Would Jesus wear a Rolex?

(This two-part column appeared in the Mindanao Daily Mirror on March 1 and 2)

Would Jesus wear a Rolex? Back in the 70s or 80s (I don’t know the exact time of publication), singer/comedian Ray Stevens wrote a song that became an anthem of sorts against the then-growing number and influence of the so-called televangelists. “Would Jesus Wear A Rolex?” he asked, and the answer, since it was a rhetorical question, was a resounding “No.” If Jesus had chosen this time to do His earthly ministry, He would probably still have chosen to be a carpenter, and He would certainly still identify Himself with the poor. No Rolexes for Him, probably not even a cheap digital watch from China that could be bought nowadays for little more than a hundred pesos. Stevens’ song was a reaction to the excesses that some televangelists were prone to and which, as we now know, led to their own respective falls from grace. “Would He wear a pinky ring,” Stevens asked, “would He drive a fancy car? Would His wife wear furs and diamonds, would His dressin' room have a star? If He came back tomorrow, well there's somethin' I'd like to know: Could ya tell me, Would Jesus wear a Rolex on His television show.”

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I write this for two reasons: one, yesterday’s Mirror editorial wrote of a certain television preacher who had anointed himself the “Son of God” and many people have told me they know who this referred to – Pastor Apollo Quiboloy – and asked if we could expound on this, and two, a few weeks ago I had written here that while I do not agree with what Quiboloy says in his television show, I will defend his right to say it. Regarding this second reason, I have been asked by people many times if I were a follower of Quiboloy’s; my initial reaction was irritation because they had obviously missed that I said I did not agree with what Quiboloy preaches. But then I realized that perhaps I did not emphasize that fact enough.

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Before I actually discuss Quiboloy and what he has been preaching, let me say that I actually tried to avoid writing about this, and in fact I had advised some pastor friends of mine that the best way to treat the matter is simply to ignore the man. Answering him and engaging him in debate will lead nowhere because he bases his claims on a subjective experience: he believes and teaches that God – or the Father, who in his teaching is actually Jesus Christ, which makes me ask what happened to the original Father (I know, it’s confusing, but don’t blame me, blame him) – personally called him to become the Son of God in these “last days.” How exactly this happened is not clear in his shows, and even his website does not give a history of how he earned his “sonship.” All Quiboloy says is that he went through a period of training and trials before becoming chosen to be the “appointed son.” It is this vagueness that makes it difficult to debate with him on this point. He just claims the position, and his followers believe him.

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OK, so what are these claims? In case you don’t have cable (he has three channels on SkyCable) and are not able to see his programs, Quiboloy has declared himself to be the “appointed son of God” in these last days for the Gentiles. If that’s not shocking enough, check out this entry in his website’s FAQ (see www.kingdomofjesuschrist.org): Are you Jesus Christ in the Gentile body? More than 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ came in the flesh to testify to all that God can dwell in a human body, in the life of a man. It is here now. The life that lived in Israel before is now here. He is now using a Gentile body. If He was able to come to the Jewish people, He can also come to the Gentile people. John 5:23 says, "That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father which hath sent him." My works bear witness of me. And the Father Himself, who sent me, has borne witness of me.

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As you can see, Quiboloy, after having declared himself the son of God, now appropriates for himself the words of Jesus. He also has the habit of waving his finger and telling members of “religions and denominations” that they do not have the right to interpret the Bible; only he does. It doesn’t make sense, but it’s hard to argue against it because it is based on a subjective “experience.”

(Part 2, March 2)

I got some reactions from readers and friends on yesterday’s column on Pastor Apollo Quiboloy, and I guess I should repeat my stand on the man: I don’t believe a word he says, but I respect his right to say it and will even defend it. Why? Because freedom of expression is the essence of democracy. The freedom he uses in spreading his word is the same freedom I invoke both as a journalist and, more importantly, as a Christian who as an evangelical is in the minority in the Philippines. If I agree with those who say (and there are many of them) that Quiboloy should be taken off the air, then I would have no right to protest when one day the dominant church tries to censure me and prevent me from writing about what I believe in.

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Having said that, however, let me continue what I was saying yesterday. Quiboloy claims to be not just a son of God but THE Son of God, and in his website he confirms that he believes himself to be Jesus Christ, come in the flesh again to save the Gentiles “now using a Gentile body.” As the “Son of God” he also claims that the Bible is his, and that no one, especially those from the “religions and denominations,” can interpret it correctly but him. Again, this is why it would be difficult to debate with him and his followers: having decided that everyone else is “the son/daughter of the devil” (believe me, he does refer to “unbelievers” as such), they claim to have sole authority to read and interpret the Bible. There can thus be no common ground, and he and his followers close their ears to those who dare criticize him.

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In fact, Quiboloy preaches nothing new: to him, salvation can only be received through genuine repentance. He claims, however, to be the first Gentile in history to realize this, and now he claims to be the only one to preach this – completely ignoring the fact that Christians have been preaching it for 2,000 years. In fact, we read in Acts 9:15 that the apostle Paul was God’s “chosen instrument” to carry His Name “before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel.” A chapter later, we read of Cornelius the centurion to whose household Peter preached and on whom the Holy Spirit fell (10:44). In verse 45 we read this: “And the believers from among the circumcised who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.” And in Acts 11:47, we read that Paul and Barnabas were commanded by the Lord, who told them, “I have set you to be a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the uttermost parts of the earth.” Note that the Lord was talking to Paul and Barnabas here, not Quiboloy. Read your Bible carefully and in context; it’s there.

