So we’re “beta testing” a new weekly feature today and for the foreseeable future: The Mailbag. I get lots of great questions from readers, and I figure if one person is asking, there are probably several more wondering the same thing.
If you have a question about: a well known Christian author/leader, a Bible passage, an aspect of theology, a current issue in Christianity, or how to biblically handle a family, life, or church situation, comment below (I’ll hold all questions in queue {unpublished} for a future edition of The Mailbag) or send me an e-mail or private message. If your question is chosen for publication, your anonymity will be protected.
Have you listened to/researched anything on Dr. David Jeremiah? I have heard a couple of his sermons on Turning Point Radio and they have both been sound, but I am wondering more about him.
I have not read any of David Jeremiah’s books nor listened to more than a few excerpts from his sermons, so I suppose it is possible his materials themselves, especially older ones, may be OK, doctrinally. I would, however, urge caution and careful discernment should you decide to use any of his materials.
That being said, while David Jeremiah, generally speaking, has a reputation for preaching and teaching sound doctrine, at least in the past, he is not someone I would recommend due to his extremely poor discernment.
Over the past several years, David Jeremiah has been associating and partnering with a variety of popular false teachers and engaging in questionable practices:
In 2012, he went on Trinity Broadcasting Network’s Praise-A-Thon to help raise money for the indisputably Word of Faith television network. He had all kinds of laudatory words for Paul Crouch and TBN, and his remarks about stewardship, sowing and reaping, etc., were worrisome at best.
Jeremiah has engaged in the same unethical practice as Mark Driscoll and others of buying his way onto the best seller lists.
Jeremiah has partnered with Catholic mystic, Roma Downey, writing a companion book to her A.D. miniseries. (This article also asserts that Jeremiah has connections to T.D. Jakes {modalist, Word of Faith} and Jesse Duplantis {Word of Faith, New Apostolic Reformation}. I don’t doubt the author, but I have not been able to find those connections through my own research. T.D. Jakes was a consultant on Roma Downey’s The Bible miniseries, so it’s possible they know each other through her.)
Last year, Jeremiah joined with Word of Faith heretics Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, and Jan Crouch in laying hands on, and praying for, Donald Trump.
In May, Jeremiah will be sharing the stage with Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen at the Jumpstart conference. UPDATE: “Due to other conflicts” Jeremiah will no longer be appearing at the Jumpstart conference. A reader shared with me this email she received from Turning Point ministries:
In the same way I do not recommend female authors and teachers who preach to men because they are living in ongoing, unrepentant sin (1 Timothy 2:12), I cannot recommend a pastor or teacher (male or female) who is living in ongoing, unrepentant sin by partnering with and endorsing false teachers regardless of how sound his own doctrine might be. Scripture is very clear that this is forbidden:
Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, 11 for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
2 John 9-11
Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,
“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.
17 Therefore go out from their midst,
and be separate from them, says the Lord,
and touch no unclean thing;
then I will welcome you,
18 and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Additionally, it is dangerous to fellowship with false teachers because they can corrupt even sound theology.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
1 Corinthians 15:33
Instead of David Jeremiah, I would recommend that you check out one of these fine, doctrinally sound teachers.
Michelle Lesley 