BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO MATERIALISM IN THE PASTORAL MINISTRY IN

THE LIGHT OF II KINGS 5:20-27 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS TO NIGERIAN

PASTORS

BY

SHEKWODUZA ZAKARI KPATUBA

MATRIC. NO. 07594

AUGUST, 2017

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BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO MATERIALISM IN THE PASTORAL MINISTRY IN
THE LIGHT OF II KINGS 5:20-27 AND ITS IMPLICATIONS TO NIGERIAN
PASTORS

BY

SHEKWODUZA ZAKARI KPATUBA

MATRIC. NO. 07594

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF ECWA THEOLOGICAL

SEMINARY, IGBAJA, KWARA STATE, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE AWARD OF MASTERS OF ARTS IN SYSTEMATIC
THEOLOGY (MAST)

AUGUST, 2017
APPROVAL PAGE

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This work, titled Biblical Response to Materialism in the Pastoral Ministry in the

Light of II Kings 5:20-27 and its Implication to Nigerian Pastors, was carried out by

Shekwoduza Zakari Kpatuba with Matriculation Number 07594 in the Department of

Systematic Theology ECWA Theological Seminay, Igbaja under the supervision of:

___________________________ ___________________________
Rev. Dr. Tunde Aremu
HND., M. Div., D. Min. Date

Supervisor I

___________________________ ____________________________
Pst. P.O Adebayo Date
B.A., M.A.
Supervisor II

___________________________ ____________________________
Rev. Dr. Tunde, Aremu Date
HND., M. Div., D. Min.

Dean, Graduate School

CERTIFICATION

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This is to certify that this work was solely done by; SHEKWODUZA ZAKARI
KPATUBA, MARTIC. NO. 07594

____________________________ ___________________________

SHEKWODUZA ZAKARI DATE

(MARTIC NO. 07594)

DEDICATION

I dedicate this research work to God Almighty the author and finisher of my faith.
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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My thank goes to the Almighty God for saving and calling me into the ministry of

reconciliation. Were it not for His love for my life, I would have been a garage boy. I
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like to also use this medium to recognize the entire management staffs beginning from

the provost (Rev. Dr. Stephen O.Y Baba Ph.D.), the deputy provost academics (Pst.

James O. Adeyanju Ph.D.), the deputy provost admin and finance (Rev. Matthew,

Tsado Ndana), I also recognize my able supervisor the man I call my director, a man

of humility who has made a sacrifice of time for the supervision of this work, not any

other person than the Igwe of Theology in person of Rev. Dr. Tunde Aremu and my

second supervisor Pst. Paul O. Adebayo. The entire faculty and staffs of ETSI, thank

you for the grooming, I say may God reward you according to His riches in glory.

This acknowledgement will be incomplete should incase I fail to thank my parent

whom God have used for decades to push my academics till this day in person of

Rev., &Mrs. Zakari Kpatuba for their superb effort towards my life in general. All

these and many more that I couldnt mention but God knows you by names and He

will meet you a hundred folds. Amen!

ABSTRACT
It is clear that for God to achieve His purpose on the church a couple of men
(pastors) were set apart or foreordained to bring an accomplishment of the task of His
purpose. But the manner at which some have found themselves, is an evidence that
there is a misconception towards pastoral ministry as a profession rather than a
calling. This misconception has generated so much vandalism in the pastorate
particularly in Nigeria. It is in the light of this challenge that the researcher zooms into
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the biblical responses to materialism in the pastoral ministry in the light of II Kings
5:20-27 and its implication to Nigerian pastors. The work has five chapters: chapter
one introduced the entire work, chapter two is the review of the entire related
literature consulted as surrounding the topic at focus, chapter three is the
hermeneutical exposition of the text, chapter four is the application of the topic, while
chapter five is the summary or recap, conclusion and recommendations. The
investigation through the findings consulted has indicated that the pastorate in Nigeria
has not escaped from it materialistic drought. Most of the findings have shown that
materialism did not only occur in the Bible times but that the contemporary pastors
are highly involved. Pastors have masterminded the Gospel into materialistic
gospel, diversion of church funds in the name of the gospel, physical healing in
exchange of wealth, going diabolical for the purpose of accumulating wealth. All
these and many more have gone viral on social media, churches, societies and likes.
The Bible which is our yardstick and a measuring rode has also responded
pragmatically in a dreadful and tragic manner through its implication from the action
of the servant of a man of God (Elisha) who couldnt wait for Gods time but went
before His time which yielded him nothing but an immediate and generational curse
instead of a generational blessing. Thus, pastors should make the business of God
their priority rather than the business of materialism.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover Page
Title Page ............
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Approval Page ....
Dedication ..................................
Acknowledgements .....
Abstracts ..
Table of Contents ..........
CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study ..
Statement of the Problem ..
Purpose of the Study ..
Significance of the Study .
The Scope and Limitation of the Study .......
Methodology ...
Hypothesis.....
Definition of Operational Terms ...
CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

