Discernment, False Teachers

Hillsong/Brian & Bobbie Houston

If you are considering commenting or sending me an e-mail objecting to the fact that I warn against certain teachers, please click here and read this article first. Your objection is most likely answered here. I won’t be publishing comments or answering emails that are answered by this article.


This article is kept continuously updated as needed.


This article is what I call a “clearinghouse article”. It is a collection of articles written by others on the teacher, ministry, or unbiblical trend named below. Either I have not had the time to write a full blown article on it myself, or I felt that the articles listed did a fine job of explaining the biblical issues and there was no need to reinvent the wheel.

Disclaimer: I did not write most of the articles below, and I am not thoroughly familiar with all of the websites used in my clearinghouse articles. I do not endorse anything on these sites that deviates from Scripture or conflicts with my beliefs as outlined in the “Welcome” or “Statement of Faith” tabs in the blue menu bar at the top of this page.

Here are the  biblical criteria I use when deciding whether or not to recommend a teacher, ministry, etc.:

Generally speaking, in order for me to recommend a teacher, speaker, author, or ministry, he/she/it has to meet three criteria:

a) A female teacher cannot currently and unrepentantly preach to or teach men in violation of 1 Timothy 2:12. A male teacher or pastor cannot allow women to carry out this violation of Scripture in his ministry. The pastor or teacher cannot currently and unrepentantly be living in any other sin (for example, cohabiting with her boyfriend or living as a homosexual).

b) The pastor or teacher cannot currently and unrepentantly be partnering with or frequently appearing with false teachers. This is a violation of Scripture.

c) The pastor, teacher, or ministry cannot currently and unrepentantly be teaching false doctrine.

I recommend against any teacher or ministry who violates one or more of these biblical tenets.

If you’d like to check out some pastors and teachers I heartily recommend, click the Recommended Bible Teachers tab at the top of this page.


Hillsong/Brian & Bobbie Houston
Not Recommended

Brian Houston stepped down as head of Hillsong in 2022 (see below) and has been replaced by Phil and Lucinda Dooley. For the present, Brian’s and Bobbie’s names and the information below about them will remain in this article. They led Hillsong for nearly 40 years. It will take a while before Hillsong leaves them and their legacy behind.

Primary issues with Hillsong/Brian & Bobbie Houston: Heresy (Word of Faith/prosperity gospel/New Apostolic Reformation – NAR), false teachers/heretics, women “pastors”/preachers (Bobbie and others)

New Apostolic Reformation

New Apostolic Reformation articles

The Mailbag: What is the New Apostolic Reformation?

Articles by Unbelievers*

(May contain profanity)

Can Jesus Close the Wage Gap? Inside Hillsong’s Instagram-Fueled Women’s Movement at Elle

11 Things To Know About Hillsong Church at Cosmopolitan

Sunday service: one writer investigates the truth behind Hillsong church at Vogue

Hillsong: A church with rock concerts and 2m followers at BBC (this article also covers the homosexual worship leaders incident- see “Specific Incidents at Hillsong” below)

*More articles by unbelievers below

Theological Issues

Is Hillsong a biblically solid church? at Got Questions

You Need More Money by Brian Houston

Hillsong Church at Apologetics Index

The Heresy of Hillsong at The Protestant Standard

Music

Why Our Church No Longer Plays Bethel or Hillsong Music (or Elevation or Jesus Culture), and Neither Should Yours (multiple videos/articles)

Hillsong’s Theology of Music and Worship

Should we Listen to Hillsong Music? by Justin Peters

Specific Incidents at Hillsong

Brian Houston’s resignation, scandal, and replacement

Australian megachurch founder steps down amid allegations of misconduct at CNN*

Hillsong Church founder Brian Houston resigns after revelation of misconduct at The Christian Post

Phil and Lucinda Dooley appointed new global senior pastors of Hillsong Church at The Christian Post

Brian Houston covers up his father’s child sexual abuse at Hillsong

Hillsong’s Brian Houston failed to report abuse and had conflict of interest – royal commission at The Guardian*

Hillsong pastor Brian Houston stands by decision not to report dad’s child abuse to police at Christian Today

Pedophiles being protected-at it’s finest. Hillsong and Houston, September 2019, Parliament Address*

Naked Cowboy at Colour (women’s) Conference

Cowboy-cott Hillsong

Homosexual worship leaders / Hillsong’s homosexuality policy

Why TV’s ‘Broadway Boyfriends’ will keep singing with Hillsong Church by Jonathan Merritt*

