Paper presented at the Annual Bishops’ Retreat of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), held at Ibru Centre, Agbaraotor, Delta State Nigeria, on 4th January 2022
By Rt. Rev. Prof. Dapo F. Asaju
Bishop Theologian.

Preamble

Beloved, -while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. For certain men have crept in unnoticed, which long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into a license to immorality and deny Jesus Christ, our only sovereign and Lord (Jude3-4).

Amidst acute proliferation of Church denominations of different brands, today, a lot of chaff has mixed with the good seed of the gospel. False prophets, peddling false doctrines and heresies, have infiltrated and dominated the church market; their polluted poisons are so toxic that they are killing genuine Christian faith and spirituality especially among the vulnerable younger generation. They lower Christian standards in faith and discipline, to the extent that many churches are now being regarded by the public, as commercial ventures. Founders and leaders of churches are accused of extreme flamboyant lifestyles and misplaced priorities in their conduct of church activities. The prophecy about the generation of ‘the end times’ having itching ears and giving heed to seducing spirits and false doctrines ( 2 Timothy 4:3) has been largely fulfilled in the contemporary generation. Heresies are often recycled/repackaged; yet, the fundamental motives remain the same, which is to challenge Christian truth and take man away from the path of salvation and righteousness.

Heresy is ordinarily a false doctrine, which contradicts orthodox and canonical Biblical teachings. Heresies go further than that; it is falsehood camouflaged as truth. It is an over-stretch of truth by way of addition or subtraction. Either way, when truth is tampered with, it becomes heresy.

… if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. (Revelations 22: 18-19).

The vehicle often used to canvass heresy, is philosophy. Religions operate by faith rather than human rationalization. Spiritual matters and realities are not contingent upon scientific enquiry nor human experimentations. “We walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). Tertullian 1 was a foremost apologist who although fought against the use of philosophy to advance heresy, was himself actively involved in the Montanist heresy. He warned about the need not to allow philosophy become the guide or determiner of revelation Truth. His treatise titled- Philosophy is the mother of Heresy argues as follows:

These are “the doctrines” of men and “of demons” produced for itching ears of the spirit of this world’s wisdom: this the Lord called “foolishness,” [and “chose the foolish things of the world” to confound even philosophy itself. For (philosophy) it is which is the material of the world’s wisdom, the rash interpreter of the nature and the dispensation of God. Indeed heresies are themselves instigated by philosophy. From this source came the AEons, and I know not what infinite forms, and the trinity of man in the system of Valentinus, who was of Plato’s school. From the same source came Marcion’s better god, with all his tranquility; he came of the Stoics. Then, again, the opinion that the soul dies is held by the Epicureans; while the denial of the restoration of the body is taken from the aggregate school of all the philosophers; also, when matter is made equal to God, then you have the teaching of Zeno; and when any doctrine is alleged touching a god of fire, ‘then Heraclitus comes in. The same subject-matter is discussed over and over again by the heretics and the philosophers; the same arguments are involved. Whence comes evil? Why is it permitted? What is the origin of man? And in what way does he come? Besides the question which Valentinus has very lately proposed — Whence comes God? Which he settles with the answer: From enthymesis and ectroma. Unhappy Aristotle! Who invented for these men dialectics, the art of building up and pulling down; an art so evasive in its propositions, so far-fetched in its conjectures, so harsh, in its arguments, so productive of contentions — embarrassing even to itself, retracting everything, and really treating of nothing! Whence spring those “fables and endless genealogies,” and “unprofitable questions,” and “words which spread like a cancer?” From all these, when the apostle would restrain us, he expressly names philosophy as that which he would have us be on our guard against. Writing to the Colossians, he says, “See that no one beguile you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, and contrary to the wisdom of the Holy Ghost.” He had been at Athens, and had in his interviews (with its philosophers) become acquainted -with that human wisdom which pretends to know the truth, whilst it only corrupts it, and is itself divided into its own manifold heresies, by the variety of its mutually repugnant sects. What indeed has Athens to do with Jerusalem? What concord is there between the Academy and the Church? What between heretics and Christians? Our instruction comes from “the porch of Solomon,” which had himself taught that “the Lord should be sought in simplicity of heart.” Away with all attempts to produce a mottled Christianity of Stoic, Platonic, and dialectic composition! We want no curious disputation after possessing Christ Jesus, no inquisition after enjoying the gospel! With our faith, we desire no further belief. For this is our palmary faith, that there is nothing which we ought to believe besides.2

