WHAT DOES THE WORD OF FAITH MOVEMENT TEACH?
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Here from Wikipedia is the list of things that Word of faith teaches. Now anyone can easily read and then WITH THEIR SCRIPTURE REFUTE. No need to look at men who teach...this is the basics of it's movement.
Do you believe the same?
Here we go...
[h=2]Teachings[edit][/h]The Word of Faith movement has many distinctive teachings including physical, emotional, financial, relational, and spiritual healing or prosperity for any who has the right belief-filled confession.[SUP][1][/SUP]
The movement emphasizes choosing to speak the promises and provisions that the speaker wants, that is in agreement with the Bible, as an act of faith and agreement with God's plans and purposes.
They believe this is what Jesus meant in Mark 11:22–23[SUP][bible 1][/SUP], when he said believers shall have whatsoever they say and pray with faith. The term word of faith itself is derived from the biblical passage Romans 10:8[SUP][bible 2][/SUP] which speaks of the word of faith that we preach.[SUP][2][/SUP]
[h=3]Faith[edit][/h]The Word of Faith teaches that those who have been freed by Christ's sacrifice are freed from the law and live in the Spirit. Matthew 11:25-30 Galatians 5:1 Mark 11:12-25 (Parable of the Fig Tree concerning the importance of Faith in Christianity).
It teaches that worldly wisdom is not conducive to spiritual understanding but instead is an obstacle.
It encourages a call to spiritual maturity to be likened to a child in understanding. Romans 12:2 (Renewal of the Mind) Colossians 2 (Do not be disqualified by the world) Hebrews 6:1-2 (A Call to Maturity) 1 Corinthians 3 (The Church and its Leaders) Galatians 3 (enslavement to the law is a curse) Romans 7:1-6 (A call to live in the Spirit) Matthew 18:1-6 (The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven)
The Word of Faith teaches that there are things to be learned that cannot be learned from the sensuous or carnal mind of the world, but only by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Through Faith in Christ, it teaches that anything is possible Matthew 17:14-20 (Faith the size of a mustard seed) and that everyone who believes in Christ is capable of all these things without favoritism by works alone. Matthew 20:1-16 (Parable of the Workers). The Faith of a Roman Officer is another illustration found in Matthew 8:5-18.
It teaches that works may be conducive to spiritual growth if there is sincere love according to Matthew 25:14-30 (the Parable of the Talents), the synonymous passage Luke 19:11-27 (the Parable of the Minas), 1 Corinthians 13 (concerning the importance of Love). Matthew 22:36-40 (the Two greatest commandments which are in perfect harmony if we look at how Jesus reinstates Simon Peter John 21:15-19).
It teaches that the authority of Christ was given to those in Christ according to Matthew 16:13-20 (Keys to the Kingdom) and Matthew 6:5-14 (The Lord's Prayer).
Word of Faith is founded on a personal Walk of Faith in a personal relationship with Jesus and guided by Gods Word and Spirit. It is considered unorthodox and heretical by many denominations that feel it may contradict the authority that has been respectively established. It does not appear to be an invitation for complete lawlessness because of the danger of apostasy from seeking worldly things rather than faith in promises made by God. (Matthew 7:15-23 1 John 4:6 2 Peter 2 Jude 1 1 Corinthians 5 Hebrews 11-13)
This is written by a practitioner of Word of Faith in Christianity. It can be directly correlated to The Charismatic Movement.
[h=3]Healing[edit][/h]The Word of Faith teaches that complete healing (of spirit, soul, and body) is included in Christ's atonement and therefore is available here and now to all who believe. Frequently cited is Isaiah 53:5[SUP][bible 3][/SUP], "by his stripes we are healed", and Matthew 8:17[SUP][bible 4][/SUP], which says that Jesus healed the sick so that "it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, 'Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses'."
Because Isaiah speaks in the present tense ("we are healed"), Word of Faith teaches that believers should accept the reality of a healing that is already theirs. Accepting this healing is done by confessing the verse or verses found in the Bible declaring they are healed (i.e. Word of Faith) and then believing them fully without doubt. It is not an act of denying the pain, sickness, or disease, but an act of denying its right to supersede the receiving of the gift mentioned in Isaiah 53:5.[SUP][3][/SUP] According to adherents, sickness is an attempt by Satan to rob believers of their divine right to total health.[SUP][4]
[/SUP]
[h=3]Prosperity[edit][/h]Word of Faith teaching holds that God wants his people to be prosperous, which includes finances, good health, good marriages and relationships, i.e. to live generally prosperous lives in all areas.
Word of Faith teaches that God empowers his people (blesses them) to achieve the promises that are contained in the Bible.[SUP][5][/SUP] Because of this, suffering does not come from God, but rather, from Satan. As Kenneth Copeland's ministry has stated, the idea that God uses suffering for our benefit is considered to be "a deception of Satan" and "absolutely against the Word of God." [SUP][6][/SUP] Additionally, if someone is not experiencing prosperity, it is because they have given Satan authority over their lives. God will not do anything at all unless the person invites him to.[SUP][7]
[/SUP]
It is argued that Jesus and the apostles were financially wealthy,[SUP][8][/SUP] owning homes, having monetary resources and businesses. The following arguments have been offered for this claim:
[SUP][11][/SUP] Based on the concept that Jesus and his apostles were arguably wealthy, as well as the historical examples of his people having great wealth, and the promises for financial prosperity throughout the Old and New Testaments, Word of Faith proponents teach that modern believers also have access to the "blessing" and may also become financially wealthy.[SUP][12][/SUP]
Teachers like Kenneth Copeland assert the concept of total prosperity is validated by the teachings of the Apostle John: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 2[SUP][bible 5][/SUP]). Copeland posits that “as the seeds of prosperity are planted in your heart, in your will and in your emotions...they eventually produce a great financial harvest."[SUP][13][/SUP]
[h=3]Faith and confession[edit][/h]Within Word of Faith teaching, a central element of receiving from God involves "confession". This doctrine is often referred to as "positive confession" or "faith confession" by practitioners.
