Source
r/TrueChristian•
Crustycodger

Are all popular preachers wolves?

Let me clarify, all preachers who are popular with the worldly, like Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Joyce Meyer, Tony Campolo, Joseph Prince, etc. If they are preaching the true gospel doesn't scripture say they would be reviled by the worldly? Thoughts?

Edit: I think many of the comments appear as though they read the post title and responded. Popular with the world, not simply popular. In Christian (Gentile) circles Paul was popular but the world hated him.

Posted Dec 4, 2019, 12:08 AM UTC · edited

224
Der_MissionarChristian•

Popularity has nothing to do with whether they are speaking truth or not. There are many popular people who are also Christians... why not a preacher?

7
BapticostalishReformed•

Piper, Chandler, Keller, Platt, Chan, Stanley, Swindoll, etc are all famous and within the scope of orthodoxy

4
bumpytheghost123Christian •

How about N.T. Wright? He is a great scholar and his writings are highly accessible to the lay Christian. Peter Enns, Scott McKnight, Timothy Keller, Philip Yancey, Rachel Held Evans are all pretty good.

Not all preachers, but theologians, Bible scholars and gifted writers included.

2
DancingWithOurHandsTChristian•

That’s an interesting spectrum with putting a super reformed Keller alongside Enns and Held Evans. I’m not criticizing you, I’m curious as to how you became a fan of such a wide spectrum.

1
bumpytheghost123Christian •

Very perceptive my friend :) Well, if I were to be honest, I have always considered myself to be a liberal Christian, liberal not in the sense that I happily accept Shelby Spong as my hero, but liberal in the sense that I acknowledge that various Christian traditions have wisdom, and its always important to take a bit of wisdom here and there without accepting the whole charade.

That is why, even though I am not a Calvinist, Keller is someone I would admire, alongside folks like Enns and Evans. I would happily put Phylis Trible alongside Tom Wright even ha :)

1
DancingWithOurHandsTChristian•

I am politically conservative but culturally/socially moderate to liberal. I take positions on cultural issues like being pro-LGBTQ, pro-premarital sex (No adultery, and in serious relationships that are not one night stands) but yet I attend evangelical churches.

2
bumpytheghost123Christian •

Ahh I see! Thanks for sharing. It is more of a spectrum, like me :)

1
NightAngel1981Christian•

Thats the great thing about being able to read the bible in your own language. You dont have to question whether they are wolves or not, you can read it and find out for yourself. Give it a try.

1
bless47Reformed•

Spurgeon was the pastor of a Megachurch in his time. Sometimes a teacher's popularity is moreso just that they are so gifted that they resonate to a wide audience of Christians.

Another example is John MacArthur. He too is the pastor of a Megachurch. It's so big he has to split the church into small groups so they can have the Lord's Supper. Despite the size of his Church, his teachings are very founded on the word of God.

1
NotoriousA_D_DChristian•

The correct spelling is J$hn M$Carth$r.

1
bless47Reformed•

o

1
NotoriousA_D_DChristian•

John McMillion's is also correct.

0
bless47Reformed•

cool

1
saxypatrickb•

““Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7:15-20‬ ‭NIV‬‬ https://www.bible.com/111/mat.7.15-20.

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Darkstar399yBaptist•

I’m not sure if I’d say all of them. Plenty of them, maybe even most of them, but probably not all.

-1
gold_shuraka•

If they are preaching anything other than a true gospel, they’re false preachers. Many of those you mentioned are in the word of faith movement, which is full of false teaching. The Gospel Coalition has an excellent documentary out called American Gospel (Amazon prime) that really clearly defines what the gospel is and what it isn’t.

-1†
ryanduffFollower of Christ•

The problem is that everyone thinks they know the true gospel. Even what's peddled by TGC and reformed theology is not accepted as the "true" gospel by many people.

7
bless47Reformed•

The true Gospel is something Reformed and non-reformed folks should agree on. It's just the semantics of what that means they disagree on.

2
PennsylDaisy•

I really appreciate this comment. Thanks!

1
ryanduffFollower of Christ•

Oh, I agree... but I find many pollute the gospel with things that aren't part of it in any biblical sense. It's no wonder people are confused though when they encounter 10 people throughout their life all telling them a different message of what they think the gospel is.

Since you didn't state it, what is the definition of the gospel as you understand it?

1
Qwertyone11Christian•

I agree, many people smarter than me still cannot decide on one true translation. Who am I to think I have the one true interpretation.

1
gold_shuraka•

That’s a good point. I would say if it opposes Jesus’ teaching, it’s safe to say that would be false teaching, correct? I don’t think any one organization or man gets it 100% right, so we have to hold a high view of scripture and rely on the word of God.

1