Justin Peters: an American Cessationist Teaching “Apologetics” to Brazilian Pentecostals

Last Days Watchman ^ | Julio Severo

[juliosevero]

Justin Peters: an American Cessationist Teaching “Apologetics” to Brazilian Pentecostals

By Julio Severo

A guest speaker of VINACC (a Brazilian conference of evangelicals), an American evangelical made headlines by blasting preachers of the Prosperity Gospel as “false prophets.”

Justin Peters gave his apologetics lecture at an Assemblies of God church in Campina Grande, Brazil in February 16, 2015. VINACC held in this church its Second International Apologetics Meeting of Paraiba.

In the event, Peters said, “Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, Myles Munroe, Joyce Meyer and others are, all of them, false prophets. What they teach is not the Gospel preached by our Lord Jesus Christ, but a teaching with no Bible basis.”

Yet, his criticism did not stopped at the “false prophets.” He also taught, in the name of Christian apologetics, about the gift of tongues and “how God does not speak to us” through prophecies and revelations.

In the Doctrinal Statement of his website, Peters says “the miraculous gifts of tongues, interpretation of tongues, divine revelation and physical healing” were gifts only to Jesus’ Apostles. He also says that these “gifts are no longer in operation today… and they are, therefore, unnecessary.”

Unnecessary? Power evangelism was an essential and vital component of the ministry of Jesus and his disciples. Supernatural gifts are tools of Jesus for spreading his Gospel. These gifts have been vital for effective evangelism in Brazil, to equip Christians to confront dark forces and deliver people from Satan’s claws.

If they were extremely necessary for Jesus and his disciples, why would they be unnecessary today? Have the dark forces died away?

To treat the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit as “unnecessary” has never been a part of the true Gospel. Cessationism (the heretical doctrine that says the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased 2,000 years ago and that they are no longer available today) has never been a part of the ministry of Jesus and his Apostles.

If Peters taught such “apologetics” in an Assemblies of God church in Brazil, surely he offended many Brazilians! Pentecostals, neo-Pentecostals and charismatics comprise most of Brazilian evangelicals.

I have no hard time with criticism at abuses by Calvinist, Lutheran, Pentecostal and charismatic preachers. But to label Pentecostals as “false prophets” or “heretical preachers” just because the critic’s main motivation is cessationism is hypocrisy. To teach against the Holy Spirit is a heresy.

Justin Peters eventually showed in Brazil that Myles Munroe, Kenneth Copeland and believers in prophecies, tongues and revelations are all headed to Hell. Apparently, the motivation for his opposition to Pentecostalism and the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit for today is his love for his petty human religious doctrines that limit God and his power and actions — disguised as love for “truth.”

This kind of “apologetics” — deserving a fair title of false apologetics — would have caused trouble in the churches of Apostle Paul, who saw a lot of abuse of the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit in the church of Corinth, but his answer was not to ban them or to preach cessationism. His answer was to correct the abuses. Never did he condemn, criticize or lambaste these gifts. Never did he discourage his people from seeking more supernatural gifts.

Unsurprisingly, the false apologetics of Peters caused confusion among Brazilians. And his ministry gave a public report of what happened:

“At the end of his session, to give a preview at the next session Justin spoke about the abuse of tongues and how God does and does not speak to us. Apparently that rattled some cages so to speak. Some folks apparently confronted the organizers and convinced them to require Justin to adjust/modify his message as to not mention tongues and the abuse of tongues, under the premise that speaking on such things would offend many. Of course Justin explained that he cannot, in good conscience and before God, adjust his message or water it down to suit the proclivities of an audience. In reality the only thing which can help folks get out from under false doctrine is not placating, but speaking the truth in love. Justin told them this and they forbad him from speaking the rest of his seminar… shame on the organizers for having so little apparent backbone. Of course I am sure that ardent sheep among the organizers did strive to not allow compromise to happen. Alas it did. This is another reason why we ought not, as believers, to yoke with reprobates. Better to have a small conference holding to the truth than a huge gathering which compromises truth. Those under false doctrine will not bend easily because false doctrine is a spiritual battle.”

“False doctrine”: to believe in the supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit for today.

“Speaking the truth in love”: to teach cessationism.

The VINACC public was not upset because Justin preached against Benny Hinn and others. In fact, they were there to hear him attack these preachers. They got upset because he wanted also to attack their personal experiences with God.

There are many Calvinists apologetics experts in Brazil who love cessationism. With the same passion, they love to lambast Pentecostals, charismatics and neo-Pentecostals. At the same time, often they hide their true motivation. At least in this, Peters is more honest than Brazilian Calvinists. In fact, I have an e-book (“Theology of Liberation versus Theology of Prosperity”) exposing their duplicity.

Because Peters is an American and does not know that Brazilian evangelicalism is essentially Pentecostal, he was unable or unwilling to conceal his motivation for blasting Prosperity Theology preachers.

For his human theology, Christians who speak in tongues, hear God’s voice and have spiritual prophecies and revelations are as “false Christians” as all the other preachers condemned by him.

