What began as a simple blog post has turned into a small dissertation regarding whether we should listen to or sing praise and worship songs from churches with heretical, immoral, or unethical leadership—most notably Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, and Elevation Church.
Realizing the breadth of my scholarship is not for everyone, here are some key takeaways:
- In response to the increasing prominence and influence of contemporary praise and worship music in the Church today, according to the Bible, we can be neither indifferent nor legalistic. We must be discerning, wise servants of God who steward well what we present before Him.
- According to the Bible, biblical praise and worship are designed to bless, honor, and focus on God, not the human audience or musicians. God “inhabits”[1] the praises of His people WHEN the primary goal is to bless Him, not us.
- The Bible does provide us guidance concerning whether to listen to or sing praise and worship songs from churches led by heretical, immoral, or unethical leaders—a synthesis of stewardship regarding what we offer to God in praise and worship and allow to influence our hearts and minds, and a biblical liberty based on that stewardship.
Now, for those interested in the details…
I’m going to do my best to “rightly divide the word of truth,”[2] keeping personal opinions to a minimum and trusting that anything I’ve written not supported by Scripture falls to the wayside. It’s unlikely this blog post will answer every “Yeah, but…” or “What about…” question. If these arise, feel free to email me at richardaallenjr@gmail.com or richardaallenjr@pondering.blog.
Scores of ministries and YouTubers today warn Christians to avoid praise and worship songs originating from churches they claim are led by immoral, unethical, or heretical leadership—most notably, Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, and Elevation Church. The assertion is that these songs are tainted by the heretical beliefs or sinful behavior of their leaders. The preponderance of such critique comes from theological cessationists[3] who oppose charismatic expressions of praise and worship generally, which I’ll explore later.
These theological cautions exist within the larger concern of Americanized Christianity, an aberrant religion fixated largely on SELF (self-esteem, self-enrichment, self-promotion, and self-importance). This false gospel is the result of a steady unmooring from God’s word, replaced by New Age quips and twisted explanations of the Bible aimed at promoting personal empowerment while materially enriching the celebrity pastors and evangelists marketing the message. Certainly, some contemporary praise and worship falls into this category.
This disregard or distortion of God’s written word naturally results in a distorted Living Word—a false Christ, a false gospel, and ultimately a false hope. We see this not only in Americanized Christianity, particularly the Prosperity, Word of Faith, and Progressive Christian philosophies, but also in Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christian Science, and Universalism. Within this context, and the rise in popularity of contemporary Christian praise and worship, we should be like the Bereans in Acts 17:11:
“Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what [the apostle] Paul said was true.”
In an age where “Christianity” can mean anything, determining whether something is authentically Christian must be rooted in God’s word and not popularity or feelings, and since worshiping God is an essential aspect of genuine Christianity, we should know what it means to do so biblically—i.e., in “spirit and truth” (John 4:24). More on that later.
There are several issues I hope to address regarding the call to be discerning about praise and worship songs and the ministries from which they come:
- Can theologically sound and Christ-honoring worship music come from churches led by (or previously led by) immoral, unethical, or heretical leadership?
- Does the style of contemporary worship, or the solicitation of emotion, negate its theological legitimacy?
- Does a questionable or unbiblical lyric within a praise or worship song discredit the entire song or the songwriter at large?
- Does purchasing or singing songs from churches with heretical, immoral, or unethical leaders support those leaders and their teachings?
To do this, we need to start with the basics:
What is biblical praise and worship according to the Bible?
Praise (Declarative)
In simple terms, praise is acknowledging and celebrating the actions and attributes of God. The term praise first occurs in Genesis 29, where Jacob’s wife Leah, believing herself to be unloved by Jacob, begins bearing children. Upon the birth of her fourth child, Judah, she exclaims: “This time I will praise the Lord” (v. 35).
