Word of Faith (Faith Movement 信 心 運
動 / Positive Confession / Word-Faith / Health and Wealth Gospel)
Word of Faith 的 傳 道 人 (認 著 他 們︰Kenneth Copeland甘利夫˙葛普蘭, Charles Capps查理斯˙笈時,
Kenneth Hagin甘利夫˙希堅, Marilyn Hickey, Fred Price, Robert
Tilton) 多 是 第 三 波 靈 恩 派 的 極 端 份 子(不 是 所 有 靈 恩 派
都 有 問 題 ， 只 是 有 一 些 害 群 之 馬)， 他 們
差 不 多 全 是 Freemasonry (Illuminati)!!! "Almost the entire "Word - Faith,"
"name it and claim it," apostate "gospel of prosperity", is the product of luciferian freemasons. Jesus is the only God
who is not welcome in the Lodge. Jesus told us that in the last days many would come in
His name saying, "Jesus is Lord," and shall deceive many." GJiGT 他 們 全 是 魔 鬼 的
產 品 ， 在 末 世 出 來 迷 惑 人 。
The ‘Faith’ Movement may be Prospering but is it HEALTHY ?
by Stuart St.John.
What would you say, I wonder, if you were told that there is a teaching sweeping
through evangelical churches in our day that not only has made changes to, but has also
taken out the very core of the Gospel and replaced it with a fake?
Such is the message being propagated by Kenneth Hagin,
Kenneth Copeland, Marilyn Hickey, Charles Capps, Fred
Price, Robert Tilton, Doyle "Buddy" Harrison and Ray McCauley. (These
people have international followings numbering thousands, several having their own TV
broadcasts.) Many believers who see these ministries at a distance know that something is
not right about them, but most see them as the Gospel plus healing and
prosperity on demand.
Research carried out in 1994 among a number of Christians from many different
backgrounds has confirmed this. Almost 100% held this idea that the ‘Faith’ message
was only the Gospel plus. None had any idea of the extent of its error. In fact, a certain
well-informed Baptist pastor expressed real surprise when he read what Kenneth Copeland
teaches about the Creation, Fall, and Redemption of man. “I never knew it was this
bad,” he said. “...This is sheer heresy.”
You might think it a fair question to ask whether these ‘Faith’ teachers themselves
are aware that they are teaching anything other than the historic, Biblical Gospel. After
all, you could say, all of us make mistakes at times - maybe they’re just a little
confused about what happened on the Cross. But the following comment from Copeland’s
tape “What happened from the Cross to the Throne” indicates clearly his thinking that
traditional Christianity has covered up his beliefs in ‘traditional church
teaching’: “Tonight I want to show you some things from the Word of God . . . It’s
very little talked about, almost non-existent in traditional church teaching . . . because
it’s been covered up and hidden in tradition... The thing that’s necessary for the
life of a Christian is knowledge of what happened from the cross to the throne, what took
place in the three days and three nights.”
So, then, we see that far from being a misunderstanding of what happened at the Cross,
Copeland has uncovered a previously ‘hidden’ teaching (what the ‘Faith’ movement
terms ‘Revelation knowledge’) which you will see presents us with another ‘Jesus’
and ‘another gospel’. The quotes which follow are all from Kenneth Copeland:
“This man [Jesus] is a carbon copy of the one that walked through the garden of Eden.”
(“What Happened from the Cross to the Throne”, tape.)
“Every prophet that walked the face of the earth under the Abrahamic covenant could
have paid the price if it were a physical death only” (“What Happened...”)
“When he said ‘It is finished’ on that cross, he was not speaking of the plan of
redemption. The plan of redemption had just begun, there were still three days and
three nights to be gone through.” (“What Happened...”)
“When His blood poured out it did not atone.” (Kenneth Copeland: From a
personal letter to D.R.McConnell, dated 12/3/79. Cited in A
Different Gospel, p.120)
“Jesus went into hell itself and suffered the penalty for sin” (Believer’s Voice
of Victory magazine, May 1994, page 5.)
“[Jesus] accepted the sin nature of Satan in His own Spirit, and at the moment that He
did so, He cried ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’.” (“What
Happened...”)
“He [Jesus] was down in that pit and there he suffered the punishment
for three horrible days and nights for Adam’s treason... There is a new birth takes
place in the very depths of the earth, when the command of God says ‘That’s enough,
loose him and let him go’.” (“What Happened...”)
