The last is yet to be heard of
the controversial comment credited to the General Overseer of Mountain of Fire
and Miracles Ministries, MFM, Pastor Daniel Olukoya, following his description
of Christmas celebration as unbiblical.
The latest to react to the
comment was the Bishop of the Diocese of Owo Anglican Communion, Rt Revd
Stephen Fagbemi, who stated that Olukoya lacked in-depth knowledge of the
bible.
According to Bishop Fagbemi, he
emphasized that most of the doctrines being observed at MFM and other
pentecostal churches do not have biblical backing, adding that “How many things
he is doing today are directly traceable to or instructed in the Bible? Is it
the fall and die approach to prayer or which one?”
His words, “I had wanted to
respond to Dr. Olukoya of MFM on his display of theological and ecclesiastical
ignorance until I read Fr Oluoma’s rejoinder, which I believe to be sound all
round. Mine could be seen as an addendum to his well-crafted analysis and
response.
“Dr. Olukoya and his Mountain of
Fire position on Christmas is a testament to the shallow and unfortunate state
of our popular Pentecostal Christianity in present day in Nigeria. They are
lacking in biblical theology and wanting in the interpretation of
ecclesiastical history and development of the church. Whatever they are today
has been given them by the original Christians who believed and observed
Christmas.
“The problem with many of these
popular new generation church leaders is the fact that they do not understand
how to relate biblical facts or texts to praxis. The early church suffered and
worked hard to confront the issues of their day before putting the church on
the path of growth that it has gone through over the centuries.
“The other day another of them
said that Holy Communion is to be given only in the evening because it was the
Lord’s Supper. Laughable! Now Dr. Olukoya says Christmas doesn’t need to be
celebrated because it is not expressly stated in the Bible. Lack of depth! How
many things he is doing today are directly traceable to or instructed in the
Bible? Is it the fall and die approach to prayer or which one? If he wants to
press his case harder he might soon discover that he cannot go to church on
Sunday again. Or is it the term Trinity that he has found so clearly in the
Bible? Yet this is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian Church.
“This is the problem that the
Reformation has brought to us. While it is a good thing, on the one hand, it
has put the Bible in the hands of many unlearned folks who have no
understanding of its background and application, yet they have become self-made
pastors who are adding to the confusion in our land. God have mercy on us and
deliver us from so many uneducated pastors who are leading the church in our
land. Where did these people train?
“Sadly this brand of Christianity
is a kilometer wide and one inch deep as has been aptly described elsewhere.
Christmas is to be celebrated, and authentically too, not because of the date
but for the profound event of the incarnation that it folds without which our
Christianity would be meaningless.
Fagbemi further stated that “At
Christmas, we celebrate the fact that out of his love for us God chose to reach
out to the sinful world, to tabernacle with us and to reveal himself. St John
1:14 declares that “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
In verse 18 John adds further, “No one has ever seen God, the only God who is
at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” And in his first epistle, the
elder John insists, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard,
which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and have touched with
our hands concerning the word of life …we proclaim also to you.” ( I John
1:1-3).
“What Christians celebrate at
Christmas is not an idol, it is bigger than an idol: it is the Word made flesh
that everyone is called upon to admit, to occupy the centre of their heart
instead of an idol. At the celebration of Christmas, the idol is dethroned and
the God of love who reaches out to save the world by becoming a man is
enthroned and celebrated. And this is the position of the Christian Church.
“If Dr. Olukoya (and his church)
does not celebrate this then I wonder what they have to celebrate in their
church. For those who celebrate birthdays, we can as well suggest that it is
unnecessary because they are alive every day so every day is their birthday.
How about that? Christmas celebrates the unique Christ who reaches out to save
the world. These people need a little more of Christian Theology. It is easy to
read the Bible but not as easy to teach it. Lord have mercy.”
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