African Plume

“When Numerology, Dreams, Fleeces, and Coincidences Masquerade as the Voice of God” By Akin Ojumu There is a strange form of paganism flourishing inside modern Christianity. It speaks Christian language. It invokes the name of Jesus. It talks endlessly about the Holy Spirit. It uses words such as prophetic, discernment, confirmation, divine alignment, and “God told me”. But beneath the Christian vocabulary lies an ancient practice that Scripture explicitly condemns: Omen-reading. A number appears repeatedly on a clock, and someone concludes that God is speaking. A bird lands on a windowsill, and suddenly Heaven has issued a prophecy. A light flickers during prayer, and someone announces the manifestation of the Holy Spirit.  A person dreams about water, snakes, shoes, babies, airplanes, or houses and immediately begins searching for the “spiritual meaning.” A preacher says, “If you see this video today, this is not a coincidence.”  Someone asks God for a “sign” and then spends...

Did Pentecostalism Invent the Modern Definitions? By Akin Ojumu In Part I, we examined Paul’s actual language in 1 Corinthians 12:8. He speaks of: λόγος σοφίας — logos Sophias: which translates into a “word,” “message,” or “utterance of wisdom” and: λόγος γνώσεως — logos gnōseōs: translated into a “word,” “message,” or “utterance of knowledge.” Paul names the gifts. But he never provides the elaborate technical definitions commonly heard in modern Charismatic Christianity. That matters. Because somewhere between Paul’s first-century letter and the modern Pentecostal platform, these two simple expressions acquired an entire theological system. In many Pentecostal, Charismatic, Word of Faith, and New Apostolic Reformation Churches, a “Word of Knowledge” commonly means that God supernaturally reveals secret information about another person—information the speaker could not possibly have known naturally. A preacher may suddenly announce:  “Someone here has pain on the left side of the ...

How Arome Osayi Gives Man More “Legitimacy” Than His Maker By Akin Ojumu With no shortage of confidence—or hubris—Arome Osayi declares in this video clip: “Man happens to be the only creature that was created in the image of God. Two, man is the only creature that is given legitimacy to operate in the two realms, spiritual realm and physical realm. Because man has a spirit which is calibrated to be able to function and to relate with the spiritual realm. And man has a body of earth that gives him legitimacy and capacity through his senses to interact with this physical realm. Not even God has what it takes…the legitimacy to operate in both realms. Not even God. Because God is spirit. Think about that…Okay, you are not thinking…Only man has that license…Are you there? It’s a powerful being. It’s a powerful being.” This is so blasphemously erroneous that one scarcely knows where to begin. According to Arome Osayi’s theology, man—a finite creature fashioned by God—somehow possesses a legi...

“What Did Paul Actually Mean?” By Akin Ojumu In his first letter to the Corinthians, where he addresses the abuse, misuse, disorder, and counterfeiting surrounding spiritual gifts, the Apostle Paul provides one of the New Testament’s most extensive discussions of the manifestations and ministries of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Corinthians 12–14, Paul identifies nine primary manifestations of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:8–10 and later expands the discussion to include additional ministries and appointments. The familiar nine are: 1. Utterance [Word] of Wisdom 2. Utterance [Word] of Knowledge 3. Faith 4. Gifts of Healing 5. Working of Miracles 6. Prophecy 7. Discerning of Spirits 8. Kinds of Tongues 9. Interpretation of Tongues Later, in 1 Corinthians 12:28, Paul repeats several of these but also mentions:  1. Apostleship 2, Teaching 3. Helps 4. Administration. When Paul’s other gift lists in Romans 12 and Ephesians 4 are brought into the discussion, the New Testament presents an even b...