T.D. Jakes and the Elephant Room

1/13/2012 | By Will Brannon

If you have not heard about the Elephant Room, then you probably should get acquainted with it. The premise of the first Elephant Room in 2011 was fairly simple: bring a lot of guys together who agree that Jesus is God, but do not agree on too much else. Then, have them debate/talk out their plethora of differences. Last year, the “debaters” included James MacDonald, Mark Driscoll, Matt Chandler, Greg Laurie, Steven Furtick, Perry Noble, and David Platt. They wrestled with a lot of issues, including church philosophy, evangelism, and ministry.

Basically, “We all love Jesus,” says the Elephant Room, “So let’s get together dear brothers, and let’s seriously talk about our differences.” That is not an official quote, but one that I think summarizes the event. Here is the purpose of the Elephant Room according to the official website:

The idea that the best way forward for the followers of Jesus lies not in crouching behind walls of disagreement but in conversation among all kinds of leaders about what the scriptures actually teach. We must insist on the biblical Gospel, right doctrine and practice but not isolate ourselves from relationship even with those who believe much differently.

January 25, 2012 marks the Elephant Room 2—an event that has became Ground Zero for a pretty heated evangelical debate. Why? Because this year, James MacDonald (the master planner behind the Elephant Room conferences) has thrown a curve ball to the evangelical community by inviting T.D. Jakes to the event.

That is a problem, because T.D. Jakes is a pretty popular heretic. Setting aside the issues with his word of faith and prosperity preaching, he is a Modalist. Modalism (also known as Sabellianism) is a doctrine that teaches that the three persons of the Trinity exist in three “modes.” Kevin DeYoung puts it this way:

Orthodox Trinitarianism rejects modalism which believes that Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are different names for the same God acting in different roles or manifestations. (1)

In other words, Modalists deny the Trinity. Before we discuss the Elephant Room debacle further, let’s briefly look at Bishop Jakes’ theology. His statement of faith reads as follows:

There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in three manifestations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (2)

Hearing the word “Manifestations” in reference the Trinity is like loud music playing in a scary movie…something pretty bad is about to happen.

Jakes has been confronted on this issue, and has responded with enough evangelical lingo to escape the fire (or at least, to try):

The language in the doctrinal statement of our ministry that refers to the Trinity of the Godhead as “manifestations” does not derive from modalism. The Apostle Paul himself used this term referring to the Godhead in 1 Timothy 3:15, 1 Corinthians 12:7, and 1 John 3:5—8. Peter also used the term in 1 Peter 1:20. Can this word now be heresy when it is a direct quote from the Pauline epistles and used elsewhere in the New Testament? (3)

So, if you ask Bishop Jakes if he is a modalist he will say no. But if you ask Rob Bell he is a universalist he will also say no. The question is not: do you embrace a label? The question is: does the label accurately describe your theology and teaching? But still, Bishop Jakes persists in using Modalist language:

I believe in one God who is the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. I believe these three have distinct and separate functions — so separate each has individual attributes, yet are one. I do not believe in three Gods. (4)

In spite of all the distinctives, God is one in His essence. Though no human illustration perfectly fits the Divine, it is similar to ice, water and steam: three separate forms, yet all H20. Each element can co-exist, each has distinguishing characteristics and functions, but all have sameness.... (5)

When God got ready to make a man that looked like Him, He didn't make three. He made one man. However, that one man had three parts. He was body, soul and spirit. We have one God, but He is Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Spirit in regeneration. (6)

Why does the last quote not completely settle this issue? God is the Father in creation, Son in redemption, and Holy Spirit in Regeneration. Three functions. Not three persons. All the other theological issues aside (Oneness Pentecostalism, Word of Faith preaching, etc.), let’s agree on one thing: T.D. Jakes rejects the Trinity.

“But the Trinity is a complex issue,” his supporters say. True, but complexity is not as excuse for blatantly sloppy, confusing, and downright inaccurate theological statements. We are not talking about a new believer who struggles to understand the Hypostatic Union of Christ. We are talking about an internationally known, "Christian celebrity," mega church pastor and author who refuses to admit the errors in his theology.

Sources:

(1) http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2011/09/28/the-doctrine-of-the-trinity-no-christianity-without-it/

(2) http://www.thepottershouse.org/Local/About-Us/Belief-Statement.aspx

(4) http://www.equip.org/articles/t-d-jakes-responds-to-the-journal

(3) http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2000/februaryweb-only/13.0b.html

(5) http://www.equip.org/articles/t-d-jakes-responds-to-the-journal

(6) http://www.forgottenword.org/jakes.html