Will The Real Blasphemers Please Stand Up? by Sandy Simpson, 6/6/01
Will The Real Blasphemers
Please Stand Up?
by Sandy Simpson, 6/6/01
This subject is one so serious that I do it with great fear and trepidation. Nonetheless, because I get so many e-mails accusing me and other Bereans of blasphemy, among other serious charges, I felt it was necessary to clear up some issues on this topic. Because of my stand for the truth of God's Word juxtaposed against all the false teaching that is going on today, I think it is important to do a quick study on what blasphemy is actually all about from a biblical standpoint. There are many references to blasphemy in the Bible and from them we can find out how and why that term was used.
You will see that the word "blasphemy" in the Scriptures is the very definition of what the false teachers and false prophets are doing today!
Blasphemy in the Scriptures is defined and exemplified by the following verses:
1Ti 1:20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
(1) Those who do not hold on to faith and a good conscience are blasphemers.
Look at verse 19 also. The false teachers of the Third Wave today have not held on to the faith given to us by Christ and the Apostles, but have instead sailed into the extra biblical uncharted waters of new revelation and heresy. They have allowed their consciences to be seared by both accepting and teaching that (1) there is new revelation that is "beyond what is written" and (2) Christians should not judge, discern or test the spirits. They are blasphemers by biblical definition, just as Hymenaeus and Alexander were.
2Pe 2:12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
(2) Those who bring slanderous accusations against demonic beings are blasphemers.
If you tune into just about any broadcast on TBN you will find false teachers bringing railing accusations and poking fun at demonic beings. Yet even Michael did not dare to bring an accusation against the devil but said "The Lord rebuke you". This new modern big talk about "binding Satan" etc. are boasts by those who don't have a clear understanding of the enemy. If they did they would realize that their swelling words do not frighten demons. Only a true relationship with Jesus Christ brings rebuke to the enemy.
Joh 10:33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
(3) Those who claim to be God are blasphemers.
The only man who could rightly claim to be God was Jesus Christ. The rest of us are not God. How many times has Benny Hinn or Kenneth Copeland claimed to be "a little god", a "messiah", and even "I Am"? Just recently on 6/4/01 Rex Humbard called Benny Hinn "The Anointed One" of this generation. Jesus Christ is the only Anointed One, there is no other. These men are blasphemers!
1Ti 1:13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
(4) Those who persecute true Christians are blasphemers.
Third Wave teachers are well documented as having cursed anyone who disagrees with them. Both Paul Crouch and Benny Hinn have done this very publicly, but it has also been done by many others. There is a militant part of the Third Wave and New Apostolic Reformation that is calling for "war" against those who disagree with them. They send out e-mails to threaten discernment ministries with lawsuits. They call us "devils", "demons", "without the Holy Spirit", "heresy hunters" and practically every other name in the book simply because we are trying to help people to wake up to the false doctrines they preach, and to rebuke them, praying that they will repent. We are not the ones persecuting them, even though many of them have demonstrated they are not even true believers. But even if they have made themselves our enemies we continue to pray for them, we do not curse. It is interesting that those who do not want to be judged are the ones who often are the most judgmental. When we provide chapter and verse in quotes taken from tapes, messages, articles and books so that people can discern the truth, they come back with personal accusations that have no basis in fact, no citations made, just persecution. That is not discernment, nor is it Christian behavior. It is blasphemy.
Nu 15:30 But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people.
(5) Those who defiantly sin are blasphemers.
I have never seen such defiance as I have seen in many Third Wave false teachers and false prophets. When confronted with their departures from sound doctrine they not only ignore the truth plainly presented, but they defiantly make up even more fantastic myths, and teach worse and worse heresies. They continue to raise money off the backs of the poor with the promise of blessings from God. They continue to make false prophesies, ordering people to obey them in the name of the Lord. When they are proven wrong they simply excuse themselves on the basis that they "made a mistake". When they do these things the Bible says they are blasphemers.
Isa 52:5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
(6) Those who rule and mock are blasphemers. Because of them God's people are taken away.
