“For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” Gen 3:5
Moves like a snake, laugh like a snake, … talks like the snake
The controversial ultra charismatic old videos of the aging pastor Rodney Howard-Browne reappear in the internet media, and regain popularity. He did not only laugh like a devil in one of his charismatic shows1 (1:08:14) but spoke (1:04:54) like the snake did with Eva in Eden.
May they see thy real
God is going to open your eyes
may god cause you to see in that realm,
you gona see, … you gona see into that realm, you gona see into that realm of the supernatural.
He promised the attendance to get their eyes opened, and all they got to see, is themselves falling done and losing self-control. He made them « naked ». He pretended that people get deep into inner healings – which are « healings that no one can see » , … but facts which we can see, show that no gift were distributed, the gifted singer were rather muted, gifted preacher cannot preach or even talk.
Is this « power of God », … divine?
Such pseudo pastors are hungry of « divine power » and fame, proud to be « like God », having powers to impress (and « disable ») individuals.
They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”... … Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Act 8:10, 18- 19
Like Simon, these modern « believing and baptised » magicians are hungry of power and fame among the crowds and unless they are strongly and publicly rebuked (cf. Acts 8:20; 2 Peter 3:16), … they themselves rebuke the saints « Sceptics », the God fearing men and women prohibiting themselves of entering into such submission (cf. Mat 7:13).
As Eva was already half seduced (Gen 3:3) before the last statement of the snake (Gen 3:5) , the Christianised crowd knows that such pastors are controversial, but they have already associated the commandments of God to « stand firm » (Eph. 6), as unjust « prohibition laws », and prefer to come these shows, to experience something, see something, get something, and indeed they get « it ».
Let us quote the 1860s famous comments on Gen 3:5 from Keil and Delitzsch. They saw already in these last deceptive words of the snake, a counterfeit form of God shaped as a mere « Divine Power » :
To attain his end, the tempter felt it necessary to change the living personal God into a merely general numen divinium3 [=divine power], and to exaggerate the prohibition, in the hope of exciting in the woman’s mind partly distrust of God Himself, and partly a doubt as to the truth of His word. And his words were listened to. Instead of turning away, the woman replied …
We know that the « fall » of Adam and Eva was only the beginning of the end. Keil and Delitzsch4 continues :
… That is to say, it is not because the fruit of the tree will injure you that God has forbidden you to eat it, but from ill-will and envy, because He does not wish you to be like Himself. “A truly satanic double entendre, in which a certain agreement between truth and untruth is secured!” By eating the fruit, man did obtain the knowledge of good and evil, and in this respect became like God.
These possessed pastors are like shining gods, submitting those about to fall. In return, they entice the fallen ones to distribute the « surnatural » demonic experiences.
What does Christianity says about it
Even the politically correct Christian press, raised alarm bells, like the US Christianity Today magazin2 in August 9, 1999 Rodney Howard-Browne, was called « the often flamboyant Pentecostal preacher« .
Previously, the South Africa born Howard-Browne has styled himself as the “bartender of holy laughter,” a charismatic manifestation that has ranged from uncontrollable laughter to the noises of animals. Five years ago, his teaching on “holy laughter” initiated the “Toronto Blessing” that led to a worldwide charismatic renewal and controversy (CT, Oct. 24, 1994, p. 78). The manifestations became so contentious that the Vineyard Association of Churches severed ties with the Toronto Airport church where they originated (CT, Jan. 8, 1996, p. 66).
The term Flamboyant used remind us of the « flaming darts of the evil one; » Cf. Eph 6:16. The harder apologetic press use even stronger terms. But will all press help, if we are seduced already?
Notes
1 – Video: Display Of The Power Of The Holy Ghost – Rodney Howard-Browne
https://youtu.be/7LY6TzufMB8?t=3894&si=aoOpnhL3yvhNb6wU
2 –
3 – The latin « numen divinium » : « Numen » is the power of a deity and « divinium » is « divine/divinity. » we could translate with « Divine might or power » .
4 – Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament was published in 1866-1891;
Johann Carl Friedrich Keil (1807-1888) was professor of Biblical Exegesis and Oriental Languages at the University of Dorpat. Franz Delitzsch (1813-1890) was professor of Old Testament at the University of Liepzig.