Why I Warn About Bethel

This post has been brewing in my heart for a while now. And if I’m honest, it comes with a knot in my stomach and a deep ache in my chest. Not because I’m nervous about posting it, but because I love Jesus. And because I care deeply about women who are being shaped by teachings, music, and ministries that twist the truth of His Word.

I know this might land hard. But I’m not writing from a place of defensiveness or argument. I’m writing with urgency and love. Because I used to be that woman who grew through Bethel’s worship and teaching. I cried during their songs. I felt spiritually “lit up” at the height of their emotional bridges. And for a season, I thought the “signs and wonders” crowd just had more faith than I did.

But now I see things much differently, and it’s not because I’ve become hardened or jaded. It’s because I’ve grown in sound doctrine, and I’ve learned how to test the spirits, just as scripture commands.

The Problem: It’s Not Just “Different Style” or “Minor Theology”

I’ve heard it all:

• “Well, I grew through their music.”
• “Don’t discredit how God uses them.”
• “We shouldn’t be so picky.”
• “You sound judgmental.”

But here’s the thing: I’m not discrediting the fact that God can use broken vessels because He used Bethel’s songs during a season of my life, too. But the presence of fruit doesn’t validate the tree. And scripture is clear: we are called to expose false teaching, not excuse it.

“Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Ephesians 5:11
“Test everything; hold fast what is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21
“I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” Romans 16:17

Jesus did this. Paul did this. Timothy was instructed to do this. And so are we. It’s not judgmental. It’s obedience.

Let’s Talk Theology: What’s Actually Being Taught?

One of the most disturbing teachings I’ve come across and one that’s central to Bethel’s supernatural worldview is their claim that Jesus laid aside His divinity to model what we can do. That sounds subtle, but it radically distorts who Christ is and why He came.

Here’s a direct quote from Bill Johnson’s book When Heaven Invades Earth:

“Jesus lived his earthly life with human limitation. He laid his divinity aside as He sought to fulfill the assignment given to Him by the Father… He performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God… not as God. If He performed them as God, I’m still impressed, but I’m not compelled to follow. What is the point of that?” – Chapter 7

In a podcast interview, Johnson admits he would rewrite that section because of how misunderstood it’s been. Yet he still clings to the core of this teaching: that Jesus chose to limit Himself in a way that believers should emulate. His concern is not that the theology is wrong, but that people mistakenly think he’s saying Jesus is not God. He explicitly states that Jesus never ceased to be God. His issue is with how the language has been interpreted, not with the teaching itself.

But scripture teaches a different story.

“In Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.” Colossians 2:9
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8
“Before Abraham was, I AM.” John 8:58

Let’s be honest, this whole thing is confusing, and honestly, my eyes went a little crossed the first time I heard it. Bill Johnson wants to assure listeners that Jesus never stopped being God, while also saying Jesus laid aside His divinity to model how we should live. That’s not a harmless mystery. It’s theological double-speak. You can’t claim Jesus retained His divinity and then teach that He didn’t operate in it. The Bible isn’t confusing when read in context. This is what happens when people try to make deep-sounding statements that don’t hold up to biblical scrutiny.

Jesus did not stop being God. He didn’t lay aside His divinity to show off what we could eventually do. He came to live sinlessly, fulfill the Law, and die as the only sufficient sacrifice for sinners.

And that brings me to another troubling quote. This time from Kris Vallotton, another leader at Bethel. In a 2025 Leaders Gathering message, Vallotton said:

“One of the greatest lies in Christendom is ‘I’m a sinner saved by grace.’ I’m sorry, that’s not true. That statement is never mentioned in the Bible. … When you receive Christ … you became a new creation. … You are not a sinner anymore.”
Listen to it here, timestamp 22:03

While this may sound empowering, it dangerously contradicts scripture’s clear teaching that we are both sinner and saint, redeemed and justified, but still in ongoing need of sanctification and confession (1 John 1:8-10, Romans 7). Vallotton appeals to 1 John 3, which says, “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning,” but he uses this without the full context of John’s letter. Just a few verses earlier in chapter 1, John writes: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.” These verses aren’t contradictory. They show the tension of the Christian life: sin is no longer our master, but we still battle it daily. Vallotton ignores this tension and ends up misrepresenting the whole counsel of scripture.

Here is another clip from a Bethel sermon where this kind of theology is reinforced.

As a biblically faithful alternative, I want to recommend a sermon from my own church that beautifully explains the tension of the Christian life: we are both sinner and saint. Not one or the other. It’s a scriptural and. Watch it here.

The Fruit: Strange Baptisms & “Treasure Hunts”

In the same docuseries I watched, I saw videos of Bethel’s baptism services. Some of the testimonies were heartbreaking. People wanting to be baptized “for a fresh start,” or “to find my destiny,” or “because I feel God calling me to creativity.” These weren’t confessions of repentance. There was no gospel message: just emotional experiences and vague spiritual talk.

Another oddity: something called “Treasure Hunting”, where Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) students pray for clues, like a red hat or a location, and then go out to find people who match, believing God has given them prophetic insight. This isn’t evangelism. It’s spiritual scavenger hunting. And it isn’t rooted in scripture.

Preparing for Pushback: What Scripture Actually Says

Let’s walk through the common pushbacks and how we can lovingly respond:

Pushback 1: “I don’t agree with everything, but their worship really helps me connect with God.”

What they’re really saying:
“I can separate the good from the bad, and music is just music.”

