Department of Christian Studies

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THE ROLE OF NIGERIAN PASTORS IN EMPOWERING CHURCH MEMBERS
(The American Journal of Biblical Theology. Vol.16.Number 45, 2015) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Dominion Theology in Genesis 1: 26 in Nigerian Context
(Insight: Journal of Religious Studies. A Publication of Babcock University Religious Studies Department, 2019) Awojobi Peter Olanrewaju
Human beings are believed to be the crown of God’s creation and were divinely given the responsibility of having dominion over other creations. Some scholars are of the opinion that men who were appointed the managers of the earth have degraded it. This has resulted in a lot of crises. Humans are also accused of polluting the earth they were created to protect through emission of dangerous chemicals that are hazardous to the general health of the creation. The aim of this paper was to investigate the nature of the dominion that man is commanded to have over the trees, animals, seas, and the environment in general with reference to Nigeria. This was done by carrying out the exegesis of key words in Genesis 1:26 in relation to the Nigeria context. It was discovered that environmental degradation is one of the banes of the Nigerian society. This has resulted in health, socio-economic, ethnic and political crises in Nigeria. These have negative impacts on the growth and development of the nation.
Leadership Conflict in the Nigerian Church
(Light in a Once-Dark world: Contemporary Issues in Nigerian Christianity. John W. (Jack) Carter (ed): 217-229. Volume One July (Hayesville, NC: American Journal of Biblical Theology (AJBT), 2019) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Leadership conflict has been an age long challenge to humanity. From biblical records it started between God and Satan (Isaiah 14:12-14). Satan wanted to topple God’s administration in heaven. Thus, he rebelled against the leadership of God with some angels we referred to as demons. Leadership is consider as exercising control over someone or thing. Human beings generally love to exercise control over fellow man or resource. Behind conflict in most societies in the world is the desire to control. People aspire into leadership positions today because of a strong desire to control human and material resources.
Prophetic Ethics in Ancient Israel: Implications for the Nigerian Context
(International Journal of Biblical and Cognate Studies. A Publication of Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, Benue State University, Makurdi, 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Prophecy is a divine oracle delivered by a Prophet to a particular audience. A prophet is a person that has been divinely appointed and inspired to communicate the mind of God to a specific individual or group. In most cases a positive response is expected from the recipient of the oracle. Gleaning from the biblical literature, we discovered that whenever people respond positively to prophecy what follows is blessings. To some people, prophecy is prediction of the future. However, a deeper study of the Old Testament prophetic books reveals that prophecy is forth-telling and fore-telling. Forth-telling is preaching, teaching and encouraging while fore –telling is prediction. The intention of this paper is to show the place of Ethics in prophecy in ancient Israel and the Nigerian context. In other words, what is the place of forth-telling in prophecy? Historical method was used in this research. It was discovered that forth-telling is deeply rooted in ethical teachings and it covers a larger percentage of prophetic words. It is therefore recommended that people should give more attention to forth-telling for us to build a virile nation.
Prophets as Watchman in Ezekiel 3: 15-17 and Its Implications for Contemporary Church Leaders
(Agogo African Journal of Humanities. A Publication of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, 2020) Peter Olanrewaju Awojobi
Security is fundamental to social, economic and political stability of any nation. A powerful nation is known by her security architecture. Nations of the World vote huge amount of money annually for security of lives and property. This study examined the prophet as a Watchman who will be held accountable for the blood of his audience if he fails in his duty. Ezekiel 3: 15- 21 was chosen as text of investigation to establish how Yahweh appointed Ezekiel as a watchman for Judah in exile. As a corollary, the study explored how Church leaders in Nigeria have been chosen by God as Watchmen for the nations. African Biblical Hermeneutics was used. Study revealed that the roles of the Prophet in ancient Israel were that of a mouthpiece and a watchman. It was Judah’s persistent deviance to the warnings from the prophets that led her into captivity under the Babylonians. The paper concludes that those charged with declaring God’s word have the responsibility to be faithful because if they failed in their assignment they will be held accountable for the blood of their audience. Hence, the paper recommended that contemporary Church leaders in Nigeria are to faithful to their calling.