There’s significance to Judah as the tribe from which the Messiah comes, which may be why Leah chose to praise God at His birth:
“The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between His feet, until He to whom it belongs shall come, and the obedience of the nations shall be His.”[4]
“What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah…”[5]
“Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”[6]
The word praise used by Leah (Heb. יָדָה – yadah), means, “to lift one’s hands in adoration and gratitude.” It’s a response to something done on our behalf, an acknowledgment of blessing.[7] In total, there are seven terms[8] used in the Old Testament for praise. In addition to yadah, there is:
- שָׁבַח (shâbach): An enthusiastic shout of praise.[9]
- תּוֹדָה (tôwdâh): Uplifted hands in thanksgiving for things yet to come.[10]
- תהילה (tehillâh): Spontaneous praise, singing with deep gratitude.[11]
- ברך (bârak): To kneel or salute in honor and gratitude.[12]
- זָמַר (zāmar): To make music, strum strings, and sing.[13]
- הָלַל (hâlal): Exuberant boasting accompanied by singing and dancing.[14]
Such praise can be liturgical or spontaneous, with instrument and voice or simply in the heart, subdued or boisterous, and summed up in Psalm 150:6:
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!”
In the New Testament, the first use of the word praise occurs in Matthew 11:25:
“… Jesus declared, ‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to little children.’”
The word praise in the original Greek (ἐξομολογέω – exomologeó), translates, “to fully agree with and acknowledge; to confess praise without reservation, to applaud.” It’s an exuberant and enthusiastic commendation of another’s being and actions. Other instances of the word praise in the New Testament include:
- ἔπαινος (epainos): An appropriate commendation, recognition; enthusiastic acknowledgment for what deserves praise.[15]
- Δόξα (doxa): Glory, good opinion, dignity, honor, praise.[16]
- ὕμνος (humnos): Songs that give honor, praise, or offer thanksgiving (transliterated into English as “hymn”).[17]
Indeed, we are to “Enter His gates with thanksgiving (tôwdâh), and into His courts with praise (yadah)!”[18] Biblical praise of God is always informed by gratitude. Praise without gratitude is incomplete and can often transform into mere entertainment for the one “praising” without regard for the One allegedly being praised.
Worship (Contemplative)
Where praise is a celebratory response to the actions and attributes of God (gratitude), fundamentally, worship is humbling oneself before God simply because He exists (i.e., submission, supplication).
The first use of the term worship in the Bible occurs in Genesis 22:5. In obedience to the Lord, Abraham takes his son Isaac to a mountain in the region of Moriah to sacrifice him as a burnt offering before the Lord. On the way, Abraham turns to his servants and says:
“Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.”
Here, worship in Hebrew (שָׁחָה – shachah), translates, “to bow down prostrate on the ground.” It’s a physical posture reflecting a deep spiritual humility. Other instances of the word worship in the Old Testament include:
- עָבַד (`abad): Service to a King; a laborer tending to his master.[19]
- תּוֹדָה (towdah): Hands lifted in humility and thanksgiving.[20]
In all cases in the Old Testament, worship is a posture of the body, heart, and mind that reflects humility before and service to God. The New Testament definition of worship follows suit:
- προσκυνέω (`proskuneó): To kiss the ground when prostrating before a superior.[21]
- σέβω (sebó/sebomai): God-fearing veneration; one who considers God in reverence and awe; to devoutly adore.[22]
- Λατρεία (latreia): The service or worship of God in sacred, liturgical ways.[23]
Biblical worship is reverence of and humility before God, simply because He exists and irrespective of anything He has done. Worship without humility is incomplete and can often be counterfeited as mere emotion for the one “worshiping” without regard for the One allegedly being worshiped.
We are also informed that true Christians must worship God “…in spirit and truth” (John 4:24), found in the story of Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well. While there is much to learn from this story, the focus here is on what constitutes biblical worship.
From the original Greek, the phrase (ἐν πνεῦμα καί ἀλήθεια) translates, “in the breath of God and the embodiment of Truth in Christ.” This is theologically profound stuff, but we have a clue to its meaning in the phrase that precedes “in spirit and truth”:
“For God is Spirit…”
In other words, biblical worship:
- Comes from God
- Flows through His people
- Results in our supplication (bowing down) before Him
- Returns to Him as an affirmation of our connection with Him through Christ.
Biblical worship is a divine flow, a “breath” that gives life and meaning. Moreover, John 4:23 tells us that God seeks (Greek: ζητέω) those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. He actively, intentionally, pursues those whom He chooses to breathe through in both resuscitation (being born again in Christ) and eternal rejoicing.
Now, to the next question:
Can theologically sound and Christ-honoring worship music come from churches led by (or previously led by) immoral, unethical, or heretical leadership?
