Polygamy is No Sin
By Danusa Ocholi
Monday, September 22, 2008
He used to be called Ebong Ekpe before his "baptism" as Ebongabasi Ekpe. The need for his change of name, he said, arose from a divine call, as far back as 1972 when the Lord called him and transformed him into a "brand new" person. His faith, however, dipped as time went on as a result of his disenchantment with the negative conduct of the leadership of his school’s Scripture Union in Abak, Akwa Ibom State. He, however, got back on track with God in 1991 and his renewed faith in his Creator grew from strength to strength. Ekpe-Juda, who was also a pastor with the Redeemed Christian Church of God speaks to Danusa Ocholi, associate editor, that he had to wait for God to show him some of the transgressions in today’s churches, which he has put in a book form. Excerpts:
Newswatch: Tell us what motivated you to write this book?
Ekpe-Juda: I won’t say motivated. As a Christian and minister of God, I became worried as far back as 2000, over certain things that happen in the churches. That climaxed in 2005 when I asked God why some of these things were happening in the churches. I remember in the New Testament where a husband and wife jointly decided to sell their property, not the church’s property, and brought part of it to the congregation. When the husband was asked if that was all he sold the property for, he responded in affirmative. He was asked why he lied to the Holy Spirit, and God killed him. Then I told God that if He could be all that hard, even in the New Testament, why is it that so many unprintable things are happening in today’s churches. Some people say there are differences between Old and New Testament, but I do not see any difference. We read so many evil deeds committed by church members and their pastors almost on daily basis and God did not act that way. God then asked me quite humorously, "am I in those churches?" He said if He were in those churches, His Holy Spirit would not have condoned these things and would have metted punishment accordingly. Then I said, but these churches call your name. He said the truth remains He is not in those churches, even though they call His name. God said He cannot, therefore, be at a place where the things of the devil are done. Then He asked me how many ministry gifts are there in the bible. I said five, but God said it was not true. After reading the Bible three times, God himself read it to me and showed me that the gifts are not five, but four. Two months later He asked me what I had done with what He showed me.
Newswatch: What part of the Bible was that?
Ekpe-Juda: Ephesians 4:11.That was where God said He was going to make some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists and some pastors and teachers. To the glory of God, I started sharing this message, and those who received it felt as if scales had fallen off their eyes. I can say this was when the idea of the book came. Since I cannot reach everywhere to spread this message, I wrote this book so that it can reach as many people as possible; so that they will know the truth and that God operates in truth and not in lies. Satan operates where there is a lie because he is the father of liars as contained in the scripture.
Newswatch: When did you experience this encounter?
Ekpe-Juda: It was in 2005. It was about March or April of that year.
Newswatch: What time of the day was it?
Ekpe-Juda: It was in the day time. I sought God’s face and that was why I could read those passages.
Newswatch: What do you want to achieve with the book?
Ekpe-Juda: I stated in the introduction, which is quite lengthy-it is to point out the errors with a means to correcting them. I want people to realise that there are not five, but four-fold ministries. If people take the correction, this book would have achieved its aim. I wish to stress here that this book is not for a particular denomination. It is about the body of Christ as a whole. There are certain things the Catholics do that are not right; that are not in the Bible. There are also certain things the Pentecostals do that are not in the Bible. There are also things the Charismatic and the Orthodox do that are equally not in the Bible. All these flaws are pointed out. The book is not targeted at any particular denomination.
Newswatch: What are some of the things these churches condone that are not in the Bible?
Ekpe-Juda: Let me give you a summary. The book takes a look at baptism and pointed out the errors about it in the church. In some churches, it takes people months, some years, to attend baptismal classes. Some give examination and if you do not pass, you will not be baptised. This I did not find in the Bible.
