THE RELEVANCE OF THE PASTORAL EPISTLES TO THE NIGERIAN SITUATION

PREAMBLE: The Pastoral Epistles refer to the First and the Second Letters of St Paul to Timothy and St Pauls Letter to Titus. These writings are personal exhortations of a Mentor to his spiritual wards. They are pastoral because they deal with the duties and expectations of a religious leader with regard to Church administration, sound teaching and exemplary living. Though written about 2,000 years ago, their relevance is evergreen and could be of use to our Nigerian situation especially in the following considerations:

PROLIFERATION OF CHURCHES AND MIRACLE CENTRES: Here, St Paul so vividly pre-empts the present Nigerian situation of bloated religiosity. The fastest growing industry in Nigeria is religion as it has been turned into a small-scale industry. Thus, we witness today a rampant and questionable proliferation of churches and miracle centres, craze for miracles, and a concomitant rise of false prophets and false teachings. Prosperity gospel holds sway while those who faithfully cling to the authentic teachings of Christ, our suffering Messiah, are scorned as having no power to perform. Ministers now advertise their goods as in a competitive market and can go to any length in getting what they want. Paul is so dismayed that everyone wants to be a teacher or answer one title or the other, when they lack proper understanding.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A MINISTER: St Paul does not mince words in proclaiming the qualities a minister, leader or helper in the Church should possess. 1 Tim. 3 and Tit. 1 demand maturity, discipline, self-control, honesty, charity, obedience, humility, contentment, faith, sanctity, moderation, etc. A minister should eschew pride, arrogance, lust, vanity and greed for money. These elements of human excellence lead to spiritual excellence. Unfortunately, not only a few of our Nigerian ministers fall short of these characteristics.

WOMENS PLACE AND DRESSING IN THE CHURCH: On this issue, St Paul remains faithful to his religious roots. In almost every major religion and even when God created man, as well as throughout Jesus earthly ministry, the role of women has been that of helpers, not leaders in Church worship or in the household of Gods people, because of the demands and the dignity of such sacred functions. Contrary to the agitation for women ordination and the freedom to dress wantonly as obtainable in some of our licentious religious houses, Paul earnestly advocates a secondary and quiet feminine role, modesty in dressing and good conduct becoming of a Christian lady.

DUTIES TOWARDS BRETHREN: Respect for elders, respect for human rights and dignity, responsibilities towards believers, care of widows and proper conduct of slaves are of utmost concern to Paul as they are lacking in our society today. Many ministers, due to greed, lust, selfishness and a wrong orientation, have become too callous and insensitive to the plights of widows, orphans, the sick, aged and needy flooding around them. Pastoral care of youths and vulnerable souls is a thing of the past. Ministers and relatives of such people are only interested in what they themselves can gain. But St Paul vigorously bemoans such a situation.

PERSONAL WITNESSING: Being a loyal soldier, the minister or Christian remains focused, lives out his/her faith in practical issues, and is of exemplary conduct for others to imitate. Much more than mere verbose evangelism or a stupendous, electrifying and exhilarating eloquence, we need to cultivate a lifestyle in accord with the Gospel, practise what we preach, witness to what we teach, and so internalize and personalize the Message of Christ. Of course, and very importantly, endurance should be our watchword.

SPIRITUAL PROGRESS: It is also pertinent to note Pauls emphasis on nurturing ones spiritual gifts, immersing oneself in the Scriptures as well as keeping faith. Sadly, sloth and other culpable distractions hinder many contemporary spiritual leaders from efficiently guiding and counselling their flock. Sermons are too hastily prepared or perhaps not even prepared at all. Some are dry. Some lack sound doctrines. Some are not immediately applicable to the real life situation of the audience. Some use theirs to attack known and unknown political and social opponents, etc. Such atmosphere is not conducive for spiritual growth and pastoral development of Gods family.

ENCOURAGEMENT: Pauls Pastoral Epistles are imbued with a spirit of encouragement, objectivity, gentle persuasion and right judgement. A spiritual director ought to have a positive outlook and use words that are edifying, not calling people names from the pulpit. A preacher should not be partisan or prejudiced. Paul vehemently warns against taking part in foolish discussions and arguments, nepotism, violence and strife. Nevertheless, we still find ministers who politicize the pulpit, disseminate own propaganda and launch abuses or eulogies, as the case favours them, with reckless abandon.

