Did Dr. Peter Ruckman Change? Robert Breaker’s Claim Fact-Checked
Short answer: No, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman did not change. Robert Breaker claims that “young Ruckman” was better than “older Ruckman” because Ruckman allowed Hylesism and the “1, 2, 3 repeat after me” sinner’s prayer into Pensacola Bible Institute in the 1990s. Recorded sermons show Dr. Ruckman leading repeat-after-me sinner’s prayers in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970, and 1980s. His 1987 book The Simplicity of Salvation ends with a sinner’s prayer. The only narrow shift came in 2010, when he said a person does not have to explicitly know about the blood atonement to be saved, and he said it in response to Robert Breaker’s teaching.
Key facts:
Robert Breaker graduated from Pensacola Bible Institute in 1998.
Breaker says Ruckman changed in the 1990s because of “Hylesism” (Jack Hyles).
Ruckman preached sinner’s prayers on TV in the 1950s (TV for Christ, Panama City, Florida).
Compilations exist of 1 hour 38 minutes (1960s to 1970s) and 1 hour 5 minutes (1980s) of Ruckman preaching the sinner’s prayer.
The Simplicity of Salvation (1987) ends with a sinner’s prayer.
In 2010, Ruckman softened only on whether a person must explicitly know about the blood atonement.
The Guide to Robert Breaker’s Narrative That Dr. Peter S. Ruckman Changed
Robert Breaker has said multiple times that Dr. Peter S. Ruckman changed on preaching the blood. Did he? The answer is no.
Robert Breaker’s Claim: “Young Ruckman Was Better Than Older Ruckman”
This comment by Robert Breaker is the clearest presentation of Robert Breaker’s beliefs.
Robert Breaker: “Donny boy, what’s this all about, huh? I’m still waiting for you to call me. My phone number is on my website. Would love to talk to you on the phone about all this. I went to Ruckman’s school and graduated there in 1998. I learned a lot. My Dad went there as well (in the late 70’s and early 80’s, but didn’t graduate. He already had a degree, so he just audited classes). How about you? When did you graduate from PBI?
The truth is that young Ruckman was way better than older Ruckman. A lot of our friends went there in the 60s, 70s, and 80s, and they’ll tell you the exact same thing. But something changed. I see the problem was that he allowed “Hylesism” to get into that place and the “1,2,3 repeat after me” false gospel, which he USED TO PREACH AGAINST in the old days.”
Is this true?
The 1950s: Dr. Ruckman Preached Repeat-After-Me Sinner’s Prayers
No. In the 1950s, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman literally did multiple repeat-after-me sinner’s prayers.
“Because the Bible says God is a spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Do you see this two-edged sword he has? That two-edged sword is the Word of God, because the Bible says the Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. Do you see this? This is prayer, because the Bible says, Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And that, my friend, is how to get deliverance from sin. Call upon his name, believe his word, for faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. And lest we Christian people should be wise in our own conceit, let me say this. Every Christian has a besetting sin, and we get deliverance from our sin the same way unsaved people get deliverance, through prayer and the Word. For the Bible tells us to cast all our care upon Him, for He cares for us. Now may God help you Christian people to read your Bibles and pray and love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and truth. And may God help you unsaved people listening to my voice right now to bow your head there by your television set and receive Him as your Savior the best way you know how. He’s risen, He’s living, He loves you, He’ll save you.” - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Sin as a Serpent Peter Ruckman, 1950s
“The best preparation I know for death is to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your own personal Savior. For he hath said, I’ll never leave thee nor forsake thee. So we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, I shall not fear what man shall do to me. Fear him that is able to destroy both body and soul in hell. Yea, I say unto you, fear him. Now, men and women, let’s be reasonable. Someday you’re going to take that step. Science is going to halt this side of that step. Your church is going to stop this side of the grave. Your religion may get you to the grave, but you’ll need somebody to take you from there on. You’ll need God’s Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And when you take that step, that final step, out of the darkness, he’ll go with you. All you have to do is receive it. Why don’t you do it? You say, I don’t know how to do it. All right, I’ll tell you how to do it. It’s real easy. A child can understand it. All you have to do is just bow your head right there and say, Lord Jesus, I’m a sinner. Please save me. Please come into my heart and make me a new creature. Now, you can do that, can’t you? Try it. Tonight, before you go to bed, just bow your head and say, Lord, I’m a sinner. Please save me. I want to be saved. I do receive you. Listen, if you do that, God will save you. If he loves you enough to die for you, he won’t keep you waiting all night. He won’t push you through some big religious ecclesiastical rigmarole. If He loves you enough to shed His blood for you, He will save you. Now I ask Him to. And say, write me and tell me about your decision to receive Him as your Savior. I’d like to rejoice with you. Receive Him today and write me. Just address your letter to TV for Christ, Panama City, Florida.” - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, The most important step Peter Ruckman, 1950s
