Akinola on the Primates' Meeting

Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, The Primate of Nigeria

Archbishop Akinola has posted a sermon (I think that's the most accurate term) on the recent Primates' Meeting on the Church of Nigeria website.

It doesn't say much directly but it's tone is of warning, threat and challenge from the certainty of his knowledge of the will of God. He selects biblical motifs and passages which cast him in the role of Old Testament prophet (the only NT passage is from Revalation).

His enemies are syncretism, capitulation to a 'sick and spiritually bankrupt world', the ease of living 'lives with no transforming power', becoming 'withering grass that is simply blown out by the devastating wind of the age.'

We are in danger:

in danger of forgetting what we have received and heard and replacing it with the seemingly attractive gods and goddesses of our age. We are in danger of becoming the ‘living dead’ by giving the outward appearance of life but in reality we are no more than empty and ineffective vessels. In parts of our Communion some have merged the historical gospel message of Jesus the Christ with seductive ancient heresies and revisionist agendas, which have resulted in an adulterated and dangerous distortion of the gospel. The call to obedience and repentance is one that we must declare but we refuse and instead we replace it with a polite invitation to empty tolerance and endless conversation. Sometimes we think that we can replace the need for repentance with activities, programmes, endless meetings, conventions and communiqués --- we are wrong!

His answer:

“Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent!”

'Obedience' and 'obey' were used 6 times in this faily short passage. Obedience to God, of course - but who shall mediate God's word to us?



I found it symbolic that when I clicked a footnote link, expecting to find the bible reference, I was asked to login - username and password required.





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