EPISTLE OF PAUL TO THE CHURCHES IN NIGERIA (PART I)

“When Christ Is Pushed Aside for Papa, Prophet, Apostle, and the Man of God”

By Akin Ojumu

-------

CHAPTER ONE: WAS DADDY G.O. CRUCIFIED FOR YOU?

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle by the will of God, to the Churches scattered throughout Nigeria. 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I thank my God for every faithful congregation among you. 

For every pastor who opens the Bible and actually explains what it says. 

For every believer who follows Christ without needing a wristband, mantle, prophetic code, spiritual father, special seed, mystery oil, conference sticker, or photograph of Papa under the pillow.

But concerning many things among you I do not commend you. Not even slightly. For news has reached me that the Church among you has acquired more Daddies than a maternity ward.

Daddy G.O. Papa. Apostle. Prophet. Major Prophet. Senior Prophet. General Overseer. Presiding Apostle. Global Apostle. Archbishop. God’s General. Oracle of the Nation. Commander of Fire. Custodian of Mysteries. Carrier of Dimensions.

And apparently the Lord Jesus Christ is somewhere backstage waiting for permission to enter His own Church.

IS CHRIST DIVIDED?

One says: “I am of Daddy.”

Another: “I am of Papa.”

Another: “My Apostle is deeper.”

Another: “My prophet sees farther.”

Another: “Our father carries a grace your pastor does not carry.”

Another: “You cannot understand this dimension unless you sit under our man of God.”

Really?

Was your Daddy G.O. crucified for you? Was Papa pierced for your transgressions? Did Apostle rise from the grave on the third day? Were you baptized into Prophet International Ministries Incorporated? 

Or have you simply replaced Corinth’s “I am of Paul” with Nigeria’s: “My Daddy is deeper than your Daddy”?

You display their faces on billboards thirty feet high. Their faces dominate conference posters. Their photographs cover Church calendars. Their birthdays become ecclesiastical festivals. Their arrival causes adults to scream.

People kneel. People crawl. People shake. People compete to touch chairs they sat on.

And then you tell me: “We worship only Jesus.”

Interesting. Because Jesus appears to have received considerably less advertising.

THE NEW MEDIATORS.

There is one mediator between God and man: Christ Jesus.

Yet some of you have manufactured several thousand assistant mediators.

You cannot simply pray. No. Papa must agree. Daddy must declare. Apostle must release. Prophet must speak. General Overseer must pronounce. The man of God must “activate” it.

Apparently, Christ opened the veil—and Nigerian Christianity stitched it back together. Then installed a VIP entrance. And stationed Daddy at the door.

CELEBRITY CHRISTIANITY.

You have confused crowd size with truth. 

A preacher fills a stadium. Therefore, he must be anointed. A preacher owns television stations. Therefore, God is with him. A preacher has escorts. Therefore, he carries authority. A preacher flies private jets. Therefore, the covenant is working.

Did you learn nothing from Scripture?

Falsehood can attract crowds. Error can become popular. Mammon can build empires. And religious success is not self-authenticating. Baal once had hundreds of prophets. Numbers did not make Baal God.

THE CONVOY GOSPEL.

Some of your ministers arrive like heads of state.

Sirens. Security. Black SUVs. Protocol officers. Personal assistants. Armor bearers. Media teams. Special entrances. Reserved elevators. VIP lounges.

Then they preach about the servant leadership of Jesus.

The irony requires no interpretation.

Christ washed feet. Papa requires three protocol teams and a police escort.

Christ said: “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve.”

But your version says: “The Man of God has arrived. Everybody stand.”

TITLES, TITLES, TITLES.

Apostle Doctor Prophet Bishop Reverend Professor.

Seven titles. One Bible verse. And even that verse is out of context.

You announce men for fifteen minutes before they preach for twenty. Their biographies sound like coronation ceremonies.

“He is a father to fathers.” “A prophet to nations.” “An apostle of unusual dimensions.” “A voice to generations.” “A custodian of ancient mantles.” “A kingdom colossus.”

Please.

Can the man explain Romans 8?

DADDY CANNOT BE WRONG.

Some of you defend ministers in ways you would never defend Scripture.

Show an apparent biblical difficulty and you investigate. Show Daddy contradicting himself and you explain it away.

Maybe you misunderstood him. Maybe the clip was edited. Maybe he meant something deeper. Maybe it was prophetic language. Maybe you lack discernment. Maybe Daddy was speaking “from a dimension.”

Anything—except the terrifying possibility: Daddy was wrong.

Your theology permits Peter to be rebuked by Paul. But your Papa cannot be corrected by anybody with a Facebook account.

THE MAN OF GOD CULT.

You say: “He is not an ordinary man.”

Correct. He is extraordinary.

Apparently, gravity treats him differently. Weather obeys him. Disease recognizes him. Demons know his conference schedule. Women conceive when he speaks. Embassies open because he decrees. Money appears because he declares.

And Christians rush across continents for five seconds of physical contact. Touching his shoe. Touching his hand. Touching his chair. Touching his handkerchief. Touching his photograph.

And then you become offended when somebody uses the phrase: Personality cult.

What phrase would you prefer?

There is one Lord. One Savior. One Mediator. One Head of the Church.

And His name is not Daddy. His name is not Papa. His name is not Apostle. His name is not Prophet.

His name is Jesus Christ.

So, the next time someone tells you: “My Daddy carries a grace you need”— ask him one very Pauline question:

WAS YOUR DADDY CRUCIFIED FOR ME?

If the answer is no, then kindly move him out of the center. Christ belongs there.

In Chapter II, we will see how the Holy Spirit has become private property and ministers become spiritual supermen.