Ray Comfort's Repentance Controversy, Dr. Michael Brown's Misconduct, and Coligny's Killing

A conflict between two popular evangelists, fallout after a report of a biblical scholar's "inappropriate" behavior, the courageous death of a 16th-century Huguenot admiral, and more.

Anthony Langer
May 10, 2025

It’s Saturday, May 10, 2025.

Today’s edition covers a conflict between two popular evangelists, fallout after a report of a biblical scholar’s “inappropriate” behavior, the courageous death of a 16th-century Huguenot admiral, and more.

“Better was a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who no longer knew how to take advice.” (Ecclesiastes 4:13)

Of Christian Concern

EVANGELISTS RAY COMFORT AND RYAN FROM NEEDGOD.NET CLASH OVER THE ROLE OF REPENTANCE IN SALVATION

Detail of screenshots of YouTube video thumbnails (Top: NeedGodnet / Bottom: Living Waters)

Ray Comfort from Living Waters and Ryan from NeedGod.net, two popular evangelists online, have been having a back-and-forth over the definition and role of repentance in salvation. The controversy began two weeks ago when Ryan posted a video in which a young believer asks whether repentance means “turning from sin” or “changing your mind.”

Ryan’s “Repentance”

Ryan points to Acts 19:4, where Paul connects repentance to believing in Jesus. So, Ryan argues, repentance means changing one’s mind regarding Jesus, one’s sin (recognizing that it’s bad), and oneself (recognizing you’re a sinner).

In Ryan’s view, “turn from sin” is an unhelpful phrase because it suggests that not breaking God’s law is part of how to be saved. If salvation required changed behavior, it would be based on works (what we do) rather than on faith in what Jesus already did by taking the punishment for sin.

Ryan explains that someone who believes in Jesus will necessarily have changed behavior toward sin: “You’ll begin to walk in more holiness just as a fruit of salvation, but not as a way to gain salvation.”

Criticism of Comfort

That’s when the young man mentions Living Waters, the evangelistic ministry led by Ray Comfort, noting that he found their presentation of repentance confusing. Ryan responds that he thinks Ray believes the gospel is “faith alone in Christ alone,” but is “very unclear in how he presents the gospel.”

Whereas Ray sometimes says we’re not saved by faith alone but by grace, Ryan says these things are not antithetical: “So, faith is simply the instrument by which you receive the gift, the grace of salvation." Ray’s presentation, then, suffers from “lack of precision.”

Ray’s Response

Five days later, Ray Comfort responded with a video in which he calls Ryan an “unproven influencer” who is giving “bad doctrine” and “mak[ing] it sound good to those who don’t know their Bibles.” In response to Ryan saying we are saved by faith alone, Ray insists, “We are saved by grace alone. Not our belief. Nor our repentance.” He characterizes Ryan as “maintain[ing] that sinners must ‘believe’ to be saved,” meaning, “They have to ‘do’ something.” Ray says,

“When Christians say we’re saved by faith alone, they mean that true saving faith is apart from works, not that faith itself is what saves. Grace saves us. Faith is the means, not the cause.”

Six and a Half a Dozen

The difference between Ray’s and Ryan’s explanations of faith’s role in salvation seems to be “six” and “half a dozen.” The substantive issue is whether Ray’s gospel presentation leads some hearers to think they must stop sinning to be saved. To that point, Ryan commented on Ray’s video, writing in part,

“[Y]ou didn’t seem to address the real issue at hand. Some people are hearing you preach ‘Stop sinning’ ‘live in holiness’ as one of the requirements to be saved, rather than it being a result of salvation. Do you not see a big issue with that?”

Ray replied to the comment, writing in part,

“Absolutely. That’s a serious issue. I think people would need to watch more of my videos to see I don’t believe that nor do I teach it.

“If people are hearing ‘stop sinning’ and ‘live in holiness’ as requirements to earn salvation, rather than evidence of salvation, then the message has either been miscommunicated or misheard. We are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, not by our moral improvements (Ephesians 2:8–9). But genuine salvation does produce fruit. Holiness isn’t the root of salvation, it’s the fruit of salvation (Hebrews 12:14, James 2:17).”

One might think that would settle the issue, but there have been four more videos between them (three from Ryan, one from Ray), and no resolution. Ryan has asked for an interview with Ray to clarify the matter, but no interview appears forthcoming.

