Heretic Highlight: Benny Hinn

I choose to highlight Benny Hinn's heresies due to his god-like status to many Pentecostals and Charismatics. He makes off-the-wall statements that are accepted by the TBN crowd. Many will not accept any questioning of Hinn's teachings or "prophecies" without making some kind "do not touch the Lord's anointed" threat.

The Bible is clear for us: "If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing." (1 Timothy 6:3-4 NIV)

With that in mind, let's take a look at some of Hinn's errors:

FALSE TEACHINGS:

"Never, ever, ever go to the Lord and say, 'If it be thy will';

No Christian should ever be sick;

We Christians possess 'power in our mouths' to heal or kill just as witches possess it;

Job tapped into the negative side of the faith force by a negative confession;

Christ 'became one with the nature of Satan' and was 'born again' in hell;

Christ would have sinned without the Holy Spirit and would have remained in the grave 'if the Holy Ghost had changed His mind about raising Him from the dead' [Jesus said, 'I have power to lay down my life and I have power to take it again' (Jn 10:18) for He is God]

We are 'little gods' and even part of God with all the power of God

We are 'little messiahs,' everything that Jesus ever was."
(Source: Biblical Discernment Ministries)

FALSE PROPHECIES:

Syria and Israel would sign a peace treaty before the Syrian king died (He died without a treaty)See Clip 1 below

Fidel Castro would die in the 1990's (He's still alive)See Clip 2 below

Jesus would appear physically on the stage with Benny Hinn (against the Bible's teachings) See Clip 3 below

The homosexual community would be destroyed in the 1990's (Did not happen)See Clip 4 below

Two giants of the faith would pass away and a great move of God would occur- like never seen before (I personally heard Hinn say this at a "Crusade" in Tampa, FL in 1991)

SOUND CLIPS:
(Download the mp3 files below)
Benny Hinn Clip #1 Benny Hinn Clip #2 Benny Hinn Clip #3 Benny Hinn Clip #4

MORE ERRORS:

“Yes. The glory of God is going to visit His mighty church. Yes Lord. Three and a half months from now a great event is going to take place in the world, followed by a mighty move of God in the church. Three and a half months from now something is going to happen in this world: headline news, you'll know it. I will not tell you what I see. You'll just know it, and something mighty will follow in the Spirit. God, the Holy Ghost, is saying to His church - Watch Israel. Watch my people Israel. You will know as you read the scriptures and watch Israel. 'For the days are short' says the Lord. 'The days ahead are evil' says the Lord, 'but I have reserved a place for my people, a place of safety, a place of protection.'“ (Benny Hinn, December 29th, 2002)(This was unfulfilled- a false prophecy)

On 12/30/02 explaining on “ the 18th of December at 2 am I awakened to a prophecy ringing in my heart. I was hearing myself prophesy. ... Jeremiah the prophet said that when the Spirit of God came upon him, when the word of the Lord came upon him, it was as fire came into his being. And he could not hold the prophesy. When the Word of the Lord is given to you, you'll prophesy even if you're alone in that place. And so I felt as though my mouth was about to burst with this prophesy. But what I heard was frightening. That was on Wednesday. Thursday morning at 2 am in fact. And now I'm hearing the words “Rivers of blood, rivers of blood.” And the Lord revealed to me what's coming in the next few days and weeks with this war with Iraq. (This was also unfulfilled- a false prophecy)

The Bible is clear:

Ezekiel 13:8 "Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: 'Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you,' says the Lord GOD.”" (NKJV)

"How long, O you sons of men, will you turn my glory to shame? How long will you love worthlessness and seek falsehood? Selah" (Psalm 4.2 NKJV)

"The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace." (Proverbs 13.5 NIV)

"Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say to them, "You shall not see the sword, nor shall you have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place."'And the LORD said to me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I have not sent them, commanded them, nor spoken to them; they prophesy to you a false vision, divination, a worthless thing, and the deceit of their heart. Therefore thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who prophesy in My name, whom I did not send, and who say, "Sword and famine shall not be in this land'--"By sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed!" (Jeremiah 14:13-15 NKJV)

"How shall I console you? To what shall I liken you, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I compare with you, that I may comfort you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For your ruin is spread wide as the sea; Who can heal you? Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; They have not uncovered your iniquity,to bring back your captives, but have envisioned for you false prophecies and delusions." (Lamentations 2:13-14 NKJV)

Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares," when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be fulfilled. (Ezekiel 13.6 NIV)

Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Matthew 7.15 NIV)

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect–if that were possible. (Matthew 24.24 NIV) This refutes the use of "miracles" as proof of Hinn's integrity- the Bible tells us that there will be very convincing false miracles and signs that could deceive the elect if it possible.

But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them–bringing swift destruction on themselves. (I Peter 2.1 NIV)

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (I John 4.1 NIV)

To Sum it up:
What we see in Benny Hinn in a false teacher and a false prophet. Unfortunately, many in the Charismatic and Pentecostal communities accept him for anything he says. They do not hold his "prophecies" and "teachings" up to the Word of God, and thus fall into serious error. This is not an exhaustive list. I could have spoken about the Triune God being a trinity of trinities (or as Hinn clarified, "there's nine of 'em"). And there's so much more. In his quest to be exciting, Hinn leaves the Word of God behind.

Hinn is a heretic. He is a false prophet who should not be feared. ("You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD ?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." -Deuteronomy 18.21-22 NIV)