While similar, the teaching should not be confused with Norman Vincent Peale's positive thinking theology. Peale's teaching was marked by its focus on the individual, as evidenced by his oft-spoken statement, "Faith in God and believe in oneself".[SUP][14][/SUP]
Noted Word of Faith teachers, such as Kenneth E. Hagin and Charles Capps, have argued that God created the universe simply by speaking it into existence (Genesis 1[SUP][bible 6][/SUP]), and that humans have been endowed with the ability (power) to speak things into existence. Thus, making a "positive confession" (by reciting a promise of scripture, for example), and believing that which God says, accesses the resurrection power that was released when Christ was raised from the dead Ephesians 1:19-20[SUP][bible 7][/SUP] Ephesians 3:20[SUP][bible 8][/SUP], which causes those things to come into fruition.
This teaching is interpreted from Mark 11:22-23[SUP][bible 9][/SUP]. A more recent variant of positive confession is decree and declare.[SUP][15][/SUP]
Word of Faith preachers have likened faith to a "force".[SUP][16]
[/SUP]
Likewise, according to Word of Faith teaching, "negative confession" can yield negative results, and hence believers should be conscious of their words. This is argued on the interpretation of Proverbs 18:21[SUP][bible 10][/SUP], "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and they that love them will eat the fruit thereof", also Numbers 14:28[SUP][bible 11][/SUP], "...saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do", among other scriptures.
So have at it. Bring your scriptures and discuss in love of the brethren and respect for the Word.
Can you?
Do you believe the same?
Here we go...
[h=2]Teachings[edit][/h]The Word of Faith movement has many distinctive teachings including physical, emotional, financial, relational, and spiritual healing or prosperity for any who has the right belief-filled confession.[SUP][1][/SUP]
The movement emphasizes choosing to speak the promises and provisions that the speaker wants, that is in agreement with the Bible, as an act of faith and agreement with God's plans and purposes.
They believe this is what Jesus meant in Mark 11:22–23[SUP][bible 1][/SUP], when he said believers shall have whatsoever they say and pray with faith. The term word of faith itself is derived from the biblical passage Romans 10:8[SUP][bible 2][/SUP] which speaks of the word of faith that we preach.[SUP][2][/SUP]
[h=3]Faith[edit][/h]The Word of Faith teaches that those who have been freed by Christ's sacrifice are freed from the law and live in the Spirit. Matthew 11:25-30 Galatians 5:1 Mark 11:12-25 (Parable of the Fig Tree concerning the importance of Faith in Christianity).
It teaches that worldly wisdom is not conducive to spiritual understanding but instead is an obstacle.
It encourages a call to spiritual maturity to be likened to a child in understanding. Romans 12:2 (Renewal of the Mind) Colossians 2 (Do not be disqualified by the world) Hebrews 6:1-2 (A Call to Maturity) 1 Corinthians 3 (The Church and its Leaders) Galatians 3 (enslavement to the law is a curse) Romans 7:1-6 (A call to live in the Spirit) Matthew 18:1-6 (The Greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven)
The Word of Faith teaches that there are things to be learned that cannot be learned from the sensuous or carnal mind of the world, but only by the Spirit. 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
Through Faith in Christ, it teaches that anything is possible Matthew 17:14-20 (Faith the size of a mustard seed) and that everyone who believes in Christ is capable of all these things without favoritism by works alone. Matthew 20:1-16 (Parable of the Workers). The Faith of a Roman Officer is another illustration found in Matthew 8:5-18.
It teaches that works may be conducive to spiritual growth if there is sincere love according to Matthew 25:14-30 (the Parable of the Talents), the synonymous passage Luke 19:11-27 (the Parable of the Minas), 1 Corinthians 13 (concerning the importance of Love). Matthew 22:36-40 (the Two greatest commandments which are in perfect harmony if we look at how Jesus reinstates Simon Peter John 21:15-19).
It teaches that the authority of Christ was given to those in Christ according to Matthew 16:13-20 (Keys to the Kingdom) and Matthew 6:5-14 (The Lord's Prayer).
Word of Faith is founded on a personal Walk of Faith in a personal relationship with Jesus and guided by Gods Word and Spirit. It is considered unorthodox and heretical by many denominations that feel it may contradict the authority that has been respectively established. It does not appear to be an invitation for complete lawlessness because of the danger of apostasy from seeking worldly things rather than faith in promises made by God. (Matthew 7:15-23 1 John 4:6 2 Peter 2 Jude 1 1 Corinthians 5 Hebrews 11-13)
This is written by a practitioner of Word of Faith in Christianity. It can be directly correlated to The Charismatic Movement.
[h=3]Healing[edit][/h]The Word of Faith teaches that complete healing (of spirit, soul, and body) is included in Christ's atonement and therefore is available here and now to all who believe. Frequently cited is Isaiah 53:5[SUP][bible 3][/SUP], "by his stripes we are healed", and Matthew 8:17[SUP][bible 4][/SUP], which says that Jesus healed the sick so that "it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the Prophet, 'Himself took our infirmities, and bore our sicknesses'."
Because Isaiah speaks in the present tense ("we are healed"), Word of Faith teaches that believers should accept the reality of a healing that is already theirs. Accepting this healing is done by confessing the verse or verses found in the Bible declaring they are healed (i.e. Word of Faith) and then believing them fully without doubt. It is not an act of denying the pain, sickness, or disease, but an act of denying its right to supersede the receiving of the gift mentioned in Isaiah 53:5.[SUP][3][/SUP] According to adherents, sickness is an attempt by Satan to rob believers of their divine right to total health.[SUP][4]
[/SUP]
[h=3]Prosperity[edit][/h]Word of Faith teaching holds that God wants his people to be prosperous, which includes finances, good health, good marriages and relationships, i.e. to live generally prosperous lives in all areas.