Satan, the author of heresies is himself described as camouflaging as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Heresy originated from the resolve of Lucifer to corrupt God’s Word, issued in His sovereignty as command to man. Rather than obey God’s instruction at Eden, Adam and Eve fell for Satan’s question- “Has God said?” This fundaments ground for rebellion against divine order has continued to underlie all forms of heresies. It is a dimension of the generic battle between the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Satan; a cataclysmic clash between good and evil, heaven and Hell, light and darkness, truth and lies.

In order for us to identify falsehood, we should first establish the ground for genuine biblical orthodoxy. Parameters for identifying Sound Doctrines

The grounds of sound doctrine include belief in and practice of the following:

  1. The existence, sovereignty, omnipotence and the absolute holiness of God
  2. The divine inspiration and immutability of the word of God as documented in the Canonical Bible (protestant version),
  3. God’s responsibility as the Creator of the universe and Man,
  4. Belief in the incarnation, divinity and sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, His resurrection, ascension and expected parousia,
  5. Monotheism; worshipping only Almighty God (in His Triune Godhead),
  6. Belief in Resurrection of the dead and judgments of all men at the end of the Age,
  7. Belief in two alternate eternal destinations-Heaven or Hell
  8. Belief in Jesus Christ as the only savior of mankind, and aversion for all other ways of religion as ineffectual for man’s salvation.
  9. Holy living in all matters of Biblical Ethics, especially on sexual matters. In this case, heterosexual sex only is prescribed for a genuine Christian. All forms of sexual aberrations such as fornication, adultery, homosexuality, Incest, bestiality, Transgender, etc are abominations that God will judge,
  10. Belief in literal teachings and authority of the teachings in the Holy Bible and calling all Christians to order their faiths and lives in accordance to and in compliance with the moral and legal injunctions of the Holy Bible. In this wise, man has no prerogative to revise the Bible. God placed a curse on whoever tampers with the revelations in the Bible, by way of additions and subtractions.

Fights against Heresies in the Past

The Bible as well as past ecclesiastical authorities had made frantic efforts to combat false doctrines or heresies. The following are examples:

  1. In the Old Testament there are many warnings against false teachers and prophets
  2. Moses challenged the Magicians of Egypt and demonstrated superiority of Yahweh over other false powers, when his rod/ serpent swallowed their rods/ serpents.
  3. Jesus warned against false prophets and teachers
  4. Jude directs Christians to contend for the Faith once for all delivered to the Saints
  5. Peter challenged Bar Jesus
  6. Paul challenged Elymais
  7. The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15) was called to respond to the heresies of Judeo- Christian unnecessary impositions,
  8. The Early Church Apologists such as Tertullian, Irenaus, Oregen, Augustine of Hippo, Cyprian of Alexandria, etc
  9. The Early Church formulated Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian creed as response to the heresies of: Gnosticism, Marcionism, Arianism and Montanism.
  10. Martin Luther’s Theses and the Protestant Reformation happened to challenge numerous heresies in Roman Catholicism. These include the following:

Roman Catholic Church Heresies:                         

  • Expanded canon which include substantial number of the Apocrypha and Pseudopigrapha
  • Sale and use of Indulgences
  • Equating Bible with Vatican Resolutions and Papal Bull
  • Belief in purgatory,
  • Mariology and her deification as Theotikos
  • Attribution of the Church as built upon Peter, hence the global primacy of the Pope,
  • Extreme unction on the Mass and doctrine of Transubstantiation,
  • Idolatories associated with veneration of Saints and their beautifications.
  • Prevention of priesthood of all Believers and denial access to Holy Bible. In fact some who attempted to translate the Bible to languages other than Latin were burnt at the stakes. etc.
  • Operation of different orders, some of whose ideologies contradict the Bible. The Jesuit order ( founded by Ignatius of Loyola) for instance have anti-Christian objectives which permit Catholics to attack other denominations and use violence and domination to drive imposition of Roman Catholicism,