A good summary quote of this teaching from a fellow ‘Faith’ teacher is this: “Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross?
If that were the case the two thieves could have paid your price. No the punishment was to
go into hell itself and serve time in hell separated from God... Satan and all the demons
of hell thought they had Him bound and they threw a net over Jesus, and they dragged Him
down to the very pit of hell itself to serve our sentence.” (Fred K.C. Price, Ever
Increasing Faith Messenger, June 1980, p.7)
It has become obvious that Copeland’s belief about “what took place in the three
days and three nights” has nothing to do with orthodox Bible teaching, and has not been
“covered up and hidden in tradition”! Yet Copeland ends his tape “What Happened
from the Cross to the Throne” with the following remark: “‘Go into all the world
and preach the gospel’ - what is the gospel? Just exactly what I have been telling you
for the last hour.”
So Copeland believes that it is not what happened ON the Cross (when the real Jesus
poured out His precious blood to pay for our sins), but what happened AFTERWARDS that
really matters - when his imaginary ‘Jesus’ (who had died spiritually and become “one
with Satan” on the cross) was being tortured by Satan (his “step-father”) in hell.
Commenting on this teaching the late Dr Walter Martin, a world expert on cults, said
the following: “It is the height of theological folly to reduce God the Son, the
second person of the holy Trinity, to a lost sinner with the nature of Satan and then send
Him to hell with the requirement of regeneration before He can complete the work of
redemption.” (p.104, Agony of Deceit, Moody Press:
Chicago, 1990)
Before looking into more of the specific teachings of the ‘Faith’ movement (also
called the prosperity movement and the ‘Word-Faith’ movement) it will be helpful to
see where it comes from. Many Christians have been taken unawares by it because they think
it comes from the Pentecostal/charismatic movement. Such is not the case at all. In the
latter half of this century, the acknowledged father-figure of the movement has been
Kenneth Hagin. It is from him that Copeland and others have directly borrowed their
message. However, the real father of the ‘Faith’ message is E.W.Kenyon, who was
teaching the same things before Kenneth Hagin was even born (Kenyon died in 1948). To the
casual observer, the ‘Faith’ movement has certain similarities in experience, etc., to
the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. However, the core of the message, and its
origins, are widely divergent. Kenyon, its founder, inadvertently ‘borrowed’ from the
ideas taught by Christian Science, New Thought and Unity School of Christianity. In the
book A Different Gospel, D.R. McConnell documents clearly the progress of Kenyon’s
ideas while studying at Emerson’s New Thought college in Boston. Though Hagin has tried
to deny his obvious plagiarism of Kenyon’s “The Wonderful Name of Jesus”,
saying that he only saw the book in 1978, as McConnell points out, “The problem is that
two years prior to 1978, the first date that Hagin admits to having read Kenyon’s The
Wonderful Name of Jesus, he had already copied extensively from this book for an
article published in his magazine in 1976. That article never mentions the name of
E.W.Kenyon.”...“He has plagiarised Kenyon both repeatedly and extensively. Actually,
it would not be overstated to say that the very doctrines that have made Kenneth Hagin and
the Faith movement such a distinctive and powerful force within the independent
charismatic movement are all plagiarised from E.W.Kenyon.” (p.7, A Different Gospel).
He also points out the very obvious similarities between statements of Kenyon and those
of New Thought writer R.W.Trine. Trine wrote concerning the ‘law’ of prosperity: “To
hold yourself in this [positive] attitude of mind is to set in operation subtle, silent
irresistible forces that sooner or later actualize in material form that which is today
merely an idea. But ideas have occult power and ideas rightly planted and rightly
tended are the seeds that actualize material conditions” (R.W.Trine, In Tune with the
Infinite, p.138 [emphasis mine]). Those familiar with any of the modern writings on prosperity
and positive confession will see, in the light of this quotation, that they have
more in common with the writings of Trine (via Kenyon and Hagin) than with the Scriptures.
To give a wider picture of the teachings of the ‘Faith’ movement there now follows
a list of some of the key teachings: [Under each heading the position of the ‘Faith’
teachers is outlined, with any relevant quotes, and then follows the Biblical view on each
topic.]
