African Christian Apologetics Blog

A Biblical and Theological Refutation of Reverend Abel Damina's Teachings Reverend Abel Damina has garnered attention for exposing prosperity preachers' greed and exploitative tactics within the Charismatic and Word of Faith movements. While his efforts are commendable, his teachings contain several significant theological errors and doctrinal misunderstandings. This essay will address some of his most contentious claims by examining them against biblical references and providing theological disputation. Claim 1: The Spirit of a Christian is Not Different from the Holy Spirit Reverend Damina's Position: He argues that a human cannot have two spirits and that the Spirit of a Christian is the same as the Holy Spirit. Biblical Examination: Distinct Roles and Persons: The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, distinct from human spirits. In John 14:16-17, Jesus speaks of the Holy Spirit as "another Helper," indicating distinction: "And I will ask the Fa...

Major Points of Calvinism (TULIP), their Potential Unbiblical Aspects, and Corresponding Biblical Responses 1. Total depravity : Calvinism teaches that humans are completely sinful and unable to seek God on their own. Unbiblical aspect: Implies that humanity is utterly devoid of goodness and unable to respond to God's grace. Biblical response: Jesus called the Pharisees "good" (Matthew 12:35), and Paul acknowledged the existence of natural law and conscience in non-believers (Romans 2:14-15). 2. Unconditional election : Calvinism teaches that God chooses certain individuals for salvation without any conditions or human response. Unbiblical aspect: Negates the biblical emphasis on faith and repentance as conditions for salvation. Biblical response: Jesus taught that belief and faith are necessary for salvation (John 3:16, Mark 1:15). 3. Limited atonement : Calvinism teaches that Jesus' atonement is only for the elect. Unbiblical aspect: Restricts the scope of Jesus...

  BIBLICAL REASONS WHY CESSATIONISM CAN'T BE BIBLICAL Cessationism is the belief that certain spiritual gifts, such as speaking in tongues, prophecy, and healing, ceased to exist or are no longer active in the present time. While some individuals hold this belief, there are biblical reasons why cessationism may be seen as inconsistent with the teachings of Scripture.  Numerous Scriptural Evidence of Continuation One of the main arguments against cessationism is the lack of clear biblical evidence that spiritual gifts have ceased. In 1 Corinthians 1:7, the apostle Paul speaks of eagerly awaiting the revelation of Jesus Christ and says that believers do not lack any spiritual gift. Additionally, in 1 Corinthians 12-14, Paul provides guidelines for the proper use of spiritual gifts within the church, indicating that they were a regular part of the early Christian community. Lack of Any Explicit Scriptural Evidence on Cessation Cessationism often relies on the interpretation of ce...

What the Bible Says about Alcohol (Strong Drink) and Drunkenness Wine in the Bible In the Bible, the Hebrew word most commonly translated as "wine" is יַיִן (yayin) and the Greek word is οἶνος (oinos). These words generally refer to fermented grape juice, which can include either alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages made from grapes. The Bible does not universally condemn the consumption of wine or alcohol. While it does provide warnings about the potential dangers and consequences of excessive drinking, it also depicts wine as a blessing from God and encourages moderate and responsible consumption. The Bible portrays wine as a part of certain religious rituals (Deuteronomy 14:26) and celebrations (Psalm 104:14-15), and it is mentioned in positive contexts, such as rejoicing and gladness (Ecclesiastes 9:7, Psalm 104:15). In the New Testament, Jesus Christ performed his first miracle by turning water into wine at a wedding feast (John 2:1-11), indicating his acceptance of its ...

 5 Tips for young and upcoming Apologist. 1. Study As a Christian, one of your primary assignment is to study, this become more important as an Apologist. There are lots of keyboard warrior out there, please don't be one of them. Study to the glory of God and for the clarification of the attack against the truth of the gospel. You can't be an effective and seasoned apologist without studying. 2. Be Focused There are many area of specialization within Apologetics itself, look within and ask God which area he wants you to function. This is not rocket science, it is an area the Lord himself has deposited passion in your heart about. For me, I love Christology, Textual Criticism and Islam among others. 3. Manage your Time This, I have to learn as I grow as a young Apologist. See, you are never going to be able to answer everyone, so manage your time with those who matters the most. Please note, I never said, everyone did not matter, I said those who matter the most. If you spend al...

  Historical Evidences Suggesting the Authorship and Reliability of the Four Gospels  There is historical evidence to suggest that the Four Gospels were written by the authors to which they were attributed. Here are some historical quotations, in-text citations, and references: 1. Irenaeus , a Christian bishop and theologian who lived in the 2nd century AD, wrote: Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the Lord, who also had leaned upon his breast, did himself publish a Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia (Against Heresies 3.1.1, trans. A. Roberts and J. Donaldson). This passage from Irenaeus con...

  List and links to websites and YouTube channels of Christian apologists and polemicist in response to Islamic objections and criticisms Christian apologists and polemicists offer a variety of approaches and perspectives in responding to Islamic objections and criticisms. Below are a list of them along with their websites and/or YouTube channels:  Websites: 1. Robert Spencer: https://www.jihadwatch.org/ 2. David Wood:  https://www.acts17.net/ 3. Robert Morey: https://www.faithdefenders.com/ 4. Samuel Green: https://www.answeringmuslims.com/ 5. Jay Smith: https://www.pfander.uk/ 6. Apostate Prophet: https://apostateprophet.com/ 7. Al Fadi:  https://creflodollarministries.org/ 8. Dr. Michael Brown: https://askdrbrown.org/ 9. Jonathan McLatchie: https://www.apologetics-academy.org/ 10. Gary Habermas: https://www.garyhabermas.com/ 11. Sam Shamounh: ttps://www.answering-islam.org/ 12. PalTalk Debate Room (various apologists): https://www.paltalk.com/ 13. Nabeel Qureshi: ...