Political Leaders as Agents of Peace and Good Governance in Ancient Israel and Its Implications for Nigerian leaders
(Nasara Journal of Humanities. Vol. 9. No. 1& 2. A Publication of Faculty of Atrs, Nasarawa State University, 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Political Leaders in ancient time were considered as divine appointees. As Ambassadors of YHWH the leaders have been entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order so that peace can reign in the society and nation under their watch. However, some of these rulers failed to fulfill divine mandate by championing idol worship, corruption, oppression, injustice and the likes which eventually led to anarchy, violence and all forms of ungodly practices in the society. The focus of this piece is to examine how King Josiah of Judah maintained law and order in his reign with the view of establishing its relevance in political structures in Nigeria. Historical method was used for this research. It was gathered that the nation of Judah was governed in the fear of God in the time of King Josiah. There was peace, justice and prosperity in the land. The Nigerian nation has been governed by political leaders that lack the fear of God. This is the reason for oppression, corruption, injustice, poverty, terrorism and the likes that have bedeviled our nation today. Political leader in Nigeria are enjoined to rule in the fear of God so that peace and prosperity can be realized.
The Prophet David Olulana Babajide: Pioneer of a School of Prophets in Nigeria
(International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Science (IJIRES) 7.5: 383-392., 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
There were Schools of Prophets in some cities in ancient Israel (e.g. in Bethel, Gilgal, Jericho, Shiloh, etc). Those who feel called to the prophetic ministry were trained in any of this School by a senior Prophet and are released upon graduation to pursue their calling. Samuel was the first to organize the School of Prophets in ancient Israel. In Nigeria, Prophet David Olulana Babajide established one of the early Schools of Prophets in the country called Babajide School of Prophets and Evangelists in Ilesa, Osun State. Despite all odds and persecution from Christ Apostolic Church at its inception, this School has trained hundreds of Prophets who are making impacts in Nigeria and beyond. Previous works on prophetic ministry in Nigeria has paid little or no attention to the contributions of this School and its founder to the prophetic ministry in Nigeria. The fulcrum of this paper is to examine the impacts of Babajide and his School of Prophets on the prophetic ministry in Nigeria. The methods used for this study include: historical, comparative and interviews. It was discovered that most of the prominent Prophets who are making impacts in prophetic ministry in Nigeria were trained by Babajide in the School of Prophets. The School through the ministry of Babajide has reshaped Christianity in Nigeria. The paper concludes that Nigeria needs Prophets like Babajide who will raise true Prophets that will transform the Church in particular and the Nation in general.
Implications of Migration of Christians from the Mainline to Neo-Pentecostal Churches in Nigeria
(Journal of Religion and Culture. A Publication of Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Port Harcourt, 2020) Awojobi Peter Olanrewaju
Migration is a global phenomenon among humans. It is an activity that is carried out by humans in every generation. People migrate from one place to another for different reasons such as economy, social, religious and so on. Individuals migrate because they think that they can improve their own lives or those of their families by doing so. The individual’s decision to migrate involves a process of weighing up potential costs and benefits. Contemporary Christian faithful are fond of migrating from one Church or denomination to another. This paper examined the factors responsible for migration of Christians from the mainline to the Neo-Pentecostals churches in Nigeria and its Implications. Historical and Interview methods were used for the study.
Jesus’ Methods of Communication and Its Implications for Nigerian Pastors
(International Journal of Biblical and Cognate Studies (IJBCS). Volume 2, October: 151-166. A Publication of Department of Religion and Cultural Studies, Benue State University, Makurdi., 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
One of the crucial issues that have marred leadership in the Church today is the inability of the Pastors to communicate effectively with Church members at various levels. Good communication is the key to sound organizational practice and successful group relationship. Leaders are expected to give accurate and clear information to their followers. The leadership is to provide clear, accurate facts and figures so that their followers can effectively complete their tasks. Existing studies on communication in the Church have not considered holistically Jesus’ methods of communication. This researcher examines holistically Jesus’ methods of Communication and their Implications for Pastors in Nigeria. The study adopted historical and descriptive approaches and uses relevant literature on the subject matter. The research reveals that methods used by Jesus were not strange to his audience. Jesus’ audience had a good understanding of what he was trying to communicate to them because he spoke in clear terms and in the language they understood. Nigeria is in need of leaders that will holistically adopt Jesus’ methods of communication so that divine mandate on the Church can be realized.
