Ravi Zacharias has long been one of my favorite apologists ever since I first heard him on radio broadcasts while I lived in the Chicago area. He has always been a solid defender of the faith.
I don’t know what has gotten into Mr. Zacharias, but he is now compromising the faith by praising and otherwise sanctioning false teachers. Ken Silva, over at Apprising Ministries, has been following a story about Zacharias giving praise to Joyce Meyer and her teachings. Zacharias has called Meyer, who is a Word of Faith heretic, “a great Bible teacher.” This is really a very sad situation.
The following links will take you to the various articles posted by Silva as the story was coming out:
Joyce Meyer as “a great teacher,” with Zacharias giving giving her credence on her show.
A reader’s exchange with Ravi Zacharias International Ministries and the further tacit support of Meyer.
The reason for compromise given by RZIM.
Other problems with RZIM:
Ordained women ministers, and Ravi calling Henri Nouwen “one of the greatest Christian saints.”
This particular article links to this one excusing the praise of Nouwen.
Ravi praises The Alpha Course and claims God inspired Gumbel in his work with Alpha.
A question is raised as to whether Silva is too hard on Zacharias, and Silva responds.
Here is the crux of the matter: Teachers of the Word are held to be more accountable than the everyday Christian (James 3:1). As Silva notes, Ravi is not untouchable, nor is any other popular Christian leader/speaker. In fact, they are in a position to do more damage than anyone else, which is why it is important that they not be giving even tacit approval to false teachers and false teachings.
My hope and prayer is that Ravi will cease promoting these false teachers and expose their teaching instead.
14 comments:
I fear RZ is the "authority" to far too many. I have friends and family members who listen faithfully to RZ - seeing him as a sound and annointed Bible teacher.
The job of a watchman, sounding the alarm is a daunting task. Far too many view us as judgmental, critical, unloving, unkind - the list is endless. I have heard and been called it all.
I keep silent most of the time now and pray that God opens the eyes of the blind, for once I was blind, but now I see, at least in part, but it is not easy.!!!.
I too fear the RZ is an authority to many. We must examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; and then, examine the fruit of the teacher(s). Sadly, it's easier to have a reason, and any will do, than it is to stand for Truth.
Ravi, is just another example of someone given media attention and elevated to a position of trust in order to deceive the masses, think of Billy Graham.
What we are seeing now is simply Ravi showing his true colors before, in my opinion, he makes the ultimate leap across the Tiber.
Another to watch out for for the same sort of thing is John piper, who has shown disturbing signs that he is working to another agenda.
Dale,
Billy Graham was never solid, and was always ecumenical. He became a virtual universalist. Zacharias, on the other hand, has always been rock solid. Can't compare the two.
John Piper has some good stuff, but for the most part I don't trust him because of who he hangs around with, playing as a part of the Neo-Calvinists.
Thanks for the reply Glenn, I don't agree that "Ravi has always been solid"
He has always had women in his ministry team, including Roman Catholics, much the same as Graham who also had RC'S in his team.
Appreciate your comments though.
God bless
Dale,
Well, I never knew anything about RZIM behind the scenes. Everything I heard from him on the radio, or read in books, was always rock solid.
I was disappointed, however, at his time at the Mormon tabernacle when he didn't nail them to the wall.
It isn't really true that Ravi Z has always been solid. Just a few years back (2004-05?)he spoke to the Mormons at the Mormon Tabernacle. and not to give the gospel, mind you.
http://hereiblog.com/ravi-zacharias-mormon-tabernacle/
I for one have never liked listening to Ravi Z. he always left me wondering what in the world he was talking about. Very intellectual combined with an Eastern way of thinking and communicating which left me more puzzled than informed. I always figured he was "over" my head.
Anonymous,
I my previous comment I mentioned my disappointment with Ravi at the LDS Tabernacle.
Ravi does tend to speak deeper than most teachers, but I always found him fairly easy to understand - but that is the sort of stuff I enjoy. I first heard him in the 1980s in the Chicago area - there were a couple Christian radio stations I'd listen to while driving to and from work, and I remember one was Moody. But I never heard anything other than solid teaching. I've read many articles by him over the years, as well as several books.
I only have one book of my own, which has Ravi as an author of some of the chapters and as general editor of the book: "Beyond Opinion." I had a problem with one particular chapter, written by an unknown-to-me woman, Danielle DuRant, discussing "Idolatry, Denial, and Self-Deception: Hearts on Pilgrimage Through Valleys". She uses some pop-psychology, cited Freud approvingly, and even cites Beth Moore. That bothered me at the time I read the book about four years ago.
Billy Graham at one time, like in the 40's was solid, it wasn't very long that he was solid, but he was briefly.
Ravi Zacharias hailed Catholic Henri Nouwen as "one of the greatest Saints", during a Q&A (its on YouTube) when asked about homosexuality. I know Ken Silva has posted Ravi's response on "regretting making that comment", but I don't buy the lack of discernment, perhaps his regret, but anyone who would hail a Catholic mystic who was
clearly a Universalist "a Great Saint" has very little discernment at best. I personally don't want to think of Ravi having an agenda, I'd rather think that maybe he is non-discerning, but at this rate and the way things are I don't hold either side. To me, he is someone who I will probably not listen to much. Matter of fact, you'd have to find it on YouTube, but there is a brief clip of a Q&A of his being asked about Yoga and he okay's it. Again, it seems ify to me. It seems the more known and popular a ministry is, the more you gotta watch it. And I don't mean that as far as looking for error and fault, but it just seems to be the case and a pattern: the more popular the ministry the more non-discerning they are OR become.
On another note, Sarah Leslie from Herescope did a very in-depth interview a while back on John Piper, and just the fact in itself, that he studied at Fuller, she said "he was bound to get that way". Especially since he studied under Roger Winter who towards the end of his life had some strange beliefs.
I'm a little too young to know, but a lot of sound people whom I greatly respect said Graham gave every appearance of being solid up until the 50s.
It wasn't until 1957 that he began to include blatant apostates in his campaigns. Even then, he was just including them to leverage their access to a wider audience -- much like Ravi is doing now. Ravi's organisation says he went on this show to get a wider audience in India. It's exactly the same as Graham inviting the modernists to take part in his NY campaign in 1957.
It wasn't until the 60s that Graham began to cozy up to the RCC, and the 70s that he began to occasionally talk like a universalist.
I think the comparison is apt. I pray he won't go as far down the path as Graham, but by all appearances he's taking the same journey.
As to Piper, when someone goes out of his way to endorse Rick Warren and Mark Driscoll, I'll go out of my way to give him a miss.
330Regarding Ravi Zacharias speaking at the Mormon Tabernacle, I believe that was completely wrong. He was giving respectability to a cult. Many years ago, I think it was D.L Moody who was guilty of the same foolishness.I would call it an act of spiritual madness on the part of both men. May I recommend reading the letters sent to Mr.Zacharias by Rauni Higley, an ex-Mormon, who communicated to him her concern about him speaking to a "Mormon/Evangelical" gathering. Now that description alone, to me, sounds like a contradiction in terms.
I forgot to add the link to the letters sent by Rauni Higley to Ravi Zacharias. It is www.letterstoravizacharias/christianresearchservice
Glenn, FYI, in case your readers don't know, Ken Silva died over a year ago, but, thankfully, someone keeps up his great discernment web site, Apprising.org.
Ravi Zacharias has systematically misled donors and the public about his academic credentials. He has earned no doctorates, never was a "visiting scholar at Cambridge Unicersity", etc. see www.RaviWatch.com
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