Jym Shorts

Jym Shorts - November 3, 2016

by Jym Gregory on November 03, 2016

I still remember how I felt when one of my heroes of the faith, John R.W. Stott, came out publicly in defense of an idea known as “annihilationism.” Annihilationists believe that God, in his mercy, will not leave those who reject Christ to suffer in hell, but will either immediately after death, or after a period of suffering commensurate with their finite sins, annihilate them, snuffing them out of existence forever. It is an idea that, although rejected early and repeatedly by the historical church, has gained quite a bit of momentum in the past 100 years. I loved Stott’s ministry. I still do. He was a powerful voice for evangelical Christianity for 95 years and has taught a thousand good things to this one idea that, at least in my mind and the mind of Orthodox Christianity for the past 2,000 years, is an unbiblical teaching, regardless of how well intended the concept might be. Stott never fully embraced the idea, he simply asked the Christian community to consider it as a viable alternative to eternal conscious torment, which when written, sounds like a horrible teaching. And it is: horrible…and Biblical.

I preface this Jym Shorts article this way so that you will know that I do not take pen in hand (metaphorically) to write about this in a jovial manner. Nor will I give detailed analysis to the ministries I will mention. I will leave it to you to do what I have done; research the information so that you can draw your own conclusions. I do feel, however, that it is incumbent upon me and the elders at LifePoint to point out false teaching. Of course, we cannot unmask every deviation from the truth that is out there (that would be impossible), or tell all of you how you must think (that would be autocratic). We are shepherds of God’s flock, nevertheless, and called to do this very thing when popular ideas begin to demonstrate wandering from Scriptural truth (Acts 20:28-32).

With this in mind, I believe it is time to name a few popular teachers that have either strayed from Biblical teaching, or at the very least are beginning to teach questionable concepts that need to be clarified. Keep in mind that anyone who speaks or writes publicly will occasionally say things that need to be qualified. That is certainly true for me, and I do not teach on a national level. Delve deeply into anyone’s life and teaching, and you will find inconsistencies and occasionally, hypocrisy. However, when teachers put their teachings out there for public consumption and, in most cases, draw huge salaries from the ministry, those ministries can and should be evaluated. As a summary statement, I would simply say that we should question teachers that consistently claim to hear special messages from God apart from Scriptural revelation, claim special healings that go beyond the pale of trusting God to do great things, and instead insist that God has given them special power to raise the dead, heal the lame, and give sight to the blind. Jesus raised three people from the dead during his earthly ministry. Peter and Paul both experienced one miraculous sign of raising the dead. Such supernatural events were infrequent even in the ministry of Christ and his appointed apostles. Yet today we have some, like Benny Hinn, Paula White, and others making claims to mass healings on an almost weekly basis. Red flags should be going up from thoughtful Christians, especially when we see the luxurious lifestyles of these self-proclaimed teachers and healers.

However, when we move away from some of the extremes of the Joel Osteens, Benny Hinns, T.D. Jakes, Rob Bell, Joyce Meyers, etc., we find ourselves now having to address some teachers that have not been on the extreme, but seem to be moving in that direction, to which I sadly include Beth Moore, John and Staci Eldredge, Mark Driscoll, Sarah Young and Jen Hatmaker. I do not have the space here to address each person directly, but suffice it to say that I have appreciated some of these authors/teachers, and can only pray that God will bring them back to a place where they renounce some of their latest statements and/or teachings and embrace the truth of the Scriptures in their fullness again.

Some of these names will no doubt confuse or upset you. I would encourage you to research what some of their books are saying, or what they are teaching at their conferences, and decide for yourself if they are in line with Scripture. I am not calling all of these people heretics, nor am I making an off-the-cuff statement about whether they are truly saved or not. That is, of course, and always will be, in God’s hands. I am urging caution and discernment.

I will write more next week about the general idea of what makes a teaching true or false. In the meantime, I pray that God will keep us all in the faith, and lead us to trust in him even against the grain of our present culture (1 Cor. 9:27).

Grace and peace,

Pastor Jym

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