Word of Faith teaches that God empowers his people (blesses them) to achieve the promises that are contained in the Bible.[SUP][5][/SUP] Because of this, suffering does not come from God, but rather, from Satan. As Kenneth Copeland's ministry has stated, the idea that God uses suffering for our benefit is considered to be "a deception of Satan" and "absolutely against the Word of God." [SUP][6][/SUP] Additionally, if someone is not experiencing prosperity, it is because they have given Satan authority over their lives. God will not do anything at all unless the person invites him to.[SUP][7]
[/SUP]
It is argued that Jesus and the apostles were financially wealthy,[SUP][8][/SUP] owning homes, having monetary resources and businesses. The following arguments have been offered for this claim:
- Jesus' ability to travel without apparently working to earn a living for three years
- References by Jesus and the apostles to owning homes[SUP][9][/SUP]
- Jesus had a treasurer (Judas Iscariot)[SUP][9][/SUP]
- Jesus consorting with the upper echelons of society
- The businesses that each of the apostles apparently owned/worked in[SUP][10][/SUP]
[SUP][11][/SUP] Based on the concept that Jesus and his apostles were arguably wealthy, as well as the historical examples of his people having great wealth, and the promises for financial prosperity throughout the Old and New Testaments, Word of Faith proponents teach that modern believers also have access to the "blessing" and may also become financially wealthy.[SUP][12][/SUP]
Teachers like Kenneth Copeland assert the concept of total prosperity is validated by the teachings of the Apostle John: "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth" (3 John 2[SUP][bible 5][/SUP]). Copeland posits that “as the seeds of prosperity are planted in your heart, in your will and in your emotions...they eventually produce a great financial harvest."[SUP][13][/SUP]
[h=3]Faith and confession[edit][/h]Within Word of Faith teaching, a central element of receiving from God involves "confession". This doctrine is often referred to as "positive confession" or "faith confession" by practitioners.
While similar, the teaching should not be confused with Norman Vincent Peale's positive thinking theology. Peale's teaching was marked by its focus on the individual, as evidenced by his oft-spoken statement, "Faith in God and believe in oneself".[SUP][14][/SUP]
Noted Word of Faith teachers, such as Kenneth E. Hagin and Charles Capps, have argued that God created the universe simply by speaking it into existence (Genesis 1[SUP][bible 6][/SUP]), and that humans have been endowed with the ability (power) to speak things into existence. Thus, making a "positive confession" (by reciting a promise of scripture, for example), and believing that which God says, accesses the resurrection power that was released when Christ was raised from the dead Ephesians 1:19-20[SUP][bible 7][/SUP] Ephesians 3:20[SUP][bible 8][/SUP], which causes those things to come into fruition.
This teaching is interpreted from Mark 11:22-23[SUP][bible 9][/SUP]. A more recent variant of positive confession is decree and declare.[SUP][15][/SUP]
Word of Faith preachers have likened faith to a "force".[SUP][16]
[/SUP]
Likewise, according to Word of Faith teaching, "negative confession" can yield negative results, and hence believers should be conscious of their words. This is argued on the interpretation of Proverbs 18:21[SUP][bible 10][/SUP], "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and they that love them will eat the fruit thereof", also Numbers 14:28[SUP][bible 11][/SUP], "...saith the Lord, as you have spoken in my ears, so will I do", among other scriptures.
So have at it. Bring your scriptures and discuss in love of the brethren and respect for the Word.
Can you?
Bluto said "What I'm saying is if you truly loved people you would be concerned for their total welfare including from those who teach heresy."
Thanks Bluto. I do care. That's why I pray for people.
Well I must say your hypocricy is showing Bluto. You talk fine talk about contending for the faith, but you ignore the scriptures that tell you how to do it, in favor of your religiously fanatical methods. You say you are a Christian but you find the Word inconvenient when you want to do things YOUR way. For example; I gave you the scriptures that told you how to deal with false teaching, You ignored it in favor of throwing more insults and lies.
Rom 16:17-18 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
[h=1]Titus 1:11-13 (CJB)[/h] [SUP]11 [/SUP]They must be silenced; because they are upsetting entire households by teaching what they have no business teaching, and doing it for the sake of dishonest gain. [SUP]12 [/SUP]Even one of the Cretans’ own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons” — [SUP]13 [/SUP]and it’s true! For this reason, you must be severe when you rebuke those who have followed this false teaching, so that they will come to be sound in their trust
The Bible does NOT say you should broadcast names!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All you are doing is spreading hatred.with your name calling.
Is your heart so full of hate?
Thanks Bluto. I do care. That's why I pray for people.
Well I must say your hypocricy is showing Bluto. You talk fine talk about contending for the faith, but you ignore the scriptures that tell you how to do it, in favor of your religiously fanatical methods. You say you are a Christian but you find the Word inconvenient when you want to do things YOUR way. For example; I gave you the scriptures that told you how to deal with false teaching, You ignored it in favor of throwing more insults and lies.
Rom 16:17-18 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.
[h=1]Titus 1:11-13 (CJB)[/h] [SUP]11 [/SUP]They must be silenced; because they are upsetting entire households by teaching what they have no business teaching, and doing it for the sake of dishonest gain. [SUP]12 [/SUP]Even one of the Cretans’ own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons” — [SUP]13 [/SUP]and it’s true! For this reason, you must be severe when you rebuke those who have followed this false teaching, so that they will come to be sound in their trust
The Bible does NOT say you should broadcast names!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
All you are doing is spreading hatred.with your name calling.
Is your heart so full of hate?
S
I can't even. so I do have to answer this
the anointing does not exist in some sort of a parallel universe in and of itself
David did not kill Saul out of respect for what once was. Saul lost his place before God when he did not wait for Samuel and went ahead, as so many do, and assumed the place not given to him. further, he did not do as God required and he did not kill all the livestock etc and he kept the king alive
further, God Himself said He regretted making Saul king
ignore the real story then and make up your own so that you don't have to REPENT (biblical meaning here if you know it) and allow the Bible to tell you what went down instead of picking what suits you?