Hillsong’s Brian Houston says church won’t take public position on LGBT issues by Jonathan Merritt*

Sleazy Christmas performance

Hillsong’s “Sleazy Silent Night!” at Fighting for the Faith (here is the video to which the article refers)

Carl Lentz on abortion

Hillsong Pastor Carl Lentz Provides Moral Cover For Abortion On ‘The View’ at The Federalist

Apostate worship leader

Hillsong Worship Leader Leaves the Faith by Gabriel Hughes

Fraud and Finances

Hillsong leaders accused of money laundering, tax evasion, shopping that would ‘embarrass a Kardashian’ at The Christian Post

Collections of Articles

The Brian Houston & Hillsong Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Abuse, Obfuscation & Money Generation at Messed Up Church

Hillsong articles at Grace to You (enter “Hillsong” in the search bar)

Hillsong posts/episodes at Fighting for the Faith

Brian Houston posts/episodes at Fighting for the Faith

Hillsong articles at Berean Research

If you came here looking for a critique of individual Hillsong songs, that’s not really what this is about. Everything connected to Brian Houston – Hillsong “Church,” Hillsong Music (as an entity and all individual songs), all Hillsong personnel (including Bobbie Houston), materials, programs, and events – are all fruit of the poisonous tree of false teacher, Brian Houston. No, you cannot biblically pick and choose songs from Hillsong that don’t seem to overtly violate Scripture. The Bible never tells us to “chew up the meat and spit out the bones.” It says:

I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. Romans 16:17-18

“Watch out” for false teachers. “Avoid them.” That includes everything about them: all their materials, books, events, music, social media, etc. Would the God who breathed out these words of Scripture be pleased if we ourselves, or our churches, use materials by people who “do not serve our Lord Christ”?

Discernment

Cowboy-cott Hillsong

cowboycott hillsong

Seriously, when are we going to start boycotting Hillsong? What’s it going to take?

I should be used to it by now, but I scarcely know how to begin expressing my shock and disgust at this.

Family Friendly Hillsong Includes the Dancing Naked Cowboy?

Hillsong NY Features Naked Dancing Cowboy- Seriously

Qualification for Hillsong Youth Pastors: Be a Hot Model

The Naked Cowboy Appears at Hillsong Women’s Conference

Hillsong holds an annual conference for women called the Colour Conference. This year at Hillsong- New York’s (yes, unfortunately, this blasphemous organization masquerading as a church has made it from Australia to the U.S.) Colour Conference, the organizers decided it would be a great idea to feature a “Naked Cowboy” impersonater. (If you don’t know who the Naked Cowboy is, Google at your own risk.)

Now let that sink in a minute: a mostly naked, good looking young man. On stage. In front of thousands of women.

What do you think was the reason for that?

It wasn’t during a regular Sunday morning “worship” service. Or at a men’s conference. Or at a youth event.

It wasn’t because the Naked Cowboy is known for leading any sort of biblical worship.

Hillsong had their youth “pastor” impersonate someone whose claim to fame is being nearly naked in public. In front of a crowd of women.

I can’t imagine any way you could spin this to convince people he was there for any reason besides being an object of lust for those women, like a male stripper at a bachelorette party.

A nearly naked “pastor” on stage to be lusted after. At a “Christian” conference for “Christian” women.

I’d like to take a moment here to remind you that this is the “church” that produced Christine Caine, and that she, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer – false teachers, all – have all been featured speakers at past Colour Conferences.

When your church uses Hillsong music in your worship service or buys other Hillsong materials, this is the organization your offering money is supporting.

If it wasn’t enough that Hillsong teaches heretical Word of Faith theology (and it should be enough), is this enough to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back for your church when it comes to using Hillsong materials?

Lots of Christians are boycotting Target over something as Kingdom-inconsequential as bathroom equality. Nobody’s going to spend an eternity in hell because of the bathroom he uses. But people do spend their eternities in hell for believing the false doctrine Hillsong and other Word of Faith organizations peddle. Isn’t it time for us to sweep around our own front door and give heresy the boot? When are we going to start boycotting false teachers and heretical “churches” like Hillsong?


Find out more about Hillsong’s false doctrine and disobedience to Scripture here.

Celebrity Pastors, Discernment, False Teachers

Living Proof You Should Follow Beth (No) Moore

If you are considering commenting or sending me an e-mail objecting to the fact that I warn against false teachers, please click here and read this article first. Your objection is most likely answered here. I won’t be publishing comments or answering emails that are answered by this article.


