COMMODIFICATION OF THE GOSPEL BY SOME CHURCH LEADERS IN NIGERIA: LESSONS FROM MATTHEW 10:8b

The print and electronic media are ablaze daily on the vulnerable state of the Nigeria religious domain. Most pressing is the concern for the commodification of the gospel by some church leaders for financial and material gain through well-orchestrated means which have led to the exploitation of gullible worshippers consequently necessitating ill feeling about the church of Christ and dragging the name of God to the mud. What is commodification of the gospel? How can the Nigerian religious sphere regain her respect, value and dignity amidst commodification of the gospel? What are the various ways through which some religious leaders exploit their worshippers in the modern time? What proactive steps should be taken to salvage the deplorable state of the Nigerian religious spheres? It is within this context that this paper examines Jesus’ instruction to his disciples in Matthew 10:8b, “Freely you have received, freely give”. Premised on the Marxist theory and using the phenomenological and historical-critical methods, the paper reveals ways in which some church leaders in the 21st century perpetuate commodification of the gospel through exploitation, false scriptural interpretations, sales of religious artefacts, symbols and other objects all for financial and material gains which is in contrast to the ideal biblical principle of selfless sacrifice as reflected in the biblical text of Matthew 10:8b. The paper maintains that by commodifying the gospel, church leaders have not shown a high level of spiritual and moral responsibility as required of them as purveyors of the good news of Christ. The paper recommends that church leaders should keep to religious ethos, adhere to moral and spiritual etiquette, value and respect the dignity of every human being in the discharge of their ministerial functions.