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Also Noteworthy

Dr. Michael L. Brown in 2014 (Michael L. Brown, CC BY-SA 3.0)

→ Dr. Sean McDowell of Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, announced on his YouTube channel this week that he removed a video of an interview he had with charismatic biblical scholar and radio host Dr. Michael Brown. The reason: after a recent independent report found Brown had engaged in “inappropriate and unacceptable” behavior, including “sexually abusive misconduct,” Brown’s elder accountability team concluded that the allegations are in the past and he can be reinstated to ministry. But, McDowell says, “they did not include a trauma-informed counselor,” and there are “serious questions about the inaccuracy of the elder report.” He linked to both reports and a couple of responses (from Ron Cantor and Mike Winger), encouraging people to read the reports and come to their own conclusions.

→ Barr Bowen, a staff investigator and analyst at Trinity Foundation, which investigates religious fraud, revealed plans to publish an investigative project that “involves a review of hundreds of religious non-profit organizations” and identifies “ministries that are filing questionable financial info with the IRS.” Bowen, who claims his phone was wiretapped several years ago, says he has been considering “what it would take to bring a RICO case against a religious criminal enterprise.”

→ U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a Thursday press conference that President Donald Trump’s new trade deal with the UK was purely economic and did not include assurances about freedom of speech or religion, a concern raised by Vice President JD Vance in his famous speech in Munich, Germany, in February. Trump jokingly chimed in, “This was about ‘business religion.’ You know, business is a sort of a semi-religion, but not nearly as important. I don’t want to get myself into [trouble].“

→ Last Saturday “marked the largest single-day baptism in American history,” The Christian Post reports, with over 7,750 people baptized off the coast of Huntington Beach, California. The “Baptize California” event, hosted by Oceans Church, saw 30,000 attendees and 300 churches.

Content Catch-Up

Recent notable content of Christian interest.*

R. L. Solberg (left, Instagram profile pic) and Nancy Pearcey (right, X profile pic)

→ Ancient Jewish Text Confirms Christianity?: In this short Instagram reel, Christian apologist R. L. Solberg argues that “a key Jewish text—written by rabbis who rejected Jesus—actually confirmed the New Testament’s claim that the Old Covenant had ended.” (Reel)

→ “Your Desire Shall Be For Your Husband”: Christian author Nancy Pearcey argues that the curse on the woman in Genesis 3:16 “does not mean that women desire to rule over men.” She offers a screenshot from her book, The Toxic War on Masculinity, as an explanation. See if you find it compelling. (Post)

*Not necessarily an endorsement

Church History Tidbit

The Courageous Coligny, a Protestant Martyr

Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny, painting by François Clouet (1510–1572)

Gaspard de Coligny (1519–1572), born in Châtillon-sur-Loing, was a French nobleman, Admiral of France, and Huguenot leader during the French Wars of Religion. Raised by his uncle, Constable Anne de Montmorency, he excelled in the Italian Wars, earning the admiral title in 1552.

Converting to Protestantism around 1557, Coligny became a Huguenot leader, advocating religious tolerance. He fought in key battles like Dreux (1562) and Jarnac (1569), securing the Peace of Saint-Germain (1570). As advisor to Charles IX, he pushed for Dutch Protestant support, alarming Catholics. Coligny sponsored Huguenot colonies in America, like Fort Caroline, though they failed.

His influence sparked Catholic fears, leading to an assassination attempt on August 22, 1572. On August 24, during the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, he was murdered—stabbed, defenestrated, and mutilated—igniting widespread Huguenot killings. Coligny’s death at 53 intensified religious strife but cemented his legacy as a Protestant martyr, admired for his courage and vision. His advocacy for tolerance and colonial ventures left a lasting mark, inspiring future Huguenot resilience and the Edict of Nantes (1598).*

Read the fascinating account of Coligny’s death written by French historian Jacques Auguste de Thou (1553-1617) here. Here’s a short teaser:

“Are you Coligny?”

Coligny replied, “Yes, I am he,” with fearless countenance. “But you, young man, respect these white hairs. What is it you would do? You cannot shorten by many days this life of mine.”

As he spoke, Besme gave him a sword thrust through the body…

*These three paragraphs were written with Grok.

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