It’s objectively true that Steve Furtick and Bill Johnson teach heresy,[24] and that Brian Houston engaged in unethical and immoral behavior and was accordingly asked to step down from his position of leadership. Tragically, many other “Christian” influencers fall into one or more of these categories.[25] The question is whether praise and worship music from such people or their ministries is unacceptable for that reason alone.First, let’s consider Philippians 1:15-18:
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.”
Paul doesn’t suggest we disregard unbiblical beliefs or behavior or continue supporting immoral leaders in the Church. In fact, we should expose the works of darkness.[26] Instead, he highlights that the Gospel, despite the humans whom God calls to preach it, will prevail—an affirmation of His grace, mercy, and power of His word.[27] Still, this grace comes with some very strong cautions:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”[28]
“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”[29]
“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”[30]
“But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction.”[31]
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”[32]
We should be discerning about what is proclaimed in the name of Jesus. Songs from Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, Elevation Church, and others should be compared to Scripture and responded to accordingly. Although we want to avoid the Genetic Fallacy,[33] we can still consider the roots of something and whether the mere declaration of Christianity validates it as being so. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said:
“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name and in Your name drive out demons and in Your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!’”[34]
Can a healthy apple tree produce a bad apple occasionally? Yes. Can an unhealthy apple tree produce a good apple occasionally? Yes. The point Jesus makes is clarified in the translation of “bear” (often translated as “produce”). From the Greek ποιέω (poieó), it means “to continue making.” In other words, a good tree does not continue to bear bad fruit, and a bad tree does not continue to bear good fruit.
In other words, despite immoral, unethical, or even heretical church leadership, it’s possible for the worship team from such a church to produce a biblically based praise or worship song. This does not affirm the leadership or the church ministry at large, but simply illustrates the truth of Philippians 1:15-18 as previously noted.
None of us will be perfect in our walk with Christ, but those truly in Christ are continually being conformed to His image[35] and therefore will increasingly, by His grace, produce good fruit. If our goal is simply to avoid singing Christian songs from ungodly sources, then we must stop singing:
- O Holy Night. Lyrics by Placide Cappeau and set to music by Adolphe Adam. Neither Cappeau nor Adam was a Christian. Cappeau abandoned any connection to Christianity, and Adam was a Jewish Transcendentalist.
- It is Well with My Soul. Written by Horatio Spafford, who denied the existence of Hell, believed in Purgatory, and affirmed Universalism.
- Nearer, My God, to Thee. Written by Sarah Fuller Adams, who was a Unitarian, not a Christian.[36]
- Thy Word. Written by Amy Grant, who is a vocal supporter of homosexuality and gay marriage.
There is nothing unbiblical about the lyrics of these songs, some of which come directly from God’s word, yet the songwriters’ beliefs are unbiblical. Does this negate the songs? Not necessarily. If a Christian songwriter continues to produce “bad fruit” (i.e., their track record is errant theology), their music should be avoided. If a Christian songwriter makes a mistake, repents, and stays on the course of biblical truth, their ensuing teachings and music might be a vehicle for praise and worship.
On to the next question.
Does the style of contemporary worship, or the solicitation of emotion, negate its theological legitimacy?
Much of the disdain for Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, and Elevation Church has to do with being “Charismatic” or “Pentecostal”—i.e., expressive in praise and worship and believing the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in action today.[37] Whether or not the gifts of the Holy Spirit operate today is moot and not to be examined in this blog post. However, the heresies common within these ministries, such as the Prosperity Gospel and Word of Faith Movement, are troubling, as is the circus atmosphere in some of these churches and meetings. As Scripture says, “All things should be done decently and in order.”[38]
As for expressions of praise and worship, the biblical definition of these, provided previously, includes raised hands and voices, dancing, kneeling, lying prostrate, clapping, spontaneity, etc.—not chaos, but certainly animated and intrinsic within our deep gratitude and humility for who God is and what He has done. There is nothing unbiblical about “feelings” in our praise and worship. Here, I’m reminded of David’s wife, Michal, disgusted by his dancing before the Lord, to which he responds:
“I was dancing before the Lord, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord, so I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!”[39]
As the Psalmist writes:
“O clap your hands, all you people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph!”[40]
There’s nothing wrong with getting excited about Jesus. However, when this is manufactured rather than led by the Holy Spirit in us, when it becomes the measure of success in our praise and worship or an idol that defines our praise and worship, we’ve missed the mark. It’s not the style, but the substance, of our praise and worship that matters.
