# Reformed People On TBN



## Jared (Dec 12, 2011)

What's your perspective on Reformed people being on TBN? There aren't very many, but over the years they have had a few Reformed or at least monergistic people on their flagship program Praise The Lord! as well as on other featured programs.

Here is a short list of Reformed or monergistic people that have been featured on TBN:

R.C. Sproul
John MacArthur
Kirk Cameron
Ray Comfort (Way of the Master)
Francis Chan
Joni Erickson Tada
Keith & Kristyn Getty
Beth Moore (Life Today)
Tim Keller (700 Club)
Mark Driscoll (The Hour of Power)

I'm not excusing the false doctrine that is promoted on TBN. But, I have wondered partially because of the people that I listed above whether or not some 
Reformed people are just overly sensitive in not appearing on TBN. Or, maybe the fault lies with TBN and they only invite certain people on and the people above just happened to be the ones they invited on.

Either way, I think that God could be opening some doors on TBN. Keith & Kristyn Gett were on there just a few days ago. And, Kirk Cameron in recent years has invited John MacArthur and Francis Chan to come on TBN's Praise The Lord!.


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## Goodcheer68 (Dec 12, 2011)

Beth Moore (Life Today) is "Reformed or at least monergistic"? Was that a typo?- I always thought she leaned towards synergism and pragmatism.


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## Pergamum (Dec 12, 2011)

What! Francis Chan doesn't have big poofy white hair...how'd he get on!


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## AThornquist (Dec 12, 2011)

I think it is a great opportunity for solid Christians to be made known in the TBN circles. Besides, when they are on, they preach the Gospel. If a congregation of hell's children opens its door to hear the proclamation of the Word, preach like a dying man to dying men! Driscoll and others were quality examples of that to us.

By the way, I love Joni Erickson Tada and am in no way making little of her circumstances, but isn't it interesting how the channel known for healings had a _faithful, believing woman_roll off the set in a wheelchair. So many on their network openly share the damned lie that it's as easy to be healed as it is to be saved, so what do they say about this dear sister?


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## Rufus (Dec 12, 2011)

Most of those people where on their as brief passing byes, if I turned on my tv now and looked for the next week of TBN shows zero to little of it would be monergistic or Reformed. Non-Christians generally (and rightly so) view televangelists in a negative light so I personally wouldn't want to get near it, although in some ways I hope it turns people to good theology (without forsaking our own). Personally I think one of the greater benefits us as Reformed folk have is the internet, if God wills, we can work wonders through this medium.


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## Pergamum (Dec 13, 2011)

AThornquist said:


> I think it is a great opportunity for solid Christians to be made known in the TBN circles. Besides, when they are on, they preach the Gospel. If a congregation of hell's children opens its door to hear the proclamation of the Word, preach like a dying man to dying men! Driscoll and others were quality examples of that to us.
> 
> By the way, I love Joni Erickson Tada and am in no way making little of her circumstances, but isn't it interesting how the channel known for healings had a _faithful, believing woman_roll off the set in a wheelchair. So many on their network openly share the damned lie that it's as easy to be healed as it is to be saved, so what do they say about this dear sister?



Yes, sometimes guests are condemning to their theology. I once talked to a charismatic bunch that were proud of all their tongues-speaking and watched TBN all the time, and they wanted to support bible translation; and they had no answer why, in the history of the church, all that tongue-speaking never amounted to even a single verse of scripture translated into a tribal tongue for publication. They ALL can't be tongues of angels....


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## Scott1 (Dec 13, 2011)

Like many public forums, the station you mention is a mixture of all sorts of things, good and bad.

But, it does have a gospel witness, and deliberately so.

And though I'm not sure we could denominate some of the guests mentioned as "reformed" 
(Doctrines of Grace + Covenant Theology + Confession)

some we certainly would, and I praise God for that.

That would be so even were the overall motives wrong (e.g. money making, propagating "prosperity gospel," etc.), and many guests were in serious biblical error.

Somehow, though, I would have to draw the line at clear heresy (and by that I mean even more substantial and serious than serious error). I'm afraid they have had guests promoting that, and I can't praise God for that.


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## earl40 (Dec 13, 2011)

What is interesting is that all the people who have been on TBN would never be invited to EWTN because they are know as protestants. Maybe we (the reformed) need to protest a tad more against TBN so they never invite us again. Personally I am sad that we tolerate such heresy in our churches in the name of love. I can not remember the last time I have heard a name being named in a protestant church as being a heretic in today's world. Instead we say "prosperity gospel preachers" and wink like most in the congregation know Joel Osteen and Joyce Meyer are false teachers. The simple matter of fact is that most Christians are not being properly protected In my most humble opinion.


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## Fly Caster (Dec 13, 2011)

I might be a bit more inclined to see Beth Moore as Reformed when she ceases and desists from Preaching.


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## Jared (Dec 13, 2011)

Goodcheer68 said:


> Beth Moore (Life Today) is "Reformed or at least monergistic"? Was that a typo?- I always thought she leaned towards synergism and pragmatism.



Well, if Beth Moore is not a monergist, it seems like she would be the only one speaking at the Passion Conference that's not.

