CORRUPTION IN THE TEMPLES
By saint Eric Winter





Issues

Whenever the word temple is mentioned, feelings of awe and piety are elicited from our collective consciousness. Thus, brows are creased when it is aligned with a concept as mundane as corruption in a write-up. In the context of this article, corruption is viewed as a dishonest manipulation of a system in order to obtain undue advantage. In other words, it is the contorting and distorting of a structure from its original order, especially in a bid to gratify the self. On the other hand, temples refer to physical (as opposed to figurative) structures designated as places of worship by religious practitioners, especially various Christian sects. However, the term temple was used in figurative sense in several parts of the New Testament to refer to the body of Jesus Christ (John 2:18- 22, 1Cor. 3: 16 -17, 2Cor.6: 16 and Eph. 2: 21).



This article seeks to highlight the corruption of the system known as Christianity, in places designated as temples.



Rising crime rate in Christian communities
Most people would expect that the increasing number of Christian congregations in our society today would translate to a proportional decrease in the crime rate. Reality shows that the opposite is the case. This should be a cause for concern for right thinking individuals, since it is understood that sermons in these assemblies do not support vices.


Could the pews' consciousness of what goes on behind the pulpit be responsible for their contravening the dictates of the sermons? As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words. A maxim like: do what I say not what I do may not be yielding the same results these days.



What would the lay man make of a situation where he is treated with less recognition in a congregation because his financial contributions to the offering box are insignificant? Some would take home the impression that they would be better recognized as their contributions increase. As you know, some Nigerians love being recognized in any gathering, and they can do any thing to be. Some even believe that the end justifies the means! Surprisingly the Holy Bible, which is our guide, does not support discrimination or favoritism on basis of wealth or poverty (James chapter 2). Some preachers even claim that it is a sin to be poor! I sometimes wonder whether they are not bourgeois.



Conspiracy of ignorance ( Hos.4: 6)

Few avaricious men have taken advantage of the ignorance of the majority to actualize their selfish ends. Ignorance thereby plays an active role in the enthronement of arbitrariness. Ignorance is no excuse. More often than not, man is ignorant of what he ignores. The truth is obvious for those who make an effort to obtain it. People who are misled by religious leaders are cowed by their own indulgence. The Christians of 1 st century Berea had the practice of cross-examining the Holy Scriptures to validate a preacher (Acts 17: 11). Most of us do not search the Bible. We even denigrate those who do. It is not a surprise that write-ups like this are viewed with contempt. The writers are seen as idle-minded busybodies. People think it is not necessary to delve into issues like this. Yet they affect our very lives. I must submit right here that the church is mostly responsible for the ills which affect our world. Need I go into the gory details of the havocs committed by the church during the dark ages, the crusades, the church endorsed world wars, human slavery and support for various anti-people governments around the world and ages. The judgment shall begin from the house of God.



A deliberate cross-examination of the Holy Bible would reveal that the system referred to, as Christianity today is quite distinct from the one found in the pages of the Bible. At what points did these deviations come? Why did they come? Who benefits from them? These and other questions are what sincere Christians who are concerned about issues of the faith should try to find answers to, if we are to allay the worries of Christ when he asked, 'Shall I find faith on earth when I return?'



Temples built with hands
One of the early leaders of our faith proclaimed, as he addressed some Athenians in the Areopagus meeting, that God does not live in temples built by human hands (Acts 17: 24). But some Chief Executives in priestly robes claim otherwise, setting up sanctuaries and altars, placing sacred objects to elicit the awe of worshipers who are encouraged to bow down in a fashion similar to idolatry. These priests are distinguished from the laity. (For further study, check Hebrews 8: 11, Matthew 23: 9, 2nd Peter 2: 5, and Revelation 1: 6). True Christians are all priests before God.



