In the wake of the divorce case between pastor Chris and pastor Anita, there's been so many comments and expose from all angles here on Nairaland, and rightly so. However, after viewing all the opinions and commentaries on this platform, I will say that I'm moved to give mine - a simple case study. I will standing on the notion that we are not authorized to judge or speak against a ''self-acclaimed'' man of God, basing my arguments on the happenings from the book of Numbers 12:1-15.

Here are my conclusions:

** You may never know who a true man of God is. Nobody could, except the man of God himself (Numbers 12:6).

** A man of God may fall into sin but you have no rights whatsoever to speak against him. In this case, since it is not up to you to know if a ''self-acclaimed'' person is a man of God or not, it's more blessed to keep your mouth shut and let God himself who anointed him be the judge.

** By reading your bible everyday and speaking in tongues does not make you equal to a man that is anointed by God(if he truly is) and you shouldn't expect equal rights in God with a man of God (Numbers 12:2).

I bellieve it will be safer for us all if we leave the ''self-acclaimed'' man of God, pastor Chris oyakhilome to deal with this issue as directed by ''his'' God. We are all like 'clay' in the potter's hand and we as clay have no rights whatsoever to judge another 'clay'. Let the potter himself be the judge. Again, God said, speak not against my anointed. It is better to walk away free than to stand still fighting for a cause that is beyond your understanding. The way of God is far greater than the ways of men. Eternity is a personal journey, so you have to work out your own salvation by yourself. Don't try to change a man that doesn't want to change. A word is enough for the wise.

Reference: (Numbers 12:1-15)
1. And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 And they said, Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it.
3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)
4 And the LORD spake suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation. And they three came out.
5 And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam: and they both came forth.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will
make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye
not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
9 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them; and he departed.
10 And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle; and, behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow: and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and, behold, she was leprous.
11 And Aaron said unto Moses, Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly, and wherein we have sinned.
12 Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb.
13 And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, Heal her now, O God, I beseech thee.
14 And the LORD said unto Moses, If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in
again.
15 And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days: and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

Without bothering myself with the dirty spat between one mere man and his wife (married couples have problems everyday the world over so mr chris having an issue with his wife is just another addition to the statistics), Can you pls reproduce any incident analogous to the Miriam and Moses type in the new testament?

Also see the scripture below

1 Chronicles 16:19-22 KJV
When ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it. [20] And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people; [21] He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes, [22] Saying , Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.

This scripture was reechoed in Psalms 105:12-15

Do you honestly think it refers to a man of God or the totality of the people of God(Israel in that context)?

yeah.. That's one of the important spiritual lessons I learnt from my mom before she died, she'll always say "No matter what, if anyone claims to be anointed by GOD. Try not to speak against or in anyway fight or quarrel with them."...

@candour, to keep you in the loop, let me make myself clear so that you can understand the diversion on your part.

With good intention, you were butressing the point where God said ''touch not my anointed' which refers to God's warning to [the heathens] as a protection for [his chosen people].

Now, my point of using ''speak not against my anointed'' was simply to push my reasoning that [the anointed of God] [amongst his chosen people] should not be spoken against. In Numbers 12:6, God revealed that if there was really a true prophet amongst his chosen people, he will reveal himself to the prophet in dreams and visions. This leaves the people with the freewill to confirm if they truly perceive the man of God to be a true prophet through the fruits he exhibits(matthew 7:16)[By their fruits, you will know them...]. Now, christians become vulnerable because of the freedom of choice (Deuteronomy 30:15)[See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;]. My point is, it is up to you. Simple.

Hope you understand?

XOXmedia: @candour, to keep you in the loop, let me make myself clear so that you can understand the diversion on your part.

With good intention, you were butressing the point where God said ''touch not my anointed' which refers to God's warning to [the heathens] as a protection for [his chosen people].

Now, my point of using ''speak not against my anointed'' was simply to push my reasoning that [the anointed of God] [amongst his chosen people] should not be spoken against. In Numbers 12:6, God revealed that if there was really a true prophet amongst his chosen people, he will reveal himself to the prophet in dreams and visions. This leaves the people with the freewill to confirm if they truly perceive the man of God to be a true prophet through the fruits he exhibits(matthew 7:16)[By their fruits, you will know them...]. Now, christians become vulnerable because of the freedom of choice (Deuteronomy 30:15)[See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;]. My point is, it is up to you. Simple.

Hope you understand?

@the bolded is the problem with your position. I'm glad you were honest about it being a "pushing of your own reasoning". Its your conclusion you drew with no biblical basis. Note that this isn't an attempt to encourage insults or verbal abuse on anyone but I rebel against a subtle intention to place any man on a high pedestal where he sits like the high priests of Israel over other Christians. Christianity isn't Judaism.

Under the new covenant, we all are now priests under the high priesthood of Christ and no man no matter how big his bible is, has any right on this earth or in heaven to make other Christians tremble in reverence to him so much so that they are forced to keep quiet in the face of glaring evil.

Your admonition about not speaking evil of an anointed should cover every single child of God today. If a pastor cannot be spoken against, then you too shouldn't be spoken against. If anybody will be punished for pointing out the fault of the G.O, then they'll be punished too for doing that to any child of God who is an 'ordinary' gateman somewhere.

The era of a priesthood over the people of God is over. The veil hiding the holy of holies has been cut and destroyed. No more intermediaries, no more untouchables. We all are brothers and equal in the body of Christ.

