“Certaminum Christianorum vetus est. non est novum.”
In the 16th century, a little known German Theologian and Monk, published a theological work titled the “Ninety-Five Theses.”
His publication in 1517 in which he criticised the Catholic Church’s practices was mainly attacked by the Catholic church, but hard working Germans paid attention to his thesis.
Martin Luther particularly called into question the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church, which they claimed at the time, were to reduce punishment for sins.
In short, at kindergarten level, indulgence means, “you can commit a sin against God, but if you can pay a sum of money to a priest or give up your land to the Church, the priests would talk to God, and God will not punish the sinner. Each time you sin, you pay and you are forgiven.”
But Martin Luther argued that “salvation could not be bought or earned but was a gift from God received through faith alone.”
This challenge to the authority of the Pope and the Church led to historical and ghaghaghaly religious, political, and cultural changes across Europe and the rest of the Roman Catholic world; including the establishment of Protestant denominations separate from the Roman Catholic Church.
Then, Martin Luther did the unthinkable by translating the Bible into his native German language, making it more accessible to the general public and influencing the development of the German language.
And Martin Luther was able to free the German society and the German people from the shackles of religion to this day and guilt of what they were told were sins.
Today, Germany is not only Europe’s most powerful economy with a GDP in 2023 of 4.121 billion euros, Germany is also the world’s third-largest economy.
Despite loosing 2 World Wars and suffering the humiliation of foreign occupation and a divided Germany for 41 years, God has not punished Germany for the *Ninety-Five Theses* that divided the Mother Church.
In fact, in 2024, Germany’s GDP is estimated to be $5.4291 billion in nominal terms and $6.7245 billion in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.
Can you beat that?
But I digress.
However, it is to be noted that, although the printers of The works of Martin Luther became extremely wealthy, Luther himself remained poor as he didn’t care much for money.
In 2024, Dr Abel Damina is essentially telling Nigerian Christians the same thing Martin Luther wrote in his theological work, the “Ninety-Five Theses.”
In essence Dr Abel Damina is telling all Christians in the 21st Century that,
1. True worship of God involves inner spiritual change rather than paying tithes and offerings and sowing of seeds.
2. Asking your congregation for money in exchange for praying for their spiritual growth and God’s blessings is not The Gospel. And selling of vests, handkerchieves, holy water and aprons and stickers for divine protection is only by religious fraud.
3. The Church should stop exploiting the faithful to feed their greed and life of luxury for the pastors family.
Dr Abel Damina is simply telling Nigerian Christians that faith in Jesus Christ is the ONLY means to salvation; paying tithes and offering will not secure one’s salvation. Being in the good books of your pastor does not mean you have a personal relationship with Christ.
I think The Protestant Movement and the Evangelical Mission in Nigeria are in a cesspool of doctrinal ghaghagha.
Nobody dey gree for anybody!!
Finally, I think that now is the right time for the Protestant and Evangelical leaders in Nigeria to gather at a round table of brotherly love and fashion out a doctrine that will serve and guide the Body of Christ; the Church. Because this doctrinal crisis is already having a serious snd negative impact on the body of Christ; many Christians feel unsure and confused about which doctrine is the right one.
The Church in Nigeria must come together and establish The principles of their belief and stop “confuuling” Nigerian faithfuls seeking genuine Worship and relationship with Jesus Christ with different versions of “truths.”
But in Christ, there are not many “truths.” There is only the TRUTH in Christ.
And in so far as the subject of the doctrinal crisis in the Nigerian Christendom is concerned, the Truth is found in the works of Brother Matth where he recorded the words of Jesus Christ in in Matthew 10:5-8, “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give”
God bless.
Mike Ikem Umealo