Court Prophets as Political Activists in Ancient Israel and the Nigerian Context
(Journal of Religion and Culture. Volume 20. Number 1: 141-149. A Publication of Department of Religious and Cultural Studies, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt., 2020) Awojobi Peter Olanrewaju
Prophets in ancient Israel were regarded as distinct people called to their vocation by Yahweh. The prophet was a person sent by Yahweh with a definite message. The prophets have the responsibility of delivering the message as received. However, these prophets belonged to different groups. The Court prophets were one of the prophetic groups or guilds in ancient Israel. Most of them were hired by the monarchy of their time. The court prophets were part of the palace staff and work directly with the reigning monarch. This view is based on the believe that if it was from Yahweh it must surely be fulfilled. Previous studies have situated the cause of non fulfillment of prophetic declaration in lack of divine call with little or no attention paid to its socio-economic dimension which is central to the understanding of the motive for prophetic ministry in the contemporary Nigerian society. The thrust of this paper is the socio-economic dimension of the reception and the delivery of prophetic message by the prophets in ancient Israel and the Nigerian society with the view of establishing parallel in both contexts.
Yahweh’s Indictment on Corrupt Shepherds in Jeremiah 23:1-4 and its Reflections in Political and Religious Structures in Nigeria
(KIU Journal of Humanities. Volume 5(3): 265-272, September. A Publication of College of Humanities and Social Science, Kampala International University, Uganda, 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
eremiah 23:1- 4 is considered as one of the cases where Yahweh expressed his displeasure on the leaders he appointed for his People. One of the responsibilities of the leader is justice for all. Yahweh was surprised to see that the leaders that are expected to protect and defend their subjects are the ones scattering and exploiting them. The study, therefore examined the activities of the Shepherds or Leaders in Jeremiah‟s time and their effects in ancient Israel, with a view to establishing its reflections in political and religious structures in Nigeria. The researcher observed that, like in the days of Prophet Jeremiah some Political and Religious Leaders in Nigeria are Corrupt. They abuse the power entrusted to them. They feed themselves instead of feeding the flock. They are more concern about their well-being than that of their subjects. They use their influence or power to pervert justice. This has brought the nation to disrepute. Moral decadence and all kinds of vices are the order of the day. Today, Nigeria is believed to be one of the most corrupt nations of the World. There are allegations of corruption traced to some political and religious leaders in Nigeria. To build a virile nation, political and religious leaders in Nigeria are to be exemplary in conduct and make justice and equity their watch word
Biblical Prophecy: A Catalyst for National Transformation
(KIU Journal of Social Science. Volume 6(2): 419-425, June. A Publication of College of Humanities and Social Science, Kampala International University, Uganda., 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Biblical prophecy in its character and form comprises the classical unity of prediction and proclamation, of foretelling and forth telling. Prophecy is a message from the divinity to humanity. Prophecy is the art of creating a bridge between the natural and the supernatural order. In most cases prophecy is directed at a particular person or group in a given situation. The main aim of prophecy is a positive change of attitude towards God or Man. The aim of this paper was to investigate the role Biblical prophecy played in the transformation of ancient Israel with the view of establishing its relevance in the Nigerian society. Historical method was used. It was discovered that Prophecy was used and still being used to regulate and control human behavior in ancient Israel and in the Nigerian society. The paper established that Prophecy has been instrumental to the growth and transformation of Nations. Prophets are therefore enjoined to use their office to foster unity and peace that will bring growth, development and transformation to the nation in which they serve.
Prophets as Agents of Social change in Ancient Israel and the Nigerian Experience
(Sapientia Global Journal of Arts, Humanities and Developmental Studies (SGOJAHDS). Volume 3. Number 2, June: 207-215. A Publication of Enugu State University of Science and Technology, 2020) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Prophets are human beings with divine call and message for a specific audience. In ancient Israel they speak on behalf of Yahweh on political, religious and social issues of their time. One of the roles of prophecy in ancient Israel was that it served as a medium for instituting social change and reform. The intention of this paper is to consider the Prophets as agents of Social Change in ancient Israel with the view of establishing parallel with the prophetic ministry in the Nigerian society. The method used is historical and theological interpretative approach. The paper reasons that there is a wide disparity between prophets in ancient Israel and the ones in Nigeria. The paper concludes that there is the need for the prophets in Nigeria to be bold, true to their calling and discharge their duty without fear or favour.
