5/16/00
Dear Pastors & Christian Leaders,
This open letter is to urge your immediate action, as a minister of the Gospel, in declaring publicly that Benny Hinn is teaching heresy.
I know that to some of you this may sound harsh, but that may be because you are uninformed about Hinn's ministry, message and money raising tactics. To read more about what Hinn has said and done in the past, please take the time to visit our "Benny Hinn" page at:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/bhinn.html
Some of you are doubtless aware of some of Hinn's false teachings, false prophesies and promotion of a false anointing that is clearly unbiblical. You may also know something about Hinn's personal testimony that does not square with the facts from articles and, in particular, from what is detailed in the book "The Confusing World Of Benny Hinn" by Personal Freedom Outreach. Somehow these facts have been swept under the rug by those who continue to let Hinn off the hook because they say "he still preaches the gospel once in awhile so there must be people being saved in his meetings." We have yet to see one video or hear one audio tape where Benny Hinn preaches the full biblical gospel message, yet we have many examples on video and audio where the gospel WAS NOT EVEN MENTIONED AT ALL. Instead we see a consistant pattern of the promotion of unsubstantiated myths of miracles. These are obviously given to prop up his ministry, make Hinn appear to be some kind of "holy man", and bring in the needed revenue to afford him the opportunity to continue to reach the world with his false doctrines.
But recent developments have really brought Hinn's historical record as a heretic to a head. You can read and listen to a few of these in the following articles on our site:
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/hinnmaitreya.html
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/hinnfalse.html
http://www.deceptioninthechurch.com/hinnpuppet.html
To summarize the above articles, Benny Hinn declared that Jesus Christ is going to appear PHYSICALLY in his upcoming crusades as well as in various other places around the world. Here are just two transcripts where Hinn made this claim:
"Ruth Heflin: the Lord spoke to her recently, and she called my wife and told her to tell me, that Jesus said to her, that He will appear physically on the platform in one of our crusades. She said, 'Tell Benny, that the Lord told me, that He is going to appear physically, on the platform, and the crowds will see Him, on the platform.' Dear God my hair is standing up!" It may very well happen in Nashville! ... Think, think about what's going to happen when the people, thousands, she said thousands will see the Lord on the, on the, on the platform! Lord may it happen in every crusade this year in Jesus mighty name. (Benny Hinn, This Is Your Day, April 20th, 2000)
And again ...
"Let me tell you something. The Holy Spirit has already told me He is about to show up. And you know, oh, I gotta tell you this quickly, just before we go. I had a word of prophecy from Ruth Heflin, you know who Ruth Heflin is? Ruth prophesied over me back in the seventies and everything she said has happened. She just sent me a word through my wife and said the Lord spoke to her audibly and said that He is going to appear physically in one of our crusades in the next few months. Yeah, she - I'm telling ya - she said, the Lord spoke to her audibly and said, 'Tell Benny I'm going to appear physically on the platform in his meetings'. Lord, do it in Phoenix Arizona in the name of Jesus! And in Kenya too, Lord, please, Lord, in fact, do it in every crusade. In Jesus' name." (Benny Hinn, This Is Your Day, March 29th, 2000)
This is a clear violation of the Scripture, yet Benny made these claims repeatedly and continues to promote this false prophecy by Ruth Heflin. This is yet another case in hundreds of cases where Benny Hinn has gone directly against what Jesus Christ said, in this case regarding His physical return. But Hinn is also unwittingly fulfilling what Jesus had to say about false Christs and false prophets:
Matt. 24:23-27 Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For false Christs will arise, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so that, if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Therefore if they shall say to you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even to the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Benny Hinn also stated recently that, when an apparition of Jesus allegedly appeared on the wall of his old sanctuary in Florida, one night when Benny was speaking, the following happened:
"You know one of these days we may show you what happened in our church in Orlando when I had the church in Florida. I was preaching, I was actually ministering on a Sunday night to the sick when suddenly the people began screaming as the Lord's face appeared on the balcony. We have it on video. The Lord's face appeared on the balcony and what was so remarkable is right before that the same face appeared in the children's church on a blackboard. And a little child sitting there with crippled legs was healed instantly. The teacher comes running down from the balcony screaming and shouting, the kids are all behind her, telling us how the Lord had appeared up there. And when she came running down that's when the face of the Lord appeared in the main sanctuary. She was screaming, we all began screaming, and for eight weeks the Lord's face sit on that balcony, on the wall. And what was even more remarkable is that night, that Sunday night service when I was having a healing service, as I was speaking the mouth was moving. The mouth ... the Lord's face was on the wall and you could see the mouth moving as I was speaking. And we thought, it was maybe, you know, it had to do with the lights, you know just how we are all human beings, we're like Thomas sometimes who say "Is this for real"? And, and, and the next day, Monday, the lights were all out ... it was still there! Eight weeks later it was still there." (Benny Hinn, This Is Your Day, April 21, 2000)
