Last night I browsed the new Monthly Sale offerings and noticed Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures (64 vols.) at 40% off. The product description was intriguing and I decided to take the plunge.
I opened the Psalms volume from the newly-purchased set and immediately spotted this jewel:
"One interesting testimony of how David wrote his psalms comes from Jesse Duplantis, who was caught up into heaven and met some of the people of the Holy Scriptures. When he spoke with David, Jesse was told by him that many of his psalms came while he was sitting on the side of a hill and was moved and inspired by the Holy Spirit to write down the words of these psalms."
- Everett, G. H. (2011). The Book of Psalms (p. 15). Gary Everett.
I read it a second time, but it still appeared to cite Duplantis and a live conversation with King David! Then I clicked on the footnote link and saw the source:
"Jesse Duplantis, interviewed by Benny Hinn, This is Your Day (Irving, Texas), on Trinity Broadcasting Network (Santa Ana, California, July 16, 2002), television program."
You can't make this stuff up! Duplantis? Hinn? "Caught up into heaven?" A conversation with King David? And the author cites other Duplantis heaven conversations in additional volumes of this set.
My initial thought was that I was about about to request (perhaps my first?) Logos product refund. Then I decided to pause. Maybe I shouldn't throw out the baby with the bath water, even though this bath water was awfully murky. But then it hit me. It was April 1st. Maybe the Faithlife/Logos team pulled off the best April Fools' Day joke I can remember. And even got me to pay for having them play the prank on me!
I love Logos and Faithlife and recommend the company and its resources on a consistent basis. But this product floored me! I hope this post doesn't offend anyone, but I'm almost certainly going to ask for a refund on this. If the author considers Duplantis to be a credible authority, how credible are his own Study Notes as a whole?
Has anyone else purchased this product, and is there any reason for me to reconsider jettisoning it from my library?
You're telling me the product page finally actually shows the real value in the value column?
Okay, I don't have the resource and cannot actually attest to its value.
Orthodox Bishop Hilarion Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."
LOL! Excellent observation, MJ. I saw the same individual volume valuations last night before I purchased the set. I think I should have accepted the honest guidance!
Brad: ... and is there any reason for me to reconsider jettisoning it from my library?
... and is there any reason for me to reconsider jettisoning it from my library?
oh my, yes!!
However, the same materials are available on Amazon, studylight.org and other sites...
Brad:You can't make this stuff up! Duplantis? Hinn? "Caught up into heaven?" A conversation with King David? And the author cites other Duplantis heaven conversations in additional volumes of this set.
The weirdest thing about this is that the great revelation this heavenly conversation gained was that David wrote many of his Psalms while "sitting on the side of a hill".
Sadly, there's plenty of other 'revelations' throughout this series:
With Jonah
In his book Heaven: Close Encounters of the God Kind Jesse Duplantis describes his encounter with Jonah. This Old Testament prophet explained why he was angry. He said that he was irritated because he thought of himself more than he thought of the nature of God. It is not God’s nature to destroy, but to heal and to bless.
And Jesus:
In his book Heaven: Close Encounters of the God Kind, Jesse Duplantis was speaking with Jesus about this verse. Jesus Christ said that the worst day of His life is yet to come. He then explained that on the Great Judgment Day all tears will be wiped away. Jesus said that this included His tears because once judgment is set there will be no more opportunity for the lost. Jesus was broken and sorrowful because He knew the day was coming when some of God’s creation would be eternally damned to Hell, and those in Hell are souls for whom Christ died.
And Isaiah
In his book Heaven: Close Encounters of the God Kind Jesse Duplantis says that he saw people entering into heaven wearing two different types of closing [sic]. Some wore beautiful, glorious robes while others wore simple gowns. He was told by his angel that those Christians who were faithful in their life were given these beautiful robes while the less faithful ones were simply given gowns to wear.
There are several others if you search for them.
Thanks for sharing. This series has now received the dubious honour of being the first commentary collection in my library that I've hidden (I can't return it because it came in a collection).
Follow the Good Shepherd whose voice you know and flee from the voice of strangers.
"... and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jn 10:4b–5.
How blessed is the one whom Thou dost choose, and bring near to Thee. (Psa 65:4a)
In addition to a wish list, we need an "Add to my never want list" button
I'm trying to figure out how I own this set. This is not something I would purchase by itself, so it must have been included in some base package at some point. Very strange!
Disclaimer: I hate using messaging, texting, and email for real communication. If anything that I type to you seems like anything other than humble and respectful, then I have not done a good job typing my thoughts.
Joseph Turner: I'm trying to figure out how I own this set. This is not something I would purchase by itself, so it must have been included in some base package at some point. Very strange!
It was in Logos 7 Baptist Portfolio. Perhaps others too.
This foolishness is offered in Logos, but we can't get Bart Ehrman's stuff. Where's the head-slapping emoji?
I would return it if I was you, that is bad stuff. If not just hide it so it is removed from the library.
Shalom, in Christ, Keith. Check out my music www.soundcloud.com/therealkpang
I do own this "Collection/series" and I think that I did get it as part of a base package.
While I do "not agree" (an understatement) with some of the theology espoused in this work, I would hang on to it as material to use as examples of either poor scholarship or just plain "way-out-there-ness" and if my comments violate forum rules on no theologizing, I apologize and invite those in authority to remove my post.
Cheers...
Knowing what I know now, I could not in good conscious purchase any base package that would monetarily support such "way-out-there-ness".
Mark: In addition to a wish list, we need an "Add to my never want list" button
You know, that might be handy. There aren't many things I'd put on such a list, but this would be at the top of it.
Mark Barnes: There are several others if you search for them. Thanks for sharing. This series has now received the dubious honour of being the first commentary collection in my library that I've hidden (I can't return it because it came in a collection).
Thank you, Mark. Yes, I too noticed that the author appears to be quite the Duplantis fan, in light of the multiple citations. It is simultaneously humorous and tragically sad that people are consuming this kind of nonsense. I know that online reviews are less than 100% reliable, but the Amazon.com reviews of the Duplantis book Close Encounters of the God Kind are absolutely heartbreaking if even half of the positive reviews are real.
Good one, Mark. That would be tough for a for-profit company, but perhaps pretty useful for us as customers!
Roy: While I do "not agree" (an understatement) with some of the theology espoused in this work, I would hang on to it as material to use as examples of either poor scholarship or just plain "way-out-there-ness" and if my comments violate forum rules on no theologizing, I apologize and invite those in authority to remove my post.
I'm with you, Roy. I would love to retain this series as a "cautionary tale" resource, but I don't think I can justify the cost, even at the sale price. Unlike you folks who acquired it in a base package, I actually purchased it as a separate series. Insert David Paul's aforementioned head-slapping emoji here!
Here you go 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️ 🤦♂️
Just my personal opinion as food for thought not a request that anyone in this thread change their behavior.I found myself getting increasingly uncomfortable with this thread for two reasons: