Good grief! A crown? I’m disgusted. Had never seen anything like it. There was “Pastor” Chris Oyakhilome in a red robe with a literal crown on his head. He was riding on a chariot driven by someone dressed as though he was an angel. And guess who his wingman was? Correct! Benny Hinn. The mood, as you may imagine, was electrifying. They said they were celebrating his 62nd birthday. He was being welcomed by a host of “heavenly beings” as the heralds proclaimed:
And those are the members of the heavenly pantheon on the streets of gold. As the man of God makes a glorious entrance… The man of God of the universe… Surrounded by the heavenly pantheon… What a majestic ride… Our dear man of God has entered the city.Making his way to the palace.1
Did you catch that? A pantheon! It’s the collective term for the gods of a people. For example, the Baganda traditionally worshiped Kibuka (war), Kiwanuka (thunder), and Mukasa (rain). So, in this circus, Pastor Chris is presenting himself as a god being cheered on by a pantheon of lesser gods (his followers). They call him “our father and mentor.” Remember the proverb: a disciple is not above his teacher (Luke 6:40). But what if the teacher believes he’s a god? The students might as well start building shrines.
For those unaware of his influence, “Pastor” Chris is a Nigerian heavyweight of Pentecostalism. His influence spans across the globe, particularly in Africa. He is the founder of the Christ Embassy churches, and a charismatic, widely known for his healing ministry. It’s my hope that in going after this wolf, he may drop some sheep choking between his jaws.
A Doctrinal Postmortem
A tree does not fall unless there is wind. This outlandish display did not just happen randomly. It is the natural, bloated fruit of a deceived, and deceiving, heart. Chris Oyakhilome believes he’s a little god. In short: that Christians are little gods. To support his claim, he points to John 10:34-35 where Jesus cites Psalm 82:6, which says, “I said, ‘You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High.'” Chris insists this verse means: You are divine.
He’s so sure about it that he’s even taken to rebuking the apostles themselves. Yes, you heard me right. He chides Peter and Paul for claiming they were merely human:
“Oh brothers and sisters… don’t ever think again that we are humans…at a certain period, the apostles thought they were humans. They thought so when they tried to stop others from worshipping them…That’s where they were wrong. Their humility was right but the answer was wrong.”2
Wow! Talk of arrogance. He doesn’t mind correcting the Bible. It is only a short jump from here to the idea that we’re divine kings entitled to luxury and imperial power on earth. He quotes someone saying, “God does nothing but talk.” “Where the word of the king is,” he adds, “there’s power, so in the realm of the spirit, that’s what he expects you to do… talk.”3 In his view, we, just like God, are able to command things into existence.
Are you seeing the slippery slope? If you’re actually a god and king, what should stop you from fancying a crown, a chariot and a pantheon? This is blasphemy.
The Seduction of Godhood
The doctrine that we have outlined above is a message that soothes our ego. We love to be the center of the universe. It’s the oldest temptation in the Book: the serpent promised Eve, “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). We naturally want to feel in charge, so that poverty, sickness, and weakness may be subject to us.
Preachers like Chris exude an air of unquestionable authority. Who do you think you are to question the “man of God”? This manipulative privilege is how a man in a crown brainwashes his followers into believing he’s beyond scrutiny. It’s high time we call out the emperor for his nakedness. We should not wait for a child to do it.
Not A Lone Wolf
Chris is not alone. He’s part of a ravenous pack. His wingman Benny Hinn bears the same dental formula. Hinn teaches the same “little gods” doctrine4 and other lies. You’ve seen the results. In cults like that of Elvis Mbonye, men have licked feet. I mean that’s… that’s what you do with a god. It’s taking claims to their logical conclusion.
What the Bible Actually Teaches
Alright, open your Bible. Does Jesus teach that we are gods? Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6 in John 10, but observe carefully his words: “If he called them gods to whom the word of God came…” Who are these “them”? We have to go back to the source. Turn to Psalm 82. It describes a specific group:
(i) They were judges whose work was to defend the weak but instead, they favored the wicked ~ verse 2-3;
(ii) They were in darkness, having neither knowledge nor understanding ~ verse 5;
(iii) and finally, they are condemned to death ~ verse 7.