The term "heavy shepherding" has become way too tame a description for what we see happening today in the Third Wave. Brownsville AoG, YWAM and many other Third Wave organizations are taught that if you even bring up a question or problem you have with a leader in the organization, you are not only wrong to do so but probably have a demon that needs to be exorcised. This is well documented. Third Wave leaders rule by letting their followers know, in no uncertain terms, that they are the "anointed holy men of God" and that they have complete power over the lives of their people. They reinforce this idea constantly, not only by "slain in the spirit" but by bringing other "anointed" leaders on their TV programs and having them bow and grovel at their feet. They trap people by telling them they will be healed if they just have enough faith to give a "seed" gift. If they give, they are asked to give more. If they don't give they are accused of having a lack of faith. And so they are drawn into the Third Wave and spiritual imprisonment by tactics that would have been termed "cultic" even a few years ago. They mock those who are against them, as well as demonic powers. They mock God by treating Him like He is their glorified "butler in the sky" just waiting to fulfill their every need and want. They shout at God, ordering Him to do their bidding while throwing Him around the room and pressing Him into each other's foreheads. Blasphemy!
Eze 20:27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me:'
(7) Those who forsake God are blasphemers.
Third Wave teachers forsook God when they forsook His Word. The Bible is no longer studied or taught exegetically, but used as some kind of Quiji board. A verse here and there is wrenched out of its context to prove an idea that came into their mind one day in a dream or vision. Old Testament promises to Israel are freely applied to any Gentile circumstance in any way shape and form. Those who forsake God's Word forsake God.
Ro 2:24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
(8) Those who teach we are still under the Law are blasphemers.
We all know that religions such as Catholicism, Mormonism, SDA, Jehovah's Witness and virtually all other cults bring people back under slavery to the Law. They are the modern day version of Judaizers. But the Third Wave teachers are doing the same thing. It is interesting to see those who claim the most spiritual freedom are those who are also tied up in legalism. Some of the most legalistic churches are those on either side of the Protestant divide, namely hyper-Fundamentalists and hyper-Pentecostals. Whenever you see a departure from sound doctrine, you also see the void left by it filled with legalism. Anyone who adds anything at all to salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is a blasphemer.
Mt 12:31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
(9) Those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
Now we come to the most serious blasphemy, one which is unforgivable, namely the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. What is it? Commenting on Matt. 12:31, John Gill states: "but it is a despiteful usage of the spirit of grace, an opposing, contradicting, and denying the operations wrought, or doctrines revealed by him, against a man's own light and conscience, out of wilful and obstinate malice, on purpose to lessen the glory of God, and gratify his own lusts: such was the sin of the Scribes and Pharisees; who, though they knew the miracles of Christ were wrought by the spirit of God, yet maliciously and obstinately imputed them to the devil, with a view to obscure the glory of Christ, and indulge their own wicked passions and resentments against him; which sin was unpardonable at that present time, as well as under that dispensation then to come, when the spirit of God was poured down in a more plenteous manner."
The punishment for blasphemy was physical death in the Old Testament (Lev. 24:16), but it is also and still today a sin that is unforgivable, thus ending in spiritual death. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a complete denial of grace, opposition to those things accomplished through grace, the doctrines of grace, the lessening of the glory due Jesus Christ, the continual gratification of carnal lusts, and the attributing to Satan those works done through grace by those saved by grace. Often we find Third Wavers charging those who oppose the clearly occult methods and manifestations at their meetings with blasphemy. But this is exactly the opposite. If they were truly teaching sound doctrine and following the Scriptures they would be correct. But instead they are the ones who deny grace because they add a "second blessing", "tongues" and even "slain in the spirit" as a requirement to be truly "anointed". The Bible teaches that those who are true believers automatically and immediately share in the anointing of The Anointed One, Jesus Christ, by virtue of their faith in His grace. There is no other way. Third Wave teachers continually and deceitfully use the appearance of "grace" to get themselves followers while denying the true operation of the Holy Spirit, having substituted it for another spirit. They lessen the glory of God by getting glory to themselves, as well as making God the "high priest of their words". They attribute slain in the spirit manifestations to God when they are clearly from another source. They downplay miracles of God apart from their assemblies and their antics. They continually indulge themselves in their flesh while teaching a whole generation of Christians to do the same.
We all need to be careful not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. To avoid this unforgivable sin we must first accept the grace of Christ for salvation, then He is to be the Lord of our life in everything. That means we are not to "go beyond what is written", to remain in sound doctrine, and to give God ALL the glory, not just a portion of it.
by Sandy Simpson, 6/6/01
This subject is one so serious that I do it with great fear and trepidation. Nonetheless, because I get so many e-mails accusing me and other Bereans of blasphemy, among other serious charges, I felt it was necessary to clear up some issues on this topic. Because of my stand for the truth of God's Word juxtaposed against all the false teaching that is going on today, I think it is important to do a quick study on what blasphemy is actually all about from a biblical standpoint. There are many references to blasphemy in the Bible and from them we can find out how and why that term was used.
