The response to my article earlier this week has been encouraging. Truthfully, I suspected it would strike a chord inside of those who are tired of listening to wealthy preachers make false promises of blessing and prosperity during what appears to be nothing more than a religious infomercial.
Both on my personal blog and the Maoz blog, we have received a tremendous response. Also, on Charisma News and Charisma’s other magazine sites, thousands have read it. I got a call from a Detroit radio station yesterday asking to interview me.
This morning I even received an email from a well-known television minister, thanking me for challenging him. Clearly, people are weary of this type of ministry.
But many people asked, “Why not name names?” Excellent points were made:
1. There was concern that good ministries might be blamed for the deeds of those with less integrity if folks didn’t know to whom I was referring.
2. Others felt that people needed to know who these people were in order to warn others to stay away from them.
3. Some quoted Scriptures where Paul publicly called people out.
So, why didn’t I?
I have never spoken to the people in question about their error, and while their sin is public, until I have a chance to communicate with them directly and give them the opportunity repent of or defend their position, I don’t feel that it is biblically ethical for me to name them.
However, my good friend and colleague Dr. Michael Brown, whom I had asked to look over my article for theological accuracy before I posted it, interviewed me yesterday about this on his nationwide radio show, The Line of Fire. Dr. Brown, who has a Ph.D. in ancient Semitic languages (i.e., Hebrew and Aramaic) has, in fact, reached out to these individuals to give them a chance to defend their Day of Atonement sevenfold blessingtheology on his show.
If they will not appear or respond, then we will name names, as we will have given them a chance to respond. If they do come forward for public examination of their doctrine, then you will also know who they are. So either way, very shortly, it will be clear who they are.
I have heard stories of some of these million-dollar pastors threatening critics with slander lawsuits. While I have no fear of such things—a lawsuit would only further expose them—the Bible gives us a clear outline. Let’s follow it.
Who knows? Maybe they will repent and then be truly qualified to teach on the Day of Atonement. Repentance, not “double portion, sevenfold blessings,” is the theme of this great day.
Ron Cantor is the director of Messiah’s Mandate International in Israel, a Messianic ministry dedicated to taking the message of Jesus from Israel to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Cantor also travels internationally teaching on the Jewish roots of the New Testament. He serves on the pastoral team of Tiferet Yeshua, a Hebrew-speaking congregation in Tel Aviv. His newest book, Identity Theft, was released April 16. Follow him at @RonSCantor on Twitter.
For the original article, visit messiahsmandate.org.
