Shai Linne is no stranger to those who love Christian Hip-Hop music (he’s been my personal favorite for years). He is not even a stranger to those who don’t love Christian Hip-Hop, although I’m convinced that Shai is on Phil Johnson’s playlist (see Phil Johnson’s GTY post here). But now he is apparently no stranger to Paula White Ministries either.
Shai Linne’s new album “Lyrical Theology” features the pre-release single “Fal$e Teacher$”, which calls out 12 well known prosperity preachers. So who made the list? Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Benny Hinn, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Paula White, Fred Price, Kenneth Copland, Robert Tilton, Eddie Long, Juanita Bynum, and Paul Crouch are all identified as false teachers (each of whom we could spend an entire post on). 
Wadeoradio.com made the bold move to request a response from each of the 12 preachers and received at least 1 response from Bradley Knight, the manager of Paula White’s ministry. Not only is Mr. Knight the manager of Paula White’s ministry, he also happens to be her son. In an effort to defend his mother, he calls Shai Linne’s song “pure cannibalization without Biblical precedence.”
Of course, we know there is “biblical precedence” to call out false teachers. Not only did our Lord Jesus call out false teachers (Matthew 7:13-36) but so did the Apostles Paul (1 Timothy 1:20; 2 Timothy 2:16-18) and John (3 John 1:9). There is no question that there is “biblical precedence”. But the question remains, is this the loving thing to do?
You can’t help but feel Knight’s pain. After all, this is his mother. If there ever was a reason to get into a fight in the school yard, this is it. But I would contend that calling out false teachers is not only the most loving thing you can do for the sheep, it is also the most loving thing that you can do for the false teachers themselves.
Referring to false teachers in Titus 1:13 Paul says, “reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith”. The “so that” indicates that part of the reason we are to reprove false teachers is for their own spiritual health! To be “sound in the faith” speaks of spiritual health and wholeness. Far from being unloving, it is actually to the false teachers’ advantage that they be reproved.
As Shai Linne points out “today the only heresy is saying that there’s heresy”. It might be strong medicine for false teachers to be “put on blast” but it’s the right biblical prescription. There is no competition between love and truth.
If you are interested, see See Shai Linne’s response to Brad Knight.
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