You will see that the word "blasphemy" in the Scriptures is the very definition of what the false teachers and false prophets are doing today!
Blasphemy in the Scriptures is defined and exemplified by the following verses:
1Ti 1:20 Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme.
(1) Those who do not hold on to faith and a good conscience are blasphemers.
Look at verse 19 also. The false teachers of the Third Wave today have not held on to the faith given to us by Christ and the Apostles, but have instead sailed into the extra biblical uncharted waters of new revelation and heresy. They have allowed their consciences to be seared by both accepting and teaching that (1) there is new revelation that is "beyond what is written" and (2) Christians should not judge, discern or test the spirits. They are blasphemers by biblical definition, just as Hymenaeus and Alexander were.
2Pe 2:12 But these men blaspheme in matters they do not understand. They are like brute beasts, creatures of instinct, born only to be caught and destroyed, and like beasts they too will perish.
(2) Those who bring slanderous accusations against demonic beings are blasphemers.
If you tune into just about any broadcast on TBN you will find false teachers bringing railing accusations and poking fun at demonic beings. Yet even Michael did not dare to bring an accusation against the devil but said "The Lord rebuke you". This new modern big talk about "binding Satan" etc. are boasts by those who don't have a clear understanding of the enemy. If they did they would realize that their swelling words do not frighten demons. Only a true relationship with Jesus Christ brings rebuke to the enemy.
Joh 10:33 "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."
(3) Those who claim to be God are blasphemers.
The only man who could rightly claim to be God was Jesus Christ. The rest of us are not God. How many times has Benny Hinn or Kenneth Copeland claimed to be "a little god", a "messiah", and even "I Am"? Just recently on 6/4/01 Rex Humbard called Benny Hinn "The Anointed One" of this generation. Jesus Christ is the only Anointed One, there is no other. These men are blasphemers!
1Ti 1:13 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
(4) Those who persecute true Christians are blasphemers.
Third Wave teachers are well documented as having cursed anyone who disagrees with them. Both Paul Crouch and Benny Hinn have done this very publicly, but it has also been done by many others. There is a militant part of the Third Wave and New Apostolic Reformation that is calling for "war" against those who disagree with them. They send out e-mails to threaten discernment ministries with lawsuits. They call us "devils", "demons", "without the Holy Spirit", "heresy hunters" and practically every other name in the book simply because we are trying to help people to wake up to the false doctrines they preach, and to rebuke them, praying that they will repent. We are not the ones persecuting them, even though many of them have demonstrated they are not even true believers. But even if they have made themselves our enemies we continue to pray for them, we do not curse. It is interesting that those who do not want to be judged are the ones who often are the most judgmental. When we provide chapter and verse in quotes taken from tapes, messages, articles and books so that people can discern the truth, they come back with personal accusations that have no basis in fact, no citations made, just persecution. That is not discernment, nor is it Christian behavior. It is blasphemy.
Nu 15:30 But anyone who sins defiantly, whether native-born or alien, blasphemes the LORD, and that person must be cut off from his people.
(5) Those who defiantly sin are blasphemers.
I have never seen such defiance as I have seen in many Third Wave false teachers and false prophets. When confronted with their departures from sound doctrine they not only ignore the truth plainly presented, but they defiantly make up even more fantastic myths, and teach worse and worse heresies. They continue to raise money off the backs of the poor with the promise of blessings from God. They continue to make false prophesies, ordering people to obey them in the name of the Lord. When they are proven wrong they simply excuse themselves on the basis that they "made a mistake". When they do these things the Bible says they are blasphemers.
Isa 52:5 "And now what do I have here?" declares the LORD. "For my people have been taken away for nothing, and those who rule them mock," declares the LORD. "And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.
(6) Those who rule and mock are blasphemers. Because of them God's people are taken away.
