The Church on Trial

By Charles Elias Mahlangu

The apostles resisted these edicts. While being fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, their epistles direct our manner of Christian gathering and worship today.

Our Christian heritage is a rich history of peaceful resistance to disobey government rather than disobey scripture. Yet even in peaceful resistance, Christians have been violently persecuted in their obedience to Christ.

Dr Mahlangu presents research that refutes the commonly assumed narrative, information that calls into question the power structures and authorities that have dictated to the world how we Christians should respond to Covid-19. Ultimately, this book is a challenge to the church to have a biblical response to sickness, to government, to gathering as the church, and ultimately to understanding our place in the world. Charles uses research to expose Covid-19 vaccines that are developed from cell lines from aborted babies. He warns the church about these experimental Covid-19 vaccines which have skipped animal trials.

Mahlangu holds a PhD from Talbot School of Theology in the USA and was ordained by the Evangelical Church of Southern Africa. He pastored Manzini Evangelical Church / Manzini Fellowship Church in Swaziland from 1980 until 2003. He trains men and women in biblical counselling. He and Delores, his wife of 46 years, have been building marriages and counselling couples since 1980. They are members of The Freeway Tabernacle in Soweto, South Africa.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Charles Elias Mahlangu
• Release date: May 30, 2022
• ISBN: 9781005606978

Charles Elias Mahlangu

The author holds a PhD from Talbot School of Theology in the USA. Charles was ordained by The Evangelical Church of Southern Africa and pastored Manzini Evangelical Church / Manzini Fellowship Church in Swaziland from 1980 till 2003. He trains men and woman in biblical counselling. He and Delores, his wife of 40 years, have been building marriages and counselling engaged and married couples since 1980.

Book preview

The Church on Trial: Lockdown and Covid-19 Vaccines

The Church on Trial

Lockdown and Covid-19 Vaccines

Charles Elias Mahlangu

Copyright © 2021 Charles Elias Mahlangu

Published by Charles Elias Mahlangu Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Charles Elias Mahlangu using Reach Publishers’ services,

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Edited by Sue Taylor for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

Website: www.reachpublishers.org

E-mail: [e-mail]

Charles Elias Mahlangu

[e-mail]

Illustrations by Elanie Bieldt for Reach Publishers

Table of Contents

Foreword by Bo Mahlangu

Introduction

1. There is only one Head of the Church of Jesus Christ

2. Who cast a spell over the pastors and elders?

3. The Silence of the Church of Jesus Christ

4. As Pastors and Elders did we consult God about bowing to God or to the State?

5. Champions of the Lord as Models

6. The Church’s Response to Covid-19 Vaccines from Aborted Foetal Cells

7. Country Leaders Concealing Ingredients in Vaccines

8. The Covid-19 Vaccines ‘Conspiracy’

9. Countries Submitting to Covid-19 Vaccines

10. Anti-Abortion African Countries. Don’t Sell Your Foetal Cell Vaccines to us!

11. Which Countries Produce Covid-19 Vaccines?

12. Failure to Inform Citizens by Country

13. Governments are Guilty of Promoting Covid-19 Vaccines that Skipped Trials and Animal Testing

14. Don’t Disclose Short-term or Long-term Harmful Side Effects of the Covid-19 Vaccines

15. A Biblical Defence Against Vaccine Mandates

16. Conclusion

References/Bibliography

Way of Salvation

Foreword by Bo Mahlangu

The Church as a custodian of righteousness and truth

Never has the Lordship of Christ over His Church ever been so comprehensively called into question. The titles, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, seem like an insincere accolade in the midst of the mass bowing to government restrictions. One might even think that Jesus Christ as head of the Church was not a title worth defending at all. One might even think that the Christian Church has limited experience dealing with tyrannical governments or mandates that contradict Biblical commands.

The unfortunate truth is the Church has thousands of years of not bowing to government edicts that demand adherence to other gods or actions that contradict what Scripture commands. In fact, the New Testament presents a narrative of regular resistance to commands not to preach, worship, etc. Yet the apostles resist these edicts while being fully inspired by the Holy Spirit in their establishment of churches and their writings which direct our manner of Christian gathering and worship today.

Our Christian heritage is a rich heritage of peaceful resistance to obey government in all cases unless we would be disobeying Scripture. Yet even in peaceful resistance, Christians have been violently persecuted in their obedience to Christ.

Covid-19 and government lockdowns have caused many Christians to ask questions that we have never asked before. What is the Church? Can the Church exist virtually without meeting? Is the Body of Christ still the body when it is connected digitally? In light of these new challenges, pastors, elders and boards scrambled to respond theologically, legally, socially and otherwise. Fierce debates ensued and some of the Church’s most fundamental truths were called into question. Ultimately, the identity and the headship of the Church in the context of government authority became the primary discussion.

The politicisation of Covid-19 and the myriad lies and deception coming to light by credible and legitimate doctors has further complicated the role of the Church. Should pastors speak out against the infringement and over-reach of governments? Should the Church be a bastille and a place of safety in the midst of confusion and fear? In this book, Dr Charles Mahlangu presents research findings that refute the commonly assumed narrative, information that calls into question the power structures and authorities that have dictated to the world how we Christians should respond to Covid-19. Ultimately, this book is a challenge to the Church to have a Biblical response to sickness, to government, to gathering as the Church, and ultimately to understanding our place in the world.