Here's the rest of the speaking lineup at the Passion Conference 2012 in January:

John Piper
Louie Giglio
Francis Chan
Andy Stanley

Andy Stanley graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and despite the fact that he is seeker-sensitive to some extent, I think his monergism comes out quite clearly in his teaching. 

We have debated here as to whether or not Francis is a monergist but he went to John MacArthur's Bible College and that shows up a lot if you listen to his teaching.

Louie Giglio has been really good friends with John Piper for a number of years and says that Piper's writings have shaped his view of God.

I don't think I have to say anything about Piper.

If you listen to Beth long enough I think you'll pick up on it.

I forgot to mention a few other people who have been on TBN. A couple of them are antinomian but monergistic nonetheless:

Tony Evans (graduate of DTS)
R.T. Kendall (replaced Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones at Westminster Chapel)
D. James Kennedy
Tullian Tchividjian (he was interviewed by The 700 Club)


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## Scott1 (Dec 13, 2011)

Jared Hanley said:


> I forgot to mention a few other people who have been on TBN. A couple of them are antinomian but monergistic nonetheless:


It's understandable to be thankful for a little "light" amidst a whole lot of wrong theology and self promotion, but in our appreciation and hopefulness, we don't want to overstate its significance.

Your statement identifies another major error, even in trying to identify some whose theology might be right in other areas.

The thread title uses the term "reformed," and that term means more than merely Calvinist leaning or "open" or even unclear about it.

It means a Confession of Faith to which the doctrinal accountability is held, covenant theology, a high view of the sacraments, and of the church.

To the extent the programming would presume to teach God's people, it is even more accountable for protecting the people from false doctrine. That goes for the teachers themselves as well as promoters through the network.

It does NOT mean even an "openness" toward the "prosperity gospel," "positive confession" theology, or looking to extra biblical means as an ordinary means of special revelation- or any of the myriad other wrong teachings being promoted.

Nor does it mean that any of the (very few) reformed guests were allowed to address any distinctive of reformed theology, let alone engage or refute any of the errors and self aggrandizement that unfortunately characterizes the network.


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## Pilgrim Standard (Dec 13, 2011)

did monergisim alone (or shades thereof) suddenly become the sole litmus test for reformed today?


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## Pilgrim (Dec 13, 2011)

I think you're getting pretty broad to include Stanley and Evans in the ranks of the Reformed and maybe even the monergistic. (But I'm sure Lutherans wouldn't disagree with calling them Reformed!) These men are broad evangelicals who as far as I know would be loath to be identified with the Reformed camp. Unlike Rick Warren, I don't think they've ever identified themselves as being Calvinists. Moreover, by some accounts, Evans has not repudiated his "transdispensationalism." (Google it) If so then with that departure from orthodoxy, he fits pretty well with some of the kooks on TBN. 

I'd also be quite surprised to learn that Beth Moore is really monergistic. Even Arminians will make statements from time to time that sound monergistic when taken in isolation. I'm not that familiar with the Passion conferences but despite the association with Piper & co. and thus apparently having served as sort of a "gateway drug" to expose young Southern Baptists and others to Reformed theology, I don't know that they are strictly "Reformed" even in the watered down Southern Baptist usage of the term. 

I can tell you that a lot of "Reformed" Southern Baptist pastors would be very surprised to learn that Moore is "Reformed." Some of them would dearly love to get her classes out of their churches but can't or won't for fear of a backlash from the women. Her appearance there ought to raise some questions about the soundness of that group. But it does fit in with their charismatic-lite flavor given her "God told me to do this" statements etc. I don't think whoever referred to likes of Beth Moore and Henry Blackaby as "tongueless charismatics" was not far from the mark. (I think it might have been Dan Phillips who came up with that. Or least I thought that when reading about their views. But I doubt I'm the first to come up with that.)

The late Dr. Kennedy was by far the most Reformed person I ever saw appear regularly on TBN. And no doubt he was there due to the heavy political emphasis the Coral Ridge Hour had. With the exception of the Way of the Master, most of the others you've listed have probably appeared only occasionally or maybe only once on one of the programs. 

I don't know if Ray Comfort is a Charismatic or Pentecostal today, but in the first edition of "Hell's Best Kept Secret" (published in the late 80's) he makes a clear statement about the Baptism of the Holy Spirit that indicates that he was of that persuasion.

Kendall refers to himself as a 4.5 point Calvinist. But he is also a Charismatic. Lloyd-Jones was not a cessationist, but his worship, etc. was very austere by today's standards. Google Iain Murray's Banner of Truth article "Westminster Chapel Turned Around" on the stark contrast between ML-J and Kendall that caused an upheavel there in the early 80's.

So long as you're a charismatic and especially so long as you're not a "heresy hunter" many charismatics of the TBN type don't care if you're a Calvinist or a Papist or a modalist.


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## Jared (Dec 13, 2011)

Pilgrim Standard said:


> did monergisim alone (or shades thereof) suddenly become the sole litmus test for reformed today?



I made it clear in the OP that I was referring to "Reformed" and "monergistic" people. I just didn't want to take up too much space in the title.


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