Saul was no longer anointed. The prophet anointed David while Saul was still king and you cannot have 2 kings
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from [f]following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. 12 Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on [g]down to Gilgal.” 13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this [h]bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the [i]lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”
17 Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18 and the Lord sent you on a [j]mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the [k]mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.21 But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22 Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the [l]command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29 Also the [m]Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; butplease honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him [n]cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
the anointing does not exist in some sort of a parallel universe in and of itself
David did not kill Saul out of respect for what once was. Saul lost his place before God when he did not wait for Samuel and went ahead, as so many do, and assumed the place not given to him. further, he did not do as God required and he did not kill all the livestock etc and he kept the king alive
further, God Himself said He regretted making Saul king
ignore the real story then and make up your own so that you don't have to REPENT (biblical meaning here if you know it) and allow the Bible to tell you what went down instead of picking what suits you?
Saul was no longer anointed. The prophet anointed David while Saul was still king and you cannot have 2 kings
10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from [f]following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. 12 Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on [g]down to Gilgal.” 13 Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” 14 But Samuel said, “What then is this [h]bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the [i]lowing of the oxen which I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!”
17 Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, 18 and the Lord sent you on a [j]mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”
20 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the [k]mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.21 But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” 22 Samuel said,
“Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
23 “For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king.”
24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the [l]command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” 26 But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. 29 Also the [m]Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; butplease honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.
32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him [n]cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, but Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
S
let's REALLY examine some WOF claims
[FONT="]"You don't have a god in you, you are one."(1)[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Pray to yourself, because I'm in your self and you're in Myself. We are one Spirit, saith the Lord."(2)[/FONT]
[FONT="]"I say this with all respect so that it don't upset you too bad, but I say it anyway. When I read in the Bible where he [Jesus] says, 'I Am,' I just smile and say, 'Yes, I Am, too!'"(3)[/FONT]
[FONT="]What group would say such outrageous things? What group would have the nerve to perpetuate such blasphemous doctrines? Could it be the Jehovah's Witnesses? the Mormons? the Unitarians? the New Agers? Could it be—the Christians?[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Word-Faith Teachers
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT][FONT="]The Word-Faith Teachers. This is the group that would seek to convince us that Jesus and His disciples were rich, that to be poor is a sin, to be sick is a sin, and that faith is a creative force that we can use to shape our world just like God supposedly created this world and universe that we live in through His "faith"![/FONT]
[FONT="]Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Paul Crouch, John Avanzini, Robert Tilton, Fred Price, and Benny Hinn (who at the time of this writing has authored the number one best selling Christian book in America, "Good Morning, Holy Spirit") are just a few that spew out this theological vomit.[/FONT]
[FONT="]A Sampling of Error
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT][FONT="]To name just a few of the more outrageous things that have been said by these so-called teachers will stagger the senses:[/FONT]
[FONT="]John Avanzini is convinced that "Jesus had a nice big house",(4) "Jesus wore designer clothes",(5) and "Jesus was handling big money".(6)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Fred Price also claims that Jesus was rich and that He left us with an example to follow. That is why Fred drives a Rolls Royce; he is following Jesus' example![/FONT]
[FONT="]Mr. Price also communicates one of the more sickening beliefs of the Word-Faith teachers which shocks even those with a mild amount of common sense. He says, "How can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn't function right?....What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live inside of a body where He can't see out through the windows, and He can't hear out the ears?"(7) This insulting and insensitive comment regarding the handicapped and crippled among us stirs up anger in even the most hardened of consciences. Yet this statement by Mr. Price is followed by exuberant applause and approval from his congregation (I would like to hear Mr. Price say this to Joni Eareckson, or Tony Melendez).[/FONT]
[FONT="]These kind of statements boggle our minds and stagger our senses. It would seem that most people would see the error in these teachings, yet millions follow these men with a militant passion.[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]"You don't have a god in you, you are one."(1)[/FONT]
[FONT="]"Pray to yourself, because I'm in your self and you're in Myself. We are one Spirit, saith the Lord."(2)[/FONT]
[FONT="]"I say this with all respect so that it don't upset you too bad, but I say it anyway. When I read in the Bible where he [Jesus] says, 'I Am,' I just smile and say, 'Yes, I Am, too!'"(3)[/FONT]
[FONT="]What group would say such outrageous things? What group would have the nerve to perpetuate such blasphemous doctrines? Could it be the Jehovah's Witnesses? the Mormons? the Unitarians? the New Agers? Could it be—the Christians?[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
[FONT="]The Word-Faith Teachers
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT][FONT="]The Word-Faith Teachers. This is the group that would seek to convince us that Jesus and His disciples were rich, that to be poor is a sin, to be sick is a sin, and that faith is a creative force that we can use to shape our world just like God supposedly created this world and universe that we live in through His "faith"![/FONT]
[FONT="]Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Paul Crouch, John Avanzini, Robert Tilton, Fred Price, and Benny Hinn (who at the time of this writing has authored the number one best selling Christian book in America, "Good Morning, Holy Spirit") are just a few that spew out this theological vomit.[/FONT]
[FONT="]A Sampling of Error
[/FONT][FONT="][/FONT][FONT="]To name just a few of the more outrageous things that have been said by these so-called teachers will stagger the senses:[/FONT]
[FONT="]John Avanzini is convinced that "Jesus had a nice big house",(4) "Jesus wore designer clothes",(5) and "Jesus was handling big money".(6)[/FONT]
[FONT="]Fred Price also claims that Jesus was rich and that He left us with an example to follow. That is why Fred drives a Rolls Royce; he is following Jesus' example![/FONT]
[FONT="]Mr. Price also communicates one of the more sickening beliefs of the Word-Faith teachers which shocks even those with a mild amount of common sense. He says, "How can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn't function right?....What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live inside of a body where He can't see out through the windows, and He can't hear out the ears?"(7) This insulting and insensitive comment regarding the handicapped and crippled among us stirs up anger in even the most hardened of consciences. Yet this statement by Mr. Price is followed by exuberant applause and approval from his congregation (I would like to hear Mr. Price say this to Joni Eareckson, or Tony Melendez).[/FONT]
[FONT="]These kind of statements boggle our minds and stagger our senses. It would seem that most people would see the error in these teachings, yet millions follow these men with a militant passion.[/FONT]
[FONT="] [/FONT]
S
Who is God to the faith teachers? Kenneth Copeland will tell you first off that "God is the biggest failure in the Bible...the reason you've never thought that is because He never said He was one".(8)
Copeland also teaches us that "God is a being that stands somewhere around 6'2", 6'3",(9) intimating that God has a body, an error subscribed to by the Mormons. Copeland states, without any biblical warrant, that the earth we live on is a "copy of the mother planet"(10) which God lives on, again imitating a Mormon doctrine. Never mind that the Bible plainly states that God is spirit (John 4:24), never mind that the Bible never says a thing about this earth being a copy of any so-called mother planet. Yet these arguments don't work with the faith teachers because they have supposedly received these teachings by direct revelation from God. Therefore to oppose them is to oppose God. These men have lifted themselves above any critical investigation yet they have forgotten the biblical mandate that anything not in accord with the Word of God must be rejected. We will examine shortly their reactions to any kind of criticism.