Jesus Christ envisioned a time when true worshipers of God would neither worship in the mountain nor in the Jerusalem temple, but in Spirit and in truth (John 4: 20-24). From his speech it can be deduced that the issue of urgent importance is not the place of worship but the manner of worship. Little wonder His followers bothered less about building earthly temples for worship, meeting instead in the homes of members. These faithful disciples knew that they, not physical structures, were the Temple of the living God (2nd Corinthians 6:16).



Church administrators on the other hand insist that the Church, being a visible organization, needs a visible priesthood, worship and temples. Some cite verses encouraging believers to meet, hence the need for a place of meeting. They, however, fail to describe the link between a place of meeting and an earthly sanctuary. These days, a lot of myths and superstitions abound around these structures. Some people hold that the altars are so potent that they can do the unimaginable. Does that not amount to misplacement of faith?



Motive - the driving force

It is important to note that the prominent factors responsible for the rapid and expansive growth of the early church were the grasping of the revelation of the long awaited Messiah and the overwhelming urgency to spread the message of his coming kingdom. In direct contrast, a significant proportion of today's church is mainly concerned with boasting of having the largest congregations and buildings. It is doubtful if such will continue if pecuniary incentive is discontinued forthwith. The money factor has made the priestly vocation an all-comer affair.



Partial rejuvenation of the Mosaic order (Luke 5: 36-39, Gal. 4: 9-11)
Since the church traveled back to the era of building temples, the need for funds for the project and other pressing material need of the organization gave rise to a partial restoration of Mosaic laws observance. It was observed that voluntary contributions, as prescribed by the apostles, could no longer cover the growing church needs. Thus, a return to the compulsory payment of tithes was recommended.

The law was supposed to be a guide for the common wealth of Israel, to prepare them for the Messiah who would fulfill God's promise to the world through Abraham. The Messiah was to prepare the priests (the saints) for the right kind of giving (Mal. 3: 1-3, Gal. 3: 19, 23-25, Luke 6: 38 ).



It must be noted that tithing in Christian setting is nothing short of an anachronism. There is no record that either Christ or his followers after him practiced it. The law of tithing was made binding by Moses. The ritual laws in the Old Testament are described as a shadow of the real thing in Hebrews 10: 1 and Col. 2: 17. The law of tithing is mainly concerned with food substances, which was shared among the Levites and the less privileged. The Levites were not capitalists like most preachers today: they had no land possessions (Deut. 14: 22- 29). Malachi even spoke about the food (Mal. 3: 10 ). Another lesson about tithes some preachers would not like their adherents to know is that tithers are allowed to eat part of their tithes (Deut. 14: 26).



Those who say Christ did not come to abolish the law (Matt. 5: 17- 18) ignore the concluding clause in verse 18: 'until everything is accomplished'. Before he gave up the ghost, Christ said, 'it is finished', and the temple veil tore apart (John 19: 30, Luke 23: 45 ).



Selective observance

It is of equal importance to note that adherents to the law of tithing hardly observe the other aspect of the Torah, like the Sabbath, etc. There is hardly an agreement among the tithe-collecting church owners on which day is the Sabbath, between the 1 st and 7th days of the week. Animal sacrifices and circumcision, which were essential parts of the law, have been set aside. Laws concerning cleanness and uncleanness and shaving of the beards have also been jettisoned in the bid to renew the observance.

Some are of the opinion that tithing predates the laws of Moses since Abraham and Jacob observed it. But they cannot say for sure, whether Abraham paid a tenth of all his possessions and income. The questions sincere people should concern themselves with are:

· how many times did Abraham pay tithes in his lifetime?

· Did he actually pay a tenth of his all earnings or a tenth of the spoils of war, which he even claimed did not belong to him? (Gen. 14: 20-24)

· In Jacob's case was it not actually a vow he made to God, to pay a tenth of all his possession if certain conditions were met? (Gen. 28: 20-22)

· is the observance of tithing supposed to be based on such conditions as raised by Jacob?

· is there any evidence that Jacob fulfilled his pledge?