The other sector of the body of Christ also baptises a day old child. I have also searched the Bible and did not see anything like that. I have spoken about what the Catholics do, and what the other body of Christ does on this issue. The most challenging one is that when the church sees a man who has more than one wife, it refuses to make him a disciple or an envagelist. The churches also refuse to baptise the person, especially from the menfolk. And when they refuse to baptise the person, they refuse to give him holy communion. And the Bible says if you are not born of the Spirit and water you cannot enter the kingdom of God. If you, therefore, refuse a man because of his marital status, which is not in the Bible, you have locked the person against the gate of heaven. With this scriptural injunction, it becomes a grave matter to refuse to baptise somebody because he failed a baptismal examination or for having more than one wife. All these are unbiblical; and many people are being locked against the kingdom of God because of some people’s misinterpretation of the Bible. These are some of the issues this book tries to address. Marital status was never a consideration in giving baptism. Baptism is to die and resurrect with Jesus Christ. So, when you deny a man that ordinance, you lock him out of the Kingdom of God. And those responsible may not go unpunished. You are doing what is not in the Bible. I want the various pastors and churches to take note. Those who are refusing people baptism will not go unpunished, because God did not ask them to do that. Almost every church is guilty of this. What differentiates Christianity from other religions is the way. It does not matter whether a man has one or two wives or more. That is why Christ said "I am the way the truth and the life." If you do not go through that way, you cannot go to God.
Newswatch: Your position appears strange because the Christendom frowns at polygamy. Why did you take this bold position in support of the practice in your book?
Ekpe-Juda: The book has done two things on this subject. It shows God’s position as it is in the Bible. It also shows the effects on us doing what we should not do. It was the father of Noah that took a second wife first in the Bible. God never condemned him. Noah, a righteous man came from that family. Jacob, too, had four wives. Two original wives and two others were upgraded. He still found favour with God. David had five wives. And God said David was a man after his heart. God did not condemn them on the basis of their marriages. If God did not do that, who are we human beings to do that?
Many people base their positions against polygamy from the New Testament, where God said those who deserve the office of bishops should be men with one wife. That is what the Bible is saying and people just misunderstand it. It means in that congregation there are people who had more than one wife, but He wanted those with only one wife to be bishops. People link Jesus’ condemnation of divorce with polygamy. He said in the beginning it was not so. People should go and read their Bible very well. He was not speaking on marrying a second wife, but on divorcing your wife. They are different issues that the church seems confused about.
Newswatch: From the way you appeared to have hit the status quo, this book must be generating controversy. What has the reaction to it been like?
Ekpe-Juda: I have been getting so many reactions. People see me and say I want to change what I should not. They have been coming. Somebody even sent an e-mail to me and said all sorts of things against me. I said God should forgive him for he did not know what he was saying. People look at their fellow human beings, but the Bible said you should look at God through His words and not through any man. Every man has sinned and come short of the glory of God. I have repented and restored. I do not look to man but God.
Newswatch: Do you have any regret writing this book?
Ekpe-Juda: If I regret, then it means I regret my Father in heaven commissioning me to write this book. I have no regret. My prayer is that this book should not suffer what the Bible suffered. Not many people read the Bible. Many follow what others just say about it and they believe that and preach it, without taking the pains to find out what God said on a particular issue. This book is out to elevate Bible to the level it should be.
Newswatch: You wrote about Lucifer dictating the affairs of some churches in your book. In what way is this happening?
Ekpe-Juda: There are many ways. For example there is this tendency among pastors covering so many evils with what I call "it does not matter syndrome." A classical example has to do with women wearing trousers to the church and the Pentecostals in particular say it does not matter. They cover it up by saying that God is not after your dressing but after your heart. That is not true. When Jesus Christ told us the parable of a man that wedded and many guests could not come, he told his servants to go and fetch those people on the streets to attend the occasion. The owner of the party came and saw somebody who was not properly dressed. The person was sent to hell. If Jesus could tell us that, who are the pastors to give us a different story? Those arguing that dressing does not matter are peddling the lies of the devil.
Newswatch: How is the book doing in the market?
Ekpe-Juda: It is a new book and the response I am getting is tremendous. I have been receiving calls from people across the country that they cannot get copies of the book. I have been receiving calls from Abuja, Nnewi, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Calabar, Jos, Enugu, Aba and so many others. I have been inundated with calls. I am happy because people will know the truth and the truth will set them free from the lies being peddled by modern day preachers.
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