Is Benny Hinn a false Profit and is it spiritually safe for a christian to criticize him?

Question

Benny Hinn claims to be a prophet of God and regularly issues specific prophecies regarding events that he claims will occur within specific periods of time. However, he has a documented history of making prophecies that have not come true (see below for a partial list). Since, according to the definition specified by the Bible that true prophets inspired by God can never be incorrect in their prophecies, [though this too can be debated because Jonah's prophecy, for example, did not come true even though he was a true prophet Jonah 3:4, 4:1–2], many Christian apologetics ministries, primarily those who oppose the Word of Faith movement in general, consider Benny Hinn to be a false prophet.

Examples of questionable prophecies

* "The Spirit tells me - Fidel Castro will die - in the 90's. Oooh my! Some will try to kill him and they will not succeed. But there will come a change in his physical health, and he will not stay in power, and Cuba will be visited of God."

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=420067844

* "The Lord also tells me to tell you in the mid 90’s, about ’94-’95, no later than that, God will destroy the homosexual community of America. [audience applauds] But He will not destroy it – with what many minds have thought Him to be, He will destroy it with fire. And many will turn and be saved, and many will rebel and be destroyed."

Orlando Christian Center, Dec. 31, 1989 (audio)

# "The Spirit of God tells me an earthquake will hit the East Coast of America and destroy much in the '90s. Not one place will be safe from earthquakes in the '90s. These who have not known earthquakes will know it. People, I feel the Spirit all over me!"

Orlando Christian Center, Dec. 31, 1989

# "We may have two years before the rapture. Can I be blunt with you? I don't know if we have two years left. I'm going to prove to you from the Word tonight, that we have less than two years, unless the Lord changes his mind."

November 9, 1990 Praise-a-Thon

# "But here's first what I see for TBN. You're going to have people raised from the dead watching this network. You're going to have people raised from the dead watching TBN. Programs -- just plain programs -- programs that haven't done much when it comes to supernatural manifestations -- teaching programs!"

# (http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=420067844 has an audio of this and Hinn was referring to people physically being raised from the dead.)

October 19, 1999 Praise The Lord, Trinity Broadcasting Network

# "Jesus is coming again within the next two years."

July 1997, fund-raising telethon on TBN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benny_Hinn

Answer 1

yes very false. i used to work in a call center. it was the number on the screen for ordering products or " free " prayer. yeah... we would have them call another number .... that redirected them to us at 30 $/minute.

yeah. binny hinns a genius. a rich man, but not a prophet.

Answer 2

Of course he is not a prophet, you can tell from his "prophesies" that are not true. But to ask if it is spiritually safe to criticize him, is, well, giving him waaaaayyyyy too much power. But on the other hand, you shouldn't really criticize as much as compare what he says to what the Bible says, and then pray for him and move on.
The person that should be worrying about spiritual safety is Mr. Hinn. NEVER a good idea to go around saying "God told me to tell you..." unless they are absolutely 100 certain. The fact that he continues to give these false "prophesies" when they are continually wrong says he is completely consumed and puffed up with pride.
You would do well to just shake the dust off your feet, pray, and move on. I've seen people flip out over stuff like this. It is so not worth it.

Answer 3

Benny Hinn is a tele-evangelist who has made quite a bit of wealth from others. He is not a prophet of God and I have never heard him say that Jesus died for mankind's sins. I think he will have alot to answer for when he stands before God. Faith movement is about claiming it and getting it and the Bible is very clear that as Christians we will have trials and tribulations. We are not all meant to be wealth and not all meant to be well. Wealth , when some Christians recieve it , changes there trust in God. They trust more on what they can do. Sometimes the only way that God can get our attention and really teach us where we are sinning or what we need to learn to grow is by allowing trials and tribulations in our lives to purge out the inpure areas of our lives.

Answer 4

If anyone uses the word I when describing their ministry I would be careful. It is all God's ministry and at the best we can be anointed to operate in one of the five fold ministries. It ain't us doing the ministering, it is The Spirit of God. All else is bull pucky. God does the healing, God does the prophecy, and God does the Teaching and Preaching. He uses the willing vessels. If God calls us and I believe He calls us all to be willing, then we are to prepare our vessels for His use. A person operating in a prophetic ministry, is not a fortune teller, he is simply a means of confirmation, by the Holy Spirit, for something about the future, that God has already spoke to your heart about. I guess you can answer your own question about Benny and any other visible ministry. Is it God doing it or is it man? Does it confirm something in your spirit? Since God is omnipresent and is all knowing, who is doing the solicitation?

Answer 5

Clearly he is a false prophet and a false healer and probably a flase Christian to. If your concerned about blaspheming the Holy Spirit by critisizing him then dont be. He doesnt work by the book, did Jesus ever slay someone in the "spirit"? Did his disciples? Ever seen benny heal a blind man, or restore a withered hand? He does shamelessly beg for money though.

2 Peter: 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2:2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
2:3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

Wow! God is great!

Answer 6

False prophet? There is no such thing as a prophet period!
I can guess whether certain events happen in the future with as good a success rate as anyone...that does not make me a prophet.

Benny Hinn is a laffable a$$...the people that follow him are obviously mental cases who have day passes from the local Hospital.

Answer 7

It hard to say if he is sincerely misguided or somewhat purposeful
Christians can certainly make mistakes, and I think there are sounder teachers

The first time I saw Benny on TV he was saying Adam and Eve could fly and swim and were stronger than any animal like superman and superwoman because God gave them dominion over the creation

The problem is the experientialism and emotionalism was lifted above careful study... and the result... shallow conclusions stamped falsely as being from God

Answer 8

If someone consistently makes prophecies that are not true, I've got to go with false prophet. And yes, if a teacher claims to be of God and to follow the scripture, yet he does not--his teachings contradict scripture, then Christians are spiritually safe in showing that.

Answer 9

I do fear God,not Benny Hinn.Fund raising fear tactic's.I am sure Pastor Hinn ask God to forgive him for making.I really don't won't to be the one that has the job of judging someone like Benny Hinn.God Bless him and all the good he does .And may God bless him when he makes a mistake,nobody is perfect.

Answer 10

Yes Benny Hinn is a false prophet, he is teaching Christianity in a wrong way. Christians can criticize him because of his teachings. I agree with Luckybeatle.

Answer 11

Christains are not here to 'criticize' of judge people, especially if if gives us a inferiority or superiority complex, Hinn or anyone else.
There is a judgment of the Father (destiny) and the Son (character/fruits). If we see bad 'fruit' in a person, we should pray that they come into the knowledge of what God's will is.
Even if you compared yourself to anyone else compare how many people have you 'led' to Christ and eternal life compared to them.
If you want to point fingers, point them at the real adversary..'the devil' .
For we wrestle not with flesh and blood.