(Apologies for the long way folks. Here is the continuation of the article posted back in May)
Thirdly, he supports women in church leadership roles, such as preaching or pastoring. In the soul-survivor website there are six women who are titled ‘assistant pastor’. Even the youth leaders are called ‘pastors’[1].
It is contrary to what the Scriptures teach in 1 Timothy 3:2 concerning the qualifications of a pastor or literally in the Greek: bishop ‘an overseer or guardian’ a title which represents the leadership presence of Christ as the example of a bishop or shepherd (John 10). 1 Tim 3: 2 says he must be a one man women, that is, a husband or a male. How can you have female elders and pastors? You cannot. This qualification alone disqualifies any women who believe they are ‘called’ with an inward feeling, to the ministry. Paul clearly stated not to allow a women to usurp authority over a congregation; not following the trend of the culture of the time. But rather he finds his authority going back to Genesis 3 (1 Timothy 2:12-15). This again indicates to the reader Pilavachi’s compromise on various biblical doctrines by choosing to have some that are unhealthy and unsound. Especially using the word ‘pastor’ so loosely.
Fourthly, like Todd Bentley, he promotes William Branham who denied the Trinity.
Fifthly, he believes in the apostolic gifts of today. He believes that tongues are for today. This is a charismatic doctrine which has long been dealt with and has proven to be erroneous. According to Charismatic’s, the gift of tongues is speaking in the Spirit and language which causes us to stop thinking and just speak. When we do speak; we bring out this ecstatic gibberish sound. Yet Scripture describes the gift as the ability to speak intelligible language foreign to anything one has ever spoken (Acts 2:6-12). He believes God speaks to his outside of the Bible. How can he discern if what he listen is from the Lord? In an interview with Nicky Gumbel explaining how God speaks:
“God does not speak to me anyway ‘hear ye hear ye, calling Mike are ye receiving me?’. It’s just ‘I had a thought’. That was an interesting thought.. That did not seem like my thought. Maybe that’s you; how will I know?’ I’ll go for it! I made a deal with the Lord, I said to him ‘if I think your telling me something I will go for it. Because I would rather get it wrong than always wonder. And if I get it wrong; nobody dies. Unless I got a word that says ‘go stand blind in the motorway’.” “And so, I go for it. And you know,. The more you step out; the more you recognize his voice. And it’s a gentle voice, it’s a gentle whisper. A still small voice. Jesus said in John 15 ‘I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing. Instead I have called you friends for everything from everything that I receive from my father. I have made known to you’.” “if we were to meditate this for a year the word ‘friends’ there are no family secrets with friends” “so I have been going on an adventure.” “And you see the fruit of it, it just does you in! I love it, I love it!” “I like that place of dependence”. [1] (Min 28:34sec).
In order to discern the will of God, Pilavachi ‘just tries it out’ and see what happens even if it leads someone him to the wrong path. He calls it an adventure. The gives a picture of a man walking in darkness holding a book guide deciding to put it down on the ground and walk into that dark alley without the map and guide. In order seek another way to communicate with his master. It would make sense for safety reasons to make sure you know where you’re going to get the book guide and follow instructions. But Pilavachi goes beyond that. He stated that he likes that place of dependence. Dependence on what? On a miracle? On a voice? How does he know it’s from God or the devil? The Scripture says that the devil comes as an angel of light. How can he discern unless he is diving in the Scriptures and learning doctrine? His answer was that if it’s not his own idea it is God’s. But it could also be Satan. The question is, what did our Lord Jesus do in this situation? Simple, he said “it is written” to Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). He had full trust in the Word of God and believed in its sufficiency. Yet Pilavachi wants the experience of the unknown. It’s almost seems as if he is chasing something uncertain instead of holding to the complete infallible, sufficient and authoritative word of God.
What a reckless way of discernment. Scripture points out that specific gifts of the Spirit which were used to authenticate or vindicate the messenger of God (prophets and Apostles) is no longer in operation since the message with it was inspired by God (2 Peter 1:21). All the inspired Word of God is found only with certainty in the Holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16), not outside of it. If anything is added to God’s word, such as what was described above by Pilavachi as ‘a word from the Lord’, is to be avoided since with it comes a curse (Revelation 22:18-19). Since the Apostolic gifts of tongues, prophecy and healing have ceased (Hebrews 1:1), because the canon of Scripture is closed, then we can be certain that the only rule and guide for us is to be found in God’s own inspired words alone. Believers now are under the work of the Holy Spirit which provides for them illumination to help them understand or interpret Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:13-15). But dreams, visions, prophecies as such, are no longer needed since we have the all sufficient word of God.
Moreover, Pilavachi uses John 15:15 “I do not call you servants but friends etc” to justify that Jesus would freely reveal to him his will outside of the written inspired Word, because after all; he is a close family friend. In verse Christ calls them with an affectionate term ‘friends’ in order to show them that true believers will always be able to discern the will of God. Not through visions, nor through miracles, but through the Word of God. He simply saying to them ‘you will be able to know me. You alone with be able to know me well. The world will not know me, but you will’. In the context of John 15:7 there is also Jesus words in John 14:17 talking about the Holy Spirit “Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but ye know him”. It is in that context which Jesus is using terms such as ‘friends’.
This intimate term is not to be used to give us the excuse of slowly walking away from His word. God himself said “if ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will” (John 15:7). Stay with His word! The other fact about the expression he uses in John 15:7 is explained well by Paul in 1 Corinthians 2:14 -15 showing how the Spirit of God is able to enlighten/illuminate the believer in contrast to the unbeliever who follows his own wisdom “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him; neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” “But he that is spiritual (the Christian) judgeth all things”.
Again, God’s word is clear that we have already His word for us in the Scriptures. And this give us great courage and certainty on how we as believers can walk in life (2 Timothy 3:16). Pilavachi on the other hand, would lead many into confusion and uncertainty if he promotes new extra biblical revelation. What attracts most young people to what Pilavachi says is the thought of being spontaneous and adventurous. Young people like a bit of experiential adventure seeking the supernatural.
The question still remains thought for Pilavachi: how can we know Jesus daily in our lives? As we have showed earlier Christ had reverence and trust in the Word of God against Satan (Matthew 4:1-11). So many ask ‘what is the will of God for my life?’ it is this one answer “your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). He wants to make you know Him by making you holy. In our sanctification, Christ reveals that we are to know Him (John 17:3). Here is how we can do that. Jesus prays to the Father that the believers would be made holy, able to discern His will through the Word “thy word is truth” (John 17:17). Paul also agrees in Romans 12:2 that we are being transformed by the renewing of our minds “that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”. The manner in which believers are instructed to discern is to weight things according to the Word of God by filling up their minds with the Word. Scripture exhorts us to examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwzsWzwfqtc
[1] https://www.soulsurvivorwatford.co.uk/meet-the-team/
(to be continued)
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