The Greatest Threat to Christianity - T.D. Jakes

Listed as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals in America by Time magazine, T.D. Jakes is a popular author, minister and leader. His appeal crosses cultural lines. His positive impact on his community, and evangelicalism as a whole, is undeniable. His books, and videos, are promoted across a wide spectrum of evangelical culture. However, defining evangelical gets a little bit tricky in this case because T.D. Jakes is a Oneness Pentecostal.

Oneness Pentecostalism embraces an unbiblical understanding of the relationship between the persons of the Trinity. Historically referred to as Sabellianism or Modalism, this view was considered heretical by the early church. This is the view that God variously manifested Himself as the Father, other times as the Son, and other times as the Holy Spirit. It teaches that God has simply revealed Himself in three different modes, and that He is not three Persons, as the Bible asserts. Passages like Matthew 3:16-17, where two or all three persons of the Godhead are present, contradict the Modalist view.

Admittedly, the Trinity is a concept not easily grasped by our finite minds. However, we can’t ignore clear, biblical teaching without diminishing the character of God and the Scripture. Many want to embrace the teachings of T.D. Jakes knowing of this view, but with the belief that it isn’t that important. Kevin DeYoung notes, among many others, one reason for the importance on clarity regarding God’s character, as described by the Trinity:

“…the Trinity matters for evangelism and cultural engagement. I’ve heard it said that the two main rivals to a Christian worldview at present are Islam and Postmodernism. Islam emphasizes unity—unity of language, culture, and expression—without allowing much variance for diversity. Postmodernism, on the other hand, emphasizes diversity—diversity of opinion, believes, and background—without attempting to see things in any kind of meta-unity. Christianity, with its understanding of God as three in one, allows for diversity and unity. If God exists in three distinct Persons who all share the same essence, then it is possible to hope that God’s creation may exhibit stunning variety and individuality while still holding together in a genuine oneness.”

We are warned by John not to give false teachers any encouragement else we share in their evil deeds. (2 John 9:10-11) I suspect that most in the church, however, who embrace the teachings of T.D. Jakes, are not even aware of the view. They have a shallow understanding of the doctrine of the Trinity and, since he identifies himself as Christian, are ready to promote him and his products without a second thought.

Next week: A shallow, and unbiblical, view of spiritual warfare.

Previous posts: Part 1