“And if you will receive Him as your own personal Savior, then you’ll have something much better than a new leaf. Why, my friend, you’ll have a new life. And you see, that’s what you need. You don’t need a new leaf. What you need is a new life. Yes, that’s right. What you need is a new life, not a new leaf. The Bible said that he had life in him, and that life was the life of God Almighty himself, everlasting life. And if you will receive him as your Savior, then you’ll have life. You won’t have just a new start, and that’s what you’ve been doing all these years, starting over. You’ll have what you really need. You’ll have a new heart. A new heart. Now, my friend, will you not trust Him as your personal Savior? Will you not trust Him? Will you not receive Him? I know you’re saying right now, I’ve wept. I’ve confessed my sins. I’ve tried so hard. Yes, I know, but that isn’t repentance. Suppose I came to you and said, you know that $500 I borrowed from you? Well, I’m not going to pay it. But I said, you see these big crocodile tears running out of my face? I’m never going to borrow from you again. Well, now, wait a minute. I haven’t repented. You say, what about the money I loaned you? I say, well, I’m never going to borrow anymore. Can’t you see how sorry I am? I just repented all over the place. My dear friend, what you need is a payment. If you owe it, you need to pay it. The only way you can pay it is to receive God’s Son as your own personal Savior. He made the payment for you. Will you not receive Him today, right now, right there for your television set? Will you not bow your head and say, Lord Jesus, please save me. God be merciful to me, a sinner. I hope you do. I’ll be praying that you do. And let me hear from you. Drop me a card. Just write TV for Christ, Panama City, Florida. TV for Christ, Panama City, Florida. And let us rejoice in your salvation.” - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Real Repentance, 1950s
The 1960s to 1980s: Hours of Footage of Ruckman Preaching the Sinner’s Prayer
The idea that Dr. Peter S. Ruckman changed in the 1990s is false, plain and simple.
There is an hour and 38 minutes of footage of Dr. Peter S. Ruckman preaching the sinner’s prayer in the 1960s to 1970s. Due to the length, only one clip from each decade is included here.
1969 Sermon
“Well, Paul says, “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth and believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Uh, Jesus’ name is like ointment that’s been in a bottle and had to be busted before it could get out and fill the room. “Draw me,” she says, “we will run after thee.” And in the... in the human interpretation, it’s a girl praying for the shepherd lover to come and get her, and, uh, then she says the king has brought me into his chambers, uh, which means in the... according to the first story... that the king has taken this, uh, young lady, brought her into the palace, and tried to give her presents and gifts and everything and win her affections, but then she says, “We will be glad and rejoice in thee,” referring to her real lover, “we will remember thy love more than wine, the upright love thee.” Well, I don’t know, we’ll make it Christ. “Draw me.”
All right, if you’re unsaved, what’s first you ought to pray? “Draw me.” Well, John says no man can come to the Father unless, uh, the Father draws him, and that means to pull like a magnet. Uh, John chapter, uh, John chapter 6 verse 44 says, “No man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day.” That’s the pull of the magnet that, uh, pulls or draws. And the idea, you can’t come to Christ unless the Holy Spirit draws you to Christ. Well, if you don’t... fellows say, “Well, I’m not one of the elect, the Holy Spirit’s never drawn me,” well, you ought to pray it. You ought to go and get down on your knees, say, “Now Lord, I can’t come to You unless the Father draw me, so draw me.” There’s no excuse for not being elect, anybody can be elected. (chuckles) Fellow’s talking about one of the elect, that’s prediction, but anybody can get elected, just ask the political lawyer. Well, that’s why she says, “Draw me,” that’s the pull. “We will run after thee.” We.” - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1969
1970 Sermon (Soul Winning, The Greatest Thing You Can Do)
“One time down in Pensacola, I was able to lead an atheist to the Lord. And to lead that fellow to the Lord, I used R. A. Torrey’s method. And it isn’t original, but it’s a good method and it works. Uh, that kid was a... he had a a mother who was a widow, and she worked hard in a restaurant to raise him right, and prayed for him every day of his life, and he was 18 years old and he still wasn’t saved, and he went off and joined the Marines at 18. And I didn’t see him again till I was saved. And then when I got saved, I came back to Pensacola and was preaching one night, and here was this old boy out in the audience, and he was a Marine. And a big old strapping boy, skin just like leather, just tough as nails. Then he was about 23. And, uh, at the end of the invitation, down he came, and came up to me and said, “Pete,” he said, “I... I want to be saved,” he said, “but I don’t even believe there’s a God.” And I said, “Well, are you willing to find out if there is one?” And he said, “Well, yeah, but I don’t believe in one.” I said, “Never mind that. Are you willing to find out if there is one?” He said, “Well, yeah, I’m willing.” I said, “Come on.”