The term "heavy shepherding" has become way too tame a description for what we see happening today in the Third Wave. Brownsville AoG, YWAM and many other Third Wave organizations are taught that if you even bring up a question or problem you have with a leader in the organization, you are not only wrong to do so but probably have a demon that needs to be exorcised. This is well documented. Third Wave leaders rule by letting their followers know, in no uncertain terms, that they are the "anointed holy men of God" and that they have complete power over the lives of their people. They reinforce this idea constantly, not only by "slain in the spirit" but by bringing other "anointed" leaders on their TV programs and having them bow and grovel at their feet. They trap people by telling them they will be healed if they just have enough faith to give a "seed" gift. If they give, they are asked to give more. If they don't give they are accused of having a lack of faith. And so they are drawn into the Third Wave and spiritual imprisonment by tactics that would have been termed "cultic" even a few years ago. They mock those who are against them, as well as demonic powers. They mock God by treating Him like He is their glorified "butler in the sky" just waiting to fulfill their every need and want. They shout at God, ordering Him to do their bidding while throwing Him around the room and pressing Him into each other's foreheads. Blasphemy!
Eze 20:27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the people of Israel and say to them, `This is what the Sovereign LORD says: 'In this also your fathers blasphemed me by forsaking me:'
(7) Those who forsake God are blasphemers.
Third Wave teachers forsook God when they forsook His Word. The Bible is no longer studied or taught exegetically, but used as some kind of Quiji board. A verse here and there is wrenched out of its context to prove an idea that came into their mind one day in a dream or vision. Old Testament promises to Israel are freely applied to any Gentile circumstance in any way shape and form. Those who forsake God's Word forsake God.
Ro 2:24 As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."
(8) Those who teach we are still under the Law are blasphemers.
We all know that religions such as Catholicism, Mormonism, SDA, Jehovah's Witness and virtually all other cults bring people back under slavery to the Law. They are the modern day version of Judaizers. But the Third Wave teachers are doing the same thing. It is interesting to see those who claim the most spiritual freedom are those who are also tied up in legalism. Some of the most legalistic churches are those on either side of the Protestant divide, namely hyper-Fundamentalists and hyper-Pentecostals. Whenever you see a departure from sound doctrine, you also see the void left by it filled with legalism. Anyone who adds anything at all to salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone is a blasphemer.
Mt 12:31 And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.
(9) Those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit.
Now we come to the most serious blasphemy, one which is unforgivable, namely the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. What is it? Commenting on Matt. 12:31, John Gill states: "but it is a despiteful usage of the spirit of grace, an opposing, contradicting, and denying the operations wrought, or doctrines revealed by him, against a man's own light and conscience, out of wilful and obstinate malice, on purpose to lessen the glory of God, and gratify his own lusts: such was the sin of the Scribes and Pharisees; who, though they knew the miracles of Christ were wrought by the spirit of God, yet maliciously and obstinately imputed them to the devil, with a view to obscure the glory of Christ, and indulge their own wicked passions and resentments against him; which sin was unpardonable at that present time, as well as under that dispensation then to come, when the spirit of God was poured down in a more plenteous manner."
The punishment for blasphemy was physical death in the Old Testament (Lev. 24:16), but it is also and still today a sin that is unforgivable, thus ending in spiritual death. The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is a complete denial of grace, opposition to those things accomplished through grace, the doctrines of grace, the lessening of the glory due Jesus Christ, the continual gratification of carnal lusts, and the attributing to Satan those works done through grace by those saved by grace. Often we find Third Wavers charging those who oppose the clearly occult methods and manifestations at their meetings with blasphemy. But this is exactly the opposite. If they were truly teaching sound doctrine and following the Scriptures they would be correct. But instead they are the ones who deny grace because they add a "second blessing", "tongues" and even "slain in the spirit" as a requirement to be truly "anointed". The Bible teaches that those who are true believers automatically and immediately share in the anointing of The Anointed One, Jesus Christ, by virtue of their faith in His grace. There is no other way. Third Wave teachers continually and deceitfully use the appearance of "grace" to get themselves followers while denying the true operation of the Holy Spirit, having substituted it for another spirit. They lessen the glory of God by getting glory to themselves, as well as making God the "high priest of their words". They attribute slain in the spirit manifestations to God when they are clearly from another source. They downplay miracles of God apart from their assemblies and their antics. They continually indulge themselves in their flesh while teaching a whole generation of Christians to do the same.
We all need to be careful not to blaspheme the Holy Spirit. To avoid this unforgivable sin we must first accept the grace of Christ for salvation, then He is to be the Lord of our life in everything. That means we are not to "go beyond what is written", to remain in sound doctrine, and to give God ALL the glory, not just a portion of it.
Labels: Bill Johnson, Brownsville Christian heresy, Brownsville Todd, Corey Jones, Dan Bohi "The Voice", Dan Bohi false teacher, Dan Boone, Jesse Middendorf, Naz Net
posted by Tim Wirth | 12:01 PM
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