Let me share an illustration.
I gave my life to the Lord at Pepperdine University, which is part of the Churches of Christ denomination that believes musical instruments are not to be part of praise and worship. Their justification for this doctrine is based on an Absence Fallacy—i.e., the New Testament does not explicitly support instruments in church.
That’s like saying, “Jesus never publicly instructed His followers to meet in buildings, and therefore Christians shouldn’t meet in buildings.”
Given the overwhelming evidence in the Bible of instruments used for praise and worship, the use of instruments (yes, even drums, bass, and guitars!) is a non-issue as long as Jesus, and not the music of the musicians, is the focus. I will also say that some of my richest praise and worship moments occurred in Elkins Auditorium at Pepperdine, during the Church of Christ services on Sunday mornings— the a cappella worship was amazing, and there were no wannabe pop stars prancing around the stage, distracting God’s people from a proper focus.
Next question:
Does a questionable or unbiblical lyric within a praise or worship song discredit the entire song or the songwriter at large?
From whatever source it comes, any song we sing in praise and worship as an offering to or acknowledgment of God must be theologically sound. The first challenge is determining what constitutes unbiblical lyrics, which of course requires a working knowledge of God’s word, a rapidly waning commodity in a church culture bent on creating God and Jesus in our own image.
Some lyrics may be questionable, but not necessarily unbiblical, while others are overtly unbiblical. Here are examples of both:
Reckless Love (Bethel Music/Cory Asbury)
The controversial line in this song is found in the chorus: “…Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.” The definition of reckless is “showing a lack of care about danger and the possible results of your actions; irresponsible, irrespective of good sense.” Is God’s love reckless? Not according to the Bible:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”[41]
“But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”[42]
“We love because He first loved us.”[43]
There’s nothing reckless about God’s love; therefore, on its face, this song is unbiblical. If the songwriter intended to be “poetic” in expressing the expansive love of God, he did so at the expense of truth.[44]
What a Beautiful Name (Hillsong Music/Brook Ligertwood and Ben Fielding)
One line in the song has been questioned: “You [Jesus] didn’t want heaven without us…” The argument is that this expresses Jesus as being “needy”—that He could not be who He is, or do what He does, without us, and therefore the song is unbiblical. In my opinion, this is nitpicking, finding fault where none exists. Jesus Himself said:
“In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.”[45]
Clearly, Jesus wants us in Heaven—not from need but from desire. Like the Bereans in the Book of Acts, we must be discerning in all things declared to be “Christian,” without manufacturing offense where none exists.
So Will I (Hillsong UNITED/Benjamin Hastings)
The controversial line in this song occurs in the second chorus: “A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath, evolving in pursuit of what You said…” Ben Hastings, who is by all accounts a gifted musician and dedicated follower of the biblical Jesus, should have known better that the word “evolving” would invite controversy, for it naturally (no pun intended) conveys (tacitly or overtly) support of Darwinian Evolution. If the idea was to rightly express that we are growing spiritually in Christ, being conformed to His image,[46] then Ben should have stated this more clearly. In the very least, these are careless lyrics. At their worst, they could be construed as unbiblical.[47]
How He Loves (David Crowder Band)
I remember the first time this song was sung in a church environment, when we came to the lyric, “So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss…”, it was very awkward. You could hear the voices of the congregation drop precipitously from that point forward, clearly discerned by the worship team, who looked around at each other in surprise. Subsequently, the pastor received enough emails to warrant the song never being sung again. The revised version, “So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss…” is somewhat better than the former yet still moored to a rather fleshly mindset.
In my opinion, this is a perfect example of someone trying to express the passion God has for us in human terms that move from poetic to preposterous. While no verse in the Bible describes God “kissing” the earth, certainly not sloppily or wet, the verse that does come to mind is 2 Corinthians 13:11-12:
“Finally, brothers, rejoice! Aim for perfect harmony, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.”[48]
The phrase “holy kiss” (Greek: ἁγίῳ φιλήματι – hagios philéma) is best translated, “proper embrace; unlike the world’s show of affection.” Similarly, God’s embrace of us is unlike that of the world. It’s one thing to express His deep passion for us,[49] but to describe it in teenage make-out terminology is bizarre. I suppose the revised lyrics will do, but the original song is hardly biblical.