This article is kept continuously updated as needed.


Discerning the False Teachers: Beth Moore Part 1 and Part 2 are episodes of the A Word Fitly Spoken podcast with Michelle Lesley and Amy Spreeman based on this article if you’d like to listen to an audio version.

Beth Moore is easily the world’s best known women’s Bible study author and teacher in the world. With her down home charm, endless energy, and stunning smile, she has captured the hearts of millions with her humor and storytelling style of teaching.

In forty years of ministry, Beth has written dozens of books. She also gives numerous Living Proof Live conferences every year and has a radio show and a television show on TBN, both called Living Proof with Beth Moore.

Beth truly seems to care about her followers and her passion about the issues of sexual abuse and racism have endeared her to many inside and outside the church.

As beloved and likable as she is, it would be so much easier and more pleasant to jump on the Beth Bandwagon than to have to warn against her as a false teacher. But as Christians, no matter how much we love a certain teacher, our highest love and loyalty must always be to Christ and His Word first, which means we must reject anything – even a beloved teacher – that is at odds with Him and the Scriptures. Beth Moore’s teaching and behavior conflicts with Scripture in several ways. For these reasons it is my sad duty to recommend that you not follow Beth Moore or receive any teaching from her or anyone connected to Living Proof Ministries.

Beth Moore preaches to men

Beth Moore preaching the Sunday morning sermon at
Progressive Baptist Church, Chicago, March 8, 2020.

There are dozens, if not hundreds, of videos on YouTube featuring Beth Moore’s preaching and Bible teaching which clearly show men in the audience. Beth Moore has, for quite a while, been teaching and preaching to men as well as women. First Timothy 2:12 clearly forbids this.

For those who would try to defend her by saying, “She can’t help it if men come to her conferences,” or “Co-ed conference preaching isn’t ‘in the church’ so it’s OK,” Beth not only preaches to men at conferences and other parachurch events, she is no stranger to preaching Sunday morning sermons to the entire congregation (including men) in churches (see also “preaching to men” link above and the Additional Resources section at the end of this article). In addition to the video above of her Sunday morning sermon at Progressive Baptist Church, the screenshot below refers to Beth preaching the Mother’s Day Sunday morning service at the Tomball, Texas campus of her home church, Bayou City Fellowship, on May 12, 2019 (read more here).

(And to those who would attempt to defend the trend of women preaching the Sunday sermon on Mother’s Day, let’s be clear about something. The Bible doesn’t say women are prohibited from preaching except on Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day didn’t even exist when Scripture was written. Scripture makes the blanket statement that women are not to preach to, teach Scripture to, or exercise authority over men in the gathering of the Body. Period.)

Here (in a continuation of the preaching on Mother’s Day kerfuffle), Beth admits to having preached in multiple Southern Baptist worship services over her 40 year career (she has also preached in many non-SBC churches) and seems to proudly defend her sin of doing so, while simultaneously boasting of her track record of obedience, by saying it “only” happened fifteen times.

It’s a bit confusing. Is Beth saying preaching to men is a sin and we should be grateful she “only” did it fifteen times? If so, this is not how we handle sin. We do not boast like the Pharisee about how few times we have sinned and how obedient we are, we grieve over even one sin, repent, and cry out with the publican, “God be merciful to me, a sinner!”. Also if Beth is saying it’s a sin, why is she defending the fact on Thursday, May 9, that she is still planning to preach on Sunday, May 12? Why isn’t she instead confessing her plan to sin, humbly repenting, and announcing that she will not preach on Sunday?

If Beth is saying preaching to men is not a sin, why is she defending herself as only having done it fifteen times? Why didn’t she do it far more than only fifteen times over 40 years? Why not proudly enumerate all the times and places she has preached? Why have we not heretofore heard about these fifteen preaching events, as we hear about all her other speaking events, if it was OK for her to preach? Why didn’t she list the Mother’s Day event in question on her website alongside all her other speaking engagements? Why didn’t she talk it up on social media as she does with other speaking engagements? Why didn’t the church she’s speaking at excitedly advertise that she would be speaking as other venues do when she speaks?

Beth seems to know that preaching to men is a sin, but is trying to defend the fact that she does so.

Beth Moore partners with,
and is being influenced by, false teachers

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Beth Moore tweeted this in December 2013. “Lakewood” is prosperity preacher Joel Osteen’s church. Christine Caine also preaches to men and originally hails from the leadership team of Word of Faith (prosperity gospel) church, Hillsong.

