For nearly twenty years now I have had the privilege of teaching at St. Paul’s University in Limuru, Kenya. This year the school of theology is celebrating 120 years of training those called to ministry.
My context and my Kenyan colleagues here have made me more aware of the somewhat hidden story of Africa in the Bible and in the history of Christianity from the very first century up to the 21st century. Black History Month seems like an appropriate time to share some of this with you.
We all know the history of the Jews in Egypt and that Joseph and Mary fled there to avoid the wrath of Herod. Most of us also know about the “Ethiopian Eunuch” in Acts 8:27 who was “a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians,” and baptized by Philip on his way back to Africa.
But there are so many other references to Africa in the Bible. In fact, Africa is mentioned over 1,000 times in the Old Testament. 740 references are to Egypt. There are also many references to Cush. and while there is some debate over exactly where it was, it generally refers to the areas South of Egypt, up the Nile into modern day Sudan.
Abraham and Sarah’s slave Hagar came from Cush, but not all Cushites were slaves. At one time Cush ruled over Egypt. When Moses took a Cushite wife, it made his sister Miriam jealous, possibly because he was marrying “up.” Remember the beloved in the Song of Songs is described as “black and beautiful” (1:5). The famous wise Queen of Sheba (1 Kings 10) was also from Africa (probably Ethiopia).
Several people in the New Testament were also born in Africa. Under “things they didn’t teach me in seminary,” I recently learned in the African Study Bible that John Mark, author of Mark, was born in Cyrene, in present day Libya. As was Simon who carried Jesus’ cross, and Lucius mentioned in Acts 13:1 with Simeon, whose surname was black.
Much of early church history and many of our first great Christian theologians were born in and worked in Africa. Cyprian and Tertullian both came from Carthage (in modern day Tunisia); Clement, Origen, Athanasius, and Cyril were all from Alexandria, Egypt.
Saint Augustine of Hippo, was born in what is now part of Algeria. And in “more church history I didn’t know,” three of the early popes were from Africa: Victor I; Melchaides or Meltiades; and Gelasius I.
And while much of early Christianity died out in North Africa, there is a long history of Coptic Christianity in Egypt and Sudan, and of Orthodox Christianity in Ethiopia. These churches all flourished and grew long before any Western missionaries came to Africa. Then came the astonishing spread of Christianity in Sub-Saharan Africa from the modern missionary era. But much of the work was carried out by local evangelists, helpers and translators. These first converts living out their faith is what attracted many others.
Today the majority of Africans living south of the Sahara are Christians. It is projected Africa will have 760 million Christians by 2025. There are hundreds of African-instituted churches as well as those originally started by missionaries. There are a great many vibrant African churches with passionate followers. Africa is the new center of Christianity.
Some Reformed Journal readers may be surprised to learn that there are many millions of Reformed Christians in Africa. Just the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) has over a million members. The Reformed Church in Zambia is also very large. A good place to start learning is the website of the World Communion of Reformed Churches.
My school, St. Paul’s, is not the oldest seminary in Africa. The Theological Seminary of the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa started in 1859. Of course, now there are many more seminaries and networks of theological schools and societies such as NetACT (Network of African Congregational Theology), ASET (African Society of Evangelical Theology), the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians, and other groups. They are engaging the faith in new ways, creating new answers to new questions from new contexts.
Finally, please do not let all this history and new information remain just in your head. Try to find ways to reach out and make contact with your African siblings in the faith. Call your denominational mission agency or write to a missionary you know who works and lives in Africa to help you begin the journey of discovering new friends. Or better yet, reach out and partner with an African-American church near you!
2 Responses
IF TRULY MOSES WAS INSPIRED BY GOD, TO WRITE THE BIBLE,WHY WAS SOME OF THE BOOKS MOSES WROTE REMOVED FROM THE BIBLE? AND ONLY FEW MADE IT INTO THE BIBLE ?DOES IT MEAN HE WAS UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE DEVIL WHEN HE WROTE THE REST OF THE BOOKS … Expercially the 6and the 7 book
Always enlightening to receive a broader aspect to things not knowing.