This alleged manipulation of Jesus Christ also occurred early on in Hinn's ministry as is evidenced in his recorded testimony:
"Benny Hinn speaks of many other experiences given over the TBN network. For example, he said that the Lord was in front of him and when he moved his arm so did Jesus. When he moved his foot so did Jesus. This continued until they walked together and they merged becoming one. Incredible! This "Christianity" is more at home with New Age Occultic experience than with the Christ of the Bible!" (Benny Hinn, Personal testimony, July 1987 audio # A071987, Orlando Christian Center as cited in "Touch, Topple, Tilt" by Mike Oppenheimer, Let Us Reason, P.O. 683, Wahiawa HI 96786)
Based on the few things we have detailed in this letter, we believe it is time for the true body of Christ to make her voice heard on this issue. But the voice of true believers will not be heard unless Christian leaders proclaim that Benny Hinn is teaching outright heresy loudly and clearly. Remember that Hinn's claims have been aired in front of millions of television viewers and those who attend his crusades. When false doctrine and false claims are made publicly, they must be dealt with in a public forum. Benny Hinn has been rebuked many times, in public and in private, by discernment ministries and some Church leaders. You have to marvel that he has never truly changed his ways.
Benny Hinn should be labeled what he is, a false teacher, and it should be made known that, until Hinn publicly repents of his heretical teaching, restores the money people have given to his ministry in good faith, and tells his followers that they may need deliverance from demonic oppression because of the false anointing he has promoted all over the world, he should be considered as any other non-believer in need of repentance and salvation.
Please understand that I am not promoting cursing this man, only excommunicating him from the fellowship of the body of Christ. We are clearly admonished in Scripture to pray for our brothers as well as our enemies and those who persecute us. Benny Hinn has reigned down curses on all those who oppose his ministry.
"I place a curse on every man and woman that will stretch his hand against this anointing. I curse that man who dares to speak a word against this ministry." (Benny Hinn, TBN, 9/13/99)
True believers don't do that. We are to continue to try to show Benny Hinn the truth, but until he repents we must warn the Church and label him what he is, just as Paul warned Timothy and the early church about people like Alexander. I appreciate the way Jude dealt with our obligation as Christians with regard to those who are fallen and falling:
Jude 1:17-23 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These are they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying by the Holy Spirit, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
Benny Hinn has clearly "seperated" himself from the body of Christ by virtue of his heretical teachings. We need to continue to try to pull him from the fire, while being careful not to get our clothes stained by what he is teaching and promoting. It has become necessary, in our view, to give his body over to Satan so that somehow his soul may be saved.
1 Tim. 1:18-20 This charge I commit to thee, son Timothy,
according to the prophecies made before concerning thee, that thou by them
mayest war a good warfare; Holding faith, and a good conscience; which
some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: Of whom is Hymenaeus
and Alexander; whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not
to blaspheme.
1 Cor. 5:5-7 To deliver such one to Satan for the
destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of
the Lord Jesus. Your boasting is not good. Know ye not that a little
leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven,
that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened ..."
Please give this issue some deep thought and prayer. Many discernment ministries have been warning the public for some time about this man, but their apologetics can fall on deaf ears without the help and support of major Christians leaders.
I agree with Al Dagar when he wrote:
"To seek unity with false prophets without challenging their errors leaves one's own beliefs open to questions. Those who defend heretics, even if they do not believe in their teachings, are guilty of lending credibility to their heresies, and will be held accountable to God for the souls that are destroyed as a result. It's up to those that know the truth to defend the Church against false teachers whatever the cost to unity or to personal benefit." (Media Spotlight Special Report, "Latter-Day Prophets: The Restoration of Apostles and Prophets and the Kansas City-Vineyar Connection", September, 1990, (p. 11)
Remember that when truth is sacrificed, our salt loses its saltiness and our Light is hidden from view.
"If truth is optional, error is justifiable." (Drift Of The Times - SOUND THE ALARM! by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, 1888)
This is a call to any who would call themselves followers of Christ to unite in rebuking and excommincating Benny Hinn.
2 Thess. 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye received of us "
May the Lord give us all the strength to endure insult, persecution and ignominy for the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Lu 9:26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
In Christ,
Sandy Simpson, missionary
Deception In The Church web site