Cut to the Chase: Priscilla Shirer
By Elizabeth Prata
Cut to the Chase is a short-form, bulleted list of reasons to avoid a certain Christian teacher or ministry. Today I look at Priscilla Shirer.
1. Priscilla Shirer relies on experience.
In the past, Shirer has said “Mrs Shirer explains that she became sad at the daily ‘chore’ of the spiritual disciplines such as prayer and Bible study because “He just wasn’t knocking my socks off anymore, and I wasn’t sure why.”’ (source).
“In the clip, she is saying that having a preacher teach the scripture is insufficient and not personalized enough, that it gets stale, old, and is a mark of immaturity to not seek more. In contrast, it is a sign of growth and wisdom to want more than that, and so seek some “revelation” that is new, fresh, and personalized just for you.”
God doesn’t perform tap dances for us for our entertainment and satisfaction. We submit to HIM. If you want more than the Bible, you’re the problem.
2. She sees Jesus as her boyfriend.
Shirer describes her connection with God in ways she says reflect “a feminine heart,” and might scandalize a secular reader. “My God reached down from the heavens, dipped his finger into the depths of my being, and began to rouse in me a desire for a real relationship with him,” she wrote in her most recent book, “One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land.” Her account of spiritual stagnation sounds like a marriage on the rocks…” (source). It is also an errant view and the description more than a bit gross.
3. Priscilla Shirer lives a feminist lifestyle in violation of Titus 2 exhortations.
“Mr Shirer spends much of the day negotiating Priscilla’s speaking invitations and her book contracts. In the afternoon it’s often Mr Shirer who collects the boys from school. Back home, Priscilla and Jerry divide chores and child care equally. “Jerry quit his job to run his wife’s ministry. Priscilla now accepts about 20 out of some 300 speaking invitations each year, and she publishes a stream of Bible studies, workbooks and corresponding DVDs intended for women to read and watch with their girlfriends from church. Jerry does his share of housework and child care so that Priscilla can study and write. He travels with his wife everywhere. Whenever possible, they take their sons along on her speaking trips, but they often deposit the boys with Jerry’s mother.” (source).
4. Priscilla Shirer teaches we should hear from God
(Source), (Source), (Source). Shirer is cagey on this one, she has said in interviews she never actually hears the voice of God, but teaches right up to the line and in sound bites continually uses the phrase “hearing God”, like so: “Drawing a clear connection between obedience and hearing God is a critical piece of discerning God’s will and
His ways.” Hebrews 1:1-2 says that God spoke (past tense) thought His Son. The canon is closed. (Revelation 22:18). See Chris Rosebrough’s more thorough review of Shirer’s sermon about hearing from God, below.
5. Priscilla Shirer preaches, even Sunday Morning messages to churches.
(Source), (Source). Women preaching violates 1 Timothy 2:12, which says, “I do not permit a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence”. Also 1 Corinthians 14:32–35 and 1 Timothy 3:1–7.
6. Priscilla Shirer partners with false teachers.
Priscilla’s circuit includes teaching alongside Beth Moore, Sheila Walsh, Christine Caine, Joyce Meyer, and Lisa Harper. Romans 16:17 says not to do this but instead mark them and avoid. Also 1 Timothy 6:3, 2 Thessalonians 3:6.
Priscilla Shirer os an excellent communicator but what she communicates is not healthy for your spiritual life.
Further Resources
Chris Rosebrough critiques a Priscilla Shirer ‘sermon’