As hopefully here in my next penning of what Jesus said:
” Regarding, The End of Days for this, Satans world Kingdoms he had been given authority to rule over.
There being many gods, yet, only one True God, who’s Name is Jehovah, that we are told in : Matthew 6:9 reads,
You must pray then this was:
” Our Father in the heavens let your Name be sanctified,
Verse 10 Let your Kingdom come.
Let your Kingdom come let your will take place here on earth, as done in heaven.
Questin:
What was done in heaven, pray same be done here on earth?
Please learn by turning to
Revelation 12:7-12
Was this not the teachings of Jehovah’s Son, who freely gave of himself to redeem mankind from Adam’s sin ad to teach that hope in tat Heavenly Kingdom, teaching will bring to end of all sufferings of Lawlessness, pain, sickness and death, that this earth will be restored back to that paradise earth, where those lovers of Truth and righteousness will be able to live here for all times to come, teaching his Decipiles to continue with the preaching and teaching of this hope, that people’s world over would know:
” Hope exist, the life is not all for nothing, teach God’s Truths,
Then in Matthew tells of the end times to Satan’s rule, and, what signs would be showing, marking the nearness of that Heavenly Kingdom arrival.
Pesse Matthew 24:3-5 when Jesus left the Temple, sitting upon The Mountain of Olives, when approached his Decibels asking, how will people know when your Heavenly Kingdom
will be arriving?
In reply, Jesus said:
” Watch out no body deceives you, for
many will be coming in my name, dying are ye Christ and will be misleading many with false teachings.
Then reading further from verses 6-14-15-24 tenon 2 Timothy 3:1-5 much like reading The News Daily Hesd lines
War world over in one place after the other, earthquakes in one place after the other.
Man unable to reason together, men becoming woman and woman becoming man, lawlessness, children disobedience to parents.
All these marking
The End of Dsys of this wicked system of things.
Remain away for when you see all these thids occurring,
Know your deliverence is near, know one knows the day or hour , only our God in the heavens.
The Christian Coalition, firmly known as
The Family , have been station near or on the grounds of, The Whit House, holding praysr breakfast, inviting powerful political leaders here as others from other powerful Nations, to join in pray
breakfast where they make appointments with powerful leaders here .
Believing peace will only come through power in joining together as one.
Anything praying for though the Name
of Jesus, will be granted.
Now this President before elected went to them asking their support in his
reelection.
Saying, when I win I will give you anything you want”
And, how did that Christian Coalition respond?
” Saying, he is the Chosen One, sent by
god to save this Nation.”
Perhaps be to everyone’s best interest
For the News Media to ssk:
” who’s mandate is he following, that of the people, or, god’s the one the
Christian said were chosen ?
What majority of worlds people are unaware of is this being a spiritual
War, not one for man becoming invoked in.
We’re Now Placed :
” In The Time Of Essence”
John 6:44 be well to read and, take heed, the times are in the Now that all lovers of righteousness Do as ask by our Loving God, Creator.
Lastly, please know we no longer live by Law, No! We live by Love.
Read in Matthew 22:34-40
Love being the fulfillment of the profits .
Law was for law breakers, Love being what our Loving creator is, all about Love,
Look around, take in The wonderment of it all. To Know, by obeying our Heavenly Father by listening to what wanting us to know, having faith that He is and exist wanting nothing less than what life has to offer.
If we obey, rest assured, the Best is Soon to Come.
It’s that ungrateful jealous angele, untangling us to believe, happiness is in having all we can get now, making us happy.
If believing that.
Then just ask those with all their awards and their trophies sitting alone in their empty homes.
We’re now deep in those foretold times my Friends.
Please, for a second.
If we all come from the same God, creator, cut from the same cloth, then how could there be any difference in us, one from the other, only what makes one’s diffent from the other is life’s circumstances , boil that all down in the refining pot we’ll see each as ourselves.
Nowcommand ee Live in Love for our true God and our neighbor.
Wanting for those wanting for self.
The light of enlightment has been getting brighter, now shinning as bright as ever in all mankind’s history .
Yes, Love our enemies, knowing,
They just don’t know.
Show Love for all, deep Jehovah’s Blessings in learning His truths