ROOTED AND BUILT UP IN HIM (PART I)

“What Saint Gbile of Gboko Thinks of the Anointing”

By Akin Ojumu

Nearly stoned to death in Galatia (Acts 14:19), imprisoned in Philippi (Acts 16:23, 24), kicked out of town in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10), smuggled out of Berea (Acts 17:14), laughed to scorn in Athens (Acts 17:32), and regarded as a fool in Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:18, 23), Apostle Paul was not the type to succumb to self-pity or capitulate in the face of adversity. Every time he is beaten him up and chased out of town for preaching the Gospel, he was ready to proceed to the next town to do the exact same thing.

In spite of all the agony and anguish he had experienced up to this point, Paul was still committed to taking the Gospel to Rome, the heart of the Roman Empire and the seat of political power and pagan religion of the First Century. Neither imprisonment, ridicule, criticism, persecution, nor death could dampen his zeal for God or curb his enthusiasm for preaching the Word. Consequences be damned, Paul was determined to preach the Gospel in Rome.

Romans 1:13-15

“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, how often I planned to come to you (but have been prevented from visiting until now), in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles. I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.”

Now, I dare not equate myself with Apostle Paul. To do so would be utterly foolish. It’ll amount to an exaggerated sense of self-importance for me to even think or suggest that my own negative experiences, in form of the unflattering responses to my critical commentaries, somehow compare to Paul’s sufferings as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ sent out into a world violently hostile to the Gospel. 

I neither have the fortitude of Paul nor do I possess the grit of, perhaps, the greatest Christian Evangelist that ever lived. Yet, with whatever little resolve I’m able to muster, I will not be cowered to silence. If you thought I’m going to stop refuting those who twist and distort the Gospel, you don’t know me. No matter how revered or respected the teacher of error may be, I’ll not be intimidated by their clout or overwhelmed by their massive following. It’s my intention to continue to compare what people say in the name of God to the Word of God as long as God gives me the strength.

Curse me out all you want, it won’t make me cease and desist from sounding the alarm about the perverted Gospel message that has become mainstreamed in the Church. You may get mad and yell at me until you are blue in the face, that won’t stop me from shining the light of truth on the aberrant Gospel that now blankets the Church. 

The reason I do it isn’t because I have a craving for self-immolation. I certainly don’t do it because I have an insatiable appetite for unwarranted provocation. On the contrary, I call out deception because it is what God requires of each and every one of us. 

Ephesians 5:11

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

1 Timothy 5:20

“As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”

The stakes are simply too high and the consequences too dire to keep silence in the face of widespread systemic doctrinal error. Propagation of false teachings is not a victimless sin. Eternal destinies of many are imperiled by corrupted Gospel.

Therefore, this commentary series is again an attempt to correct an egregious distorting of the Gospel. It is an exposition on Colossians chapter two verses six and seven. We are going to be examining what Paul meant when he admonished the Christians at Colossae to stay rooted and built up in Christ.

Colossians 2:6-7

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

In this introductory installment of the commentary series, we are going to examine Bro Gbile Akanni’s interpretation and understanding of Colossians 2:6-7, and how he connected the idea of being rooted with the anointing.

Bro Gbile Akanni preached on Colossians 2:6-7 as the keynote speaker at the recently concluded Joshua Generation International Youth Conference held between April 6 and April 11, 2026 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium in Enugu. The theme of the conference was, “Rooted in Christ.” 

It was Day 2 of the conference. Bro. Gbile Akanni took the stage to warn the massive crowd in attendance about the dangers that may come upon shallow-rooted Christians who pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Such individuals, according to Bro Gbile, run the risk of being destroyed by the anointing God gives them.

Let’s hear Bro Gbile Akanni in his own words:

“If we are praying, and a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit should come upon men and women whose roots are shallow, anointing will destroy them.”

Pause right there. Take a moment to ponder on the words you’ve just read – or heard, for those who will do the rather heavy lifting by clicking on the link and watching the video.

Many of you who will read this commentary are not simply familiar with Bro. Gbile Akanni. To you, the man is a living legend. As far as you are concerned, he is one of the God’s Generals of the Church in Nigeria if not in Africa. If left to you, he’ll be canonized as Saint Gbile of Gboko. 

To a lot of you, Gbile Akanni is a highly respected minister of God and a revered elder statesman of the Church in Nigeria who has faithfully preached the Gospel since you were old enough to notice. There’s probably no doubt in your mind that the man is solidly grounded in Scriptures, someone who is reliable and trustworthy in his handling of the Word of God.

That Saint Gbile of Gboko is a subject of one of my commentaries at all is, to some of you, an affront. To you, it is another evidence of Akin Ojumu’s spiritual pride. You cannot conceive the scenario where this holy man can get the Bible wrong or make a theological blunder. This commentary, in your estimation, is me looking for an opportunity to besmirch a true man of God for click-bait and self-promotion.

If all that describes your attitude, here’s my appeal to you. I want you to, momentarily, put the respect and reverence you have for Bro Gbile Akanni aside and consider the words you just heard him utter and the claims he just made about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the anointing. I know it is a difficult ask and a tough thing for you to do. But I want you to try anyway. What I’m asking is not that you give me the benefit of the doubt, but that you be a Berean.

As you ponder on Bro. Gbile Akanni’s words, I want you to ask yourselves these questions:

1) Can any Christian or group of Christians, by praying for it, cause a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit to come upon men and women?

2) Can the anointing actually destroy people who are not rooted?

I’ll give you a moment to think about these two questions. Next time, we’ll discuss your answers and also examine the other things Bro Gbile said in his sermon.