The office of Dr. Mensa Otabil, Founder and General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (ICGC), has reacted to news circulating in the media which suggests him describing some scriptures in the bible as senseless and utterly stupid.
According to media reports, Pastor Otabil on Sunday while preaching to his congregants questioned some chapters of the bible making reference to Luke 6:29 which read “Do not seek repayment. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of youâ€.
Citing it as one of the scriptures of the holy book that does not make sense to the human mind, Otabil asked his congregation “Why should the Bible say that if someone slaps you on the left, you should turn the right to the person as well. It doesn’t make sense, which of you can do that?
Based on the direct quotation above, some media portals reported Otabil as saying some portions of the bible make no sense.
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RE: Some scriptures in the Bible are senseless and stupid
The International Central Gospel Church has noted with concern a publication first sighted on brownqh.com and subsequently on ghanaweb.com entitled “Some scriptures in the Bible are senseless and stupid – Mensa Otabil.â€
The said article references portions of a message preached on Sunday 13th January 2019 by Pastor Mensa Otabil, which was subsequently featured on our Living Word television broadcast on Sunday 26th May, 2019 as the basis for this unfortunate heading. It opens with an assertion that Pastor Mensa Otabil claims that some scriptures in the Bible are ‘senseless and stupid.â€
While we encourage reportage and healthy debate on sermons preached, we owe it as a responsibility to our publics to correct such significant misrepresentations. The headline and opening statement do not in any way reflect the viewpoint or the contents of the sermon preached by Pastor Otabil. As a theologian of international repute, Pastor Otabil has always and at all times maintained the sanctity of God’s word, the Bible, as wholly inspired and authoritative, Pastor Mensa Otabil therefore does not subscribe to any doctrine that disrespects the Holy Scriptures, which he wholly embraces as the entire counsel of God.
Considering the significant interest shown in the sermon when it was preached and telecast, ICGC would like to take this opportunity to establish the following:The church’s theme for 2019 is “Wisdom.†Consequently, most of Pastor Otabil’s preaching this year has characteristically sought to throw light on the subject.
The sermon in question was entitled “God’s ‘nonsense’ is wiser than man’s sense.†The choice of this unusual title was based on 1 Corinthians 1:25, which says, “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.’
The central thesis of the message was that God often chooses foolish, weak, unimpressive and unsophisticated people and things to establish his purposes.
Pastor Otabil cautioned that people should not get surprised when God chooses others they see as totally disqualified. He added that, in most instances, if human beings were to make the same choices, they would disqualify the people God chose.
The conclusion of the message was that no one should disqualify themselves from consideration because God can use anyone in spite of their low estate.
As a church, every opportunity to throw light on God’s word is one that we would readily embrace. We therefore wish to rehash our position that Pastor Otabil did not and has not at any time referred to any portion of scripture as “senseless and stupid,â€
It is our hope that anyone with any feeling of inferiority or inadequacy who reads this will be inspired to rise up and aspire to the heights prescribed for them in the Holy Scriptures.
Thank you and God bless you.Signed,
Rev. Morris`Appiah, General Secretary.
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