At the risk of dating myself: nearly twenty years ago I wrote a research paper in college entitled “Praise the Lord or Pass the Loot? The Phenomenon of Televangelism.” (My degree is in broadcast communications, for anyone who didn’t know.) In the paper, I detailed some of the financial peccadilloes of the better-known TV preachers who were prominent at that time.

Many of those about whom I wrote have since faded from the scene: such people as Jim Bakker, Dr. Gene Scott, Jimmy Swaggart, and the once-ubiquitous Frederick Eikerenkoetter, who called himself “Reverend Ike.” Others are still around, but much less prominent on the tube than they were two decades ago: Pat Robertson, Billy Graham, Jerry Falwell, James Robison, and Oral Roberts.

With as many scandals as erupted around some of these folks, it’s surprising that anyone still pays attention — or sends money — to preachers they see on TV. But they do, apparently. The news program Dateline aired an exposé just this past week about self-professed “faith healer” Benny Hinn, who appears to be up to many of the same tricks — both in his purported “miracles” and in his materialistic excesses — as his predecessors. Hinn claims to heal all manner of illness and infirmity with “spiritual power.” (One illness he’s definitely overcome is poverty, as his palatial $3 million waterfront mansion demonstrates.)

I’ve never met Benny Hinn. He may be a nice fellow, and sincere. But I can tell you without fear of substantive contradiction that he is a charlatan. (That’s a fancy word for “fraud.”) How can I be so sure? Because of what the word of God says concerning miraculous gifts.

First, the Bible foretold that such gifts — including prophecy, direct revelation, healing, and the ability to speak languages one had never studied (1 Corinthians 12:28-31) — would “fail,” “cease,” “vanish away” (13:8). Why? These gifts were partial or imperfect, and something complete and perfect was coming to replace them (13:9-10). The apostle Paul likened this replacement to a mature man putting aside childlike actions and interests (13:11).

What was the perfect gift to which Paul referred? He answers that himself: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Because the written Scriptures equip us completely for every good work, we no longer need the miraculous (and incomplete) equipment that was required to confirm the word of God before the Bible was finished (Mark 16:20; Hebrews 2:4).

Second, only the apostles of Jesus had the power to impart miraculous gifts. Philip the evangelist thus received the gift of healing, as did Stephen (Acts 6:5-8). But when Philip went to preach in Samaria, though he baptized many there (8:12-13) none of these received miraculous gifts until the apostles Peter and John came: “through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given” (8:14-18). If Benny Hinn was around to have the apostles’ hands on him, he’s remarkably well preserved!

There will always be the gullible who are easily persuaded by “power, signs, and lying wonders” because they do not love and believe the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). Instead, we must use God’s word to test everyone and everything (1 John 4:1; Acts 17:11). If anyone comes to you preaching a gospel not found in the written word of God, he is under a curse (Galatians 1:6-9). That’s a “gift” you don’t want to share.