This is the essence of bad hermeneutics.
So, today in church, I decided to call WoF - the religion with Narcissistic Personality Disorder. Which comes from all your out of context verses. I did answer a post of yours, but I was on my iPad, so I emailed it to myself to do more justice to the rebuttal. So, that is why we are cross posting.
Every single verse you posted in this is out of context. You twist the Bible verses to mean something the complete text doesn't say.
1. There is only one place in the whole Bible it says “Word of Faith”. That Romans 10:8 you quoted above. You should NEVER make a doctrine out of one verse! If “Word of Faith” was that important, it would be all over the place. For instance, the word “cross” is all over the NT. Look that up in Biblegateway.com and there are 85 hits in the ESV, which follows the basic pattern and wording of the KJV, which I don’t understand. You can make a sure doctrine of importance of the cross in Christianity!
2. You have pulled Romans 10:8 out of context. What is Paul talking about? Salvation, plain and simple. That is what the gospel is all about. Even speaking in tongues, on the day of Pentecost was about people from every nation hearing the gospel, so they would be saved. Here is the context, which you lost in all your bolding, sizing and colouring! And God is the one who saves us, we do not save ourselves with words, thoughts or deeds!
”But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-12
The entire passage, including the preceding verse is talking about SALVATION. Just like all the other verses Word of Faith pulls out of context, from the OT and the NT. And it is not talking about "our words" but the work of Jesus on the cross! And belief is what matters, we are not saved by our words, but by God!
3. Luke 6 - it is talking about fruit, not about words controlling things! If you would just read the surrounding verses, you would realize Jesus is talking about fruit. And the reason we bear fruit, is not the superficial words we say, but the HEART. That is what is important. Heart comes first. No amount of mouthing words does anything if the heart is not first changed and then transformed by God.
”For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit,44 for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Luke 6:43-45
Fruit has two aspects;
1. Character: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Gal. 5:22-23. Paul is contrasting the works of the flesh, in Gal. 19-21 with the fruit of the Spirit! The fruit of the Spirit is the good fruit.
2. Commission: Jesus also talks about “bearing fruit” as being part of the gospel, which is the witness of the gospel to the lost.
”And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy;” Col. 1:9-11
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:1-11
Why did Jesus call his disciples in the first place? Was it so they could sit around talking about faith to themselves? And what was the last message he gave them, before he ascended into heaven, which is written in several places? It was to make disciples. The Great Commission, bearing fruit, is all about making disciples. And not disciples of some narcissistic religion of the self but making disciples who love and follow Christ. Not their own words, spoken boldly with lots of colouring and bolding.
"And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20
So, what is the real gospel?
”Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.” 1 Cor. 15:1-11
And further down, just to be clear, Jesus is the first FRUIT! And we should be imitating him in being fruit. Not once in 1 Cor. 15 does Paul say anything about being saved by words. In fact, we don't save ourselves at all! It is God who saves us, first, then we go and tell people what Christ has done for us.
“But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him.28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.” 1 Cor. 15:20-28
Not once in this entire clear statement of faith, does he mention word, words of faith or speaking utterances! Instead, it is all about Jesus! Who lived, died on the cross for our sins, and then raised from the dead, the firstfruits of the Kingdom of God!
3. You have totally missed the Christian “faith” is about Jesus. Not about “MY” anything. Not my words, my utterances. What a counterfeit gospel. Look to Jesus, and perhaps he will save you from this deceptive and destructive lie from the devil, which is certainly “another gospel.” See what Paul said in 1 Cor. 15 about WHAT the gospel is, as I have excerpted above. Read the context, which is both 1 & 2 Corinthians, and the rest of the Bible!
”For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough.” 2 Cor. 11:14
