Gene Scott died yesterday, and I feel obliged to say something for some strange reason. I guess it’s because I’m always struck by the vaguely overlapping areas of our lives.
First, he was at one time an Assemblies of God minister in my district. He left the denomination years back (in good standing, surprisingly enough), but the connection is still there.
Second, Dr. Scott had a connection with Stanford University–he earned his doctorate here in 1957 and was apparently once profiled for the cover story of the Stanford alumni magazine (this seems to be an undigitized issue or else I would link to it).
Third, his ministry was by its nature a money-asking sort. His methods were way over the line (some allege immoral and illegal), although he was pretty funny about it: “I sometimes get asked about what happens to all the money that comes in to this ministry. Let me tell you what happens to it. I spend it!”
Fourth, he was eccentric. That’s putting it mildly. If you’ve seen his show you know what I mean, and if you haven’t there’s no way you would believe me–for instance, one of his peculiar worship songs was Kill a Pissant for Jesus (I do not, sadly, have the lyrics). While I applaud the use of the underutilized word pissant , the song gives me pause. If you’ve got a few minutes, read over this old article from the LA Times: The Shock Jock of Television to get a feel for his unique ministry style.
The Assemblies of God, Stanford, fundraising, and eccentricity. That’s really all we had in common as far as I can determine (that, and we were both California white males). In some ways I admire him tremendously, and in other ways I shudder when I think of him. Either way, I consider him a distant cousin in ministry.
I hope he’s in heaven. If so, I imagine there are a lot of surprised people having some very unusual conversations with him.
I’ll miss him. If you go to his website (www.drgenescott.org) and listen to his early stuff, he was a different man. His teachings in Daniel and Revelation can’t be matched. He’ll be in heaven. He’ll have a lot to answer for, but won’t we all?
I listen to Gene Scott on short wave. During 1998, I went through a very hard time spiritually, thinking that I had missed God in a particular event.
It took several months to be able to feel the “joy” of the Lord. But I can tell you that It was listenting to Dr. Gene Scotts sermons nite after nite that pulled me through and let me know that God still loved me and I would make it.
I know for a fact, that 6 weeks after he preached a sermon, TV preachers all over the networks were preaching the same sermon. They all listen to him…because Gene Scott knew the Bible perhaps better then most. His sermon on “Joseph” was truely a classic. Gene Scott was the best Bible teacher, there is no doubt about that fact.
Gene Scott said once, you either make a choice for God or against him.
Gene would probably agree with Jack Wallace who recently went home at age 47. He said there are only two classes of people in this world: Saved or Unsaved. Race has nothing to do with it.
People picked on Gene for his funny hats, his cigar and his cuss words.
(I don’t know many preachers who don’t cuss, they just not standing in front of a tv camera, and do it) One way or another Gene Scott was going to get the worlds attention. And while he had their attention, he preached the true Gospel. Arn’t we glad that God looks on and knows our hearts.
We will all miss Gene Scott
none further, Thank you.
I miss Doc. Thankfully in my area his program is still brodcasted. Doc changed a lot for the better in the months before his death.
I truly believe that Doc is in heaven. Sure he made mistakes but who doesn’t and hasn’t.
Thank you for your reply Polly.
With all my being I do not believe this person is with God. BecauseGod is holy.
He requires of us repentance and to serve him.
The Bible says that the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. If God gives you a gift or calling, it is yours, but if you sin and live a bad life, still you will do what God called you to do.
God didn’t honor Gene Scott, but God honored his Name and his Word.
God honors faith.
It is sad that this man lived the way he did.
There are many ministers who live holy and righteous lives.
Gene Scott went to answer for the way he lived his life.
Sad, sad, sad.