Cheers

@ candour,

A true christain after perceiving the fruits of another brethren, ought to take the right path. The wrong thing to do, is to gather yourselves together with those outside the fold(atheists, muslims, et al) in an uncontrollably excited forum, and raining curses and jests on a brother facing temptations from the devil and his agents. The right thing to do is as paul wrote to the romans in (Romans 15:14)
[And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.]

XOXmedia: @ candour,

A true christain after perceiving the fruits of another brethren, ought to take the right path. The wrong thing to do, is to gather yourselves together with those outside the fold(atheists, muslims, et al) in an uncontrollably excited forum, and raining curses and jests on a brother facing temptations from the devil and his agents. The right thing to do is as paul wrote to the romans in (Romans 15:14)
[And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.]

@the bolded, I'm sure its in obvious reference to the issue of the G.O whose wife took to court. Well for your info bro, that story is very immaterial to me and I don't have the time or energy to waste on it. Its their home and its their choice to destroy it through indiscretions if they will.

My own issue is that of the misapplication of 1Chr 16:19-22 by some mortals in a bid to Lord it over other Christians because they're bold enough to attach pastor etc to their names. That has no basis in Christianity. If you agree with me, then I rest my case on your thread.

'Touch not my anointed'...the perfect excuse for passivity and dictatorial tendencies in the Church. Yes, Rev. King also saw himself as an anointed all the while he made his female church members to serve him food naked and started setting some of them on fire; until the hand of the law reached him.

For the fact that they went to court to settle their case( in constrast to bible admonition )then they have opened themselves up for ridicule by the populace.
I am ashamed of the whole of christembassy their elders,Cec,pastors and every other person who sat and watch this case go this way.this shows that they are only serving their pockets and not God.
Shame on you guys.am still asking why guys answer believers loveworld.you guys stink.i will never enter that church again till Christ come.
And some fools have started praying for pastor Anita as they where instructed to do by pastor chris( the man that does not sin)

Oduduwaboy: 'Touch not my anointed'...the perfect excuse for passivity and dictatorial tendencies in the Church. Yes, Rev. King also saw himself as an anointed all the while he made his female church members to serve him food naked and started setting some of them on fire; until the hand of the law reached him.

The case of Rev. King is something else. I will like to believe that the ladies in his case didn't act as true believers should. Else, they could have saved themselves earlier on. Your problem shouldn't be how the ''self-acclaimed'' man of God sees himself but your perception of the quality of his works and the fruits he exhibits. What you do thereafter, you'll be made to account for. This is where the confusion lies because so many christians now, don't know how to react to some delicate issues in the house of God.

Now, the issue of dealing with church-heads like this, is not to go about cursing and jesting. True christians are to be sober, in prayer, and admonishing themselves in fellowship on the right way to deal with the tricks of the devil. The problem nowadays is now the level of hard work it takes to distinguish a christian from the others. It's okay to say that we're in perilous times.

@OP, it would've been better if you did not open this thread, don't you know you are helping to ridicule d pastor by this your crocodile tears? you are inviting more negative comments. I tot you guys were wisely and properly taught, how wrong i was. Bros no one will stop talking about chris and anita when cec members continue to display unpresidented hypopocrisy, dishonesty, bias,, foolery, sheepishness arogance(by claiming d saga is too high to b understood by independent minded people) hard heartedness, wickedness, numbness, calousness and total lack of a sense of justice. To most of you , ''Anita should go an die''. The truth supposed to make men free, but you who claimed to know the truth are in bondage. Search you hnart, are you people fair on that woman of God? I mean, pastor Anita. There is God o! Peace bro.

OP Read 1corinthians 5 stated below, u will see error in ur reasoning. Every true believer is a Man of God. Every true believer is a priest and also a prince by being co heir with christ. D bible said christians should Judge christians. What we should not do is to judge a muslim, pagan, etc. Read 1 corinthians 5 pasted below

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you,
and of a kind that does not occur even among pagans: A man has
his father's wife. 2 And you are proud! Shouldn't you rather have
been filled with grief and have put out of your fellowship the man
who did this? 3 Even though I am not physically present, I am with
you in spirit. And I have already passed judgment on the one who
did this, just as if I were present. 4 When you are assembled in the
name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power
of our Lord Jesus is present, 5 hand this man over to Satan, so
that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the
day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a
little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of
the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast--as you
really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8
Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast
of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread
of sincerity and truth. 9 I have written you in my letter not to
associate with sexually immoral people-- 10 not at all meaning the
people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers,
or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. 11
But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone
who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an
idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man
do not even eat. 12 What business is it of mine to judge those
outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? 13 God will
judge those outside. "Expel the wicked man from among you."



D story of miriam and Aaron u quoted was misinterpreted by you. read d story u will discover that Aaron was not punished. only moses sister was punish. Aaron was not punished because he is also annointed and a man of God even though he wasn't at d same level as moses.

God acted d way he acted then because at dat time he needs to make moses appear blameless because moses was d only link btw him and isreal. moses need to appear blameless for d people to believe him

Today we have only one mediator who is Jesus Christ. We don't neeed any other mediator.

Peter d rock on which d church foundation was laid. Peter did plenty miracles and signs and wonders. Yet he was openly critisize by apostle Paul when he did wrong. Galatians 2. from verse 11.

We are not being good christian by covering up for a fellow christian..- whether he is pope, pastor , apostle etc. A christian is a christian.