After the faith teachers have thoroughly belittled God to slightly more than an exalted man, they then proceed to exalt man to the status of God. Adam, to the faith teachers, was an exact duplicate of God. Copeland teaches, "Gods reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself. He [Adam] was not a little like God, he was not almost like God, He was not subordinate to God even".(11) Copeland even states that "Adam is God manifested in the flesh",(12) a title that can only be truly applied to Christ Jesus alone.
The perceptive man can easily see that the problem here is a confusion about what it means to be made in the image of God. The faith teachers claim that being made in the image of God is synonymous to having the nature of God. To be made in the image of God is to be a "little god" they would admit.
Yet is that what the church has commonly taught. The overwhelming consensus of the church has been that man is created in the image of God in the sense that he is a person as God is a person, possessing mind, will, and emotions, that he is reasonable, unique among creation, a ruler over creation, and capable of personal fellowship with God. We bear the image of God, but we do not share His nature or substance or make-up. We are not omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, or infinite. God is the only being that is holy in and of Himself (Rev. 15:4). We are made in His image and have dignity because of that, but we are not an exact duplicate of God in any sense of the word. That status is reserved for the Lord Jesus Christ alone (see Col 2:8, Heb. 1:3, 2 Cor. 4:4).
Copeland also teaches us that "God is a being that stands somewhere around 6'2", 6'3",(9) intimating that God has a body, an error subscribed to by the Mormons. Copeland states, without any biblical warrant, that the earth we live on is a "copy of the mother planet"(10) which God lives on, again imitating a Mormon doctrine. Never mind that the Bible plainly states that God is spirit (John 4:24), never mind that the Bible never says a thing about this earth being a copy of any so-called mother planet. Yet these arguments don't work with the faith teachers because they have supposedly received these teachings by direct revelation from God. Therefore to oppose them is to oppose God. These men have lifted themselves above any critical investigation yet they have forgotten the biblical mandate that anything not in accord with the Word of God must be rejected. We will examine shortly their reactions to any kind of criticism.
After the faith teachers have thoroughly belittled God to slightly more than an exalted man, they then proceed to exalt man to the status of God. Adam, to the faith teachers, was an exact duplicate of God. Copeland teaches, "Gods reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself. He [Adam] was not a little like God, he was not almost like God, He was not subordinate to God even".(11) Copeland even states that "Adam is God manifested in the flesh",(12) a title that can only be truly applied to Christ Jesus alone.
The perceptive man can easily see that the problem here is a confusion about what it means to be made in the image of God. The faith teachers claim that being made in the image of God is synonymous to having the nature of God. To be made in the image of God is to be a "little god" they would admit.
Yet is that what the church has commonly taught. The overwhelming consensus of the church has been that man is created in the image of God in the sense that he is a person as God is a person, possessing mind, will, and emotions, that he is reasonable, unique among creation, a ruler over creation, and capable of personal fellowship with God. We bear the image of God, but we do not share His nature or substance or make-up. We are not omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, or infinite. God is the only being that is holy in and of Himself (Rev. 15:4). We are made in His image and have dignity because of that, but we are not an exact duplicate of God in any sense of the word. That status is reserved for the Lord Jesus Christ alone (see Col 2:8, Heb. 1:3, 2 Cor. 4:4).
S
The Error Grows
Beginning with this foul root of error, the faith teachers proceed into more putrefying departures from the Christian faith. The faith teachers claim that when Adam fell in the garden he forfeited the nature of God and took on the nature of Satan. This error is but a link in the chain that connects the faith teachers exalting of man and belittling of God. You see, salvation for the faith teachers is not the removal of sin through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation for the faith teachers is not the forgiveness of sins and the restoring of a right relationship between God and man. Salvation for the faith teachers is instead the removal of the nature of Satan from man and the restoring of the nature of God in man.
How is the restoring of the nature of God in man to come about? The answer that the faith teachers give is that Jesus had to take on the nature of Satan on the cross. In fact, the whole sacrifice of Christ on the cross takes on a completely different emphasis and meaning for the faith teachers.
You see, it is not enough that Christ died physically in the theology of the Word-Faith teachers. In order to take away our Satanic nature and restore our God nature, Jesus Christ had to die spiritually as well as physically. He then had to descend to hell. Then while in hell he was born again and through His act of being born again He conquered the devil.
You must follow the steps of this error very carefully for it is but the doorway into the single most blasphemous and heretical teaching of the Word-Faith teach
ers.
1) On the cross Jesus took upon Himself the nature of Satan. The Bible says that Jesus is God the Son, God manifest in the flesh. Jesus therefore possesses the attributes of deity such as omnipotence, omniscience, eternalness, immutability, etc. Though in His incarnation, He chose not to exercise all of His attributes, He still retained them. One of God's attributes which Jesus shares is His immutability. This means that God is unchangeable in His person. Although He acts in time, and establishes and changes relationships in time, His essence, which includes His perfect and holy attributes, never changes. God does not change (Mal. 3:6) and neither does Jesus. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8). But the faith-teachers begin their error by claiming that the Holy, undefiled, unchangeable Son of God became evil to the core taking upon Himself the nature of Satan. Blasphemy! Our holy God does not become unholy.
