Are these people worth listening to?
Joel Hemphill, part of the Hemphills, has recently published a book, To God be the Glory: The Bible View of God. Now, we all know the Hemphills for there many many recordings going back many more years than I have lived on this planet, but did you know that Joel H. is now denying the deity of Christ? Here and Here.
Now, it may be just me, but it puts a different spin on their works. I wonder kind of year Bill Gaither is having? With his artists becoming pro-gay (or coming out of the closet) and others denying the very deity of Christ, one has to wonder if he is really making music for God or the money.
What do you think?
agapeton
“What do you think?”…I think Joel H. has been dealt with by the Lord as every human will be at one point. But, he fell between the crack of ‘Oneness’ and ‘Trinitarian’ doctrines. William Branham virtually ended his ministry, when he decided there was ‘two’ instead of ‘One’. [in keeping my comparison with the true doctrine of Christ]
Joel H. did what most do in deciding ‘how’ many Gods there is..he tried to think it out for himself and didn’t allow Jesus Christ to give him the ‘revelation’. This is the Gnostic way that departed the true church in Johns day.
lanis
24 Jul 08 at 12:57 pm
Lanis, I agree with you about Joel H. Unfortunately, being the neck of the woods that I am in, I have heard of and know of the Brahamites, even today.
This is the point that I was urging was the Clement of Alexandria and Origen, and indeed those from the Alexandrian School, sought a secret revelation. That secret revelation brought the Church trouble. Joel H. has sought the same thing and look where he is at now.
Polycarp
24 Jul 08 at 1:46 pm
Well, in that sense, I can categorically agree. I don’t believe in a secret revelation that is diabolical to scripture. The mystery concept is overused. The mystery was [1Cor.2:7, then Paul continues to show how to proceed in 13,14]. That was the revelation I spoke of, the one the Holy Ghost gives us. Mans mind and teaching can only surmise.
lanis
24 Jul 08 at 3:24 pm
I believe that the ‘mystery’ found in our Greek bibles needs some understanding applied to it. Just look at 1st Tim. 3.16. If you apply the definition of the mystery religions that surrounded Paul, you might get this as a translation:
Great is the revelation of holiness: God was…
Thoughts?
Polycarp
24 Jul 08 at 3:30 pm
Poor Joel! His wife is the niece of Howard Goodman of the Happy Goodman family of long ago. LaBreeska, Joel and a young man by the name of McKeithen traveled for years as the Singing Hemphills. A number of years ago they all split up and the McKeithens kept performing for several more years.
I say all that to say this, life can get heavy even for those who have made a lot of money in supposed Christian services. Joel had a severe illness some years ago and went through some drastic treatments and then plunged into a very severe case of clinical depression. He went through months and months of depression and nearly died. LaBreeska realized that she was about to lose her husband to a psychological disorder, decided she needed to do something. So she started to work on him to get back involved in the music business. He did and seemed to come out of it and eventually overcame the clinical depression. Odd that he now is saying Jesus is not God!
Being retired from the health industry, I can tell you that clinical depression can come back easily and it is hard to beat the next time around. Sad! I have never cared much for Joel or the daughter Candy Hemphill Christmas but I have always enjoyed LaBreeska’s alto work.
Ernie
24 Jul 08 at 4:37 pm
“Great is the revelation of holiness: God was…
Thoughts”
I agree that the mysteries for some is a stumbling block, but to those filled, they are not. Paul explained 1Tim 3:16 [but I agree it was a nutshell version], true, we could lend an ear to more of his understanding. Back to 1Cor. it is made clear the mysteries were revealed to us by his Spirit, for the Spirit searcheth all things, deep things. I only imply, if its deep to Jesus Christ, we need to leave it to him for understanding..man doesn’t possess the faculities. We can sound good in our oration, but does that deliver? But, then Poly…if Paul could come explain his use of phrasing his writings, we may could understand “that!” mystery. Being the holy writ was inspired, do you suppose God was allowing the delusion of the mind seekers that turned from the truth?
Ernie, I can remember when they all held a holiness standard and sang for the glory of God and not money!
lanis
24 Jul 08 at 7:07 pm