Even if we assume that tithing predates the law, we should not leave other pre-law practices, which became part of the law. Examples of these include animal sacrifices and circumcision. Their pre-existence before the law does not justify their continuation under the new order.

Sense of duty

Free will offering, not tithes, is what the New Testament supports. The saved are to give, not out of a sense of duty, nor with regrets, but gladly and willingly (2Cor. 9: 7). The hallmark of tithing is the sense of duty or obligation.

The curse of the law

The result of observing tithing by Christians, is that they are placed under the curse of the law (Mal. 3: 9; Gal. 3: 10). Very few tithers actually pay the correct proportion of their possession as tithes. Consequently they live with guilt. But we have been redeemed from the curse (Gal. 3: 13). In fact the whole of Galatians chapter 3 addresses the issue of observance of the laws in this era.

There is the tendency for tithers to feel proud over their works of self righteousness like the Pharisees of Luke 18: 9-14 and Matt. 23: 23.

Lo ve of money

If you carry a truckload of cassava root to your pastor as payment for your yearly tithe as a farmer, you will find out that it is your money he wants not really the tithe. Owing to the economic hardship in the country today, some profit eyeing proprietors project that more people in the church could translate to more money, hence the scramble for more members among themselves. They are the sole owners of their churches. They set rules and regulations which are binding on adherents, whose loyalty and perpetual dependency must be ensured. Rev. Emeka King is a chief example of such authoritarian church leaders. Like most business enterprises these churches are incorporated. Members of the churches' boards of trustees are often members of the families of the head pastors, who are also the sole owners of the church. Devout members pay their tithes as unto God. But in the long run the lot of the head pastors and their families is insured. This is an easy escape from the prevailing poverty in the country. No wonder the pastoral job is recommended for ex-service people.

Another striking aspect of this trend is that members of the church are encouraged to amass wealth here on earth as opposed to biblical injunctions in the following scriptures: Matt. 6: 19-21, Luke 6: 24; 16: 13; 3: 11; 12: 33; 14: 33, Heb. 13: 5, Proverbs. 23:4-5, Mark 10: 21-27, 31, Acts 2: 44 -45; 4:32, 34-35, Eccl. 5: 10, 1st Tim. 6: 5-9, 2nd Cor. 2: 17, and 1st Thess. 2: 3, 5, James 5: 1-6.

Is it not amusing that these men would prefer that you send your money to them as tithes instead of giving to your poor neighbors? What if Christ came as a poor beggar seeking your help, would it be right to say to him, 'ho, I have just paid my tithes and dues to the church, I have nothing left'? (Matt. 25: 45; 6:1-4)

Spiritual prostitutes

Church members who often migrate from one church to another are usually themed derogatorily as spiritual harlots by church entrepreneurs in a bid to discourage the practice. We wonder where they get such terminologies from. Could this be another business gimmick to retain patronage? In actual sense these men who serve both God and Money are the real spiritual harlots. When Christ proposed the planting of His Church did he intend for greedy people to set up their own organizations in His name for their gratification?

Cleansing of the temples

Should I conclude this article by hoping that Christ would some day act like EFCC and drive out these business experts who buy and sell prayers and other services in the temples, in the fashion of Luke 19: 45? Rather than wait for such an unlikely event, is it not right for all well meaning Christians to add their voice to the struggle against corruption in the temples?

Before we rush in to this all important battle, let us, being the true temple of the living God, start with ourselves, by quenching the urge in us to contort established truths in order to gain undue advantage for ourselves. Remember what Matthew 6: 33 says: 'seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and every other thing shall be added unto you.'

Eric writes from Benin

true talk

I think all brain washed pastor idolizing christians should read this article, i am sooo excited that the truth is finally coming out and more people are catching up on it, with knowledge and enlightenment[Thank God for the internet] very soon these crooks would be ran out of business and only those who truly desire to serve the lord would remain. No wonder some of the crooks are already saying that the devil is using the internet to get into people's lives.