2) Jesus died spiritually. Again the unchanging God-man did not die spiritually, but physically. 1 Pet. 3:18 states that Jesus was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit. Jesus did not need to die spiritually as well as physically to gain our salvation. The offering of His body was enough. Colossians 1:13 states "He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death"; Hebrews 13:12, "therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood"; Hebrews 10:10, "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ". Was Jesus lying when He cried upon the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30)? Was there yet more to be done to secure our salvation? That comforting cry from the lips of our blessed Lord can be nothing but true and our salvation was completely bought and paid for at this most climactic moment of all of history!
3) Jesus descended into hell a mortal man. Seeing that there is no need for Christ to have done any more to procure our salvation then what had already been accomplished, this point becomes nothing more than an embellishment to the truth. Jesus Christ did not suffer in hell. He descended to Hades, to the abode of the dead. There was no need for Him to do anymore for our salvation. Satan had already been defeated and conquered (Col 2:14-15). Also, Jesus was not, nor ever will be, a mere mortal human being. To be a mere mortal, He would have to stop being God, and that is one thing that is against God's nature and attributes.
4) Jesus was born again. Jesus had no need to be born again. Jesus was not a lost and hell-bound sinner who needed regeneration. He was the Almighty, Eternal, and Holy Son of God. The faith teachers will drag Jesus to the lowest depths in order that their teaching will have at least a hint of logic. This idea that Jesus was born again is the crucial link for the faith teachers that enables them to cry out at the end of their wicked formula for salvation, "I am a little god". Observe.
5) Jesus defeated the devil by being born again. We now have Jesus, a mere mortal man, suffering in hell. Jesus then decides to be born again. He defeats the devil and becomes the first-born among many brethren. Now here is where the Scripture twisting really becomes ludicrous. Copeland states that nowhere in the Bible after the book of Acts is Jesus called the unique and only begotten Son of God. He then twists Romans 8:29 to mean that Jesus is the first born again man. This first reborn man, Jesus, has set the pattern for a new race to come. And according to the Faith Teachers, we are that new race to come.
We are equal to Jesus for we are born again just as He was. Do you see what has happened here? The faith teachers have so suppressed the deity of Jesus that they have, in essence, denied it. Copeland goes the farthest in this revelation He supposedly received from Jesus, "Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you're God. The more you get to be like Me, the more they're going to think that way of you. They crucified Me for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. That's what you're doing."(13)
The Jesus of the faith teachers has so little in common with the Jesus of the Bible that it is clear to anyone with a grain of discernment that the Jesus of the faith teachers is not the Jesus of the Bible but instead is the kind of religious decoy that Paul warned us to be on the lookout for. "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you put up with it easily enough" (2 Cor. 11:3-4). And we are putting up with it. We are taking this so calmly. Another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit is mocking the true Jesus, the true gospel, and the true Spirit and we are so tolerant of it that we allow it on our TV set and call it Christian!?
Beginning with this foul root of error, the faith teachers proceed into more putrefying departures from the Christian faith. The faith teachers claim that when Adam fell in the garden he forfeited the nature of God and took on the nature of Satan. This error is but a link in the chain that connects the faith teachers exalting of man and belittling of God. You see, salvation for the faith teachers is not the removal of sin through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation for the faith teachers is not the forgiveness of sins and the restoring of a right relationship between God and man. Salvation for the faith teachers is instead the removal of the nature of Satan from man and the restoring of the nature of God in man.
How is the restoring of the nature of God in man to come about? The answer that the faith teachers give is that Jesus had to take on the nature of Satan on the cross. In fact, the whole sacrifice of Christ on the cross takes on a completely different emphasis and meaning for the faith teachers.
You see, it is not enough that Christ died physically in the theology of the Word-Faith teachers. In order to take away our Satanic nature and restore our God nature, Jesus Christ had to die spiritually as well as physically. He then had to descend to hell. Then while in hell he was born again and through His act of being born again He conquered the devil.
You must follow the steps of this error very carefully for it is but the doorway into the single most blasphemous and heretical teaching of the Word-Faith teach
ers.
1) On the cross Jesus took upon Himself the nature of Satan. The Bible says that Jesus is God the Son, God manifest in the flesh. Jesus therefore possesses the attributes of deity such as omnipotence, omniscience, eternalness, immutability, etc. Though in His incarnation, He chose not to exercise all of His attributes, He still retained them. One of God's attributes which Jesus shares is His immutability. This means that God is unchangeable in His person. Although He acts in time, and establishes and changes relationships in time, His essence, which includes His perfect and holy attributes, never changes. God does not change (Mal. 3:6) and neither does Jesus. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb 13:8). But the faith-teachers begin their error by claiming that the Holy, undefiled, unchangeable Son of God became evil to the core taking upon Himself the nature of Satan. Blasphemy! Our holy God does not become unholy.
2) Jesus died spiritually. Again the unchanging God-man did not die spiritually, but physically. 1 Pet. 3:18 states that Jesus was put to death in the flesh but made alive in the Spirit. Jesus did not need to die spiritually as well as physically to gain our salvation. The offering of His body was enough. Colossians 1:13 states "He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death"; Hebrews 13:12, "therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood"; Hebrews 10:10, "We have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ". Was Jesus lying when He cried upon the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30)? Was there yet more to be done to secure our salvation? That comforting cry from the lips of our blessed Lord can be nothing but true and our salvation was completely bought and paid for at this most climactic moment of all of history!
3) Jesus descended into hell a mortal man. Seeing that there is no need for Christ to have done any more to procure our salvation then what had already been accomplished, this point becomes nothing more than an embellishment to the truth. Jesus Christ did not suffer in hell. He descended to Hades, to the abode of the dead. There was no need for Him to do anymore for our salvation. Satan had already been defeated and conquered (Col 2:14-15). Also, Jesus was not, nor ever will be, a mere mortal human being. To be a mere mortal, He would have to stop being God, and that is one thing that is against God's nature and attributes.
