There’s something deeply compelling about someone who grows up inside a famous ministry and then walks away from it, not because of bitterness, but because of conviction. Costi Hinn is that person. As the nephew of Benny Hinn, one of the most well-known prosperity preachers and faith healers in modern history, Costi has spent years untangling himself from the spiritual culture he was raised in. He’s now a teaching pastor at Shepherd’s House Bible Church in Chandler, Arizona, and leads an online ministry called For the Gospel. He doesn’t just critique from a distance; he speaks with the weight of someone who has seen the inner workings of charismatic excess and wants to protect others from being deceived. So when he recently joined Allie Beth Stuckey on her “Relatable” podcast to talk about the “Kathryn Krick phenomenon,” people paid attention. Krick, the leader of Five-Fold Church in Los Angeles, has become a social media sensation, with millions of followers and videos of her allegedly casting out demons simply by walking into a Barnes & Noble. But Costi Hinn didn’t mince words. He called her a false teacher. And he did so with a calm, biblical clarity that cut through the chaos. He also anticipated the backlash: How dare anyone call a woman who claims to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit a false teacher? Isn’t that blaspheming the Spirit? Costi’s answer was simple, direct, and anchored in Scripture: no, it isn’t. In fact, refusing to call out a false teacher is not love at all. It’s abandonment. And in a world where spiritual deception is rampant, discernment isn’t an optional extra—it’s a survival skill.
Before digging into Costi’s response, it helps to understand who Kathryn Krick is and why she’s generating so much concern. Krick is the founder and leader of Five-Fold Church, often shortened to 5F, a Los Angeles-based congregation that emphasizes the “five-fold ministry” mentioned in Ephesians 4, which includes apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. She is the author of three books, has over two million followers across social media platforms, and sells online courses on deliverance ministry. Her content is dramatic and highly visual: videos show her encountering strangers in public places, claiming to receive supernatural revelations about them, and commanding demons to leave in Jesus’ name. One of the most widely shared clips features her at a Barnes & Noble, apparently casting a demon out of a woman who was simply in her presence. For many Christians, these videos are thrilling. For others, they are deeply troubling. In July, Allie Beth Stuckey published a podcast episode warning her listeners about Krick’s “dangerous ministry.” Around the same time, Shane Winnings, the CEO of Promise Keepers who had previously ministered alongside Krick in 2021, released a five-hour video in which he explained that he had privately rebuked Krick years ago and detailed why he now believes she is a false teacher. Then came the more disturbing layer: Krick has publicly defended a Tanzanian spiritual leader named GeorDavie, whom she calls her “spiritual father,” even after The Guru published anonymous allegations accusing GeorDavie of sexual abuse. All of this has created a swirling controversy that raises a question many Christians are wrestling with: how should we respond to someone who claims to be doing miracles in Jesus’ name but whose behavior and theology seem dangerously unhinged from the gospel?
Costi Hinn’s response to that question is refreshingly grounded. He acknowledges that many people will accuse him of being harsh or judgmental. After all, Krick appears to be doing spiritual things, and many believers have been taught that touching God’s anointed—or even questioning someone who seems to operate in the Spirit—is risky territory. But Costi pushes back on that mindset with a pointed observation: using discernment to identify a false teacher is not the same as blaspheming the Holy Spirit. In fact, he says, it is exactly what Jesus Himself modeled. People often say, “How dare you?” he explained. But actually, he argues, he is aligning himself with Christ, because in Matthew 7, Jesus warned that many people would one day come to Him and say, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and perform many miracles in Your name?” And Jesus would reply, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” That warning is sobering because it suggests that extraordinary spiritual activity is not automatically proof of the Spirit’s work. You can cast out demons, prophesy, and perform wonders—or at least claim to—and still be completely unknown by Jesus. That means the presence of supernatural signs is not the final test of authenticity. The fruit of a person’s life and the truthfulness of their teaching matter far more. Costi’s point is that calling someone a false teacher isn’t a careless insult. It’s a biblical category. And when someone’s ministry is marked by financial manipulation, false prophecies, unaccountable authority, and the elevation of experiences over Scripture, the most loving thing you can do is warn people.
There’s a particular fear among some Christians that speaking against a popular minister could somehow be committing the unforgivable sin of blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Costi Hinn addresses that fear directly. Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, as described in the Gospels, is not a vague or accidental mistake. It is a hardened, persistent, and deliberate rejection of the Spirit’s testimony about Christ—a condition of the heart that attributes the work of God to Satan even when you know better. It is not what happens when a careful, Bible-based Christian evaluates a ministry and finds it wanting. In fact, Scripture is full of commands to test the spirits, to watch out for false prophets, and to hold everything up to the light of God’s Word. Paul tells the Thessalonians to “test all things and hold fast to what is good.” John tells believers not to believe every spirit but to test them to see whether they are from God. Jesus Himself said that false prophets would come in sheep’s clothing, looking harmless and even impressive, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. If we are never allowed to name them, we would be defenseless. Costi’s argument is that refusing to identify false teachers is actually a failure to obey Christ. The real danger is not speaking out; it’s staying silent while people are being led astray. And when a leader claims to have apostolic authority, demands absolute loyalty, and uses signs and wonders as proof of their special status, the stakes become even higher.
That brings up another important issue Costi Hinn raised: the modern claim to the title of “apostle.” Krick openly calls herself an ordained apostle, and many in the New Apostolic Reformation movement do the same. But Costi argues that no one in today’s church should claim that title. The biblical role of apostle was unique and foundational. The apostles were eyewitnesses of the risen Christ, commissioned directly by Him, and they laid the foundation of the church through their teaching and the writing of the New Testament. The church is described in Ephesians as being “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone.” Once a foundation is laid, you don’t keep laying it. There are no new apostles in the same sense as Peter, Paul, and the twelve. That doesn’t mean God stopped sending people to plant churches or share the gospel across cultures. But claiming the title of apostle today carries an authority that Scripture never grants to modern leaders. When someone like Krick claims to be an apostle, she is not just using a trendy title; she is positioning herself as a unique, authoritative voice who cannot be questioned without facing spiritual repercussions. That is a dangerous dynamic, especially when followers are taught to submit to her authority and view her words as carrying prophetic weight. Costi’s point is not that God no longer works through His people. It’s that we need to be extremely careful about letting anyone elevate themselves above the authority of Scripture and the accountability of the local church.
At the heart of this entire controversy is a deeper spiritual issue: the difference between experience and truth. Kathryn Krick’s ministry is built on experiences—dramatic deliverances, supernatural encounters, and public displays of spiritual power. For many viewers, those experiences feel so real and so undeniable that they become their own proof. But Scripture warns us that signs and wonders can be deceptive. The Apostle Paul said that Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. In the end times, Jesus said, false christs and false prophets will perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect if that were possible. That means the presence of supernatural activity is not automatically proof that someone is operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. The most reliable test is not whether someone can make a person fall down or scream during a deliverance session. It’s whether their teaching lines up with the gospel, whether their character reflects the fruit of the Spirit, and whether their ministry points people to Jesus rather than to themselves. Costi Hinn’s warning about Kathryn Krick is ultimately a call for Christians to grow up in their discernment. It’s a call to stop being so easily impressed by spiritual spectacles and start being more deeply rooted in the Word of God. It’s a call to love people enough to tell them the truth, even when that truth is uncomfortable. And it’s a reminder that the safest place to stand is not in the glow of a miracle worker’s presence, but at the feet of Jesus, listening to His voice, obeying His commands, and building our lives on the solid foundation of His Word.