Adam:
They teach that he had the nature of God and great inner creative power as God
had. E.W. Kenyon taught that man “must partake either of God’s nature or of Satan’s
nature”, and therefore he has no distinct nature of his own. Charles Capps
puts it like this: “God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness.
The word likeness in the original Hebrew means “an exact duplication in kind.”...
Adam was an exact duplication of God’s kind!” (Authority in Three Worlds,
p.15-16. [Emphasis in original]. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1982.)
What Capps is putting to us here is made crystal clear for us by his
fellow Faith-teacher Kenneth Copeland when he states quite emphatically that “God’s reason for creating Adam was His
desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden
He did that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not
subordinate to God even.... Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as
Jesus - When He came into the earth He said ‘If you've seen Me you've seen the
Father’. He wasn't a lot like God - He’s God manifested in the flesh. And I want
you to know something: Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh!”
(“Following the Faith of Abraham”, part I, side 1). [Cassette obtained
from Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Bath, UK, Summer 1994]
What the Bible says:
In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 the Hebrew word Elohim is used only of God, not of man (who
was only a creature). Adam was created with a sinless human nature. He had a nature
that was made ‘in the image of God’ but was distinct from it. (Genesis 1:26 and 2:7)
Adam’s Dominion:
They teach that he was a little god who owned the planet earth and all God’s
creation. According to Kenneth Hagin, man “was created on terms of equality with God,
and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority... Man
lived in the realm of God. He lived on equal terms with God.” (Zoe: The God-Kind of
Life, p. 35-36, Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc. 1989.) According to some of
the ‘Faith’ teachers he was given total ownership for a 6000 year period. His spoken
words would cause food to grow and feed him. Meanwhile, God was “outside looking in”
(as Copeland tells us on his tape, “What Happened...”) and “powerless to do
anything” - He had given the Earth to man freehold.
What the Bible says:
Adam’s dominion was only a stewardship to look after what God had made, to tend the
garden of Eden and look after the animals (Gen. 1:28; Gen.2:15). The Earth and everything
in it still belonged to God - Adam was God’s tenant. (See, for example, Lev. 25:23,
Deut.4:39, Jer. 27:5, Psa. 24:1- “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it”).
Andrew Brandon, in his book Health and Wealth (which gives an excellent overview of
the movement), gives the following illustration: “Man was given dominion over the
earth, but this must not be confused with legal authority. Man was God’s viceroy,
representing him in Creation. The situation was not unlike the position of Mountbatten in
India before independence. As viceroy of all India, he represented the power and interests
of the British government. Because of the authority delegated to him, he was allowed to
use his own initiative in some matters. Nevertheless, he was answerable to the British
government and could be deposed at will if he was found to be unsatisfactory.” (Health and Wealth, p.104, Kingsway Publications, 1987)
The Fall:
They teach that Adam lost God’s nature and suffered ‘spiritual death’ taking the
nature of Satan, and so he became “a step- son of Satan”. He became powerless; he lost
his creative power. Again, I quote from Charles Capps’ book Authority
in Three Worlds: “Adam had revelation knowledge that flowed from God, the Father.
But when Adam bowed his knee to Satan, he shut God out. God found Himself on the outside
looking in. His man, Adam, had lost his authority. Satan... had... become the god of the
world system.... Satan had gained ascendency in the earth by gaining Adam’s authority,
and God was left on the outside. God couldn’t come here in His divine power and
wipe them out. He had to move in an area where it would be ruled legal by the Supreme
Court of the Universe.” (pages 50-51) Now observe how clearly Frederick K.C. Price
states the belief of the ‘Faith’ teachers: “Adam, as I said, gave it [the earth]
away to the serpent, to the Devil. As a result of it he got his behind kicked out of the
garden. He went out of Eden, out of the garden. He began to wander around, and he has
troubles from day one. Now God was out of the business. God was out of the earth realm.
God had no more stock in this earth realm. No more. None at all. Nothing He could do. Not
a thing in the world He could do.... The only way God could get back into this earth
realm, He had to have an invitation. Ha-hah! He had to have an invitation.” (“Ever
Increasing Faith” program on TBN [1 May 1992], audiotape #PR11.)
The Earth, then, had become the legal property of Satan: “When Adam gave that
creature the authority that God had given him, he made Satan the god of this world.”
(Copeland: “What Happened...”) This meant that God was not only “outside
looking in” but was also utterly powerless to do anything on Earth. Without man’s
cooperation God was LOST!