4) Jesus was born again. Jesus had no need to be born again. Jesus was not a lost and hell-bound sinner who needed regeneration. He was the Almighty, Eternal, and Holy Son of God. The faith teachers will drag Jesus to the lowest depths in order that their teaching will have at least a hint of logic. This idea that Jesus was born again is the crucial link for the faith teachers that enables them to cry out at the end of their wicked formula for salvation, "I am a little god". Observe.
5) Jesus defeated the devil by being born again. We now have Jesus, a mere mortal man, suffering in hell. Jesus then decides to be born again. He defeats the devil and becomes the first-born among many brethren. Now here is where the Scripture twisting really becomes ludicrous. Copeland states that nowhere in the Bible after the book of Acts is Jesus called the unique and only begotten Son of God. He then twists Romans 8:29 to mean that Jesus is the first born again man. This first reborn man, Jesus, has set the pattern for a new race to come. And according to the Faith Teachers, we are that new race to come.
We are equal to Jesus for we are born again just as He was. Do you see what has happened here? The faith teachers have so suppressed the deity of Jesus that they have, in essence, denied it. Copeland goes the farthest in this revelation He supposedly received from Jesus, "Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you're God. The more you get to be like Me, the more they're going to think that way of you. They crucified Me for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. That's what you're doing."(13)
The Jesus of the faith teachers has so little in common with the Jesus of the Bible that it is clear to anyone with a grain of discernment that the Jesus of the faith teachers is not the Jesus of the Bible but instead is the kind of religious decoy that Paul warned us to be on the lookout for. "But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you put up with it easily enough" (2 Cor. 11:3-4). And we are putting up with it. We are taking this so calmly. Another Jesus, another gospel, another spirit is mocking the true Jesus, the true gospel, and the true Spirit and we are so tolerant of it that we allow it on our TV set and call it Christian!?
S
The Fruit Of The Error
Why is it so important for the Faith-Teachers to ignore such explicit passages as "It is finished," etc? Why must they have Jesus dying spiritually as well as physically, entering hell as a mortal man capable of failure, and being born again to defeat the devil? The reason is that the faith teachers have a diminished view of Jesus. When Jesus is downplayed as nothing more than an anointed man, it brings the faith teachers up to the level of Jesus. In fact, both Kenneth Copeland and Fred Price have publicly stated that if it was just the physical death of Jesus on the cross that saves us then anyone could have done it.
Kenneth Copeland says, "And the whole New Testament calls Him the first-born....The word "born" began to ring in my spirit; it just began to roll around: born, born. I never had let Him go through that in my own thinking....And while I was laying there thinking about these things, the Spirit of God spoke to me. And He said, "Son, realize this: Now follow Me in this, don't let your tradition trip you up." He said, "Think this way: A twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain." And I threw my Bible down. I said, "What?
He said, "A born-again man defeated Satan. The first-born of many brethren defeated him." He said, "You are the very image and the very copy of that one." I said, "Goodness gracious, sakes alive!" And I began to see what had gone on in there, and I said, "You don't mean--you couldn't dare mean, that I could have done the same thing?" He said, "Oh, yeah, if you'd had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could have done the same thing, 'cause you're a reborn man, too.""(14) No mention is made of the sinlessness of Christ. No reverence is shown toward the unique virgin birth of Christ. See the depths to which the Word-Faith teachers have desecrated our Lord. Jesus Christ could pay for our sins because He was sinless, being uniquely born of a virgin, and thus not sharing in the sin nature of Adam and his descendants, a fact to which neither Copeland nor anyone can likewise boast of.
The sickening outcome of this wickedness is that the Gospel message is no more "Turn to the cross of Jesus, ye wretched sinners, and plead for God's forgiveness. Find rest for your sin and guilt beneath the blessed cross of the great and mighty Savior." Instead the faith Teacher's gospel message is, "You shall be like God"! The original lie of the devil is now the gospel message and is broadcast around the world for all to hear! He must be pleased! And the end result is the blasphemous cries of those who subscribe to this wickedness.
Kenneth Hagin: "You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was...the believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth".(15) Benny Hinn: "Are you ready for some real revelation knowledge....you are god"(16) "You are a little god on earth running around".(17) Kenneth Copeland: "I say this with all respect so that it don't upset you too bad, but I say it anyway, when I read in the Bible where he [Jesus] says, 'I Am,' I just smile and say, 'Yes, I Am, too!'"(18) "You don't have a god in you, you are one."(19) Paul Crouch: "Do you know what else that's settled then tonight? This hue and cry and controversy that has been spawned by the devil to try to bring dissension within the body of Christ that we are gods. I am a little god. I have His name. I am one with Him. I'm in covenant relation. I am a little god. Critics be gone!"(20)
Why is it so important for the Faith-Teachers to ignore such explicit passages as "It is finished," etc? Why must they have Jesus dying spiritually as well as physically, entering hell as a mortal man capable of failure, and being born again to defeat the devil? The reason is that the faith teachers have a diminished view of Jesus. When Jesus is downplayed as nothing more than an anointed man, it brings the faith teachers up to the level of Jesus. In fact, both Kenneth Copeland and Fred Price have publicly stated that if it was just the physical death of Jesus on the cross that saves us then anyone could have done it.
Kenneth Copeland says, "And the whole New Testament calls Him the first-born....The word "born" began to ring in my spirit; it just began to roll around: born, born. I never had let Him go through that in my own thinking....And while I was laying there thinking about these things, the Spirit of God spoke to me. And He said, "Son, realize this: Now follow Me in this, don't let your tradition trip you up." He said, "Think this way: A twice-born man whipped Satan in his own domain." And I threw my Bible down. I said, "What?
He said, "A born-again man defeated Satan. The first-born of many brethren defeated him." He said, "You are the very image and the very copy of that one." I said, "Goodness gracious, sakes alive!" And I began to see what had gone on in there, and I said, "You don't mean--you couldn't dare mean, that I could have done the same thing?" He said, "Oh, yeah, if you'd had the knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could have done the same thing, 'cause you're a reborn man, too.""(14) No mention is made of the sinlessness of Christ. No reverence is shown toward the unique virgin birth of Christ. See the depths to which the Word-Faith teachers have desecrated our Lord. Jesus Christ could pay for our sins because He was sinless, being uniquely born of a virgin, and thus not sharing in the sin nature of Adam and his descendants, a fact to which neither Copeland nor anyone can likewise boast of.