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN,NOR WILL THERE EVER BE ANOTHER GENE
SCOTT. IF HE IS LATER FOUND TO BE A MASS MURDERING,CHILD
MOLESTER,HE IS,WAS AND WILL BE THE BEST BIBLE EXPOSITOR EVER
SAVE MOSES,JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
Mr. Scott spent years of complex bible study. He often spent all day studying one point. John the baptist was a wild man who ate locusts and wore camel hair yet he had a presence that drew people not to him but to God. No man is perfect we are all signs leading people somewhere. Some people lead people to sports fame money career materialism and others who know the love and peace that only comes through a reationship with Christ lead people Home to God.
Some signs are fancy some signs are just poster board but the nature of the sign is not important the message on the sign is. And the message from Scott always stayed the same Jesus Crucified buried Arose. He knew that He could do nothing Good for only God is Good. But he could in his own way lead people to Christ and Christ in them is their Hope. He was a Doctor who smoked cigars and had an intresting bed side manner…but the cure was the same for everyone JESUS
Wow, I just found out who this guy was the other day. I can’t say I’m upset that he died. It always bothers me when someone spends most of their life talking about Jesus but acts nothing like Him. “Kill a Pissant for Jesus”, huh? Yeah, sounds like the sort of thing Jesus would want His name in. It’s not the actions that bother me, it’s the attitude. You can be the best biblical expositor all you want, but that doesn’t mean you’re helping anyone be more like Christ. I am awed by a life like this. The bad kind of awe, though. I am physically sickened by the thought that as a Christ-follower I am linked by those who don’t follow Christ with this man. Awful. Absolutely awful.
Please don’t ever compare camel-hair and locusts to telling people they should vomit on themselves for not sending money. Please. Never again. Being “wild” and being the complete opposite of Jesus are two different things. Thanks for making it hard on the rest of us Gene.
The late Dr. Gene Scott was a modern day Paul, those who choose to look at the mans person take their eyes off a Christ,to whom Dr. Scott always always pointed you. This type also take their eyes off of Christ at the LORD’s table and put their gaze upon themselves there by they miss their blessing Dr. Scott did just as John the Baptis did pointed to Christ I can even now hear them singing a duet behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.
I have been a student of Dr. Gene Scott for about 24 yrs. I now am a student of Pastor Melissa Scott also. Dr. Scott opened the scriptures for me like no one ever had. I learned more from him in 1hr. than I did from any other pastor, in a year! Doc taught the ttruth.… Grace through faith and not of works, lest any man should boast, which is what alot of RELIGIONS teach. Grace BUT 1st lets see your works… that is a message straight from HELL. Jesus died to save sinners, not self righteous people. Our righteous is of Him… His righteous not our own, which scripture , and Christ said, that our very best is filthy rags, that there is none that are good… NONE! We are all sinners in need of grace, and that grace was FREELY given on Calvery by the Savior of the world the Son of God, who stood in our place so we didn’t have to try to earn it though our WORKs, which is impossible.… Only God can judge Dr. Scott, and if you think your good enough to stand in Gods judgement seat where Christ will judge those who worship themselves rather than their savior, your going to come up short. and will be damned. Accept Gods grace now before its too late. Thanks to Dr. Scott. for having the courage to stand up to all the holier than thou folks who sit in judgement when we are all sinners, saved ONLY by GRACE.
ALL Tele-hyper-religious nutcases will be going to a very special place designed with them in mind…I just wish they would all go together, and NOW.
Funny how Doc hung onto tithing even though he taught that you were free from the rest of the Law. No scripture teaches tithing on monetary wages, only on agricultural produce raised in the Land of Israel. Lev.27:30–34 teaches that tithing, like all the rest of the law mentioned in that context, came from Mt. Sinai, and was given by Moses to the Children of Israel, not the Eskimos, the Native Americans, or the Celts (Doc said he was one). Only Levites could take the Biblical tithe. In Acts 15 the apostles said nothing about Gentiles needing to tithe on anything. Priests in ancient Israel never tithed. Believers in Christ are the priesthood of the New Covenant (I Pet.2:5,).