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?
Joel L. Watts holds a Masters of Arts from United Theological Seminary with a focus in literary and rhetorical criticism of the New Testament. His interests include exploring the role of mimesis in human civilization, specifically in the study of religion and media, as well as science fiction and the way in which it has allowed mythology to be explored in light of scientific discoveries of the past century. He is the author of Mimetic Criticism of the Gospel of Mark: Introduction and Commentary (Wipf and Stock, 2013) and a co-editor and contributor to From Fear to Faith: Stories of Hitting Spiritual Walls (Energion, 2013).
Website: → Unsettled Christianity
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“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, 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.
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.
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?
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.
“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!
Joel Hemphil has it right and the post-apostolic, institutional church has always been wrong about it. The Bible says that only the Father is God. Three irrefutable New Testament texts that verify this are John 17.3, 1 Corinthians 8.6, and Ephesians 4.6.
See my new 600-page book, The Restitution of Jesus Christ (2008), available only at my website at servetustheevangelical.com. This book may be the most formidable, well-researched, biblically in-depth book to ever challenge the church dogma that Jesus is God while also affirming all other major church teachings about Jesus.
Servetus the Evangelical
I was wondering when you would get around to my blog. I have serious doubts as to whether the man who gave his life to question the notion of the Trinity but hold to the doctrine of the Deity of Christ would take too kindly to you using his name, especially in such a way as to run a contest.
Further, I do not take kindly to those that plug their own book with such big words. Nor do I take too kindly to those who deny the godhood of Christ. Finally, those what dismiss Christ by exalt themselves – well, I do my best to hold my tongue when I am really angry.