Heresies since  the  period   of  Post-Apostolic   Era,  The  Middle Ages, The Enlightenment/Renaissance/Industrial Revolution up till the 20th century etc:

The popular book The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin is quite helpful in defining doctrines which classify some church movements as cults and heretical groups.3    He dealt with Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormonism, Christian Science and New Age Cults.

  • Islam ( Challenges deity of Jesus, Trinity,   Christ as the only saviour, deny messiahship,   death and resurrection, adulterated the Bible by falsifying it to produce Quran, ).
  • Communism and Atheism (China, old USSR)
  • Secularism
  • Epicureanism
  • Scientific Evolutionism
  • The Occults and New Age movements
  • Seventh Day Adventism (they do not believe that people go to heaven or hell when they die)
  • Jehovah’s Witnesses (they believe God the father (Jehovah) is the only true God. Jesus Christ is his firstborn son and is inferior to God and was created by God, and the Holy Spirit is not a person but active force)
  • Mormons otherwise called Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (They believe the original priesthood authority was lost after Jesus Christ’s ascension, and text of the Bible were changed and this necessitated a restoration received through visions  received by of Joseph Smith from angels especially angel Moroni as well as from Moses, Elijah etc from 1820 onwards. The church was established in 1830.
  • Unification Church ( founded by Rev Sun Myong Moon),
  • Christian Science,
  • Grail Message,
  • Rosicrucian Order
  • Liberal Theology
  • Homosexuality and Gay Movement (LGBT)
  • Deification of Sports
  • Pagan religions and syncretism: ATR, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism, etc
  • Jesus of Oyingbo syncretic and Incestous movements

The response of the church to the above Heresies include the following:

  1. Canonization of the Holy Bible.
  2. Apologetics by Early Church Fathers and Martyrs
  3. Monasticism and the sacred ascetic orders (Monasteries and Convents),
  4. The Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Huss, etc
  5. Emergence of different brands of Protestant churches who geared up missionary endeavours to parts of the world, thereby producing converts and raised churches which challenge the monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church. Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostals. Indigenous African churches, etc.
  6. Credal Formulations: Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed.

Modern Heresies Church in Nigeria

The modern church denominations are highly proliferated. Gross indiscipline in their rank and file arises because of lack of cohesive regulation of the church doctrines and teachings by the umbrella organizations such as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN). Any preacher can emerge anywhere and at any time, regardless their evidence of conversion, discipleship, Christian maturity and authentication of the genuineness of their spirituality and moral values. News abounds of reported misbehavior and non -Christian practices of some pastors across denominations. These include doing miracles using strange powers, fraud, sexual misconduct and scandals, extreme materialism etc. We shall use just one Pentecostal preacher, Pastor Abel Damina, as case study of heresies propounded by new generation church leaders in contemporary Nigeria and the adverse effects these have on the Christian spirituality teeming youths who subscribe to the heresies to the extent that their Christianity is shallow, jaundiced and misdirected to the path of error.

General Modern Heresies

  1. That Prosperity Theology of wealth and Divine Health define Christianity and material wealth is a sign of God’s blessings and man’s right standing with God.
  2. That Pentecostalism is the progressive ideal of Christianity and Mission churches are to be depopulated into the ‘vibrant’ ‘Born-Again’ Pentecostal churches
  3. Liberal Theology that questions:   Authority of the Holy Bible, Lordship of Jesus Christ and Christian Ethics., especially sexual ethics
  4. That Homosexuality is accepted as being compatible with Christian living and that clergy and even Bishops can indulge in same sex marriage in church while remaining in the faith and occupying church leadership.
  5. That Divorce and Remarriage are permissible and church leaders whose marriages have problems are free to divorce and remarry, while still maintaining their leadership positions. Examples are Chris Oyakhilome (of Christ Embassy), Chris Okotie (Household of God Church), Chris Okafor (of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries) Pastor Ituah Ighodalo (formerly Provincial Pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God) and Joshua Iginla (of Champions Royal Assembly, Abuja).