One need only peruse Beth’s Twitter feed to see other false teachers she allows herself to be influenced by: Matthew Vines, Rachel Held Evans, Christine Caine, Andy Stanley, and more (including Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt – see An Open Letter to Beth Moore below).

Beth Moore speaking at Hillsong’s 2012 Colour Conference.

Screen Shot 2012-11-11 at 7.10.17 AM

Beth Moore has been a featured speaker at Hillsong‘s Colour Conference for women several times (2014, 2015), and at the 2017 Hillsong Conference which is co-ed. She even has her own page at the Hillsong church website and has been featured multiple times on the Hillsong channel. She was also a featured speaker at the Be the Change conference with Christine Caine and Lisa Bevere in 2012.

In 2014, Beth began an ongoing partnership with Joyce Meyer, regularly appearing on her television show and serving as one of two main speakers (the other was Christine Caine) at Joyce’s 2016 women’s conference. See the “Additional Resources” section at the end of this article for other false teachers Beth joins with.

In 2015, Beth launched her own show on TBN, which is sometimes jokingly called the “Total Blasphemy Network,” due to the fact that nearly all of their programs feature or are hosted by some of the worst of the worst false teachers, mostly those of the New Apostolic Reformation variety.

The pictures below were posted by head “pastor” of Hillsong, Brian Houston, on his Facebook page on March 8, 2019 after he interviewed Beth for his TBN television show “Let’s Talk, with Brian Houston”.

Brian Houston and Beth Moore
Laurie Crouch, Beth Moore, Matt Crouch (President of TBN),
Brian Houston, Victoria Osteen, Joel Osteen

On April 8, 2019, Beth appeared with Laurie Crouch (daughter-in-law of the late Paul and Jan Crouch) and Victoria Osteen on the TBN program, Praise.

Beth Moore, Victoria Osteen, Laurie Crouch

Scripture is quite clear that we are to have nothing to do with false teachers, especially when it comes to ministry.

Beth Moore claims to receive direct,
personal, extra-biblical revelation from God

Beloved, I am convinced one of our severest needs is pure rest. Not only sleep, but refreshment and recreation. Recently God spoke to me about capturing what He and I are calling “Sabbath moments.” Like many of yours, my schedule right now is particularly tough, and I see no time in the near future for a number of days off. God spoke to my heart one Saturday morning while I was preparing for Sunday school: “My child, in between more intense rests, I want to teach you to take Sabbath moments.” I wasn’t certain what He meant. Just that morning God confirmed His desire for me to drive all the way to the other side of Houston to the medical center to visit a patient with brain cancer. I was very thankful for the privilege of visiting this patient, but I knew in advance it would be tough emotionally and far from restful.
Excerpted from Beth Moore’s The Beloved Disciple

Aside from the fact that it’s unbiblical in and of itself for Beth to claim that God is talking to her, God is not inventing new teachings besides the ones He has already given us in Scripture. And this “Sabbath moments” teaching is found nowhere in Scripture. Passages like 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:3 explain that Scripture is sufficient to teach us everything we need pertaining to life and godliness.

Additionally, notice that Beth says “I wasn’t certain what He meant.” When you have a few hours, go grab your Bible and look up every single passage about God actually speaking to somebody. Did any of them ever say, “I wasn’t certain what He meant.”? Absolutely not. When God speaks to someone, He is completely, perfectly clear about what His message means.

What God began to say to me about five years ago, and I’m telling you it sent me on such a trek with Him, that my head is still whirling over it.

He began to say to me, ”I’m gonna tell you something right now, Beth; and boy, you write this one downAnd you say it as often as I give you utterance to say it: ‘My Bride is paralyzed by unbelief. My Bride is paralyzed by unbelief.’” And He said, “Startin’ with you.”
Excerpted from Beth Moore’s “Believing God” video

The infamous “hairbrush story” in which Beth claims God told her to go up to a stranger in the airport and brush his hair.

In her blog article It’s Hunting Season for Heretics, Beth defends herself against those calling her to repent of believing and teaching extra-biblical revelation with this comment, displaying either her confusion or ignorance about God’s Word and His authority:

“Nothing equates with the Scriptures: no word of knowledge, no prophetic message, no insight, no revelation, no dream, no vision. Nothing. That doesn’t mean they can’t be valid. The New Testament says they can. But they must never supplant or be placed on the same level with the Scriptures.”

This makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. First of all, where – in context and rightly handled – does the New Testament say this, as she claims? It can’t. All of the dreams, visions, prophecies, etc. in the Bible from God to His people became Scripture once they were written down, and we know that all Scripture is breathed out by God. Know what that means? God Himself equates all of these types of revelation with Scripture.

When God speaks, God speaks. He doesn’t speak authoritatively in Scripture and non-authoritatively or less authoritatively outside of Scripture. Doing so would make Him imperfect and, thus, not God. People who claim to receive “words of knowledge, prophetic messages, insights, revelations, dreams, and visions” claim that these extra-biblical revelations are God speaking to them. If this is true, and this really is God speaking, then His spoken word to them is “on the same level as Scripture”. (And I won’t even go into the instances in which these folks, including Beth Moore, have said God has told them something that conflicts with Scripture or that God told them something was going to happen and it didn’t. I guess God just gets it wrong sometimes?) If it is not true and it really isn’t God speaking to them then why are we listening to them and why are they saying that their own ideas and imaginings are God speaking to them?

These are just a few of the numerous examples of Beth Moore supposedly receiving personal, direct revelation from God. Pick up any of her books or watch any video of her teaching, and count how many times she says, “God told me…” or “God said…” or “I think…” or “I believe…” or bases her teaching on a personal experience, story, or what God supposedly spoke to her rather than teaching what God’s all-sufficient word clearly says.

Beth Moore refuses correction

Beth preaching (to men, once again) at the 2014 Awaken Now conference.

Scripture teaches that the wise humble themselves and receive biblical correction. But in this video, Beth Moore preemptively strikes out at anyone who sees and hears what she will soon be teaching or doing and finds it to be in conflict with Scripture. Do you notice she does not quote or read a single passage of Scripture to back up what she is saying? Notice how many times she says “I believe…” This is all based on her own subjective ideations.

Instead of taking a step back and honestly evaluating where she is wrong on the biblical issues she has been called to account for, Beth Moore frequently doubles down as in this blog post striking out against people calling her a heretic or a false teacher for “disagreement” or “getting something wrong.” My comment to her was:

Beth-

You’re absolutely right, a simple difference of opinion between two people doesn’t make someone a false teacher. And making a mistake or getting something wrong doesn’t make someone a false teacher either, if, when she is shown from Scripture that she is wrong, she repents and stops doing/teaching whatever she was wrong about.

That’s not what’s going on here.

You have been shown numerous times by numerous people that you mishandle and disobey God’s word (you preach to men in direct violation of 1 Timothy 2:12ff, you have unequally yoked yourself with false teachers in the prosperity gospel movement such as Christine Caine, Joyce Meyer, and others, also in violation of Scripture, you twist and misapply God’s word, etc.) and yet you persist in doing so and continue to justify yourself and cast aspersions on brothers and sisters in Christ who call you to repent and conform to God’s word. THAT is what makes you a false teacher, not a simple mistake or disagreement.

You are not being called a false teacher because of man’s opinion, but because you rebel against God’s word and lead others to do the same. Please repent, obey God’s word, and teach sound doctrine. That is what the women who listen to you need.

At the end of this same blog post, in response to comments like mine calling her to repent for her false doctrine, Beth later wrote an addendum, the gist of which was, “I’m still right and anybody who disagrees with me is wrong.” This just further illustrates her inability to accept correction and her tendency to double down when reproved.

Another example of Beth’s refusing to accept correction (technically, it wasn’t even correction, but a request for her to clarify her position on homosexuality) came during 2019’s “Open Letter to Beth Moore” debacle (*see below).

Beth Moore is heading toward
affirming homosexuality

In the summer of 2019, five women bloggers and Bible teachers and I, published An Open Letter to Beth Moore. It was subsequently signed by over 500 additional Christian women. The letter was merely a request for clarification of Beth’s views on homosexuality since she maintains public, adulatory friendships with well known homosexuality-affirming evangelicals such as Jen Hatmaker and Jonathan Merritt, and since she has been virtually silent on the issue of homosexuality in recent years while not hesitating to speak out on other heinous sins.

For two and a half weeks, *Beth ignored the letter, slandered the signers of the letter, and refused to make her position on homosexuality clear in any venue. It was then discovered that Beth had biblically addressed the sin of homosexuality in her book Praying God’s Word, but had later removed this section from the book because she felt she had “exceeded Scripture”. Finally, Beth wrote a blog post explaining why she had removed this passage and making a biblical statement on human sexuality, yet still not declaring homosexuality to be a sin. (You can read more about this series of events in my articles Questions about the Open Letter to Beth Moore and An Open Letter to Beth Moore – Timeline of Events.)

