REV. PROF. BEN ONYEUKWU
NCE(Eng.),
ND/HD (Journalism),Dip,BA, (Theology),MA,PhD
EVANGELISM
WITHOUT
THE HOLY SPIRIT (Part 2)
PROBLEM OF
THE EDUCATED ILLITERATES
“Study to show yourself
approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the
word of truth”, (2 Timothy 2:15).
INTRODUCTION:
Well observed, many of the early Pentecostal
notable preachers grew up in poverty stricken surroundings. With a few
exceptions, most of them had little or no education. A Christian source reveals
that men like, William Branham was born in a dirt-floored log cabin in the
remote mountains of Eastern Kentucky, U.S.A.. He was the poorest of the
poor. Oral Roberts was born to poor parents… T. L. Osborn was one of 13
children and was raised in the poverty of a depression farm in Okbahoma, etc.
The source also cites that their counterparts from the non-Pentecostal and
Charismatic backgrounds attained reasonably high standards of education. For
example, Francis MacMutt has a B. A. from Harvard, M.F.A from Catholic
University of America and a Ph.D from Aquinas Institute of Theology. Father
Ralph DiOrio was ordained at Sacred Heart Seminary, Illinois in 1957. He holds a B.A. degree in
Philosophy and a Masters of Education in Psychology. Dennis Bennett graduated
from Chicago Divinity School
with a graduate degree in Divinity, etc.
However, attention is hereby drawn to the
fact that the successes of both the educated and the uneducated gospel
ministers cited in this work were not based on their education or otherwise,
but on their yieldedness to the acts of the Holy Spirit. Biblical inference as
well shows that both the apostles Paul (the educated) and Peter (the
un-educated) were all dependent on the Holy Spirit for their ministerial
successes. But, that was the scenario of the past. Today, the Pentecostal
Christianity parades to the amazement of all well informed preachers of
influence. If that is so, why then, the high level of gospel perversion in this
generation? On this note, the writer cites the:
LACK OF
THE EDUCATION THAT FOSTERS THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
By
formal standards, one who must serve as a church operative (pastor, evangelist,
teacher, apostle, prophet, etc) should as a matter of the demands of the work
be spirituo-intellectually trained and not just a person of human intellectual
pursuits. This is where the role of the Bible college or seminary becomes
vital. All things being equal, courses taught in such institutions are
spiritually designed to suit the operations of the Holy Spirit in the field of
evangelism without which a given ministry loses divine flow. Unfortunately,
most of the people who feature as gospel ministers today exhibit qualifications
in Medicine, law, journalism, marketing, architecture, accountancy, banking and
finance, etc. without formal theological training. In fact, such people are
better described as “educated illiterates”, and are not qualified for the
ministerial positions they occupy. Who has ever practiced medicine with a
qualification in theology? Who has, at any time been allowed to become a legal
practitioner with qualifications in Marketing, Journalism or Medicine? Here
lies another point of confusion and perversion in evangelism, as it is not
possible for someone without a spiritually structured formal education in
theology to correctly divide the word of truth, (1 Tim. 2:15). For sure, this
is one of the aspects of training that the Apostle Paul has in mind as he
advises that one should endeavour to;
(1) Study
to show oneself as one approved to God, (verse 151)
(2) a
workman who does not need to be ashamed, (verse 15);
(3) but
rightly dividing the word of truth, (verse 15), etc.
LACK OF
INTUITIVE TEACHING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
Without
controversy, there are “spiritual illiterates” who do not understand the things
of God by reason of their depraved disposition. For the man without the Spirit
of God cannot understand the things of the Spirit, because they are spiritually
discerned, (1 Cor. 2:14). Evangelism is a spiritual work, and the preacher who
is not connected to the Holy Spirit is on his own, no matter the type and level
of education he/she acquires, and is incapable of receiving messages from God.
But, one that is linked-up with Him (the Holy Spirit) intuitively learns from
Him and in turn disseminates such information to the people. The testimony of
the Apostle Paul authenticates this truth, and I quote, “I want you to know,
brothers that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did
not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by
revelation from Jesus Christ”, (Gal. 1:12).