The Call of Prophet Jeremiah and Its Reflections in Moses Orimolade;s Prophetic Ministry in Nigeria
(Journal of Research in Arts and Social Sience Education. A publication of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, 2021) Peter Olanrewaju Awojobi
The Phenomenon of call is common to all religions in the world. It is held in some religious quarters that no human qualifies to be engaged in any religious activity without evidence of divine call. This study argued that divine call is an essential credential for religious service. Jeremiah in 1: 4-5 was chosen as a text of investigation to establish one of the unique ways that Yahweh has ever engaged humans in his work. As a corollary, the study explored the parallel between the call of Jeremiah and that of Moses Orimolade of Nigeria. The study was premised on African Biblical Hermeneutic. Study revealed that the duo received divine call while they were still in the womb. The call of God on both Prophets made them to command the respect of the people and rulers in their time. Divine call attracted persecutions, misgivings, hatred and the like from religious and political functionaries as evident by constant clashes with them in the performance of their prophetic duties. Their calls and ministries were impactful, long and over lived them because of divine and human support they received. As God’s mouth piece they delivered oracles to their audience on issues that threatened the existence of humans without fear or favour. Their lives were characterized by holy living, humility, fear of God, prayers, boldness, and sincererity. The parallel between the call of Jeremiah and Moses Orimolade are indications of divine seal on their lives and ministries. It is therefore recommended that the Prophets in our contemporary time should emulate these Prophets so as to make their lives and ministries impactful.
The Role of Church Leaders in National Security in Nigeria Context
(Lapai Journal of Humanities, A Publication of Department of History and International Relation. Ibrahim Babamosi Babangida University, 2021) Peter Olanrewaju Awojobi
One of the hallmarks of a developed nation is the Security of lives and property. Security is the mother of invention and development. This is because without adequate Security for all and sundry no meaningful development can be achieved. This is the reason why some nations of the world vote huge amount of money in their annual budget for Security. Existing studies on Security has always focus on the role of Security agents like the Armed forces, the Police, and the legislators with little or no attention paid to the role of Church Leaders in national Security which is central to the understanding and tackling of Security challenges facing the Nigerian society. The thrust of this study is to examine the role of Church leaders in national Security in Nigerian Context. Historical method was used for the study. Study revealed that, security is holistic because it addresses all issues that threaten human existence. Church Leaders are to use their position in the Nigerian society to promote adequate security of lives and property. Moral education in churches will foster peace, unity and harmonious relationship among different ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria. As the mouthpieces for God, Church leaders are duty bound to speak on the ills in governance and the society so that peace and tranquility can be achieved in Nigeria.
The Place of Theological Education in National Transformation: The Nigerian Experience.
(Department of Religion and Philosophy, U Perspectives on Religion, Morality and Society in Contemporary Pluralistic Nigeria: Essay in Honour of Professor Cyril Okechukwu Imoniversity of Jos, 2021) Awojobi Peter Olanrewaju
In recent times there have been tendencies in some religious circles to discredit the importance of theological education in national transformation. Frequently, an impression has been given that all that is needed for Christian ministry is the Holy Spirit and not theological education. Yet theological education is widely considered to be one of the factors affecting the future vitality and direction of Africa’s rapidly expanding church and nation. The thrust of this work is the place of theological education in national transformation in Africa with reference to Nigeria. The method used is historical. Theological education in biblical literature was investigated to establish how it was used as a tool for national transformation in ancient Israel and how it has been used or can be used to reposition Nigeria for the long awaited transformation. It was discovered that theological education shaped the lives of an average Israelite and thereby brought visible changes in the social and religious lives of the people. It is therefore recommended that theological education be encouraged at all levels of the development of the Nigerian child for the expected national transformation to be achieved.
The Place of Culture in Church Growth in Nigeria
(Jalingo Journal of Christian Religious Studies. A Publication of Department of Religious Studies, Taraba State University, 2021) Peter Olanrewaju Awojobi
Culture is a universal phenomenon and inseparable from humans. Every people/ group or religion is a product of a culture. In most cases every human activity is guided and expected to conform to the culture that is operative in that particular society. One of the things that culture does is that it regulates the behaviour of the people. This paper examined the place of African Culture in the Growth of the Church in Nigeria. Historical method was used for this study. It was discovered that for the gospel message to make the expected impact in the society it must imbibe the culture of the targeted audience. The Church in Nigeria grew rapidly with the rise of African Indigenous churches that contextualized the gospel message as converts from other religions embraced Christianity. Also, there was migration of Christians from the mainline (Mission established churches) to the African indigenous churches. It is essential that the gospel message be contextualized in order to share it effectively in every culture around the world.