In short, praise and worship songs with obviously bad theology should be avoided. Consider these admonitions from God’s word:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”[50]
“Like a muddied spring or a polluted well, a righteous man who gives way to the wicked is like a muddied spring or a polluted well.”[51]
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27—we often forget that last part!)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”[52]
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”[53]
Whether a song that contains unbiblical lyrics should discredit the songwriter’s entire catalog of music depends on whether it is part of a consistent betrayal of God’s word or merely a one-off mistake. A track record of bad theology speaks for itself, but a mistake could be resolved, allowing the rest of the songwriter’s music to be acceptable if biblical.
Consider the story of the adulterous Samaritan woman caught in adultery.
On His way to the Mount of Olives one morning, Jesus stopped at the Temple and began to teach. The scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. According to the Law of Moses, she was to be stoned to death, but they asked Jesus what He thought. Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote something in the dirt. We don’t know what He wrote, but as He wrote, one by one the scribes and Pharisees began to leave the Temple court until they were all gone. Jesus turned to the woman and said:
“‘Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?’” She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.’”[54]
The legalist would have stoned her, the indifferent would have tried to justify her adultery.
Jesus is neither legalistic nor indifferent. Was He affirming the woman’s adultery? Of course not. Instead, He provided her an opportunity to change direction, a chance given to us all, called repentance. Confronted with Scripture regarding unbiblical lyrics or sermon content, anyone who communicates the word of God, whether in song or sermon, and is held by Him to a “stricter judgment,”[55] has an opportunity to repent. True repentance would reveal a person submitted to God’s word and people, with a corresponding change in direction, enabling the person’s future work to be accepted within the context of ongoing biblical accountability.
However, a lack of repentance would reveal a faulty theological foundation, justifying a rejection of their work from that point forth until repentance occurs.
In other words, “Go, and don’t write lyrics or teach stuff like that anymore.”
For example, take the famed evangelist, Billy Graham, who stated:
“I think there’ll be people in heaven from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world or the non-believing world… because they’ve been called by God, who know in their hearts that they need something that they don’t have and turn to the only light that they have may be saved.”[56]
Facing tremendous backlash for such an unbiblical assertion, Graham and his Billy Graham Evangelistic Association retracted the statement and restated the exclusivity of biblical Christianity.[57] Had Graham continued on the path of heresy, it would have been biblical to reject him and his teachings, but because he repented and stayed true to Scripture, his ministry remained valid. The same would seem true for a praise or worship songwriter.
And now for what I believe is the most challenging question, answered in two parts:
Does purchasing or singing songs from churches with heretical, immoral, or unethical leaders support those leaders and their teachings?
Somewhat.
Here, I don’t believe we’ll find consensus; rather, we’re left with a “best attempt” effort to follow God’s word and honor Him. If we avoid both legalism and indifference, we can at least be better informed and equipped to walk in integrity before God.
Purchasing music from Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, and Elevation Church unavoidably helps pays the salaries of the staff members and ministry efforts of the respective churches. Singing these songs in a formal gathering supports the songwriters, or, if the music is produced by a church record label, the church label itself, as churches and other organizations (not the individuals singing) are required by law to compensate these entities each time a song is sung.[58] There’s no avoiding this.
Justin Peters, a notorious critic not only of songs from ministries such as Hillsong and Bethel/Jesus Culture but of charismatic and Pentecostal theology in general, makes the following analogy:
“Let’s just say Planned Parenthood decides to write some Christian music that would pass a doctrinal smell test. Would you sing it in your church? Knowing that some money, every time you sing that song, is going to support an organization that murders babies, would you sing that song in your church? I would submit to you that singing Bethel and Hillsong, when you’re sending money to those false churches, that’s far worse.”[59]
Hmm.
My academic friends probably see the False Analogy/False Equivalence fallacy in Peters’ statement. Comparing Hillsong to Planned Parenthood is a stretch. While I agree heresy is evil and can lead people astray,[60] no one at Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, or Elevation Church is killing babies.