The sickening outcome of this wickedness is that the Gospel message is no more "Turn to the cross of Jesus, ye wretched sinners, and plead for God's forgiveness. Find rest for your sin and guilt beneath the blessed cross of the great and mighty Savior." Instead the faith Teacher's gospel message is, "You shall be like God"! The original lie of the devil is now the gospel message and is broadcast around the world for all to hear! He must be pleased! And the end result is the blasphemous cries of those who subscribe to this wickedness.
Kenneth Hagin: "You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was...the believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth".(15) Benny Hinn: "Are you ready for some real revelation knowledge....you are god"(16) "You are a little god on earth running around".(17) Kenneth Copeland: "I say this with all respect so that it don't upset you too bad, but I say it anyway, when I read in the Bible where he [Jesus] says, 'I Am,' I just smile and say, 'Yes, I Am, too!'"(18) "You don't have a god in you, you are one."(19) Paul Crouch: "Do you know what else that's settled then tonight? This hue and cry and controversy that has been spawned by the devil to try to bring dissension within the body of Christ that we are gods. I am a little god. I have His name. I am one with Him. I'm in covenant relation. I am a little god. Critics be gone!"(20)
S
here are the references for proof of what is stated in this refutation of WOF and the article does not end there so I giving the link to the page for those want to do their homework
LINK
[FONT="]1. Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028[/FONT]
[FONT="]2. Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory", Feb. 1987, p.9[/FONT]
[FONT="]3. Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/9/87[/FONT]
[FONT="]4. John Avanzini, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 1/20/91[/FONT]
[FONT="]5. John Avanzini, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 1/20/91[/FONT]
[FONT="]6. John Avanzini, "Praise the Lord" broadcast on TBN, recorded 9/15/88[/FONT]
[FONT="]7. Fred Price, "Is God Glorified Through Sickness?" tape # FP605[/FONT]
[FONT="]8. Kenneth Copeland, "Praise-a-thon", broadcast on TBN, recorded 1988[/FONT]
[FONT="]9. Kenneth Copeland, "Spirit, Soul, and Body", tape # 01-0601[/FONT]
[FONT="]10. Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001[/FONT]
[FONT="]11. Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001[/FONT]
[FONT="]12. Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001[/FONT]
[FONT="]13. Kenneth Copeland, "Voice of Victory" Vol. 15, No. 2, 2/87[/FONT]
[FONT="]14. Kenneth Copeland, "What Happened from the Cross to the Throne" tape # 02-0017[/FONT]
[FONT="]15. Kenneth Hagin, "Word Of Faith" Dec. 1980, p. 14[/FONT]
[FONT="]16. Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape # AO31190-1[/FONT]
[FONT="]17. Benny Hinn, "Praise-a-thon" broadcast on TBN, November, 1990[/FONT]
[FONT="]18. Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/9/87[/FONT]
[FONT="]19. Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028[/FONT]
[FONT="]20. Paul Crouch, "Praise The Lord" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/7/86[/FONT]
[FONT="]21. Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape # AO31190-1[/FONT]
[FONT="]22. Benny Hinn broadcast, recorded 10/13/90[/FONT]
[FONT="]23. Paul Crouch, "Praise-a-thon" broadcast on TBN, recorded 4/2/91[/FONT]
[FONT="]Written by Richard J. Vincent, 1109 Bitteroot Court, Indianapolis, Indiana 46234. I can also be contacted on Prodigy KDCB44A or by phone 317-271-0864.[/FONT]
LINK
[FONT="]1. Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028[/FONT]
[FONT="]2. Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory", Feb. 1987, p.9[/FONT]
[FONT="]3. Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/9/87[/FONT]
[FONT="]4. John Avanzini, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 1/20/91[/FONT]
[FONT="]5. John Avanzini, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 1/20/91[/FONT]
[FONT="]6. John Avanzini, "Praise the Lord" broadcast on TBN, recorded 9/15/88[/FONT]
[FONT="]7. Fred Price, "Is God Glorified Through Sickness?" tape # FP605[/FONT]
[FONT="]8. Kenneth Copeland, "Praise-a-thon", broadcast on TBN, recorded 1988[/FONT]
[FONT="]9. Kenneth Copeland, "Spirit, Soul, and Body", tape # 01-0601[/FONT]
[FONT="]10. Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001[/FONT]
[FONT="]11. Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001[/FONT]
[FONT="]12. Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham" tape # 01-3001[/FONT]
[FONT="]13. Kenneth Copeland, "Voice of Victory" Vol. 15, No. 2, 2/87[/FONT]
[FONT="]14. Kenneth Copeland, "What Happened from the Cross to the Throne" tape # 02-0017[/FONT]
[FONT="]15. Kenneth Hagin, "Word Of Faith" Dec. 1980, p. 14[/FONT]
[FONT="]16. Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape # AO31190-1[/FONT]
[FONT="]17. Benny Hinn, "Praise-a-thon" broadcast on TBN, November, 1990[/FONT]
[FONT="]18. Kenneth Copeland, "Believer's Voice of Victory" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/9/87[/FONT]
[FONT="]19. Kenneth Copeland, "The Force Of Love" tape # 02-0028[/FONT]
[FONT="]20. Paul Crouch, "Praise The Lord" broadcast on TBN, recorded 7/7/86[/FONT]
[FONT="]21. Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape # AO31190-1[/FONT]
[FONT="]22. Benny Hinn broadcast, recorded 10/13/90[/FONT]
[FONT="]23. Paul Crouch, "Praise-a-thon" broadcast on TBN, recorded 4/2/91[/FONT]
[FONT="]Written by Richard J. Vincent, 1109 Bitteroot Court, Indianapolis, Indiana 46234. I can also be contacted on Prodigy KDCB44A or by phone 317-271-0864.[/FONT]