Introduction

In a particular vision/dream, a woman is entering a court of law being accompanied by her lawyers on her right and on her left. Many times, in manifestations from God the Holy Spirit, the woman represents the Church.

In speaking with Bo about this dream, his immediate response was that the woman is the Church. The Church must stand trial for shutting down the house of God preventing normal worship globally on account of Covid-19 restrictions.

The local government recommends doing virtual Church.

The Church is guilty of not feeding the sheep.

The Church pastors, leaders and elders are guilty of stopping the task of equipping the saints.

The Church elders and shepherds are guilty of halting the routine ministry to build up the saints.

The Church elders and shepherds are guilty of absenting themselves from spiritual oversight of the saints under their charge.

The Church elders and shepherds are guilty of letting government rulers stop the function of meeting regularly to minister to one another.

The Church elders and shepherds are guilty of giving the government the authority to regulate the agenda of the church to meet regularly to minister to one another.

The Church elders and shepherds are guilty of letting the government authorities determine how and when the services are going to be conducted.

The Church has been dictated to about meeting in smaller groups, e.g. a maximum of 50 people.

Virtual Church is not 100 per cent church.

The Church is being held hostage by the rulers of the land.

We as Church should not be afraid of breaking the laws of the State by meeting.

We must defy the State as the Church of Jesus Christ.

We must submit to the authority of Jesus Christ as Head.

Chapter 1

There is only one Head of the Church of Jesus Christ

It is quite clear that we have never fully grasped the true physical nature of the Body of Christ. We have had a deficient ecclesiology. We took gathering for granted and many of us had never considered the necessity of the physical gathering. Some of us had not seriously considered how vital a role it was to be present with other members of a local church body.

From our birth as the Church in the book of Acts, the Holy Spirit breathed into life a people who were converted, baptised and gathered into communities. They were marked by generosity and they began to proclaim a new Kingdom, and therefore a new King. King Jesus. This claim would present serious problems for these followers of the way as religious and political powers would persecute this new sect for their allegiance to another King. The claim that Jesus was Lord and King of kings meant a denouncing of Caesar as King supreme. Persecution ensued and fleeing Christians took the Good News with them and the apostles began to teach, equip and organise people into churches. 

Where have we gone so wrong that we have forgotten our rich heritage of obedience to Christ in the midst of hostility and cultural conflict? Have we accommodated cowards who pose as shepherds by allowing them to hide behind Romans 13? The author of Romans 13 was murdered by the political power of his day for continuing to defy the authority in his obedience to Christ. How accustomed we have become to this earthly kingdom and its tenets that they seem to coincide with our values quite well. It’s no wonder we have become so eloquent in the manner in which we avoid admitting the most basic truths about the true nature of the church. The truth is, gathering is the most basic act of obedience in simply existing as a church. In fact, the author of Hebrews says that the believers are not to forsake gathering (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Some of us believed that Jesus could be Lord of our life while we denied His Headship over His Church. Our so-called Biblical worldview was not so Biblical, as we have adopted responses to sickness that are the antithesis of Scripture. Since when did Bible teachers, mega-pastors and the Pentecostal healers decide that sickness or disease was outside of our Biblical worldview? As though our sacred Scriptures, the Holy Spirit that dwells within us, the God of all creation and His Son Jesus Christ have nothing to say about a sickness. Have we not admitted that we worship the media and news over what God has commanded? Do we feel silly and outdated as Christians for still believing that Jesus Christ is Lord over all, even sickness and governments who believe they can dictate to us how to worship? Yet we affirm their illegitimate claim of authority over Christ’s church by cowardly running from our pews into the approved places, wearing masks, and apologising to each other for getting too close. 

To the Christian who bows to the government to protect their Christian witness, you have disobeyed God and you have no witness. To what Saviour can you point when you are safely in the bosom of the government’s protection from Christians who long to gather in fellowship in obedience to the rightful Head of the Church, Christ? 

To the Christians who bow to the government claiming they are obeying in submission to government according to Romans 13, I say: Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, his disciples, the apostles and hundreds of thousands of Christians have been persecuted, tortured and murdered in their resistance to government and obedience to God. You cannot claim obedience to government as a justifiable reason to disobey God.

To the pastors and elders who are practising pastoral malpractice and abandoning those entrusted to them: How do you imagine the conversation between Jesus the Over-shepherd, and us the under-shepherds would go? Is your logic that we can be confident that Jesus will be pleased that we honoured the government when the responsibility given to us as pastors and leaders is so profound? Their spiritual care is our life calling. We are called and empowered to be a bastion of truth, where the edification of the body occurs (Ephesians 4:11-12). 

Perhaps we have seen the emergence of the Church in its most confident and bold identity. It has existed and gathered in the midst of legal pressure. It has had to make difficult decisions about how and where to gather. Some churches have decided that these restrictions are an affront against God and His people and have chosen to gather fully and freely without restriction.

Some churches have decided that it is more valuable to love their neighbours in community by adhering