While I don’t care for Justin Peters’ analogy nor his sweeping generalizations about charismatic and Pentecostal theology (no, we don’t all believe in the Prosperity Gospel or Word of Faith nonsense), I do agree with his desire to see the Body of Christ rooted in, framed by, and functioning according to God’s word, and that in love we should hold each other accountable to this:
“As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”[61]
“Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”[62]
“Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”[63]
“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.”[64]
Even an imperfect critique, such as Justin Peters’, does not negate the importance of seeking integrity in our Christian faith, and as I previously illustrated, biblical praise and worship songs can, in fact and ironically, come from churches led by heretical, immoral, or unethical leaders. This is not a justification for either, simply reality, as the Apostle Paul noted in Philippians 1:15-18, the biblical pragmatism of, “…the important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached.”
We know for certain we’re not to “associate” with self-professed Christians who choose to live ungodly lives, which would naturally include those who teach heresy:
“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.”[65]
“I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naive people.”[66]
“I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them. Anyone who welcomes them shares in their wicked work.”[67]
I believe these passages provide the first part of an answer to the question, “Does purchasing or singing songs from churches with heretical, immoral, or unethical leaders support those leaders and their teachings?”
Let’s look at three specific phrases.
- “…do not associate with…”. From the Greek (μή συναναμίγνυμι), translated, “Do not mix, associate, or be intimate with,” in this case,someonewho is “sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler.”
- “…keep away from them…”. From the Greek (ἐκκλίνω ἀπό αὐτός), translated, “For your own protection, get off the path traveled by evildoers.”
- “…do not take them into your house or welcome them.” From the Greek (μή λαμβάνω φέρω μή λαμβάνω αὐτός εἰς οἰκία καί χαίρω αὐτός μή λέγω), translated, “Do not, in agreement with them, embrace false teachers into your thinking or life.”
In other words, we shouldn’t journey with (follow), fellowship with (stand in agreement), or receive teaching from (allow instructions and ideas to inform our lives) false teachers—a precise instruction regarding rejection of the person and his/her teachings. If such a person writes a song that supports his/her unbiblical theology or behavior, that song should be rejected. What if the song comes from a songwriter within that person’s ministry, yet the song itself is, strangely, biblically sound?
This leads us to the second part of an answer to the question, “Does purchasing or singing songs from churches with heretical, immoral, or unethical leaders support those leaders and their teachings?”
We have a choice of conscience.
If you’ve read through this entire writing, you might be saying, “After all this, you’re saying it’s up to us?” Without the exhaustive context provided, one might mistakenly think that we can subjectively choose what we allow into our lives or offer to God. However, the “conscience” to which the Bible refers is rooted in and framed by a biblical context, not personal preference.
If a praise or worship song is biblically sound, but comes from a church ministry with immoral, unethical, or heretical leadership, the Bible provides Christians, with some parameters, the liberty to choose whether to listen to or sing that song. Consider Paul’s instructions to the Churches in Rome and Corinth.
The Christians in Rome were quarreling over opinions about Jewish feasts and dietary laws. This was not unusual, as biblical Christianity, emanating from Judaism, was persistently challenged by those who held on to Old Testament laws. For example, in response to disputes between Gentile believers and Jewish converts, the Jewish Council in Acts 15 gave instructions on which Old Testament laws prevailed in New Testament Christianity. These were not designed as “works” with respect to salvation, but guidance to mitigate disagreements among believers.
In a similar fashion, Paul writes to the Romans:
“Now accept the one who is weak in faith, but not to have quarrels over opinions. One person has faith that he may eat all things, but the one who is weak eats only vegetables. The one who eats is not to regard with contempt the one who does not eat, and the one who does not eat is not to judge the one who eats, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”[68]
Likewise, Paul writes to the Corinthians:
“All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up. No one is to seek his own advantage, but rather that of his neighbor. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions, for the sake of conscience; for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains.”[69]
Here, God’s word helps us understand two things theologically regarding praise and worship songs:
- If a praise or worship song is biblically sound, focused on honoring, praising, and worshipping God, and if our conscience allows us to overlook its inescapably fallible source, we are free to offer it to the Lord.
- If, however, the song causes others to stumble in their faith, we should not sing that song in their presence.[70]
This is somewhat like boycotting goods and services from companies that support unbiblical beliefs and behaviors.[71] While a box of cereal from Target itself is hardly unbiblical, the company and what it stands for might be—much like a biblically sound song (the “box of cereal”) itself might be biblical, while the heretical church from where it comes (the “company”) is not, leading us to a choice.