Biblical response:

• 1 Corinthians 5:6: “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.”
  → False teaching doesn’t stay isolated. It spreads. Bethel’s songs are not theologically neutral; they reflect their teaching.
• 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching… they will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
  → Enjoying something emotionally doesn’t mean it’s spiritually sound. Many are drawn by experience rather than truth.
  

Apologetic angle:
Worship isn’t just about melody. It’s discipleship through song. We are teaching when we sing together. Bethel’s songs promote a theology of breakthrough, emotionalism, and man-centered spirituality. Ask: Is this music forming me into a more faithful follower of Christ, or a more emotionally-driven consumer of “experience”?

Pushback 2: “If we throw out Bethel, we should throw out the Psalms. David was a sinner too!”

What they’re really saying:
“God uses imperfect people, so Bethel’s theology shouldn’t disqualify their music.”

Biblical response:

• David’s repentance is key. See Psalm 51: “Against you, you only, have I sinned.”
  → David was never leading Israel into false worship. When he sinned, he repented publicly and pointed people back to the holiness of God.
• 2 Peter 2:1: “But false prophets also arose among the people… who will secretly bring in destructive heresies…”
  → The issue isn’t that Bethel leaders are sinners. It’s that they promote false doctrine under the name of Jesus. That’s a different category than moral failure.

Apologetic angle:
This is a category error. David was a sinner, yes, but he was not a false teacher. Bethel’s leaders actively teach unbiblical doctrines that distort the gospel, the nature of Christ, and the role of miracles in the Christian life. That’s not fallibility. That’s heresy.

Pushback 3: “Who are we to judge?” / “Only God can judge.”

What they’re really saying:
“You’re being divisive or unloving by naming names.”

Biblical response:

• Matthew 7:1-5. Often misused. Jesus says not to judge hypocritically, not to avoid all judgment. In fact:
• John 7:24: “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”
• Romans 16:17: “Watch out for those who cause divisions… contrary to the doctrine you have been taught; avoid them.”
• Ephesians 5:11: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

Apologetic angle:
We are not judging hearts, we are judging teaching. Scripture commands discernment, especially within the church. Pointing out error isn’t unloving; ignoring it is.

Pushback 4: “But people are being healed and saved!”

What they’re really saying:
“The fruit proves the ministry is of God.”

Biblical response:

• Matthew 7:21-23: “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name… cast out demons… do mighty works?’ And I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you.’”
  → Miracles, even if real, do not validate someone’s theology or salvation.
• Deuteronomy 13:1-3: God warns that even if a sign or wonder comes true, if it leads people away from sound doctrine, it is a test.

Apologetic angle:
God may use moments for His purposes, but results don’t validate doctrine. Mormonism produces strong families. Jehovah’s Witnesses are morally upright. But that doesn’t mean their teaching is true. Truth is measured by faithfulness to scripture, not outcomes.

Pushback 5: “You’re quenching the Spirit!”

What they’re really saying:
“You’re limiting what God can do.”

Biblical response:

• 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”
  → The command not to quench the Spirit is paired with the command to test everything. Testing protects us from being led astray.
• Acts 17:11: The Bereans were commended for testing Paul’s teaching against the Scriptures. If they tested Paul, we should test everyone else, too.

Apologetic angle:
Testing spirits is a command, not a rejection of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit will never contradict the Word He inspired.

Pushback 6: “God can use anything. Don’t limit Him.”

What they’re really saying:
“Just because it’s flawed doesn’t mean God isn’t in it.”

Biblical response:

• Yes, God can use anything, but He never asks us to ignore error.
• In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul says any other gospel is accursed, even if preached by an angel.

Apologetic angle:
God using something despite its flaws doesn’t mean we should endorse it. God used Pharaoh, a donkey, and even Judas to fulfill His purposes. That’s sovereignty, not permission to promote unsound teaching.

On Treasure Hunting & Signs Culture

If someone defends practices like “treasure hunting” (where BSSM students seek clues from God to find people for prophetic ministry), ask:

• Where is this found in scripture?
• Where do we see Jesus or the apostles operating this way?
• Are we making up methods to feel powerful, or are we following Christ’s call to preach repentance and faith?

Scripture is richly sufficient for how to evangelize, serve, and grow. We don’t need “Holy Spirit scavenger hunts.” We need the plain gospel.

Why I Speak Out And Why I Don’t Sing Their Songs Anymore

I don’t write this to stir controversy. I write because I care deeply about the gospel. I want women to know the real Jesus. Not a miracle-performing model, but the Savior who took on flesh, died for our sins, and rose again in power.

The concern with Bethel is not just that they have some bad teaching. It’s that their entire foundation is off-center. It prioritizes power over repentance, emotion over truth, and supernatural over scripture. It teaches people to imitate the miracles of Jesus instead of surrendering to the finished work of Jesus.

So yes, I’m cautious about churches that sing Bethel music. Not because the melody is bad. But because what we sing shapes what we believe. And it’s worth asking: if a song comes from a ministry with false doctrine, do we really want to feed on that? Do we want to lead others there?

Final Thoughts

This isn’t about being picky. It’s about honoring God’s Word and guarding His sheep. If you’ve grown through Bethel, I get it. I really do. But growth doesn’t mean endorsement. You can thank God for how He worked in your life and still walk away from what’s false.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you. I pray this post doesn’t lead to defensiveness, but to discernment. And if you’re someone who’s still attached to Bethel’s music or teaching, would you be willing to examine it again through the lens of scripture?

You don’t need “more power.” You need more of Jesus.
And you’ll find Him in His Word. Where the gospel is clear, unchanging, and oh so good.

With love and truth,

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