Case Study of Modern Heretical Teachings popular in Nigeria: Abel Damina’s Heretical Theology:

Pastor Abel Damina is a Nigerian Pentecostal pastor, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of the ‘Abel Damina Ministries’ and ‘Power City International’. Born at Saminaka Kaduna State on 29th August I960, he hails from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and currently resides and operates his church in Uyo.

“Damina seems to have embraced another gospel that seems appealing; but when placed under scriptural binoculars, is a harbinger of poison. This stems from his mismterpretatifon of the Canon of the Old Testament… He is breeding a growing audience of young followers who seem to have taken an oath to be eternally tied to him…4. Some of his teachings are as follows:   

  1. God does not live in Heaven because He created heaven and earth. Therefore he argues that saying ‘The Lord’s Prayer’- Our Father who art in heaven, is wrong,

Response:

The response of the church to the above Heresies include the following:

  1. Canonization of the Holy Bible.
  2. Apologetics by Early Church Fathers and Martyrs
  3. Monasticism and the sacred ascetic orders (Monasteries and Convents),
  4. The Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Huss, etc
  5. Emergence of different brands of Protestant churches who geared up missionary endeavours to parts of the world, thereby producing converts and raised churches which challenge the monopoly of the Roman Catholic Church. Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Pentecostals. Indigenous African churches, etc.
  6. Credal Formulations : Apostles Creed, Nicene Creed and Athanasian Creed.

Modern Heresies Church in Nigeria

The modern church denominations are highly proliferated. Gross indiscipline in their rank and file arise because of lack of cohesive regulation of the church doctrines and teachings by the umbrella organizations such as the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Any preacher can emerge anywhere and at any time, regardless their evidence of conversion, discipleship, Christian maturity and authentication of the genuineness of their spirituality and moral values. News abounds of reported misbehavior and non —Christian practices of some pastors across denominations. These include doing miracles using strange powers, fraud, sexual misconduct and scandals, extreme materialism etc. We shall use just one Pentecostal preacher, Pastor Abel Damina, as case study of heresies propounded by new generation church leaders in contemporary Nigeria and the adverse effects these have on the Christian spirituality teeming youths who subscribe to the heresies to the extent that their Christianity is shallow, jaundiced and misdirected to the path of error.

General Modern Heresies

  1. That Prosperity Theology of wealth and Divine Health define Christianity and material wealth is a sign of God’s blessings and man’s right standing with God.
  2. That Pentecostalisrn is the progressive ideal of Christianity and Mission churches are to be depopulated into the ‘vibrant’ ‘Born-Again’ Pentecostal churches
  3. Liberal Theology that questions:   Authority of the Holy Bible, Lordship of Jesus Christ and Christian Ethics, especially sexual ethics
  4. That Homosexuality is accepted as being compatible with Christian living and that clergy and even Bishops can indulge in same sex marriage in church while remaining in the faith and occupying church leadership.
  5. That Divorce and Remarriage are permissible and church leaders whose marriages have problems are free to divorce and remarry, while still maintaining their leadership positions. Examples are Chris Oyakhilome (of Christ Embassy), Chris Okotie (Household of God Church), Chris Okafor (of Mountain of Liberation and Miracles Ministries) Pastor Ituah Ighodalo (formerly Provincial Pastor of Redeemed Christian Church of God) and Joshua Iginla (of Champions Royal Assembly, Abuja).

Case Study of Modern Heretical Teachings popular in Nigeria: Abel Damina’s Heretical Theology:

Pastor Abel Damina is a Nigerian Pentecostal pastor, writer, entrepreneur, and founder of the ‘Abel Damina Ministries’ and ‘Power City International’. Born at Saminaka Kaduna State on 29th August 1960, he hails from Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and currently resides and operates his church in Uyo.

