Kneeling before man remains blasphemous

By Learnmore Zuze

I am compelled to write a follow up to my last piece after a couple of e-mail requests for me to respond to the article which alleged that kneeling is not necessarily an act of worship. ( Kneeling before another man is not necessarily an act of worship). 

I went through the article which, though convincing on the surface, is based on a totally misleading premise.

In fact, the argument that (Bishop) Chikosi advances in his article is a replica of the very argument that is advanced by RMG End Time Message leader Robert Gumbura to defend the marrying of many wives.

Why the argument is misleading

The entire article is based on the argument that “There’s a whole lotta bowing going on in the Bible.”  It’s very true that there is a lot of bowing down that goes on in the Bible between man and man.

More than ten verses are actually quoted in the article to support this practice of kneeling before men in Christianity today.  However, this position is not only misleading but highly misleading.

The first and foremost thing to note is that ALL the verses supplied in the article are OLD TESTAMENT verses. There is not even a single verse from the New Testament to augment this argument.

One does not need to be an avid reader of the Bible to realize the existence of a whole lot of Old Testament practices that have since become taboo in Christianity under the New Covenant.

I refer to practices that were condoned in the Old Testament but are now sinful and even blasphemous according to the New Testament. I will just pick a few of such practices because of space.

The first example is polygamy. Under the Old Testament, a man could marry as many wives as possible and there was no wrong-doing. The first instance of polygamy is recorded in Genesis 4:19 “Lamech married two women” Several prominent men in the Old Testament where polygamists.

Abraham, Jacob, David, Solomon and all others had multiple wives. God himself, speaking through the prophet Nathan, said that if David’s wives and concubines were not enough, he would have given David even more.

However, today this practice is totally unchristian (adultery) under the New Covenant hence the onslaught on polygamous Zimbabwean pastor Robert Gumbura by the Christian community. A Christian is supposed to be a man of one wife and vice versa.

Now, according to (Bishop) Chikosi’s line of argument it might as well be argued that ‘there is a whole lotta marrying many wives going on in the Bible’ as he puts it in his defence outline of kneeling.

If indeed (Bishop) Chikosi’s line of argument is to be followed then people like Pastor Gumbura have not perverted Christianity at all. Gumbura’s church doctrine, like (Bishop’s) argument, derives its position from the Old Testament and has absolutely nothing to support it under the New Covenant.

Another practice which is taboo today is slavery. Slavery was common place in the Old Testament times. All nations had slaves. Israelites were slaves for over 400 years. Slavery treats people as animals.

It doesn’t treat people as men made in the image of God. Some Israelites were even sold to pay debts (2 KINGS 4). No doubt, slavery is totally unchristian, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free… for you are all one in Christ Jesus” under the New Covenant (Gal 3:28).

Such Old Testament practices are no longer sanctioned. (Bishop) Chikosi might as well argue that ‘there is a whole lotta  slavery going on in the Bible if we are to follow his argument.

Thirdly, in the Old Testament, you will find that incestuous relationships (sexual relations between close relations) existed. Rebekah convinced Isaac to send their son Jacob away to her family to find a wife (Gen 24:46). Sarah was Abraham’s half sister.

Nahor married his niece Milcah. Today, incest is viewed as nothing short of Satanism yet it was sanctioned in the Old Testament.  Again, it might as well be argued that ‘there is a whole lotta incest going on in the Bible’ if we are to follow (Bishop) Chikosi’s line of argument.

Do not be deceived brethren by words of human wisdom; kneeling before men (in the Christian context) is forbidden under the New Covenant hence you won’t find an apostle, prophet (or even angel) of God who allowed another man to kneel before them in the New Testament.

God sees us as equals, “…, for you have only one Master (Jesus) AND YOU ARE ALL BROTHERS.”(Matt 23:8).This verse also puts to silence the whole argument that so and so is ‘special’ and has this ‘anointing’ which others do not have and must be knelt for.

Only Jesus worth kneeling for

Under the New Covenant we are told that everyone else is equal. Every Christian is anointed with the Holy Spirit at baptism and I wonder why some people want to apportion Godhood to fellow mortals who themselves are battling sin.

Christians can only bow or kneel for Jesus Christ. The New Testament places enormous weight on the act of kneeling. It’s written of the only Master (Jesus) that, “God …gave him the name that is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow in Heaven and on earth and under the earth “

It is mischievous to have boastful pastors who revel at the sight of thousands of people kneeling before them. I fully agree with Pastor Tunde Bakare that indeed Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan disgraced his office by kneeling before a man who is not Christ.

I find nothing beautiful about a leader of a nation kneeling before a fellow mortal.

Polygamy, slavery, incest and kneeling before men are cousins and have no place under the New Covenant.

Remember, this is the last hour.

Learnmore Zuze can be reached at [email protected]