swallowed up in victory. Much more than His birth or death, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the grave is the very essence of Christianity.  The resurrection demonstrates that God accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf. It shows that God has the power to raise us from the dead. It guarantees that the bodies of those who believe in Christ will not remain dead but will be resurrected unto eternal life. Jesus’ resurrection means that our sin is forgiven, death is defeated, and believers are offered eternal life and new, transformed lives now. It validates Jesus as the Son of God and guarantees that those who trust in Him will also experience a future resurrection, providing hope that death is not the final end (Sourc...

“Symbiosis of False Teachers & Their Followers” By Akin Ojumu Until the advent of social media, criticisms of preachers were few and far between. In fact, it was, and still is, the accepted norm amongst church folks that you do not, in any way or for any reason, challenge the man of God. Because the man of God is thought of as the representative of God Himself, anyone who speaks out against him is pretty much speaking out against God. And anyone who speaks against God’s anointed is damned. In the last installment of this commentary series, we explored one of the reasons church folks readily accept false teachers and shy away from criticizing false teachings. We did point out that a symbiotic relationship exists between false teachers and their followers. Both parties in this predatory interaction believe they are deriving mutual benefits. False teachers and their followers feed off of each other. Like the typical obligate mutualism found among animals, false teachers and their foll...