Can this really be descriptive of Christians? Come on. How many of you would give me justice if Muhoozi took me to the basement? And can a Christian really walk in darkness or be condemned (John 8:12; Romans 8:1)?
Secondly, this “little gods” doctrine collides with the Bible’s relentless monotheism:
I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me? Let him proclaim it… Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any (Isaiah 44:6,8)
Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me (Isaiah 43:10)
God’s message is loud and clear: He is the only God. The desperate defense of a small “g” god is linguistic stupidity that finds no place in Hebrew, modern or ancient. I’ll repeat this: Hebrew has never had any capital or lower-case differentiations.
Third, are we kings now? Paul rebukes the Corinthians for thinking that they were. He sarcastically remarks:
Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich! You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! (1 Corinthians 4:8)
He then compares their arrogant fantasies with the apostles’ dark realities. The apostles were the last in the line, hungry, persecuted, broke and on death row. They were pilgrims, not reigning kings.
Our prosperity and glory are yet to come. Our hope is future, not now. Our inheritance in this present world is to suffer for the sake of Christ. To take up our cross and follow him (Luke 14:27). One brother from a bygone era, writes:
The man in Roman times who took up his cross and started down the road had already said goodbye to his friends. He was not coming back. He was not going to have his life redirected; he was going out to have it ended. The cross made no compromise, modified nothing, spared nothing, it slew all of the man, completely and for good. It did not try to keep on good terms with its victim. It struck swift and hard, and when it had finished its work the man was no more.5
Folks, when Jesus tells us to carry the cross, He’s not telling us to hang a necklace on our necks but to die. To die to all our worldly ambitions, relations and possessions. And until a man does that, Jesus said, “he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27). Let me say the H-word: Until you do that, you’ll go to hell (Luke 13:3,5).
But What About This Verse?
“But, doesn’t Revelation 1:6 describe believers as kings?” Some versions say “kings and priests,” others say “kingdom and priests.” Even if the rendering is “kings,” context remains king. Revelation was written to Christians who were being persecuted. This reign of believers with Christ is always presented as a future reality (Rev. 5:10; 20:6). The apostle John wasn’t a king. He was poor. He was in exile. And the early Christians were persecuted and martyred. Let’s be real. What kind of kings are hunted, poor, and jailed?
Conclusion: Time to Take Sides
Many of those who claim to belong to Christ have traded humility for hubris. Instead of considering themselves as servants of God, they think of themselves as His peers. This cult of celebrity is not limited to Pentecostalism, it’s a cancer eating up every denomination. We’re all tempted to build our own little kingdoms, gather a huge following and clamor for human praise.
Chris Oyakhilome is merely on the higher dose. We’ve propped up celebrity preachers while the despised and crucified Savior waits for our gaze to return to Him. Indeed:
…he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not (Isaiah 53:2-3).
We must fix our eyes on Jesus alone, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. He alone is worthy of all praise, honor and power. Not me. Not you. And definitely not that clown in a chariot.
So I leave you with one question: whose kingdom are you building? Yours or Christ’s?
References
1 Loveworld News. 2025. “Pastor Chris Celebrates His Birthday.” https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BuN88UK2j/
2 GDN SA. 2018. “We Are Not Humans- Pastor Chris.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXw6xxv1J9w
3 Hamepaia Langstang. 2023. “He Hath Made Us Kings and Priest, Kings Rule by Word—Pastor Chris Oyakhilome.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=519-F3Zt7xE
4 Jeremiah9:3. (2022, December 28). Benny Hinn Claims We Are “Little god’s”??? – Read Genesis 3 And Avoid This Man [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3YNPK9ZX0I
5 A.W. Tozer: The Cross: New vs. Old. (n.d.). https://www.faithbiblechurchnh.org/tozer_new_cross.htm
2 Responses
wow 😲 finally the truth has been spoken. . thank you brother Kutosi
You’re welcome,bro.