Your’s is a Perfectly Reasonable perspective.
And, it may be that time will show that I’ve extended more Grace about such things than God would/does.
I just know that I need lots of Grace and am happy to extend it.
And I know that if I had to have 100% of my pontifications scrutinized 24/7/365 by even the herd of naysayers on FR, I’d never survive intact—if they had any say about it.
Sooner or later, all of us say some outright stupid, dumb, outrageous things. And, the more thick-headed, arrogant of us can do so fairly persistently for a long time before the heavenly 4 X 4 hits us upside the head and wakes us up.
One of my best pastors ever once wrote a book about babies in hell—because of unsaved parents. The AoG leaders made him retract it but he hasn’t changed his opinions. He just doesn’t teach it. I think he’s off the wall about it.
But he has a good heart toward God and man and the vast bulk of his theology is quite Biblical.
Thankfully, God knows how to sort all that out.
Thankfully, it’s above my pay grade.
Thankfully, God looks on the heart. For some, that’s a blessing, for others, a curse.
Seems to me that Hagin’s heart was persistently toward God and man . . . much more so than the hearts of many of his detractors.
By default I don’t trust a single televangelist, *miracles* notwithstanding.
Matthew 7:15-23
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’