Gallup: Billy Graham Among 10 Most Admired Men in World--for 58th Time Ninety-six-year-old pastor Billy Graham, arguably the most influential Christian preacher of the last 60 years, was ranked No. 4 in Gallup’s Most Admired Man List for 2014, the survey group reported, adding that Billy Graham has been in its top ten list 58 times between 1946 and 2014, the most appearances of any man in the world since Gallup started the survey.
What comes to mind when I read this are several things.
1. He is not a Christian, that's why the world loves him. "
If you were of the world, the world would love its own;but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you." (John 15:19)
2. The mark of popularity is a curse and a warning. "
Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets." (Luke 6:26)
“Woe unto you; that is, it would be a bad sign that you were not faithful to your trust, and to the souls of men, if you preached so as that nobody would be disgusted; for your business is to tell people of their faults, and, if you do that as you ought, you will get that ill will which never speaks well.
Henry, M. (1994). Matthew Henry’s commentary on the whole Bible: complete and unabridged in one volume3. Lauding a man as Christian who denies the exclusivity of Christ as sole entry to heaven, exalts Mary beyond her place, partners with Catholics, sends seekers to counselors of false religions, fails to preach the whole counsel of God, and gives credence to evolution, brings to mind Hosea 4:6, "
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge."
Though this isn't in the bible, I thought of the old saying from poet Thomas Gray: "all that glitters is not gold".
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Further Reading
Exposing the False Teachers: Galatians 5 exegesis & commentary In his exposure of these false teachers, Paul gives us six identifying marks that can guide us to discern the presence of "wolves in sheep's clothing" in our midst today
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