The
above explanation does not discard the relevance of Bible College
or seminary training as highlighted in the previous unit of this piece, but an
effort to complement it. To be candid, training in the seminary equips one with
the modus operandi of the Ministry, as well as the exegetical principles of
God’s word, as it remains the prerogative of the Holy Spirit to inspire and
teach one what one should preach or teach, if one is really to be called a man
or woman of God. On the account of the foregoing, “head knowledge” becomes
retrogressive in terms of life changing gospel. So, one is an “educated
illiterate” in the field of evangelism, when one is not:
(1) Formally
trained for the work, (1Tim. 2:15);
(2) Knowledgeable
of the things of the Spirit, (1 Cor. 2:14);
(3) Intuitively
aware of what to preach or teach, (Gal. 1:12), etc.
LACK OF
MENTORSHIP TRAINING BY MEN OF THE SPIRIT
Spiritual
mentorship has been one of the ways God transfers His Spirit, Knowledge and
Power to the multitude of men and women who serve Him. In the Old Testament,
Elijah was Elisha’s mentor. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul influenced
Saint Luke. Records of a near history of the Pentecostal movement show that
Oral Roberts’ early methods in his independent deliverance ministry may have
been influenced by his observation of William Branham. T. L. Osborn was also
influenced by Branham’s Ministry and authority. A. A. Allen was captured by
Robert’s power over his audience. Robert W. Schamback said that everything he
learned was learned at the side of A. A.
Allen. This method of ministerial training remains a point of
misunderstanding on the part of those who castigate some Pentecostal ministers
for poor command of English Language in the name of public commentary. One good
reference is a statement credited to one Dr. Chuks Osuji in a write-up by
Evangelist Samuel Ezeji on the page 19 of the Announcer Express Newspaper of
Thursday April 23 – 26, 2009 where he was quoted as saying that some of the
(Pentecostal) preachers he hears on Radio do not have good command of English.
Let it be pointed out here that those ministers who have under-taken mentorship
training from other men of God may not be proficient in English language, but
have been trained informally by God through His Spirit – filled men, and by
divine standards are educated and qualified for the ministry, of which the said
Dr. Osuji and the likes may not have known by reason of the concept they hold,
for it is by a humble approach to God through sincere prayers that He opens the
inner-eyes of one to understand the things of the spirit, as the carnally
minded persons cannot understand the things of God, because they are
spiritually discerned, (1 Cor. 2:14).
Here,
a testimony would buttress the writer’s point. The Rev. Dr. Mac Nwulu of the
blessed memory, the founder of the Trinity College of Ministerial Arts, Aba,
Nigeria in the 80s narrated how God, prior to his conversion, healed him
through an illiterate Pastor after an ailment defiled every medical attention
by experts, and I quote, “as I was sinking into the darkness of the world
beyond, after doctors had hopelessly tried their best, a pastor in the process,
who could not speak correct English came over and laid his hands on me and
said, “Brother Jesus is healing you”. As soon as this statement of prayer was
made, I saw myself lifted out of the darkness and every sickness vanished”.
Now, who is the doctor in this case, the medical doctors or the illiterate Pastor?
Your answer is as good as that of the writer. But, to strike a position, the
medical doctors are “illiterate doctors” in term of divine healing, whereas,
the illiterates Pastor remains an “educated doctor” attached to the Kingdom
Healing Fountain / Clinic (KHF/C). By this, the writer wishes to draw the
attention of Dr. Chuks Osuji and other friends to the fact that the pastors
they portray as illiterates are in the sight of God and those who know their
inestimable values, “Divine Doctors”, and also advises that they be cautious in
addressing religious issues, especially as they affect the men of God, as they
may be fighting God, thinking they are doing His work, (John 16:2). Therefore,
be informed that:
(1) Mentorship mode of training is one of
the ways God equips his servants for the work of the ministry, (Acts 4:13);
(2) The Apostle Peter and other disciples of
Jesus were trained that way, (verse 13);
(3) The gospel ministers of today who are
trained that way are qualified for the work of God, (verse 13), etc.
In
conclusion, this part of the long essay on Evangelism Without The Holy Spirit”
has been the writer’s attempt to bring to the fore that there are types of
education that are not suitable for the work of evangelism, which in turn
alienate the Holy Spirit from one’s ministry. Those who are fashioned with such
(secular) education, but occupy ministerial offices, without going through any
of the modes of the training highlighted in this work are not good materials
for the gospel. Where this is the case, and eventually the Holy Spirit becomes
alienated, skillful manipulations and falsehood set in, giving way to
self-styled evangelism, which in other words is evangelism without the Holy
Spirit. This is one of the major problems that ravage evangelism at present.
PRAY FOR REVIVAL.
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