This is a conversation I had with Jonathan Youssef:
Episode 80: david robertson: the tragedy of ravi zacharias
It’s difficult and heart breaking to process the news of confirmed allegations of personal impropriety by Ravi Zacharias. Apologist David Robertson joins Jonathan Youssef for a respectful conversation on the importance of grieving this report, what it means for Christian leaders to be held accountable, whether or not scandal discredits previous teachings, and what we can learn, if anything, from this revelation.
You can listen to it by clicking this link…
https://www.ltw.org/listen/candid/episode-80
Ravi Zacharias was a Liar, Sexual Pervert and Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing. This Report Proves it
This is an earlier interview I did on the same show:
STM that notably evil behaviour – if not amended – does most definitely disqualify the teaching of office-holders in the Church. The Church had this debate with the Donatists in the 4th and 5th centuries, and decided against them. But perhaps the Donatists were correct after all.
I don‘t see how a predator exercising a ministry in the Church can in any useful sense be regarded as a Christian by the Church on Earth – Christ, the Lord of the Church, knows the hearts of men better than they can themselves, and can alone say who belong to Him; but the Church’s awareness of its own liability to error in such matters cannot disable it from punishing grave crimes against its members.
One of the scandals here is, the lack of oversight. That seems to be a very common failing in US Christianity. And that is very alarming – how many more unsupervised and unaccountable (but very popular) preachers and teachers are going to turn out to be perverts or criminals or liars or scandalous in some other way ?
There is a lot of argumentation and apologetic – but where is the holiness ? Where is that ? And where is the message of the Cross ? If God had wished to save us through clever debate, there would have been no Cross, and no Christ Crucified.
You make valid points Jim.
Does it not highlight how the church evaluates the fruit of those called Christians?
Jesus was very clear: They will not be known by claims, accomplishments, success, (Matt 7:15-23.) Rather a much more obscure standard. “When I was…you gave, visited etc” (Matt 25: 31-46)
Take the lowest seat, be last. (Luke 14:10)
Jesus set out different marker than those we evaluate today!
Where is the very thing that tackles Sin? The Cross.
It has one purpose. To put to death. To execute. To bring an end to its victim.
That the investigation exposed behaviour abhorrent, reveals more than anything a compromised ‘faith without power’ to alter the very thing the gospel was proclaimed to deliver. If our faith does not deliver from slavery to the flesh, then it’s pointless. Arguments and reason are not enough if there is no deliverance.
“It’s difficult and heart breaking to process the news of confirmed allegations of personal impropriety by Ravi Zacharias.”
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Prov 4:23).
So my question is – difficult and heart breaking for who? If I felt this way every time a Christin leader went off track then I would likely be in need of psychiatric help. Instead, personally I have developed what therapists call a numbness to this kind of thing. That’s not a lack of compassion or concern – far from it. I would offer that it be wise in these time to practice guarding your heart so as not to be be experiencing such difficulty or being dragged down to such a disabling degree by the failings of yet another Christian “celebrity” but rather look to Him who is just and graceful, be encouraged that truth and justice prevails and in Jesus by his wounds there is healing for anyone hurt by these events.
Hopefully this serves as a warning to any leader who does likewise and if this literally puts the fear of God into such a leader than that’s good for everyone, including the leader.
Difficult and heart breaking for me. And many others.
For additional insight, Glen Scrivener interviews UK RZIM insider, Sam Allberry , at length.
See Speak Life.