Amos’ Oracle on Injustice in Amos 2:6 and Its Implications for Leadership in Nigeria
(Nasara Journal of Humanities. A Publication of Faculty of Arts Nasarawa State University, 2021) Peter Olanrewaju Awojobi
Prophets were restive whenever people and nations were not in right standing with Yahweh. Prophetic vocation comes to the fore when people abandon the way of Yahweh. Amos’ message for Israelite leaders on injustice in the eight century BC has been rated as the most explicit, detailed and timely prophetic warning in the Bible to the leaders and the reflections of the issues addressed by him in any nation have been treated with the utmost caution. Existing studies on injustice in the book of Amos have situated the cause of injustice in bad governance with little or no attention paid to the socio-economic dimension which are central to the understanding of injustice been perpetrated by the leaders in Nigeria today. This paper examined the Socio-economic dimension of injustice in Amos 2: 6 with the view of establishing parallel between the socio-religious landscapes in ancient Israel and contemporary Nigerian society. This is done through the use of the inculturation method which many African Scholars believe to be the way of making the Bible relevant in any generation. It was discovered that the situation in Amos’ time was similar with the present Nigerian society. There is oppression, injustice and moral decadence in Nigeria. This is as a result of greed, bad and corrupt leadership. The rich are getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. The church and her leaders who are supposed to play the role of the Prophets in Nigeria have failed because they are beneficiaries of the loot of corrupt and bad leaders in the society. This situation has hampered development in the land. For any nation to experience meaningful development; the human resources must be properly built up. In this building process, acceptable social norms and values must be operational. It is only with these we can build a virile nation.
Reception of Prophetic Oracles in Ancient Israel and the Nigerian Context
(Phenomenological Approach to Religion and Sprituality. A Publication of IGI Global Publisher of Timely Knowledge, 2021) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Scholars in biblical studies are divided into camps on the source(s) of prophetic oracles by Prophets in ancient Israel and contemporary Nigerian society. This is because the prophets at one time or the other labeled one another true or false prophets based on the claim that the oracles of some of their colleagues did not come from God. It should be noted that oracles are delivered by prophets in all religions in the world. Biblically speaking, an oracle is a divine message to a person or a group of persons through an appointed person. The thrust of the paper is to investigate the source(s) of prophetic oracles in ancient Israel with the view of establishing its parallel in the prophetic ministry in the contemporary Nigerian society. Historical method was used for the research. It was discovered that prophets in both contexts claimed to have received their oracles from Yahweh. Also, true and false prophets are found in both contexts. Furthermore, prophetic oracles are for a particular audience and are meant to be fulfilled. Other sources of prophetic oracles are Satan, self and circumstances. It is therefore recommended that a prophet be called by God before dabbling into the prophetic ministry. It is crucial that a prophet as God’s mouthpiece receives his oracles from God before delivery.
Prophetess Christiana Abiodun Emmanuel: A Co-Founder of an Indigenous Church in Nigeria
(Akungba Journal of Religion and African Culture. Vol. 9.No. 1. Dept. of Religion and African Culture, Adekunle Ajasin University, 2021) Awojobi, Peter Olanrewaju
Women like their male counterparts have made significant contributions to the social, political, economic, and religious lives of humans, but in most cases, their efforts are not often recognized or acknowledged or given the needed recognition as done to their male counterparts. A careful study of prophetic personages in ancient Israel revealed that Prophets and Prophetesses were recognized as officers in the prophetic ministry. However, it is observed that the activities of Prophets were documented more than that of the Prophetesses in the Bible. Some consider this as part of discrimination against women. Existing studies on prophetic ministry and church founders in Nigeria give little or no attention to the contributions of women like Prophetess Christiana Abiodun. The thrust of this study is to examine the impacts of Christiana Abiodun on the growth of Christianity, and specifically, African indigenous Churches in Nigeria. The methods used for this study are historical and comparative. Findings show that women were discriminated against in biblical literature and in African society. Throughout the Old Testament, women were active in the religious life of Israel, but generally they were not leaders. Christiana Abiodun Emmanuel co-founded the Cherubim and Seraphim Church with Moses Orimolade. She was a great evangelist and was involved in intense evangelization by giving spiritual joy and assistance to many afflicted home. The church should give greater attention to women’s ministry. This will no doubt make the African women see Christianity as an instrument of liberation and not an instrument to promote male chauvinism.

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