“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matthew 7:15-20
“Ever since the missionary era, Christianity has had a positive impact on the socio-cultural arena throughout Africa. In addition to involvement in evangelism and discipleship, a variety of Christian communities were behind the founding and growth of primary, secondary, and tertiary educational institutions, health facilities, poverty alleviation projects, children’s homes, and even civic initiatives. As a result, not only does Christianity continue to grow across much of the continent, but it has also achieved significant public acceptance as a force of social good.
Now, however, there is a worrying sense that certain practices are chipping away at its historic moral credibility and public strength. From an ecclesiological and theological perspective, the core of the problem lies with the rapid rise and media visibility of ‘dodgy’ (ie dubious) pastors, who are the false prophets of our day. Among the many self-proclaimed ‘men of God’ or ‘servants of God’, the values that have traditionally distinguished Christian ministry are increasingly absent: Values such as humility, compassion, selfless service, and servant leadership are now increasingly replaced by a preoccupation with image consciousness, self-aggrandizement, and enlargement of personal ministry influence at whatever cost.
Previously, values such as generosity and charity, accompanied by frugal lifestyle, were self-evident markers of good church leaders, pastors, clergy, and any kinds of church workers such as evangelists or catechists. In the face of difficulty, a poor Christian could expect to get temporal help even from a materially impoverished pastor who would share the little they have. These values of previous generations of Christian workers are increasingly replaced by what seems to be an indiscriminate emphasis on material blessedness as a marker of a genuine relationship with God.”
Moses Owojaiye in “The Problem of False Prophets in Africa: Strengthening the Church in the Face of a Troublesome Trend” in Lausanne Global Analysis: November 2019. Volume 8 / Issue 6.
False prophets infiltrated the church in the first century and have done so since then in every generation. Watch out. When people inspect your fruit, do you appear “dodgy” or do you exhibit distinguished Christian values?
Some Christian workers in Africa and around the world today exhibit certain practice. They have abandoned humility for hubris, selfless service for self-aggrandizement, and compassionate generosity for material blessedness.
Let’s live simply and give charitably with a frugal lifestyle before an audience of one (God) and a watching world. What’s at stake? Our witness is in jeopardy along with our ability to be a force for gospel and social good.