A few weeks after Beth’s blog post, Beth admitted she has been looking into the arena of same sex attracted (SSA) Christianity on her LifeWay-sponsored TBN television show, in an episode entitled Staying Afloat on the Fellow Ship – Part 4. 

Though Beth’s words may not sound problematic to some, Elizabeth Prata explains in her article Listen carefully to what she is saying in this video…, exactly why Beth’s remarks signal her trajectory toward acceptance of homosexuality:

In her latest lesson video on unity and fellowship, Moore used many phrases and code words that indicate her stance toward same sex attraction, homosexuality, and their attendant issues, is aligned with the aforementioned folks she was supposed to be ministering to in love by warning against these very things.

Moore makes it sound as if homosexuals are doing Jesus a favor by choosing celibacy. Homosexually attracted people are no different in their sin than…any other flavor of sexual sin…touting their “tremendous sacrifice” makes it seem as if they are.

I believe this video and Moore’s recent handling of the homosexuality issue means Moore seems to be readying herself to ‘come out’ as it were, of affirming homosexuals in some way as believers.

Beth Moore is “going woke” and progressive

It’s difficult to give a precise definition for what “woke” means, but generally speaking, it’s basically what you see playing out in race relations in the U.S. right now: Critical Race Theory. White privilege. Reparations. Oppression. Repent of and renounce your whiteness. White people’s racism is so deep seated we’re not even conscious of it. White power, white privilege, and racism are inextricably embedded in politics, education, religion, economics- every single system in existence. It is a paradigm through which social justice issues are viewed and addressed, and “woke” means you’ve finally been “awakened” to these supposed truths. In addition to racial issues many would also include more general social justice issues such as illegal immigration, poverty, etc., under the banner of “wokeness”.

Over the past few years, Beth has been on more and more of a woke trajectory. Many of her tweets on Twitter indicate this, and she has not only befriended several who are leaders in the evangelical woke stream, she has also publicly praised them, recommended their books, and yoked with them in ministry, which is a violation of Scripture. Some of these include Jemar Tisby, Dwight McKissic, Charlie Dates (you may have noticed in the first video of this article that the church Beth was preaching at is pastored by Charlie Dates), “racial trauma counselor” Kyle J. Howard, and LaTasha Morrison, to name a few. You’ll also notice in the slideshow below that Beth now subscribes to the progressive “pro-all of life” version of “pro-life” – that in order to truly consider yourself “pro-life” you must also be pro-illegal immigration, pro-CRT, pro-intersectionality, and so on. In other words, you must be “pro-” anything and anyone liberals claim are being wronged or oppressed, regardless of whether or not it may be illegal or unbiblical.

Here, Beth recommends Jemar Tisby’s The Color of Compromise and LaTasha Morrison’s Be the Bridge. A couple of quotes from Morrison’s book:

“We won’t be agents of reconciliation until, like Ezra and Daniel, we take on the guilt and shame of our community and let it propel us toward confession.” p. 78

“Jesus didn’t just come to restore individual people; he came to break down systems of oppression, to provide a way for his kingdom to appear on earth as it is in heaven. He came so that we, his followers, could partner with him in restoring integrity and justice to broken systems, broken governments, and ultimately, broken relationships.” p. 180-181

Beth Moore uses intentionally and
purposefully deceptive language

Beth often craftily couches her statements about controversial issues in such a way as to give her plausible deniability if she’s ever called on something she needs to back out of. In other words, her statements are just vague or non-committal enough to convince her followers who want to believe she’s biblical into thinking she’s not saying what she’s actually saying. And at the same time if someone she’s accountable to says, “This statement contradicts Scripture,” she has enough wiggle room to say “That’s not what I meant. I meant something else.” A couple of the things I’ve mentioned in previous sections above are very good examples of this.

Let’s revisit the Mother’s Day 2019 preaching incident. Take a look at the conversation again:

Instead of coming right out and clearly announcing “I’m preaching the Sunday morning sermon at my church,” Beth’s response to Vicki was, “I’m doing Mother’s Day too!”. Several people in that tweet thread asked her if that meant she was preaching the sermon, and she ignored them. 

