Benny Hinn: Faulty Theology

Benny Hinn is notorious for his faulty theology, which has included his suggestion that there are nine persons in the Trinity, the assertion that Adam could fly, and his on-again, off-again position on word-faith teachings.

For reasons known only to Hinn himself, he has come up with many strange — and unbiblical — teachings and practices:

Many people have challenged and confronted Hinn with his faulty theology. In 1991 Hinn told Christianity Today that he would submit to the counsel and constructive criticism of others (Christianity Today, October 28, 1991, p. 14). But Hinn’s rhetoric since then has raised questions in some people’s minds about his sincerity.

Representatives of CRI and other evangelical apologetics ministries say they have noticed a pattern of Hinn telling people behind the scenes that he has changed, but then going on as before.[…]

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Indeed, for those who have been keeping an eye on him, Hinn has proven to be difficult to pin down. Not long after telling Christianity Today that the “faith message” (as articulated by such teachers as Kenneth Copeland) does not “add up,” Hinn said that speaking out against Copeland was tantamount to “attacking the very presence of God.” Also, though affirming the concept of a triune God, he continues to maintain that the Holy Spirit has a “spirit-body.”

In last year’s interview with CT, Hinn said he would no longer use the term revelation knowledge in reference to some of his teachings because of the implication that those teachings were directly from God and thus infallible. While he has shunned the term revelation knowledge, just a few months ago on TV Hinn said that the Holy Spirit was at that moment teaching him that God originally designed women to give birth out of their sides.[…]

According to Hanegraaff, Hinn several times denied to him having made the statement about women and birth. Hanegraaff said he finally told Hinn where he could find the disputed remark on the videotaped sermon. Hinn later acknowledged making the statement, calling it “dumb.” Hanegraaff said that when he reminded Hinn that he had credited the Holy Spirit with the teaching, the evangelist chuckled and said he had actually picked up the teaching from the (1963) Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible.[…]

Critics have also questioned Hinn’s account of his testimony. Hinn says he was miraculously cured of stuttering, but PFO claims it has talked to several people from Hinn’s youth who do not recall him stuttering. And in an article in PFO’s next newsletter, Fisher challenges Hinn’s claim that his father was the mayor of Jaffa, Israel. Hinn acknowledges that his father did not have the title of mayor, but says he performed the functions of mayor. Fisher says Hinn’s father, who is now deceased, was “a clerk in an Arab labor office.”
– Source: As quoted at Deception in the Church

This notorious faith healer has been in trouble with the American Christian community for some questionable theology. Much of what is shown on his daily half-hour program involves his foreign crusades. Benny healing a little girl in Belgium, Benny preaching at a Moscow crusade, Benny meeting with Chinese leaders. All are mixed with his famous laying on of hands, in which followers fall backwards to the ground.

He only spends 8% of his time asking for money, and preaches the prosperity gospel as well, such as one episode in which his wife, siblings (none of whom have Hinn’s accent), mother and in-laws all appeared to support his talk on “Your Financial Miracle.” Because of the variety and the visual fascination of seeing the ”miracles,” Hinn’s program is somewhat entertaining to watch, but none of the miracles are verified for the viewing audience and the ministry did not respond to a request for financial information.
– Source: Television Ministries in the New Millennium: A Study of 22 Religious Broadcasters in the Year 2000, by Stephen Winzenburg, Communication Professor, Grand View College, Des Moines

One organization that monitors Benny Hinn is the Trinity Foundation:

“We’ve had numerous complaints about Mr. Hinn that have had to do with people stopping taking their medicine based on promises that they were healed by him,” said Ole Anthony, founder of the Trinity Foundation, the evangelical watchdog group in Dallas that investigates complaints collected on a toll-free phone line about televangelists.

“He’s appealing to the massive greed and need of the audience,” Anthony said. ”And without any real results, people follow him all over the country to just be touched by him.”

Anthony said his group has tried unsuccessfully to get Hinn to verify testimonials before airing them, and wait at least six months to make sure improvements in believers’ health are not the result of remission or psychological influence.

“I think Benny believes in what he’s doing. I like Benny. But he’s fallen in love with himself and he’s forgotten the cross,” Anthony said. “We feel that it’s deceptive what he’s doing, in giving false hope to these people, millions of people.”
– Source: Televangelist Hinn Building TV Studio, Ministry in O.C., Los Angeles Times, Aug. 24, 1997