Now, I took him back in the prayer room and we knelt down, and I said, “Now, you pray after me. If you’re sincere, if you really want to find out, you pray after me.” And I said, “Dear God,” and he said, “But Pete, I don’t believe there is a God.” I said, “Never mind that.” I said, “Pray: Dear God, if there is a God...” And he said, “Dear God, if there is a God.” And I said, “If I am a sinner...” and he said, “If I am a sinner.” I said, “I want to know it right now.” And he said, “I want to know it right now.” I said, “Amen.” He said, “Amen.” I said, “Let’s try another one.” I said, “Dear God, if there is a God...” He said, “Dear God, if there is a God.” “And if Jesus Christ was Your Son...” He said, “If Jesus Christ was Your Son.” I said, “I want You to show me right now.” He said, “I want You to show me right now.” I said, “Amen.” He said, “Amen.” I said, “Do you mean that prayer?” He said, “Yeah, I meant it.” I said, “Let’s try another one.” I said, “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner.” And he said, “Dear God, I know I’m a sinner!” (laughter)
And I’ll make a long story short, I put him through eight of those things, and we got to the last one, he was down there on his face, bawling and saying, “God be merciful to me a sinner, and save my poor rotten soul for Jesus’ sake, Amen!” And he went out of there a saved man. Walked out the door, went to his mother out there in the front, she’s out there in a little old, uh, third-hand car that she’d been driving about 10 years waiting for him, and he came up and stood by that car, and I said, “Tell your mama what you did.” Now, I’ll... I’ll never forget it. That big old Marine standing there, you know, just had a couple of stripes on him, been in about four or five years, standing there looking down at that little old wizened-up woman, you know, been working for him all her life, he looked down there like that, her only son, and she said, “What’d you do, son?” And I thought for a minute he wasn’t going to make it. (laughter) I mean, he had that expert infantry, you know, sharpshooter, marksman, all that business sticking up in here, and he looked down like that, you know, and got tremble, you know, and dry around the mouth, and I said, “Tell her what you did.” And she said, “What’d you do, son?” that she’d been praying for him all those years. And that old boy looked down and he said, “Ooooh, Mama!” (screams/crying effect, laughter) And he just got all torn up, he never made it! And he just got bawling, and he fell down and grabbed hold of the side of that car this way, and then looked up at her and said, “I got saved!” (laughter) And she got out of that car, and they knelt out there in front of the church. Man, had a camp meeting right out there on the ground in front of the church! I mean, don’t you want to be a soul winner? I mean, what could be any duller than the Beatles?” - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1970
1980s Compilation
There is also a 1 hour and 5 minute compilation from the 1980s. Here is a single clip from it.
“If you sinned against somebody, go tell them about it. If you sinned against the church, you’ll have to tell it to the church. For the sin where nobody knows about but you and the Lord, you confess that thing to God and get it fixed up with God. I know a boy down in Panama City used to phone me up all the time. When I say all the time, he’d phone me not all the time, but he’d phone me up about once every three months. Every time he’d phone, it’d be after 12:00. And he always sounded like he was drunk when he’d phone up. Hoarse voice, rough voice. And the first couple times he talked, he just let me know he was unsaved and going to hell, and hung up before I could do much with him in the plan of salvation. And the third time, I kept him on the line for a while and got talking with him. And I gave him the plan of salvation, tried to lead him to Christ over the phone.
And he said, ‘But preacher, but preacher,’ he said, ‘but preacher, you don’t know what I’ve done.’ I said, ‘I don’t care what you’ve done. The Bible says, ‘Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’’”
“He says, ‘Yeah, but I’ve killed a man.’ I said, ‘Whether you kill a man or not, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth from all sin.’ (Text Overlay: But how do you access it, Dr. Ruckman?) He says, ‘Yeah, but I’m I mean cold blood.’ I said, ‘I don’t care if it’s cold blood or not. Moses killed a man in cold blood. I said, the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from all sin. Not just the ones you don’t do.’ [Laughs] (Text Overlay: But how do you access it?)
Yeah, hell. And and over the phone he said, ‘But I’m I’m a hitman.’ He said, ‘I’ve killed a lot of people for money.’ I said, ‘Bud, either hang up or listen. The blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, cleanseth us from A-L-L, all sin. That’s it. You want it, don’t you?’ (Text Overlay: Does Dr. Ruckman agree with Breaker? No, keep listening.) He said, ‘Okay, Father.’ [Laughs] Guess what religion he was. [Laughs] Well, I don’t mind. I’m a father, I got seven kids. [Laughs] And so I bowed my head over the telephone, closed my eyes, and prayed with him. And he prayed, and he got saved, and received the Lord.” - Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1980s
There is a surplus of content of Dr. Peter S. Ruckman preaching the sinner’s prayer in the days which Robert Breaker defines as “Old Ruckman”.