No, a box of cereal is not the same as something we bring before the Lord in honor and glory of Him, but the example can still work.
If our conscience before the Lord does not permit us to buy a box of cereal from Target, then don’t. If our conscience before the Lord does not permit us to buy or sing a song from Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, or Elevation Church, then don’t. Moreover, as previously explained in Scripture, if doing either of these offends someone (i.e., we ask them to join us for breakfast and they are offended by the box of cereal from Target, or we invite them to a Bible study where they are offended by songs from Hillsong, Bethel/Jesus Culture, or Elevation Church), then don’t use that cereal or those songs!
Using the boycott analogy, we can’t fully boycott goods and services from every ungodly company. To do so would require us to buy land (making sure the landowner from whom we buy the land is a biblical Christian), build a home from trees on that land, produce our food from that land, make our clothing from the cotton we grow on that land, avoid technology of any kind, eschew prescription medications and doctors, etc.
Good luck with that.
Am I supporting ungodliness by typing this writing on a MacBook Air Laptop? Are YOU sinning by reading this on your device, using electricity or internet service from God-knows-what company?
To put a finer point on this, if we were to avoid everything done in the name of Jesus because of the sinful nature of those through whom something is communicated, we’d have to avoid everyone, every sermon, and every song. If we avoided every pastor or evangelist who made a mistake in their teaching or struggled with personal sin, we’d attend no church or revival meeting. This is not a justification for sin, nor indifference toward errant theology. Simply an invitation to follow Scriptural guidance.
Let’s avoid being either legalistic or indifferent. Let’s be discerning about the praise and worship songs we sing, requiring us to know the Bible well enough to possess that discernment. To the best of our ability and by God’s grace, let’s avoid supporting ministries and their leaders who clearly, objectively, lead people astray. Above all, let’s do all we can, in every area of our lives, to shine the light on the biblical Jesus, to honor and glorify God in all that we do. Let’s be rooted in God’s word,[72] trusting the Holy Spirit to convict us when we go astray.[73]
Whether you agree or disagree, at least you’re pondering this before the Lord!
[1] Hebrew יָשַׁב – yashab, meaning, “to be enthroned upon; to construct a sacred place” – Psalm 22:3
[2] 2 Timothy 2:15
[3] Cessationists: Those who believe the possession of the revelatory and miraculous gifts of the Spirit, as well as the five-fold ministry of Ephesians 4:11, ceased at the death of the original twelve Apostles and completion of the canon of the New Testament ca. A.D. 397.
[4] Genesis 49:10
[5] Hebrews 7:14a
[6] Revelation 5:5
[7] Psalms 44:8, 63:1, 67:3, 145:10, et al.
[8] Yes, it’s interesting that there are seven words for “praise” in the OT, since the number seven in the Bible represents perfection or completion.
[9] 1 Chronicles 16:35; Psalms 63:3, 65:7, 117:1, 147:12, et al.
[10] Joshua 7:19; Psalms 100:4, 107:22; Jeremiah 33:11, et al.
[11] Psalms 22:3, 34:2, 71:8, 145:1; Isaiah 62:7, et al.
[12] Genesis 9:26, Exodus 18:10; Ruth 4:14; Psalms 28:6, 31:22, 41:14, et al.
[13] Judges 5:3; 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalms 17:7, 9:2, 11, et al.
[14] 2 Samuel 22:4; 1 Chronicles 16:4, 23:5; Nehemiah 5:13; Psalms 10:3, 18:3, 22:22, et al.
[15] Philippians 4:8; Romans 2:29; Ephesians 1:6, et al.
[16] Romans 15:7; Philippians 1:11; Hebrews 3:3; 1 Peter 5:4, et al.
[17] Used only twice in the New Testament: Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16
[18] Psalm 100:4
[19] Exodus 7:16, 8:1, 20, 9:1, 13, 10:3, 7, 8, 10, et al.
[20] Leviticus 7:12, 13, 15; Joshua 7:19; Ezra 10:11; Psalms 26:7, 42:5, 95:2, et al.
[21] Matthew 2:2; John 4:20, 12:20; Revelation 11:1, et al.
[22] Matthew 15:9; Acts 16:14, 18:7, 19:27, et al.
[23] John 16:2; Romans 9:4, 12;1; Hebrews 9:1, et al.