That leaves reasonable doubt for Beth’s fans who actually understand that women preaching is wrong to think, “Well maybe she just means she’s giving her personal testimony or saying a few words of welcome and she’s not actually preaching the sermon.” Whereas people who know Beth’s history of preaching to men would know she means that she’s preaching the Sunday sermon. Do you see what I mean about this example of deceptive language? She’s announcing she’s preaching but wording it in such a way that people can choose to believe she’s not.

Another example of Beth’s “wiggle room wording” is the final response she gave in the Open Letter to Beth Moore discussed above. Here’s what she said in her blog post that was supposed to put an end to the questions and definitively state her position:

I hold firmly to a traditional Christian sexual ethic and continue to believe the Bible sets apart marriage as a covenant between a man and a woman. But I also believe that Scripture clearly teaches that all sex outside of marriage is contrary to God‘s will.

It’s not a bad statement on sexuality in general, and Beth’s followers who are undiscerning or don’t know their Bibles well probably thought it clearly said she thinks homosexuality is a sin. Which is exactly what she wants them to believe she said. But it doesn’t say that. 

She still does not plainly say, “Homosexuality is a sin that must be repented of.” She didn’t even use the word “homosexuality” or other synonymous terms in this statement. And there’s still enough wiggle room in this statement that it leaves the door open for her, in the future, to validate homosexual orientation, identification, lust, or anything short of sexual acts or homosexual “marriage”.

She also added a Bible verse to back up this statement, Galatains 5:19-20:

Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Again, to the average, church going Beth Moore follower who thinks she’s perfectly biblical, this sounds like Beth is pointing to the Bible and saying homosexuality is a sin. And that’s what she wants those people to think she’s saying. But she doesn’t want her homosexual followers to think she’s saying that. 

That’s why Beth intentionally chose a verse that does not use any form of the word “homosexuality,” even though she is undoubtedly familiar with the ones that do, for example 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.

For those of us who are familiar with Galatians 5:19 and the Greek behind it, we already know that “sexual immorality” covers all sexual activity outside the monogamous heterosexual marriage bed, which does include homosexuality. Therefore, many of Beth’s followers from a conservative church background will take her quotation of this passage in Galatians 5 to mean, “Yes, I agree with the Bible that homosexuality is a sin.”

However, Beth also has many homosexual and homosexual affirming followers, many of whom likely subscribe to the “gay Christian” movement’s idea that the verses in the Bible that condemn homosexuality are only speaking of homosexual temple prostitution and assorted other perversions, not loving, faithful, monogamous homosexual “marriages” or relationships. 

People who believe all of these errant ideas about homosexuality are not going to to see the term “sexual immorality” as applying to supposedly faithful homosexual relationships, so they will see Beth’s remarks as saying that she considers “sexual immorality” a sin, but not that that term includes supposedly “moral” homosexual relationships.

This use of language is intentionally and purposefully deceptive. It’s not an accident. It’s not being loving and kind. It’s speaking with the forked tongue of the devil. If that sounds harsh to you, I would encourage you to get out your Bible and consider how Satan craftily uses language in the Garden with Eve or when he’s tempting Jesus. Then compare Satan’s shrewd use of language to Beth’s. She’s being deceptive because she’s trying to keep all of her followers happy – the average evangelical woman who’s at church every Sunday and at the women’s Beth Moore Bible study class every Tuesday and the “gay Christians” and those who affirm them. 

Christians are truth speakers. We speak the truth lovingly and kindly, but we speak it directly and clearly. We let our yes be yes and our no be no. We don’t use language like it’s an abstract painting that can mean whatever the person taking it in wants it to mean.

A final note that’s semi-related to Beth’s deceptive use of language: Many of Beth’s unbiblical statements, positions, behavior, attacks on others, etc., as you may have noticed from the links above, take place on Twitter, and occasionally, Instagram. If you only read Beth’s books, attend her conferences, watch her videos, or follow her on Facebook, you aren’t going to see these kinds of things.

That, too, is purposeful and intentional. She is playing to her demographics. As many with online ministries have discovered, older, more conservative evangelicals generally tend to use Facebook. Younger, more progressive evangelicals generally tend to use Twitter, Instagram, and other more “cutting edge” social media platforms. Beth isn’t going to take a chance on offending the middle-aged and older women who follow her on Facebook (or aren’t on social media at all and only know her through her books and conferences), but she can get away with her more progressive comments on other platforms.