Reconstruction of the Bible Text Using Textual Criticism When textual critics have lots of manuscripts by which to make comparisons of variant readings, and those manuscripts come from various places and times, are able to reconstruct the autographs of ancient texts with a high degree of confidence. So, how does the Bible measure up? Quite well as it turns out. For considerations of time and space, I will limit my remarks here to the New Testament, though similar conclusions can be reached regarding the Old Testament.  The truth of the matter is that the text of no ancient book can be authenticated more contently than the New Testament. It is well-known that we have over 5000 manuscript copies of the Greek New Testament or parts thereof. That is much more than enough to make accurate comparisons of variant readings. And many of these copies are very close to the originals in time.  By way of comparison, we may note that the next best attested ancient document, Homer’s Ili...

  Was Jesus Resurrection a Rumour? Substantial Internal Evidences and Refutations of Allegations and Criticisms of the Resurrection Narratives in the New Testament The resurrection narratives in the New Testament have faced allegations and criticisms over the years. However, upon closer examination, it becomes evident that there is substantial evidence supporting the occurrence of Jesus Christ's resurrection. Beyond the direct testimony of eyewitnesses, there are numerous lines of circumstantial evidence that cannot be easily refuted. Referring to the allegations and criticisms of the resurrection narratives in the New Testament, it is important to address the issue of rumors and provide a comprehensive refutation to such claims. Firstly, the transformed lives of the disciples serve as strong evidence for the resurrection. Something extraordinary must have happened to change them from fearful cowards into bold martyrs. The conversion of Saul of Tarsus to become the Apostle Paul is ...

Some False Teachings in Christian Churches and Reasons Why They have Persisted for a Long Time Unexamined Some False Teachings that Christians should Stay Away From 1. Prosperity Gospel: Believing that faith guarantees financial success. 2. Preaching "Name it and claim it": The idea that you can declare you will get something from God and so He's obligated to grant it. 3. Faith healing as the only solution: Ignoring medical treatment in favor of faith healing alone. 4. Date setting for the second coming: Predicting the exact date of Jesus' return. 5. Denying the Trinity: Rejecting the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct persons in one God. 6. "You can't judge me" mentality: Misunderstanding Jesus' teachings on judgment and accountability. 7. Overemphasis on miracles: Seeking supernatural signs and wonders over a genuine relationship with God. 8. Denying the reality of hell and/heaven: Teaching that hell and/or heaven doesn't exist. 9. Baptis...

Is Jesus Christ a myth like Horus and Mithra considering the alleged similarities between them? Is Jesus Christ a myth like Horus and Mithra considering the alleged similarities between them? No, Jesus Christ is not considered a myth like Horus and Mithra, despite the alleged similarities. The evidence for Jesus' existence and impact on history is supported by a wide range of scholars and historical sources. The existence of Jesus as a historical person is widely accepted by scholars across different disciplines. For example, Bart Ehrman, a New Testament scholar, states that "the historian can prove the existence of Jesus with as much certainty as he can prove almost anything else in the ancient world" (Ehrman, 2012, p. 1).  Similarly, historian John Dickson writes that "there are more sources for the life of Jesus of Nazareth than for any other figure from antiquity" (Dickson, 2008, p. 19). The teachings, life, and impact of Jesus are also recorded in a variety...

Extra-biblical Evidences of the Historicity of the Life, Teachings, Miracles, Crucifixion, Resurrection of Jesus Christ The historical accuracy of the New Testament like any other literary text can be proven by subjecting it to three generally accepted tests (literary criticism) for determining historical reliability. Such tests are utilized in literary criticism and the study of historical documents in general. They involve: (1) Bibliographical test (Corroboration from textual transmission). (2) Internal evidence test (Corroboration grom content accuracy). (3) External examina­tions of the text and other evidence. (Chauncey Sanders, An Introduction to Research in English Literary History (New York: MacMillan, 1952), p. 160). Aside the historically reliable eyewitnesses accounts of the four Evangelist in the first four books of the New Testament call Gospels, there are several extra-biblical evidences of the historical life, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ...

 The Sunday Essay: "ALIEN RELIGION," "FOREIGN RELIGION": WHY IT IS NOT RIGHT TO CALL CHRISTIANITY AN ALIEN RELIGION  A Response to Professors Wole Soyinka, Chinweizu, Niyi Osundare, Femi Osofisan and Other "Cultured Despisers" of Religion by Moses Oludele Idowu Introduction: An Alien Religion In his widely publicised Open Letter to the Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji Sulu Gambari, the Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka made reference to Christianity and Islam as "alien religions." Here is his exact words: "This continent has endured centuries of disdain and despoilation at the hands of alien religions - Christianity and Islam at the forefront." He also speaks of the dehumanization of the black race and atrocities committed by these "alien spiritual dogma." With this obnoxious tag  he has said nothing new, he was only following a similar tradition in Nigerian scholarship and even public discourse. Several scholars have used the same...