The Biography of Gehazi as a Person .....
His Lineage and Birth ..........
The Etymology of the Name Gehazi ..
His Life Experience and Invitation to join the Prophet-hood ....
Gehazi as a Servant in the Ministry ...........
Gehazis Temptation and Falling ....
Biblical Portrait of a Pastor and His Ministry.
The Structural Roots of Materialistic Gospel in the Pastorate.....
The Quest for Materialism in the Pastorate..
The Causes of Materialism in the Pastorate.
The Over-Ambitiousness of Pastors in the Ministry
The Impatience attitudes of Pastors in the Ministry.
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 The Competitiveness of Pastors in the Ministry..
The Masterminding of the Gospel into Materialistic Gospel in the Pastorate.
Physical Healing for Wealth in the Name of the Gospel
Diversion of Church Funds in the Name of Gospel....
The Attitude of the Pastors Towards Materialism .......
Materialism as a Hindrance to the Godly Generation..
How Pastors Stinks with Materialism in the Ministry.....
Summary of the Issue Raised ..........

CHAPTER THREE

EXPOSITION OF II KINGS 5:20-27

An Overview or Background of II Kings .
The Author and Date of the Book II Kings ..
The Purpose and Theology of II Kings ....
The Key Verses in II Kings .................
Personal and Practical Application of II Kings
Exposition and Meaning of the Text ....
The Focus of the Text ...
Summary of the Issue Raised
CHAPTER FOUR

THE IMPLICATIONS OF MATERIALISM TO NIGERIAN PASTORS AND THE

POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO AID THE PASTORATE IN NIGERIA
The Nature of Materialism and its Implications on the Pastoral Ministry in Nigeria
Materialism as it Brings Lack of Transparency to Nigerian pastors
Materialism as it Blinds and Cripples the Nigerian pastors.
Materialism as a Stroke and Cancer to the Pastorate in Nigerian Through it
Spiritual Welfare..
Materialism as it Brings Discontentment to the Nigerian pastors...
The Epidemic of Materialism on the Nigerian Pastors

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Possible Solutions to be Applied to Aid the Pastorate in Nigeria from its Materialistic
Shambles..
Contentment as a Possible Solution to Materialism in the Pastoral Ministry in
Nigeria..
Self-Discipline as a Possible Solution to Materialism in the Pastoral Ministry
in Nigeria..
Patience as a Possible to Materialism in the Pastoral Ministry in
Nigeria......
CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary .........
Conclusion .......................................
Recommendations ...
Bibliography.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

DICTIONARIES
Brain, Collins ed. The Collins English Dictionary. New York: Tools & Widget Press,
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Collins Howry, ed., Collins English Dictionary Complete And

Unabridged. Cambridge:
Harper Collins Publishers, 2013.

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Dickson, E. Roger. Dickson Biblical Research Library,USA: African International
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Elwell, A. Walter ed. Evangel Dictionary of Theology Second Edition. Nottingham:

Intervarsity Press, 2008.

Parkinson, Dilys ed. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary International Student

Edition. New York: Oxford University Press, 2013.

Pfeiffer, F. Charles ed., Wycliffe Bible Dictionary. USA: Hendrickson Publishers,

2008.

Walker, Alien. International Webster Comprehensive Dictionary of the English

Language. Florida: Naples Publishers, 2005.

Webster, Miriam ed. Websters Dictionary & Thesaurus for Students. Springfield:
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Websters, Miriam ed. Websters Dictionary & Thesaurus for Students Edition, 2001.

Wehmeier, Sally ed. Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary. (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2005.

BOOKS
Erich, Fromm. Greed in the Contemporary World. Nashville: Waters Brook press,
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Lyman, Jesse. The Story of the Christian Church. Michigan: Zondervan Publishing
House, 1982.

Mounce D. William ed. Mounce Complete Expository. Michigan: Zondervan Press,

2006.

Stanly, Andy. & Young, E.D. Change the Way You do Church. Georgia: Howard
Books, 2004.

Stone, Perry. Breaking the Jewish Code. New York: Charisma House Publisher, 2009.

Uremodu, S.O. Academic Research Method. Ilorin: Moody Press, 1967.

Oral Interview
Tanko,Pius. Often Used in Oral Conversation. Pegi Village: Oral Conversation, 2015.

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