Dr. Ruckman never changed.
“But What About The Simplicity of Salvation?” (1987)
Robert Breaker will look to this to show that “Dr. Ruckman changed.”
“If you are saved, you know that the only way to heaven is the substitutionary blood atonement of Jesus Christ. If you don’t know that, it’s because you are lost.”
In 1987, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman wrote The Simplicity of Salvation.
Robert Breaker will fail to quote, however, the 1-2-3 repeat-after-me sinner’s prayer at the end.
“The Bible says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Rom. 10:13). That is the invitation. Neither your “church,” your “baptism,” nor your “good works” can save you: you must trust Jesus Christ alone, by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8–9). It’s very simple. Wherever you are, bow your head and pray a simple prayer something like this:
“Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner, and unless you save me, I am lost forever. I now come to you, the best way I know how, and ask you to save me. I receive you as my Saviour and trust you to forgive and justify me, and present me without fault before God’s throne in the day of Judgment.””
Again, Dr. Peter S. Ruckman never taught that the sinner’s prayer was a work, as Robert Breaker says he does.
What Dr. Ruckman Did Change On: Blood Atonement Knowledge (2010)
The only narrow thing Dr. Ruckman changed on was because of Robert Breaker and not Jack Hyles.
Dr. Ruckman did say in 1987 that the blood atonement was required to be known, yet in 2010 he said:
“Ask yourself right now, what am I trusting to keep me out of hell? And when you land on that right thing, if you’re trusting nothing but the blood of Christ to save you, you are saved, whether you understood that or not. That old Dewey Morris and that fellow over there, Breaker, are going around saying, “well, you’ve got to have the blood in your confession of faith. If you don’t pray for the blood of Christ to save and the blood that’s been shed.” Philip led that Ethiopian eunuch to the Lord and the word blood is mentioned one time in that conversion. You see, he’s reading Isaiah 53. You won’t find the word blood in Isaiah 53. It isn’t there. And it’s on the atonement. That’s what you’re getting, those fellas. You’re getting bunch of dumb, stupid people who can’t read the Bible. I say that with charity, of course.” -Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1, 2, 3, John, Jude, Track 3
Why Did Ruckman Change on Blood Knowledge? Because of Robert Breaker
Why did he change on this narrow blood atonement knowledge doctrine?
Because Robert Breaker radicalized him.
Robert Breaker teaches that unless you SPECIFICALLY TRUST the physically shed blood of Jesus Christ with all of your heart, you aren’t saved, even if a person believes Jesus Christ died, was buried, and rose again to save them.
“He’s looking at your heart, and he’s looking to see: When does your heart trust
the blood alone for salvation? You can come to him begging him, ‘Please don’t
send me to hell,’ but it’s not until, from the heart, you’re trusting in the
blood that you’re saved.” - Robert Breaker, The Message of the Blood
“Faith in the Bible is also spoken of as: believing in, trusting in, confiding
in, resting in, and relying upon something. For us to be saved, we must believe
in, trust in, confide in, rest in, and rely upon the blood of Jesus to take us
to heaven. For FAITH IN THE BLOOD of Jesus is the only way to be saved.” -
Robert Breaker, The Unbroken Chain of Salvation by Faith in The Blood, Introduction
Conclusion: Ruckman Never Changed on the Sinner’s Prayer
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman saw this and softened, due to Robert Breaker, on whether a person must explicitly know about the blood atonement to be saved.
He changed because of Robert Breaker, and not because of Jack Hyles.
Sources
Robert Breaker’s comment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhWhPlLzw0k&lc=Ugw-mx35ftojuEjLrN54AaABAg
Sin as a Serpent Peter Ruckman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCuPZ2yLRO8&t=723s
The most important step Peter Ruckman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_WUxRpjwK8&t=735s
Real Repentance Peter Ruckman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=392UoirPXbE&t=724s
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman Preaching Sinner’s Prayers (1960s-1970s Compilation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlo_txH8Ptk
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1969 message
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv4hvAvK_7s&t=633s
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1970 message, Soul Winning, The Greatest Thing You Can Do
https://youtu.be/bRdRA0-Ek8g?t=2596
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1980
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAiFZEvAOsA&t=2158s
Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, 1980 sinner's prayer compilations
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uuRFymzYPc
Robert Breaker - The Message of the Blood
https://youtu.be/At_RNx9qCD0?t=2740