“Damina seems to have embraced another gospel that seems appealing; but when placed under scriptural binoculars, is a harbinger of poison. This stems from his misinterpretation of the Canon of the Old Testament… He is breeding a growing audience of young followers who seem to have taken an oath to be eternally tied to him…. 4. Some of his teachings are as follows:

  1. God does not live in Heaven because He created heaven and earth. Therefore he argues that saying ‘The Lord’s Prayer’- Our Father who art in heaven, is wrong.

Response:   

  • Our Lord’s Prayer was given directly by Our Lord Jesus Christ (Mathew 6:9-13). The Incarnate Son of God came from Heaven and returned and is seated on the right hand of the Father , after his resurrection and ascension. Heaven is the ultimate home and hope of saved Christians for whom Jesus will return.
  • There are different spheres of heavens. Paul referred to his being taken to the fourth heaven. Heaven as God’s abode is referred to in numerous places in the Bible. The fact that God created heaven does not negate its existence as God’s abode.
  • That God cannot kill because He is God of all. Therefore all references in Bible where God killed humans, such as Noah’s Flood, Killing of First Born Males in Egypt, did not happen. God simply withdrew his presence and did not know about the events

 Response:

  • This is a replay of the philosophical arguments of Marcionism as well as The Problem of Evil. The nature of God is dual. The kind and benevolent God of love is still the same God of judgment. The holy God judges and punishes sinful men. He can and did cause to be killed, people who violate His laws and incur His wrath.
  • Biblical accounts are inspired and correct in accounts off Noah’s flood, destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Killing of first born males in Egypt, etc.
  • Archaeological evidences confirm the scientific and historical veracity of these accounts. Moreover, the names, places and cities referred to in the Bible where these events occurred, are still preserved as pilgrimage sites in Israel and the Middle East today.
  • That God cannot send any body to Hell. He is too loving to do that. He questions Hell as abode for sinners

Response:

  • Hell was created originally for Satan and his fallen angels as well as men who out of their exercise of freewill choose to ally with Satan in opposition to God and rejection of God’s provision of salvation for repentant man, through the atoning blood of His son Jesus Christ.
  • The same God as well as Jesus Christ taught clearly about the existence of Hell as a place of eternal torment for unsaved sinners, its unquenchable fires, undying worms, a place of wailing and gnashing of teeth, etc. Jesus told of the parable of Lazarus and the Rich man; describing hell as a hopeless abode of the Lost, The loving God is also the judge of all men. Revelations describe a list of people who will end up in Hell.(See John 3:18, Rev. 21:8~-“The fearful, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, whoremongers, sorcerers, idolaters, liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”. Jesus taught as follows: ” I tell you, do not be afraid of those who can kill the body and can do no more. But I will show you whom you will fear; fear Him (GOD), who after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell, yes, I tell you, fear Him” (Luke 12:4-5).
  • That Sin does not take anybody to Hell, because once saved, one is saved for ever. People go to hell not because of their sins but only for rejecting Jesus. Once one is born again, he can sin but God will not see or count it.

Response:

  • God has always punished sins from beginning of creation. The expulsion of Adam and Eve, destruction of the whole world in Noah’s time, destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, wastage of the whole generation of the original liberated Israelite slaves from Egypt (except Joshua and Caleb), rejection of King Saul, etc are all evidences that God punished all forms of sins. God often forgives sins out of His tender mercies but this does not mean He overlooks sins.
  • There is no correct biblical doctrine that supports the libertine theology that once saved, man is saved for ever. Even in the Old Testament, Ezekiel states” “When the righteous turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die because of it”(Ezek. 3 3:18, cf. Ezekiel 18:24 : ” But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the*unfaithfulness and sin he has committed he will die”.
  • In the same vein, when a sinner comes to salvation in Christ, like the thief of Jesus’ right hands on the cross, his’sins are forgotten and ha is saved. In other words, there is no permanent salvation. We struggle each day confessing our sins and aspiring unto perfection in our salvation. Being bora again is no permanent tickets to heaven neither is it a license to commit sins as if God does not know, does not care and it will not count. This is s dangerous satanic theology to trap many from making heaven or living a holy life.
  • That Moses and Angels wrote the Old Testament, not God. Angels wrote on Tablets of Stone not Yahweh. God did not write the Ten Commandments.