I disagree with Peters’ theology. In my view, his cessationism is a heresy. Yet, I applaud his sincerity and honesty. In this respect, anti-Pentecostal Calvinist critics in Brazil have a lot to learn from him.

Portuguese version of this article: Justin Peters: um cessacionista americano ensinando “apologética” aos pentecostais do Brasil

Source: Last Days Watchman

Recommended Reading:

The Perfect Revival?

A Charismatic Response to “The Growing Crisis Behind Brazil’s Evangelical Success Story”

Liberation Theology and Neo-Pentecostalism: A Leading Challenge to the Evangelical Churches in Brazil

Brazilian Pentecostals: Church Growth Endangered by Socialist Embrace

R.C. Sproul: There Is No True Prophecy Today

“Homosexuality is Unnatural”: The Last Great Message of Myles Munroe on the Gay Agenda

[.45 Long Colt]

Peters said, “Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, Myles Munroe, Joyce Meyer and others are, all of them, false prophets. What they teach is not the Gospel preached by our Lord Jesus Christ, but a teaching with no Bible basis.”

I don't have time to comment on the topic of charismatic gifts, but he was right about the prosperity pimps. They are false teachers, wolves in sheep's clothing. Because of these types we have people who can't give a coherent explanation of the gospel yet they are "living their best life now" and "sowing seeds" and speaking in tonques. It's a travesty!

We should never be surprised by false teachers because the Bible warns us. "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" (2 Timothy 4:3)

It is the GOSPEL that is "the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." (Romans 1:16)

People in Brazil need the truth. They need the gospel! In the coming months I expect to have a very small part in taking the truth of the gospel to Brazil during the coming Olympic games.

A Glimpse of Our Outreach to Brazil http://www.ligonier.org/blog/glimpse-our-outreach-brazil/

[Scrambler Bob]

To have false prophets and false gifts, there must be true ones.

[Arlis]

Good review on all of this from a godly man with a balanced but accurate view of cessationism, prosperity gospel, etc.

“Authentic Fire”, by Michael L. Brown...

[dadfly]

bookmark

[rusty schucklefurd]

I would never say that God cannot give gifts of tongues, healings, or prophetic revelation, He can do whatever He wants - but, I also do not see these gifts, as practiced in most charismatic churches, as being practiced according to New Testament teaching. That is, with tongues for example, the Apostle Paul describes those with that gift as being able to control themselves and only speak when they know there are those who can interpret - and, that only one person at a time should speak so that the whole church may be edified. This is definitely NOT the common practice in the charismatic churches I have been to. It is a “free for all” in regard to tongue speaking.

I also have an issue with the so-called “hearing God’s voice” thing, and this “receiving new revelation”. I understand when reading God’s Word, and when in prayer, that we can have a fresh sense of understanding the meaning and teaching of a passage and this should motivate us to greater service, gratitude, and devotion to God - I believe that is the Holy Spirit working in us.

But, to say you are literally “hearing the voice of God” and believe that you are receiving personal messages to you from God, I do not see that taught or practiced in the New Testament. Yes, Peter and Paul did receive visions and special messages from God on occasion - but this was a departure from the ordinary and God did these things for a specific reason - not just for a personal rap time with God. If one claims they are receiving revelation from God and actually, literally hearing His voice, then this person is claiming to be a prophet, and thus falls under the warning to prophets not speak presumptuously in God’s name. If any of their prophesies do not come true, that prophet is to be put to death according to Dueteronomy 18:20. So, claiming to hear actual messages from God is a VERY serious claim. And, if you are truly receiving new revelation, it should be added to the Bible, right?

Now, does God sometimes impress upon us to do something or do miraculous things in our lives - absolutely!

[juliosevero]

This mission to Brazil is connected to R.C. Sproul, who had bad experience with prophecy, so he concluded that there is no genuine gift of prophecy for today.

I find no Bible support to reject when God wants to direct or speak to us today through prophecy. I follow a “Sola Scriptura” which means “only the Bible,” but I fear that when some theologians mention “Sola Scriptura” (only Scripture) what they mean is “Sola Theologia” (only theology). Nothing else.

You can find my article on Sproul here: http://lastdayswatchman.blogspot.com/2013/07/rc-sproul-there-is-no-true-prophecy.html

[juliosevero]

Thank you!

[.45 Long Colt]

I saw and spoke with R.C. only last week. We will have to agree to disagree on both Dr. Sproul and ongoing prophecy.

[dadfly]

thank you for a bookmark? :)

well you’re welcome brother! and God bless.

[dadfly]

thanks for the word cessationist/cessationism. it helps catagorize a lot of what i hear from some protestants denying the “gifts” of the Spirit today.

one question bro: what is a neo-charismatic?

fyi, i consider myself a charismatic Christian having been led by the Spirit, Faith on Jesus, my own life experiences in the Spirit, and study of the Bible away from some theological tenents held by Catholicson one pole and mainline Protestants on the other. my take theology is mostly Paulist/Lewisian, always looking to the OT for confirmation.