[24] Steve Furtick: For example, Furtick states, “When God said, ‘I Am’ to Moses, you know, ‘my name is I Am,’ He was trying to get him [Moses] to see you are as I am.” The notion that God was telling Moses that He and Moses were the same in any fashion is absurdly unbiblical. In attempting to explain John 16:7, where Jesus explains to His disciples that He was ascending to Heaven but leaving the Holy Spirit for them, Furtick reinterpreted this to mean, “No, I am not leaving you. I am changing forms. See, up until now I have walked with you, but when I send My spirit, I will be in you.” This is known as Modalism, a centuries-old heresy that denies the Trinity in favor of God being in different forms or “modes.”
Bill Johnson: For example, Johnson states, “He [Jesus] performed miracles, wonders, and signs as a man in a right relationship to God…not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us. But if He performed them as a man, I am responsible to pursue His lifestyle.” Known as the Kenosis Doctrine, that Jesus was not fully God and fully man, is a vile, unbiblical heresy. Another quote from Johnson: “It’s difficult to expect the same fruit of the early church when we value a book [the Bible] they didn’t have more than the Holy Spirit they did have. It’s not Father, Son and Holy Bible.” This is so utterly unbiblical it requires no comment. This, in addition to the “angel feathers” and “gold dust” claimed to fall during church services, of which they can provide no evidence, makes Bethel a heretical church.
[25] Jerry Fallwell, Jr., Michael English, Paula White, Bill Hybels, Joyce Meyers, Carl Lentz, Kenneth Copeland, Mike Bickle, Ravi Zacharias, Robert Morris, Tony Evans, Andy Stanley, Steve Lawson, James MacDonald, Jen Hatmaker…the list goes on.
[26] Ephesians 5:11
[27] Cf. Romans 5:20-21
[28] 1 John 4:1
[29] 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
[30] 2 Timothy 4:3-4
[31] 2 Peter 2:1
[32] Colossians 2:8
[33] Dismissing or validating something solely based on where it originates, rather than its merits.
[34] Matthew 7:15-23
[35] Romans 8:29
[36] It’s believed that Nearer, My God, to Thee was sung as the Titanic sank in 1912.
[37] 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
[38] 1 Corinthians 14:40
[39] 2 Samuel 6:21-22a
[40] Psalm 47:1
[41] John 3:16
[42] Romans 5:8
[43] 1 John 4:19
[44] Believing the lyric “…leaves the 99…” in the song equates to God being “reckless” (i.e., unconcerned about the 99), is itself reckless in light of God’s word.
[45] John 14:2-3
[46] Ephesians 4:18; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 2:6-7; 1 Peter 2:2, et al.
[47] Interestingly, according to Hillsong Church, all praise and worship songs are reviewed theologically and practically by church leaders to ensure they are biblically sound. Not sure how these lyrics got through.
[48] Phrase also used in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26
[49] John 3:16; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4:19, et al.
[50] Romans 12:1-2
[51] Proverbs 25:26
[52] Philippians 4:8
[53] Proverbs 4:23
[54] John 8:10-11
[55] James 3:1—the Greek word διδάσκαλος (didaskalos), often translated “teacher,” can also be translated “influencer.”
[56] From a 1997 interview with, of all people, Robert Schuller who was one of the most notorious heretical teachers of his generation.
[57] John 3:36, 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:11-13
[58]The formation of Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc. (CCLI), has made this the case since 1984. The jury is out whether this has helped or hindered the Body of Christ.
[59] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IV9D5z92Rt8
[60] Cf. Matthew 24:11; 2 Peter 2:1; 1 John 4:1
[61] Proverbs 27:17
[62] Galatians 6:1-2
[63] Ephesians 4:25
[64] James 5:19-20
[65] 1 Corinthians 5:9-11
[66] Romans 16:17-18
[67] 2 John 7-11
[68] Romans 14:1-4
[69] 1 Corinthians 10:23-26
[70] Cf. Romans 14:21; 1 Corinthians 8:13, 10:28
[71] Companies such as Apple, Amazon, Starbucks, Target, Coca-Cola, General Electric, Verizon, and many more, primarily for their support of Homosexuality/Gay Marriage and/or Planned Parenthood.
[72] Psalm 119:105; 2 Corinthians 3:16-17; Hebrews 14:12, et al.
[73] John 14:26, 16:13-15, et al.
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