August 1, 1999 (David W. Cloud, Fundamental Baptist Information Service, P.O. Box 610368, Port Huron, MI 48061-0368, fbns@wayoflife.org) - A year ago, I published an article entitled "Pentecost vs. Hylescost," which analyzed Jack Hyles’ claim that more people were saved at his church (First Baptist Church, Hammond, Indiana) on May 3, 1998, than were saved on the Day of Pentecost or on any other day in church history. I am republishing that article today via the Fundamental Baptist Information Service. It is also located at the Way of Life web site under the "Evangelism" section of the End Times Apostasy Database. In response to the article, I have received many letters from Hyles’ supporters. Invariably they express a bitter and unreasonable attitude. The following is the latest example:

LETTER FROM A HYLES SUPPORTER:

"Mr. Cloud, I don’t know if you will personally read this e-mail, but I read your article on Pentacost vs. Hylescost. What kind of ‘Christian’ is a man that would gratique a man of God? How could you possibly say such horrible things about a man of God that is serving the Lord and doing exactly what God put him on this earth to do? Until you pastor the Worlds Largest Sunday School, and see over 5,000 people saved in a day, you have no right to speak as you did about Dr. Jack Hyles. No desent Baptist would say negative things about another Baptist preacher. Therefore I don’t beleive that you are a Baptist. I can’t beleive that I even allowed myself to even read such a disgusting article. I attend Hyles-Anderson College, and First Baptist Church of Hammond, Indiana. I WILL STAND FOR JACK HYLES, AND EVERYTHING HE PREACHES, I will not let anybody put him down. If you say that you are who you really are, you would to. If I let people know about this article, you will have thousands of people against you. Jack Hyles is doing far above more for the cause of Christ than you can ever do" (emphasis added).

REPLY FROM BROTHER CLOUD:

Hello. I am sorry that you feel the way that you do, but I have the responsibility before God to judge preachers and their message by the Word of God (1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:21; Acts 17:11), and I intend to continue to do that in spite of the bitterness that is poured out toward me by those who blindly follow men. Your attitude of unquestioning loyalty to a man is not scriptural but is cultic. No preacher is above being judged by the Word of God. No preacher has the authority to demand unquestioning loyalty. A godly preacher, in fact, does not desire unquestioning loyalty. Like Paul, any godly preacher is pleased when people judge him and his message and his ministry by God’s Word (Acts 17:11). A preacher’s only authority is the Bible, and when he strays from that he has no authority whatsoever.

The Bible describes a man like Jack Hyles, and his name was Diotrephes.

"I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who LOVETH TO HAVE THE PREEMINENCE among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, PRATING AGAINST US WITH MALICIOUS WORDS: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church. Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God" (3 John 9-11).

Diotrephes had a HEART problem. He was a proud man; puffed up in his own estimation; he wanted to be "top dog." Diotrephes had a WILL problem. He ruled the church by his own will, but the pastor’s job is to rule by God’s will. The church is God’s flock, God’s building, God’s husbandry. The pastor is not to be lord over God’s heritage (1 Pet. 5:3). Diotrephes also had an AUTHORITY problem. He felt he was an authority unto himself; whereas the pastor’s sole authority is the Bible. It is to the man who speaks "the Word of God" to whom God’s people are to submit (Heb. 13:7). The supposed Christian leader who attempts to lead the church by man-made tradition and philosophy is to be rejected, not obeyed.

THERE ARE MANY DIOTREPHES IN THE INDEPENDENT BAPTIST MOVEMENT, BUT JACK HYLES IS KING OF THEM ALL. Any preacher that would allow his people to wear "100% Hyles" buttons (as Hyles did some years back) is a Diotrephes.

My friends, beware of the spirit of Diotrephes. Don’t be caught up in the cultic clutches of such men. They will try to usurp the place of Jesus Christ in your life and will rob you of your God-given right of private interpretation and judgment. They want people to be dependent upon them, whereas the child of God’s dependency is to be upon Jesus Christ. God-ordained pastors have real authority and are to be obeyed as they obey the Bible (Heb. 13:7,17), but a Diotrephes exceeds this God-given pastoral authority and lords it over God’s people in a carnal manner.

See also "Biblical Repentance"

See also "Easy Prayerism or Bible Evangelism"

See also "Does Salvation Make a Difference?"

See also "Unscriptural Presentations of the Gospel"

See also "Pentecost vs. Hylescost"