Someone manifestly did not want me to go teach at the Bethlehem Seminary’s extension site in Yaoundé, Cameroon. The realization erupted in my mind after the Cameroonian border agent explained to me that he could not allow me to enter the country. Everything beforehand also seemed to agree with that thought.
Indeed, my trip began with Delta canceling my flight the day before departure. They ended up rerouting me through Dublin which was an exhausting detour to an already tiring trip. I essentially had to run at both Dublin and Paris airports to catch my planes. When I mean run, I should rather write “fly” because my Dublin plane arrived at terminal 1 in Paris. It is 50 minutes away from terminal 2 where I needed to be at to take my plane to Cameroon. I had roughly an hour or so to make the transition!
That being said, I made it as they were boarding and ended up in Yaoundé eventually. This leads us back to our dear Cameroonian border control agent. The issue was that my Cameroon residency card specifies that I am Belgian while my travel document was a US passport. This should not be a problem and indeed has not been for years of using the same papers. Plus, the French border control agents had just approved them in Paris. However, this man decided that it was a grave issue which should lead me to be denied entry.
In his “grace,” the agent allowed me to get my luggage before deciding my case. That said, final trouble, they had lost all my luggage anyway. I am guessing it happened because of the bizarre rerouting through Dublin. It took me three days after this to get them. Eventually, the guard came searching for me and magnanimously explained to me that if I paid him a $100 fine, he could be made to overlook my situation. This awfully sounded like a bribe, but I was without recourse. I thanked the Lord mentally that a fine could resolve the situation, paid him, and collapsed into my taxi. Other smaller, yet equally unexpected issues also came up, but I do not want to spend more time on this section than I already have.
I am recounting you all of this because if there is a “positive” reading of events to discern God’s gracious providence, there is also a “negative” reading which leads one to see Satan’s opposition to Gospel work. The Bible repeatedly teaches us this. For example, Paul does not think it a coincidence that he has failed time and time again to visit the Thessalonians. He rather concludes: “Satan hindered us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:18) If Satan’s goal to devour us fails, he will happily settle for hindering us, making us suffer, or simply discouraging us (1 Peter 5:8-9). I have to be frank. It worked. I did feel very discouraged. Satan’s “flaming darts” had punctured the shield of my faith (Ephesians 6:16). Thankfully, I eventually thought of calling my wife while waiting for luggage that would never come. During our conversation, she mentioned that it looked like spiritual warfare. In prayer and by the Spirit, it became quite clear to me that it was the interpretive key to what had been happening.
Suddenly, I laughed. The same laugh which animates our God in Psalm 2. A heavenly laugh. I thought, “The joke is on my adversary!” By trying to discourage me, he just brought about the opposite of what he wanted. I now rest ever more assured that I stand within my Father’s will and am doing a work that is glorifying to Him. What Satan “meant for evil,” our Lord had turned for good. God always has the last laugh. I resolved to teach with even more boldness. And that I did, I believe, by His grace.
Whether it be Church History 2 or Systematic Theology 1, my time with the Cameroonian students had a distinct sweetness that only the Holy Spirit can bring about in the classroom.
In Church History 2, among other topics, the class touched on the 9th c. predestination controversy. The students were amazed at Gottschalk, the champion of predestination in this medieval debate. Here was a 9th c. German monk manifestly and fiercely defending TULIP: total depravity, unconditional election, limited atonement, irresistible grace, and perseverance of the saints. In other words, he was soteriologically Reformed 700 years before Luther. One of the students confessed that Gottschalk’s Bible-saturated defenses had made him realize that his comprehension of the doctrines of grace had been too shallow. They were all immensely grateful for having read him.
As for the Systematic Theology 1 class, it began with a miracle of generosity. Indeed, Christianbook International Outreach had graciously accepted to donate them each a copy of Joel Beeke and Paul Smalley’s multi-volumes Reformed Systematic Theology, the textbook for my class. I had managed to pack it all in my luggage and those of a fellow professor. The students were overjoyed to receive these. They do not get to own many physical books. Indeed, they usually must use digital copies of most of the resources required of them. To be able to lay their hands on a complete summary of Christian doctrine made their hearts sing.
The class proper also went well. As always, the students had incisive questions. One of them wondered if the authors were right in stating that “everyone is a theologian.” In my response, I ended up distinguishing two usages of the word “theologian.” In one sense, only some people within God’s Church receive the gift of teaching (1 Corinthians 12:28-29) and can thus be called theologians. This was the student’s contention. He was correct. However, the Word is also clear that every Christian must be a theologian in another sense: everyone ought to meditate on the Word day and night (Psalm 1:2), and hear and obey God’s Word (Luke 11:28). To do so in a way pleasing to God, one must know some theology. Thus everyone is called to be a theologian. I finally concluded this conversation by exhorting them, as the future pastors of Cameroon, to be the type of shepherds who can teach deep, big-God theology to their sheep. The type of shepherds who feed such “solid food” (Hebrews 5:14) to their sheep that they become theologians in that latter sense. They took that exhortation soberly.
I pray that the report of my teaching trip at the Bethlehem Seminary’s extension site in Yaoundé, Cameroon convinces you of the following. In every Gospel work that we undertake, our ancient foe might seek to work us woe. His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, he rages against us (Psalm 2:1). However, though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for Satan plots in vain (Psalm 2:1). Certainly, did I in my own strength confide, my week of class in Cameroon might have been for naught. Were not the right Man on my side, Christ Jesus, the King set by God on Zion, his holy hill (Psalm 2:6). Praise the Father, my mighty fortress, whose Word above all earthly powers abides. Praise the Son who has willed his truth to triumph through us. Praise the Holy Spirit “who sits in the heavens and laughs, holding all my enemies in derision.” (Psalm 2:4) Our sovereign triune God always has the last laugh.
Timothée Davi, Th.M.
Assistant Professor of Biblical and Historical Studies
Prayer Requests:
- Pray that the students of Bethlehem Seminary Cameroon will continue to grow into the type of men and eventually pastors we want to see: shepherds who treasure our Sovereign God and his Sacred Book for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.
- Pray for me as I continue teaching these beloved Systematic Theology 1 and Church History 2.
- Pray for the other professors serving our Seminary there.
- Pray for the church attached to the Seminary: Église Baptiste Bethléem Yaoundé.
- Pray for the support of the Cameroon extension and the other Alex Steddom International Student Fund recipients.