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It is thus absolutely false for Quiboloy to say that before he came to the world, no Gentile had believed in Jesus and that no one had repented unto salvation. It is also presumptuous for him to say that no one preaches repentance but him: Christians all over the world today are preaching repentance and trusting Jesus for salvation, and I myself hold on to the Gospel that Jesus preached, and which He summed up in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” The difference between Christians and Quiboloy is that Christians believe only in Jesus, whereas Quiboloy believes and preaches that he (Quiboloy) is necessary for salvation. He even claims for himself the words that Jesus said in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by ME (emphasis Quiboloy’s, as it appears in the banner of his website, www.kingdomofjesuschrist.org)”

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Quiboloy teaches that he is the completion of Jesus’ work, but we know that this is not true. What were Jesus’ last words before He died? “It is finished (John 9:30).” In Greek it is actually one word: Tetelestai, which means “done,” “finished,” or “completed.” Jesus was not saying that His life was finished: He was saying that His work was done, finished, completed. Tetelestai was a common word used in financial transactions: when a loan has been paid in full, it is said to be “tetelestai.” What did Jesus pay in full? We can turn to Romans 6:23 for that: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Our sin has a penalty, which is death, but because of His love Jesus took our place and died for us. It is no longer necessary for us to suffer the penalty of death (which in the Bible means eternal separation from God) because Jesus paid the penalty. It is finished, completed, done, paid in full. All we need to do is to receive this gift directly from Jesus. Ephesians 2:8 and 9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast.” It is a gift that is ours for the taking. And since Jesus would not give an incomplete complete gift, we know that there is no need for another son to come to complete His work.

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As I said yesterday, I had tried to avoid writing about Quiboloy because I felt the best way to treat his claims is to ignore them. But the Mirror editorial last Monday, which alluded to Quiboloy but did not name him, sparked some reactions from readers who said they knew who it was referring to. Many also asked me to explain my stand on the matter, remembering that I had earlier written that I do not believe what he says but will defend his right to say it. It is not my wish to disparage anyone, but I and – as I have found out through the numerous texts and emails I got yesterday – many other people are becoming increasingly agitated that Quiboloy is making these fantastic claims. That this is a matter of public interest was brought home by a reader who said his concern is that Quiboloy is apparently close to the powers-that-be: “He is a friend and golfing buddy of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s, and he is part of the Presidential Commission on Values Formation (PCVF) which is chaired by no less than the President herself. God knows what he can do with such acquired power. In his television show, Quiboloy has already given his blessings on the DDS (Davao Death Squad) which he says is killing off the evil persons to save the good.” I share the same concern, and tomorrow I will share with you a concern expressed by a broadcaster/minister.

Wakeup call

The Rev. Arnel Tan is a respected leader in the evangelical community and heads the Davao City station of Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC). I first saw and heard him him back in 1990 when I was new in Davao City and he was an up-and-coming young pastor; he spoke at a youth fellowship that I was also attending and it was immediately clear to me that the Lord was moving mightily in and through him. The topic he had been given was rather difficult especially if delivered to a group of youngsters: Baptist distinctives (in other words, what Baptists believe). But he approached his message with earnestness and simplicity, and as I looked around I saw that the young people with me, whose ages ranged from about 13 to 20, were digging everything and understanding him. I was surprised when I found out that he was younger than me, but since that first meeting I have deferred to him and have given him high respect. But I know he is the first to say that any gift he has is exactly that, a gift, and that any praise we may give him rightly belongs to God.

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I write about Pastor Arnel because he sent me an email the other day in reaction to my column about television minister Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. As a media professional himself, Pastor Arnel knows how powerful the media – especially broadcast – can be, and that like any other tool it can be used both for good and evil, to inform and to deceive, to build and to destroy. His email is more balanced and looks at the bigger picture of the phenomenon not just of Quiboloy but of the use of media for evangelism in general:

Dear Jon,

Greetings!

My job as a minister and a broadcast practitioner requires me to read newspapers, and that’s how I came across your article “Would Jesus wear a Rolex?” Please allow me some thoughts: Records of church history and evangelical history show that religion and religious leaders have shown their dark sides more than once or twice. Scandals in the “ministry” are truly downward embarrassing and offensive! Especially when those who remained true to their calling as ministers of the gospel are all labeled along with those who arrogantly flaunted their privileges.

I think the crisis we see on the tubes and what we hear on the radio is more than a doctrinal error. It is an issue of power and control. I would like to say that we should be vigilant and not paranoid. Religious liberty, which I cherish as a Baptist minister, allows people with different faiths, extreme positions on doctrines, and personal claims to exist together. Perhaps the call for the moment is religious responsibility and discernment as a group, as individuals, and as a community. Lack of accountability may lead to another Guyana tragedy, may God forbid.

While we allow ourselves and others space to express, I think the same space must be allowed for responsibility especially when we go public using powerful mass media to convey our message. Basically, the ACQ phenomenon is a wakeup call to all of us: a call to go back to the authority of Scriptures and not personalities, a call to grace instead of religious pressure and political alliances or maneuver, a call to make a difference through the true gospel that the true Jesus Christ preached and modeled. A call to all parishioners of any faith to become people of discernment and wisdom.

Ultimately, a person who has become allergic to criticism and doctrinal scrutiny will self-destruct! And besides, blind loyalists or followers of any good minister must equally share the blame for making a monster out of a minister or a politician. If no one is above the law, no one should be above the Scripture. I think your journalistic scrutiny is much more needed today especially in this issue than my ministerial opinion. Keep on, and God bless. Thanks for writing something that will make people think and hopefully act. By the way, the real victim here is no other than the sincere soul down the pew who wants to hear hope. What I fear the most is when from being victims, people progress to be volunteer prey.

All for now

Rev. Arnel Tan