Christianity is growing in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana in particular. The statistics tells us.
Across the more than 50 countries of Africa, Christianity has grown exponentially in the last century. In 2015, the percentage of global Christians residing in Africa was approximately 26 percent — up from just 1.4 percent in 1910 — and it’s expected to be nearly 40 percent by 2060 The highest concentration of Christians in the world is now in sub-Saharan Africa (by contrast, Europe was home to 66.3 percent of the world’s Christians in 1910, dropping to 25.5 percent in 2015 and expected to be 15.6 percent in 2050). In just 100 years, the general population in Africa went from being only 10 percent Christian to
more than 50 percent Christian.1
Churches Everywhere
In the absence of any statistics, a casual observer will arrive at this same conclusion of a growth of Christianity in sub-Saharan Africa and Ghana. Churches have become ubiquitous in Ghana. There is not a city or village without the presence of a church. If churches are springing up and Christianity is growing in Ghana, shouldn’t Christians rejoice? However, much of what is considered growth of Christianity in our country is cancerous growth. It is not healthy growth. Christianity in our part of the world is sick. It is malnourished.
In Ghana, along the streets, every crossroad is picketed with signs and advertisements for churches, many of which have been created and are managed by only one person, one prophet, or one pastor. It is impossible to count them all. “These churches are experiencing a boom because they answer the material desires of people,”…. “The people, especially from the poorer areas of the city, look for answers for daily needs, therefore the promise of wealth–along with the miraculous healing–attracts people.” Known as “Prosperity Gospel”, this form of Pentecostalism believes that faith may bring wealth and benefits, as well as an improvement to one’s life through donations and prayers. Almost as an advertisement, the pastors and prophets of these churches flaunt their wealth, which means faithful people are frequently willing to donate not only during the ceremonies, but also year round.2
In the first century, the apostle Paul wrote to his protege Timothy warning of events that will hit the church after his departure. In all of his letters to Timothy, He spoke of a looming apostasy. Written about around AD 61-67, these words are upon us today.
Now the Spirit expressely says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
Departure From The Faith
If one will be objective, in many churches, both in the established denominations and so called mushroom churches, there is a departure from the essential message of the Christian faith; the gospel. When I was growing up in the early 90’s, the phrase born again was the dominant message of the Christian faith. Perhaps the most popular proselytising question then in Christian engagement was ” Are you born again?” Today, the story is different, the gospel has been abandoned and the Bible manipulated for selfish gains. Charlatans and false teachers in the name of Prophets have taken over. Whatever growth of Christianity is been touted by Missiologists is cancerous growth. Not healthy growth
To depart from the faith is to apostatise, turn away from the Christian faith. Paul brings to Timothy words spoken expressly; that is, clearly and distinctively by the Spirit of God. In both the first and second epistles to Timothy and in these particular Chapters, there is a clear turning away from truth. What truth is in view here? It’s the truth of the gospel. The truth of sound teachings. How is this going to happen, Paul outlines them. In 1 Timothy 4:1, he spoke about people “devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons .” Then in 2 Timothy 4:3 he spoke of people not enduring sound doctrine. These together points us to a departure from truth. People will believe lies and will not put up with truth.
What is on the plate for this sporadic growth of churches? Not Christianity. But wealth, health, success in business and employment, protection from demons and enemies, visas, babies, marriages and the list continues. If you believe in God, you must not suffer, we are told. Is this the Christian message? Is this gospel? The gospel is not about your material prosperity. The gospel is not about your physical health. The gospel is not about your ability to speak things into being—positive confession. Those are distortions—deceitful spirits and teachings of demons—put forth as gospel. The gospel is primarily good news from God. Good news about the death, burial and resurrection of Christ for the salvation of sinners through faith (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The gospel is good news because it addresses the root of humanity’s problem—sin and alienation from God. And where this is not centre stage, any purported growth of Christianity is a fluke.
Departure From The Word Of God
The Bible is God’s inspired, authoritative, sufficient and final word by which Christians are to live their lives. It is our canon.
‘Canon’ is a Greek word (kanon). It originally meant a reed, or a straight rod. since rods were employed for measuring things it came to be used as the word for a standard of measurement, and so for a rule to guide and govern action. It is used in the New Testament in this sense…. During the early centuries of the Christian the term ‘canon’ described first the ‘rule of faith’ which believers confessed.3
The Bible is our standard of faith and any departures from the teachings of Scripture is a departure from the word of God. People will not endure “sound teaching” Paul tells us. The word sound in the original Greek connotes the idea of good health. Sound teaching therefore is healthy teachings; wholesome words. And the means by which that is measured is teachings in congruence with the Bible. It is to be noted that merely quoting biblical texts or preaching from the Bible doesn’t necessarily mean one is teaching or preaching sound words.
Paul in his letter to Timothy spoke of people wandering off into myths— an idle tale, fable, fanciful story.4 This is not far from our context. Many Christian pulpits are churning out anecdotal sermons, unverifiable testimonies and experiences rather than preaching the word. The people of God deserves better for the preaching of the word is the vehicle by which God feeds, nourish and sustains his children.
Departure From God
Departure from the faith and Departure from the word of God is ultimately a Departure From God. It is instructive to note what is going on when people turn away from truth. In Jeremiah 3:15, God promises to give shepherds after his own heart to feed his people knowledge and understanding. Now when people turn away from truth as Paul has outlined in 2 Timothy 4:3, it can be argued that, they have turned away from God’s provision. They have rejected God’s provision for spiritual nourishment and will rather hear from teachers after their own heart and not God’s. The reality is that when we turn away from truth, we are turning away from God himself for God is the fountain of all truth.
What Must We Do?
Following in Paul’s pattern, he didn’t only outline the problem of looming apostasy, but proffered a solution.
As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5)
Sober-mindedness is a state of alertness; alacrity and circumspection in matters of life and in this context, of doctrine. It is this same phrase — sober-minded— Peter used when he spoke about the devil prowling around like a lion seeking someone to devour. The only way by which we can overcome the devil and false teaching is this disposition of sober-mindedness by walking according to the light of truth revealed in Scripture. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:10-11; we are to examine every teaching—regardless of who is teaching— by the Scriptures. Going back to the word canon as a rule of faith, it will be beneficial a lot if we abide by what Scripture teaches. That will not come easily though. It will require discernment and study. To stay within a healthy framework of biblical interpretation, there are established rules or principles of hermeneutics, that is the science of biblical interpretation which will be beneficial if one will spend some time reading (see recommended readings at the end of article).
True Christian growth is only possible in the context of sound teachings and obedience to the word of God. For as long as these are missing in our Christianity, we cannot celebrate any growth of the Christian faith.
Notes
- Oasis International, 5 Reasons Why Discipleship In Africa Is Critical To The Global Church, https://oasisinternational.com/content/uploads/2019/10/5-Reasons-Why_TitleUpdate.pdf
- Tomaso Clavario, “Inside The Dark, Opulent World of Ghana’s Churches,” April 4 2018, Pulitzer Center, https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/inside-dark-opulent-world-ghanas-churches
- Sinclair B. Ferguson, From The Mouth Of God: Trusting, Reading and Applying The Bible (Edinburgh, The Banner of Truth Trust, 2014), 22
Recommended Readings
- R. C. Sproul, Hermeneutical Principles, https://www.monergism.com/hermeneutical-principles
- R.C. Sproul, Practical Principles of Biblical Interpretation, https://www.ligonier.org/posts/practical-principles-biblical-interpretation
- James Davis, Lesson 6: Principles of Biblical Interpretation, https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-6-principles-biblical-interpretation
Grace and Truth 