I know I hammer Glenn Beck a lot on this page, and I make no apology for it. In fact, unless and until Beck stops advancing false teachings and shows true signs of repentance, I will continue to hammer on him. This is because he is leading others astray by deliberately twisting the Lord’s Word. How do I know it is deliberate? Because he posts things like this picture on his Face Book page, with the implication that he is among the persecuted.
The problem here is that this is not what God’s Word says, and by posting this, Beck is intentionally twisting the Lord’s Word to his own purpose.
One someone twists the words of another, they move boundary stones. Scripture says such people are to be accursed. Well, that is exactly what Beck has done by posting this picture and using it to imply he is among the persecuted. Matthew 5:10-12 actually reads this way:
Matthew 5:10-12 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Now, I am fully aware that Beck believes I am one who falsely accuses and persecutes him for his beliefs, and — to him — this means he is among the people this passage addresses. But Beck is wrong! This passage does not refer to him and those like him. It refers to those who cling to the One True God and His revealed Word. This is not Beck and the picture proves it.
Notice that this picture leaves out a couple very important words. Missing are:
“for the sake of righteousness”
The Bible defines ‘righteousness‘ as someone who holds to God’s Law and God’s Word. According to the Apostle, John, this excludes Mormons. Mormons, like Muslims, twist the Scriptures to their own desires. According to the Apostle, Paul, those who do this are to be accursed. And according to John, they are of the Spirit of Antichrist. So this passage is not talking about people who are persecuted for wickedness (the twisting or disobedience to God’s Word). It is talking about those Beck calls ‘haters:’ the people who are doing their best to cling to God’s Word as it has been preserved in the Bible.
The next section of the passage cited in this picture says that those who are falsely accused will be blessed. The problem for Beck is that he is not being falsely accused. The Bible tells us that God is One: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, but one. Mormons believe in an infinite number of Gods. The Bible calls this paganism and the Bible is very clear on this matter: pagans will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, Mormons — like Muslims — have created their own Jesus. So, even if ‘persecuted’ for the name of their Jesus, they are still excluded from the blessing mentioned in Matt 5:10-12 — because they are not being persecuted for the name of the One True God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. They are being persecuted for their belief in a creation of their own making (something the Bible calls a false god/idol).
There is much more to this, but the point is simple: Beck posted something that deliberately omits a key part of the passage. If we took the words in this picture literally, then Satanists are ‘blessed’ when they are ‘persecuted.’ Make no mistake: this is the message Beck intends. We know this because of the ‘unity’ message he has been pushing. His quest for common ground between all faiths is no different in Spirit than the ‘Liberation Theology’ Beck attacks as being wrong. Both seek to equate all beliefs. But the Bible rejects this. In fact, Christ says that the darkness (things of this world — like Mormons and Muslims) have no business with the light (God’s people). The darkness does not understand the light, and Beck has demonstrated this once again by intentionally twisting God’s Word.
Now, do I ‘hate’ Glenn Beck? NO! I have heard Beck tell his audience that I do. Beck says anyone who rejects his claim to be a Christian is a hater. But God’s calls us to defend His Word, and His Word says that Beck is NOT a follower of Christ. Given the choice between a man and God’s Word, I chose God’s Word every time. And at the same time, God’s Word tells me to have an agape love for Beck — and I do. I even have a phileo love for him. I pray for Beck all the time, as I do for all Mormons and Muslims. They have all been deceived and I pray that the Lord will open their eyes. But I am also called to teach and to strengthen the believers, and I simply cannot be silent in the face of false teachers/prophets. I am compelled to warn those who will listen. So, please, I beg you: be very careful with Glenn Beck. If you listen to him, be ever on your guard. Test everything — and I mean everything he says to you against the Scriptures, and make triple sure Beck is teaching correctly and in context. I have been doing this for a while now and I have found he never teaches correctly and in context. You may disagree. All I know is that I am doing my best to sound the warning. Let them who have ears to hear, hear.
The Oil for Your Lamp 
I agree and have felt for years that things with Beck are not as he tries to exhibit. I can’t quite put my finger on it yet, whether nefarious or just misguided, but something smells.
Personally, I think Beck’s past has caused him to look for something where he feels he can atone for his sins. Mormonism is very attractive to those who do not understand or cannot accept Grace. So, personally, I am willing to allow that whatever you and I sense in Beck is the result of something he does not see. I do not think it is consciously intentional, but it is still leading others astray, just the same — especially in matters of God and Scripture.
Joe,
YES. I, too, have seen this mindset exhibited in Christian friends AND myself. It appears that any question to the authenticity to their actions is equated to questioning the word of God. They can never be in the wrong because they acts ‘according to God’ — THEIR God, perhaps….certainly not the true God. These are the Pharisees of our time: the ones who are righteous in their own eyes, the ones who cannot be wrong because of their moral superiority, the ones who carry the false torch of “persecution”. These hypocrites claim to be of God while they distort the words and teaching of Jesus; they have replaced God with their moral superiority.
Truthfully, I tremble for them; they do not have the humility to see their sins. The shadow is their sun. I pray that, through daily prayer, God will reveal our sins to us so we do not fall into the snares of false-righteousness, that through our confession of brokenness we can be made wise and humble by the Grace of the Lord.
–Lara
Amen, Lara — and well said.
This is actually a large part of what Jesus was getting at when He told us to remove the plank from our own eyes. He was not telling us not to judge (be discerning); but to learn how to see our own guilt first, so that we would not be hypocrites. It is a tough chore, and impossible without God’s help. So I thank God for His Holy Spirit 🙂