Response:

  • This is not true. Yahweh descended in a Theophany upon Mt Sinai and communed with Moses for forty days and nights, during which Moses received the revelations that constitute the substantial parts of the Pentateuch. God spoke with Moses directly. The tables of stones upon which the Ten Commandments (Decalogue) were written, were authored by Yahweh Himself. There was no mention of any angel in this encounter or process.
  • That God did not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, and the sins of the city was not homosexuality since the Law was not inputed until Moses, thus no law was against homosexuality then.

Response:

  • The accounts of the destruction of these two cities were described with graphic details in Genesis 19. It was historically definite and accurate. Archaeological evidences at the site of these two former cities clearly confirmed that the destruction occurred. References to this event were repeated in accounts of the Old and new Testaments confirming that the event occurred and the reason for it was the abomination of homosexuality (indulging in sex with strange flesh). .(See Gen. 10:19, Gen. 13:13, Deuteronomy 29:23, Luke 17:29, Isaiah 3:9, Isaiah 13:19, Jeremiah 23:14, Lamentations 4:6. Ezekiel 16: 44-58, Amos 4:11, Mathew 10: 15, Luke 17: 28-30,1 Peter 2: 6-9.
  • It makes no sense that because the codified Law began with Moses, therefore all sins prior to that were non-existence and inconsequential. What law did God use when He judged and punished Noah’s generation, Egyptians etc?
  • That Believers cannot be possessed by demons, therefore there is no need for deliverance of a believer.

Response:

  • This is not correct. There is no permanent grace for any man. That was why Judas a follower of Jesus Christ fell out of grace and had to die for it. Demons occupy whoever opens the door for it. See God’s warning to Cain in Genesis 4: 6-7: ” And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?…If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou does not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. ( note that sin is personalized ). Jesus’ parable of the man from whom a demon was driven (a synonym for being Born Again) but who did not fill his heart with righteous stuff; the demons came back in sevenfold! If a Christian indulges in satanic practices, he can be possessed and can lose his salvation and spiritual immunity.
  • That Anti-Christ is not a Man but simply a teaching that opposes Christ.

Response:

  • This argument is contrary to the fact of Biblical theology. There are two kingdoms at war : Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Satan. All agents involved in the ongoing war that commenced before the creation of the world; rather, with Satan’s rebellion in heaven and expulsion with his fallen angels, were all personalities. The Anti-Christ is going to be a personality who plays clearly defined roles and takes actions described at the end time.
  • The Anti-Christ is not an idea but a person. He is also called the ‘False Prophet’ and ‘the man of lawlessness’ and The Beast’ (Revelations 13:2). The following Bible passages describe him: ” The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders” (2 Thessalonians 2:9).
  • We are aware of many scholars who believe that the Anti-Christ is figurative not actual. Fr. Patrick Keleher for instance, believes that ” The label of Antichrist is metaphorical language …”5 He cites the use of the term by the reformer, Martin Luther who described the Pope as the Anti-Christ. Even still, Luther’s usage referred to personality of the pope, not just the office. Britanica’s online encyclopedia sec=scribes Anti-Christ as ” the polar opposite and ultimate enemy of Christ” 6
  • Characteristics of the Anti-Christ portray him as a person. He claims to be God (2 Thess 2:3-4); He will blaspheme God (Rev. 13:6); He will .display miraculous power ( Rev. 13:13; The Anti-Christ comes back to life (Rev. 13:12; He rules in authority ( Rev. 13-5-7; he will control the world economy ( Rev. 13:16-17); he desecrated God’s temple ( Mathew 24: 15-21); he attempts destruction of Israel (Daniel 9:27 and Daniel 11: 40-410. He causes armies to fight against Christ ( Rev. 19:19). He* will end up in lake of fire. 7
  • That there were no angels before creation of the world, hence stories of Lucifer’s rebellion is false

Response:

  • The Bible which is the final authority for Christian faith and document of truth of the Israelite and Christian story clearly assert that there was an archangel called Lucifer, who rebelled and fought war in heaven. He was thrown out of heaven along with a third of angels who were deceived by him. There were definitely angels in heaven. There are other arch angels like Michael and Gabriel. They played roles both in the Old and New Testament accounts. Angels were created in heaven before the creation of man. Angels worship God in heaven continually. Each man who believed sin God is assigned an angel to guard him or her (Psalm 91). The angels are ministering spirits.
  • The catastrophe of evil in the world can only be attributed to the maleficent rebellion and continued war against the kingdom of God by Satan and his agents. For any one (albeit a pastor) to deny Lucifer and Angels’ creation is a huge error. As we have angels for God, so do we have demons for Satan.
  1. Tithing in Christianity is a curse.

Response

  • This is a familiar ranting against payment of tithes by Christians. The argument is that it is an Old Testament practice. This is wrong.
  • There can be no separation between the Old and New Testament Bible. It contains one single story that began with creation in Genesis and concludes with Revelation about the end time and coming of a new age. Both are inseparable; the new fulfills the old and the old foreshadows the new. Most of the teachings, doctrines and legal codes as well as prophecies of the Old Testament are foundations for the positions of the New Testament and Christianity. Like the Ten Commandments, prophetic oracles, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Tithing is part of God’s injunctions for His people.
  • Tithes are like taxes paid compulsorily by citizens to run government. In secular realm, tax defaulters are convicted and could be jailed. Same principle applies to the church. The Church is the new Israel, carrying on Yahweh’s covenant with ancient Israel Tithes are stipulated to run God’s church or community of believers. If a Christian defaults, he has robbed God and will be punished (Malachi 3:8-10)
  • Precedents of Tithe payers in the Bible, like Abraham abound and serve as example that all Christians must pay their tithes. Arguments against tithe payment are based on useless escapist tendencies by defaulters who are not committed to the Church and its management. It is tithes that I used to pay the priests and take care of indigent members of the church community. No one argues with government when they impose VAT on all products and tale at source tax from salaries of public servants. We argue too needlessly as Christians. This liberal tendency to question Biblical injunctions must stop.

Other Heresies just for the mention

  1. That Men and women can wear any dress they like. It is a cultural issue as Bible did not define what styles of dresses were men’s clothes.
  2. That confessing one’s sins is not necessary because Jesus was made sin for man, therefore confessing him is enough, no need to confess our sins.
  3. That Water Baptism is not a New Testament practice and is unnecessary. Believers don’t need it. Jesus only did it to identify with the people.
  4. That There is nothing like Tribulation after the Rapture
  5. That The Bible is not the word of God and it does not give man eternal life.
  6. That Gambling is not a sin, it’s like taking a chance
  7. Opposes seed sowing: God does not multiply money
  8. That God does not choose a wife or husband for anybody
  9. That Eating of the Holy Communion is not Biblical. We have been eating Snacks as Holy Communion
  10. That Birth of Jesus was not a real birth but manifestation of God in human form
  11. That we should not call Jesus our personal savior
  12. The New Testament did not start from the Book of Mathew
  13. “It is finished”: Jesus wasn’t referring to sin of man on the cross
  14. That Praying with “In the Name of Jesus” is praying to a man
  15. That there is nothing likes burning forever in Hell
  16. That Sinful Thoughts are not sin, they are suggestions
  17. That God doesn’t visit people again
  18. That Offerings and Tithes don’t determine God’s blessings; God’s blessings are unconditional
  19. That Angels never slept with women to produce the Nephilims Giants.
  20. That homosexuality is permissible in Christianity

Closing Remarks

Heresies have occurred in all ages. The people of God have always had to respond to them in two major ways; first, to expose and attack them/and second, to defend the undiluted truth of God’s word and expectations. The Devil is the author of heresies. His target is to make man offend God by disobeying God’s words and spiritual / ethical standards. We recall again, that this was the strategy he used to make Adam and Eve derail. He attempted the same during his encounter with Our Lord Jesus Christ on the ‘Mountain of Temptation;. The focus was to attack the Word (Holy Scripture). The response of Jesus to each of the three temptations was also by upholding the Truth of the Word of God. God honours His word.

