Israeli televangelist Benny Hinn has issued an apology for delivering prophecies that, in his own admission, "were not from the Lord”.
Speaking to The Strang Report, the 71-year-old shared his two biggest ministry regrets: endorsing the prosperity gospel and spreading untrue prophecies.
This is not the first time the pastor has criticised the prosperity gospel. In 2019, he declared he was “done with it” and was “correcting his own theology” after witnessing the harm caused by such teachings.
At the time, he shared on a Facebook video: “I think it's an offence to the Lord; it's an offence to say give $1,000. I think it's an offense to the Holy Spirit to place a price on the Gospel. I'm done with it. I will never again ask you to give $1,000 or whatever amount, because I think the Holy Ghost is just fed up with it."
In his recent interview with The Strang Report, Hinn reiterated his stance and sought forgiveness from his audience. Reflecting on past errors, he shared different examples where he believed he received divine revelation but later realised was inaccurate.
“And then there were times when I thought God had showed me something that he wasn’t showing me. And I spoke it out,” Hinn said.
“But in 1 Corinthians 13, we clearly see that we all prophesy in part. That means we don’t see the full picture. And sadly — and I wish I could go back and fix it — but sadly, there were some prophecies I gave that were not accurate or from the Lord.”
“But who’s perfect?” he added.
“And for that, of course, I ask people to forgive me,” Hinn said. “I’m just human and made mistakes like that. And I’ll probably make them again, I suppose, down the road, because I’m not perfect.”
“So I came to the conclusion in 2019 that I don’t want to be part of the gimmickry of it, and I still stand by that. But sadly, I let pressure get to me, and because of that pressure, I said things and did things that I should not have done,” Hinn said. “And for that, really, I am sorry, and I ask the dear people watching us to really forgive me for that. And I’m striving with all my heart to be as biblical as possible with that.”
“Right now, my focus is the Lord and only the Lord,” Hinn said. “And if, of course, there will be the time when I may have to raise funds for our ministry, I will do it as biblically as I know how — and balanced.”
Hinn has been criticised by many for living a lavish lifestyle while touring the world with his healing ministry.
In 2007, Hinn's ministry was investigated by US politicians on the Senate Committee on Finance to determine whether he had benefited personally from donations made to his church work.