SACRAMENTALITY OF GODS CREATION: Having understood Christs teaching that not what goes into man, but what comes out of him, defiles him, St Paul is adamantly convinced that everything is pure to those who are themselves pure; but nothing is pure to those who are defiled and unbelieving, for their minds and consciences have been defiled (Tit. 1:15). Some people religiously denounce certain foods and drinks, especially alcohol. Some others also misquote Paul to over-indulge in some of these. However, Paul reminds us to

appreciate whatever God has created as good, but also exhorts moderation. We ought to safeguard the beauty and utility of Gods creation as an avenue of encountering the Divine, protect our environment, preserve the endangered creatures and explore and equitably distribute our human and natural resources.

MATERIALISM: This is a serious litmus test for an authentic servant of God. Consequently, St Paul berates those who think that religion is a way to become rich in 1 Tim. 6. Here also, we find one of the most quoted sayings of Paul, that the love of money is the root of all evil. It has led many astray, both in the Church and in civil service. Looting of public funds, corruption, unaccountability, stunted economic development, unemployment, poor remuneration of workers and many other ills bedevilling this our beloved country are offspring of the greed of a few who hold the reins of power. Our ministers, even those who take public vows of poverty, shamelessly flaunt and compete for the most expensive models in vogue. Their inordinate acquisitions and flamboyant lifestyle betray the simple and humble Christ who so passionately beckons on us to carry our cross and follow him. Our pastors would be more focused and effective in their ministries if they were more detached from material things and the pleasures of this world.

CIVIL AUTHORITIES: Paul makes another passionate appeal for Christs followers to submit to rulers and authorities and work for peace, harmony and common good. He promotes the rule of law and condemns crimes, lawlessness, murder, kidnapping, immorality and other untoward behaviours. Today, we are beleaguered by rancour, bigotry, corruption, insecurity, avarice, myselfism, militantism, terrorism and godfatherism. These have deprived the helpless, hopeless and hapless polity of basic amenities and their rightful security of life and property.

LAST DAYS: It is quite interesting to hear Paul so accurately predict the current irreligious and pseudo-religious state of affairs we witness these days, the last days. Violence, unrest, persecutions, treachery, religious exploitation, sycophantic and hypocritical miracle workers and thwarting of the truth are now the order of the day. Self-acclaimed prayer warriors, visionaries and prophets of doom prowl all over, wielding fear as the ultimate weapon, and pounce on a credulous and gullible public. They never see anything good, save evil, death and calamity. How many peaceful families have been shattered in their witch hunt, family liberation, deliverance, fortune telling, miracle crusades, extortion, eclecticism and other disguised forms of neo-paganism. Thus, St Paul indicts them (2 Tim. 3:5) as they hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people, he cautions.

GODS MERCY AND PATIENCE: Considering his unworthiness, Paul humbly acknowledges the unmerited mercy of God in his conversion, mission and, in fact, his life. He is a beneficiary of Gods untrammelled patience, love and grace, and therefore invites all sinners to equally partake in this divine banquet of mercy and eternal life. As a persecutor-turned-persecuted, he believes no sin is beyond pardon, no sinner beyond redemption.

REWARD AND GLORY: Paul is convinced of his efforts and sacrifices. So, he loudly boasts of having run the full distance and keeping faith. He is sure of the awaiting victory prize of being put right with God. Resigned to Gods will, he leaves every reward to Him, even for those who hurt him. He takes solace in the glory to come. For him, the secret of our religion is Christ incarnated, preached, suffered, crucified, resurrected and ascended into heaven. Like Paul, we should learn how to abandon ourselves to divine providence and sustenance, no matter how bad the situation is. We should go through this life knowing that everything here is just for the time being, rather than sell our souls to the devil for just a lifetime of pleasures and comforts. In Nigeria today, we all crave for cheap popularity, wealth, easy life, titles and other undeserved honours. Mundane glories are in vain. We should rather aim at the Glory above, where Christ awaits us with His reward for our endurance, courage and faith. The need for us to gallantly undergo some hardships in this present life in order to reap an eternal harvest cannot be over-emphasized.

CONCLUSION: From the foregoing, there is no gainsaying that the Pastoral Epistles of St Paul to Timothy and Titus are of immense relevance to our Nigerian situation. They are the words of a friend and brother who is well-informed, pragmatic, objective, wise, critical, unassuming and also genuinely and yet pastorally concerned about the good of the other. He envisions integrity, unity, peace, good administration, moderation, dialogue, love, perseverance, protection of the defenceless, altruism, truth, reconciliation, justice, respect for human rights and dignity, accountability, understanding, equity, honesty, progress, diligence, sacrifice, healthy religious sentiments, rule of law and proper Christian conduct. As followers of Christ, both the ministers and the brethren, it is our duty to represent Christ in the world and live out our faith through prayer, penance and good works.