The Christians today fall into diverse temptations because of variants of heretical teachings, both within and outside the Christian faith. All religions in the world are struggling to achieve the truth about God and eternal salvation for man. But there is only one WAY, TRUTH and LIFE. There is no other name given among men by which they can be saved, except Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). The enemies outside, like Islam attack fundamentals of the divinity, incarnation, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Paganism and Idolatry attack God’s commandments not to worship any other God, Communism attack faith in the existence of God, Secularism attack the relevance of God to modern man and seek to wipe out heritages of faith and worship from families, individuals, governments, schools and societies at large. Liberal Theology attempts to revise the inspired Word of God as canonized in the Holy Bible. That way, it denies God, Jesus as only savior, authority of the Holy Bible, and challenges holy living by tolerating sin, rebellion against God, decline of the church, immoral sexual perversions such as homosexuality, divorce, abortion, indecent dressing, occult practices, strange doctrines etc. All these coordinated efforts have one objective- to deprive mankind from assessing and enjoying God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. In other words, Satan uses all ploys to take man to hell and divert their interest in and efforts to thread along the Narrow way that leads to Heaven.

What must the church do in Nigeria?

  1. We must educate our children and youths especially about the False teachings and Heresies and warn them to beware and avoid them,
  2. We must teach our churches to know the whole truth of the essentials of the Holy Bible.
  3. We must educate our pastors, priests and Bishops to become ardent students of the Holy Bible. We are poor in reading and memorizing the Bible
  4. We must make deliberate efforts to train our priests and all ministers about the details of other religions and faith systems. Exposing their falsehoods and the trap they pose to genuine seekers for God
  5. We must develop our theology of Apologetics and equip all our children and members that it is their mandate from God to defend the Christian truth and Faith. Jude commends us to contend for the faith.
  6. We need to indoctrinate our embers to understand the fundamental spiritual and theological rudiments that constitutes the liturgy of the Anglican Faith and build in them confidence that our Church possesses all that matters for salvation and right living with God unto achieving salvation.
  7. Our Catechism should be expanded in view of new innovations in heresies.
  8. We need to expose the falsehoods of the prosperity gospel being preached and popularized by the Pentecostal Churches and their proliferated agents. They steal our members in large numbers; they possess the majority of the younger generation, who are the leaders and owners of the church of tomorrow and who have the economic capacity to uphold the church of the future. If we remain lackadaisical, our church will go down; it is already going down.
  9. Anglican Church of Nigeria is weak in evangelism and mission. We do not see or act on this vision. Rather we run church as bureaucracy, satisfied with our existing congregation, of reaching out enough for the teeming field of people waiting to be harvested. Many big parishes have in post five or more priests serving a few aged and dwindling congregations. The new generation churches are producing and training more pastors to man their increasing church plants but we reduce the number of our postulants and discourage raising more hands because we are not planning new churches nor evangelizing. We must remember our history that we are products of foreign missionaries; if we do not replicate this spirit and focus more on ceremonies and church buildings and money, we may be set to the road of the. Church of England and others in Europe, where their societies are becoming increasingly secular and post-Christian.
  10. We need to modify our creeds to capture new innovations in heresies. The past creeds were designed to respond to various heresies of the past. We need new ones to respond to the new heresies. Creeds give us opportunity to declare repeatedly at every service, what exactly we Believe about the truth of the Holy Bible and genuine. GAFCON 2008 produced the Jerusalem Declaration. The First Primates Council of GAFCON also resolved that in view of the struggles with homosexual heresies, and liberalism of the modern times, a new Creed be formulated in addition to that of the Apostles and Nicene Creeds. We are still waiting for the implementation of these decisions.

As God has positioned the Church of Nigeria as chief defender of the Gospel Truth within the global Anglican Communion, we must arise now and challenge all forms of heresies against the Christian Truth. It is our divine mandate so to do. May God help us. Amen.