Beth Moore’s ministry produces rotten fruit

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
Matthew 7:15-20

Beth’s followers and supporters are the fruit of her ministry. Are they good fruit or bad fruit? Is she a healthy tree or a diseased tree? Would a godly, doctrinally sound teacher have multiple followers who are homosexuals and homosexuality-affirming? Who rebel against the Bible’s teaching on gender roles? Who blithely blaspheme, spew profanity, and threaten Believers who object to Beth’s sins and false teaching? Who slander and make false accusations against Believers, and display every opposite of the Fruit of the Spirit?

Scroll down to the end of the “Saturday, July 6” section of An Open Letter to Beth Moore – Timeline of Events for comments from Beth’s homosexual and homosexuality-affirming followers.

Examine this Twitter thread showing many ungodly comments from Beth’s followers.


Additional Resources:

My articles and resources:

Beth Moore’s wild unbiblical teachings: Michelle Lesley interview on Doreen Virtue’s Videocast

After Thought Podcast Guest Appearance Part 1, Part 2: The Open Letter to Beth Moore

The Rapp Report Podcast Guest Appearance: The Open Letter to Beth Moore and Complementarianism

Theology. Driven. Podcast Guest Appearance: Beth Moore, the SBC, and Christian Women

The Mailbag: What did you think of Beth Moore’s “A Letter to My Brothers”?

The Mother of All Rebellions: Having a Woman Preach on Mother’s Day


Articles and resources from others:

Disclaimer: The specific links below are provided and endorsed as evidence pertaining to this article only. I do not endorse any of these sites in so far as any of them might deviate from Scripture or conflict with my beliefs as outlined in the “Welcome” or “Statement of Faith” tabs at the top of this page.

Overviews/Series – Multiple Theological Problems with Beth Moore:

Critiques of Beth Moore (long version) by Elizabeth Prata

Critiques of Beth Moore (newest) by Elizabeth Prata

Articles on Beth Moore by Elizabeth Prata

Why Your Pastor Should Say “No More” to Beth Moore and Why the SBC Should Say “No More” to Beth Moore by Josh Buice

The Beth Moore Cornucopia of False Doctrine, Mysticism, and Impassioned Frenzy by Steven Kozar

Beth Moore at Fighting for the Faith

The Fundamental Problem of Beth Moore at Voice of Reason Radio

Preaching to Men:

Beth preaches the Sunday morning sermon at Transformation Church, June 2019 (see Chris Rosebrough’s brief critique of this sermon here)

Beth Moore vs. Owen Strahan at WWUTT Podcast
(Related links):
Michelle Lesley’s Twitter thread on Beth’s Sunday sermon preaching
Beth Moore’s Twitter response to Midwestern Seminary professor Owen
Strahan’s article on biblical complementarianism

The Mother of All Rebellions: Having a Woman Preach on Mother’s Day

Beth Moore Goes off Like a Bottle Rocket by Gabe Hughes

How Beth Moore Is Calling Down Pentecostal Fire at Charisma (Please note, this is an article praising Beth for doing unbiblical things and is provided only for evidence of such. Charisma promotes all sorts of false doctrine, and I definitely do not recommend or endorse it.)

Beth Moore preaches the Sunday sermon at Bayou City Fellowship Church: Mother’s Day 2016

Beth Moore preaches the Sunday sermon at Louie Giglio’s Passion City Church

Partnering with False Teachers

Beth Moore’s new television show on (Word of Faith) TBN (Sponsored by LifeWay)

Andy Stanley Weighs in on Beth Moore at Wretched

Unbiblical Teaching and Misuse of Scripture/Book Reviews

Beth Moore – False Teacher at The King’s Dale

Beth Moore by CARM.org

“Breaking Free” from Beth Moore and Her “Try Hard” Theology by Lisa Nunley at Sola Sisters (This blog is now defunct. I no longer recommend the current Sola Sisters “ministry”, found primarily on social media.)

Theology…More or Less With Beth by Sarah Flashing at Midwest Christian Outreach

Biblical reviews of Beth Moore simulcasts and other materials by Chapter 3 Ministries

Why We (Still) Warn Against Beth Moore at Things Above Us

Beth Moore Is Using Marxist, Feminist, Social Justice Talking Points Instead of Scripture at The Western Journal

Book Reviews:

So Long, Insecurity: You’ve Been a Bad Friend to Us by Beth Moore at The King’s Dale

Breaking Free: Discover the Victory of Total Surrender at The King’s Dale

Beth Moore’s “Breaking Free” at The Watchman’s Bagpipes

Jesus the One and Only at The King’s Dale

Praying God’s Word: Breaking Free from Spiritual Strongholds at The King’s Dale

Beth Moore- A review of “Stepping Up” at …Say What?