The God of the Swaggarts

By Mark Swarbrick

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By Mark W. Swarbrick

For the complete story on Jimmy Swaggart, get my book, Swaggartism: The Strange Doctrines of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, available now on Amazon for only $6.99. For information click HERE.

“These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes.” (Psalms 50:21)

It would appear that the Swaggarts have a warped view of God. Their actions and statements over the years reveal a God with a different character and diverse priorities from the God that is revealed in the Bible. Whether or not they really believe the things they say, or if they make them up as they go along, we do not know. Do they say these things to impress people of their intimate relationship with God? Do they really hear the voices they claim to hear? If we assume they are not making these things up, then we must conclude that the god of the Swaggarts is not the God of the Bible.

Perform or Else!

The God of the Bible honors marriage, telling husbands that even if their wives are not Christians, they are not to leave them.[1] But the God of Frances Swaggart is performance oriented. Frances said that God would give Jimmy a different wife if she didn’t tolerate ten years on the road as an itinerant preacher. Frances says that God spoke to her and said, “I’ll remove you and replace you with someone else.”[2]

Frances’ God is one who doesn’t really care about her. She is replaceable. But Jimmy is the apple of God’s eye and her only value is in serving Jimmy. Her God is one that doesn’t really honor marriage. Frances’ god is an uncaring taskmaster, one that will replace her with another woman if she doesn’t perform to standards. Why? Because it’s all about Jimmy.

Swindlers

The Swaggarts believe that preaching the Gospel involves hiring people to run around to the homes of elderly people persuading them that they should will all their money to Jimmy Swaggart Ministries, thereby defrauding the children of their rightful inheritance.

In 1981 the Swaggarts wormed their way into the home of millionaire widow Zoe Vance of La Jolla, California. Jimmy himself visited her and serenaded her with organ music. Repeated follow up visits to her ocean-front home occurred over the next two years by Swaggart operatives. A log was kept of each visit, with notations such as, “Good public relations call; she says she intends to give cash gift in the future…”

When she died relatives were shocked to find she left her entire ten million-dollar estate to Jimmy Swaggart Ministries. The will was contested by the family, claiming Swaggart had “exploited” her. The suit was settled in 1984 with the Swaggart ministry receiving 70% of the estate, or a total of $7 million dollars.

That is only one of many examples that could be given. The scripture warns of such people: “Having a form of godliness…They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women…” (2 Tim 3:5-6)

The God of the Bible wants the inheritance to go the children. “And if we are children, then we are heirs…” says Romans 8:17. This speaks of God’s children inheriting from God, but it presumes the principle of children inheriting from parents. Proverbs 3:22 says, “A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children” Proverbs 19:4 says, “House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers…”

The God of Holy Scripture wants your heart. The god of the Swaggarts wants your money.

It’s All About Jimmy

When Jimmy confessed his sin with prostitutes to Marvin Gorman he said, “If those women go to hell, I don’t know what I’m going to do about that.” What a strange god this is! He will send the prostitutes to hell, but hypocritical lying adulterer and fornicator Jimmy Swaggart is free and clear! What outrageous audacity! The god of Jimmy Swaggart will not punish Jimmy because once again, it’s all about Jimmy

The God of the Bible says, “Fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” (Hebrews 13:4) and “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

Personal Revelation

Scripture says, “Long ago…God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son…” (Hebrews 1:1-2). God no longer speaks to us doctrinally through prophets as He did under the Old Covenant. That was done away with long ago. The days of the prophets are past, according to Jesus, who said, “the Prophets were until John…” (Luke 16:16). The time of the apostles is also past. There are no apostles today, but we are told “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints.” (Jude 1:3)

The doctrines of our faith have been delivered “once and for all.” They do not need to be delivered again and again. The biblical canon is closed.

But along comes Jimmy Swaggart claiming a new doctrinal revelation, supposedly greater than anything ever before revealed. If he could get away with it, he would write a new book of the Bible: The Gospel According to Jimmy. The god of Jimmy Swaggart will bring us new revelation through Jimmy but the God of the Bible tells us in his word that such a thing is not going to happen. Which of these gods shall we listen to?

To see the entire list of articles on Swaggartism, click the down arrow (v) to the right of Jimmy Swaggart Ministries in the menu to the left.

Footnotes:

[1] 1 Corinthians 7:13

[2] Ann Rowe Seaman, Swaggart: The unauthorized biography of an American evangelist, (New York, Continuum, 1999)

 



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