What the Bible says:
At the Fall, Adam’s distinctive human nature became sinful. He was separated from God
by his rebellion (Rom.5:19). Again, Brandon’s illustration is helpful: “Man, like Lord
Mountbatten [see above], was God’s representative on earth. He was permitted a certain
degree of freedom, such as naming the animals, but was ultimately responsible to God for
his stewardship of the planet. The fall, rather than being the exile of God from earth,
was the exile of man from God. It is significant that after the fall, God excluded Adam
and Eve from Eden and left angelic guardians barring their return (Gen 3:24).” (Ibid.
p.104)
God’s plan of redemption:
The ‘Faith’ teachers say that since Adam’s sin deserved suffering in hell,
someone had to go there and suffer in Adam’s place. Kenneth Hagin states it like
this: “He [Jesus] tasted spiritual death for every man. And His spirit and inner man
went to hell in my place. Can’t you see that? Physical death wouldn’t remove your
sins.” (“How Jesus Obtained His Name”, side 1, tape #44H01. Tulsa, OK:
Kenneth Hagin Ministries.) The quotation earlier by Fred Price also
promotes this view. (Can he really compare the death of Jesus Christ with that of a guilty
thief? You must judge for yourself.)
What the Bible says:
God brought to fulfilment His blood sacrifice system; hence the statement of John the
Baptist, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
One perfect [i.e. not just a prophet or any other sinner] blood sacrifice
was to be made which would pay for our sins (Isaiah 53:5,10 and 11; Hebrews 10:10).
Jesus:
Copeland (and the rest) inform us that He was a ‘carbon copy’ of Adam (e.g.
Copeland: “What Happened...”). It is clear from many statements on the subject
that they deny the pre-existent Jesus, since Copeland teaches that Jesus is only the
product of God’s positive confession: “The angels spoke the words of the covenant to
her [Mary]. She pondered them in her heart, and those words became the seed.
And the Spirit of God hovered over her and generated that seed, which was the word that
the angel spoke to her. And there was conceived in her, the Bible says, a holy thing. The
Word literally became flesh.” (“The Abrahamic Covenant”, side 2,
audiocassette #01-4405, Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1985.)
Elsewhere (as we saw) Adam and Jesus were both “God manifested in the flesh”. In
the ‘Faith’ message the fact must be seen that neither is ‘God’ in a Christian
understanding. Rather, both are said to have the ‘nature of God’. Copeland says that
Jesus “has got to be all man. He cannot be a God and come storming in here with
attributes and dignities that are not common to man. He can’t do that. It’s not legal.”
(“The Incarnation”, side 1, audiocassette #01-0402, emphasis in original, Fort
Worth, TX: KCM, 1985.)
What the Bible says:
Jesus is the only one (Greek: monogenes - meaning 'One of a kind' or 'Unique')
who is God Himself come in flesh. He is fully human and fully divine. (John
1:1, 14; Colossians 2:9) Although called the eternal Word of God, he is not one of
God’s spoken words.
Born Again ~ An Incarnation?:
E.W.Kenyon said, “The Lord Jesus was not, however, a ‘one-of-a-kind.’ ‘Incarnation’
can be repeated in each and every one of us. Every man who has been ‘born again’ is an
Incarnation.” (E.W.Kenyon: The Father and His Family, p.100)
Hagin says, “You are as much the
incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was. Every man who has been born again is an
incarnation and Christianity is a miracle. The believer is as much an incarnation as was
Jesus of Nazareth.” (Kenneth Hagin: Word of Faith, December, 1980, p.14)
“You don’t have a god in you. You are one!” (Kenneth Copeland: “The
Force of Love”, tape.)
“Dogs beget dogs, and cats beget cats, and God begets gods. You are all little gods”
(Kenneth Copeland, speaking on Trinity Broadcasting Network's Praise the Lord show)
“Jesus is no longer the only begotten Son of God... Jesus is known as the first
begotten from the dead. If there is a firstborn, then there has to be a secondborn, a
thirdborn, a fourthborn, etc.” (Copeland: “Now Are We in Christ Jesus”, p.24,
Kenneth Copeland Publications, Texas.)
“I say this and repeat it so it doesn’t upset you too bad... when I read in the
Bible where He [Jesus] says, ‘I AM,’ I say, ‘Yes, I AM too!’” (Kenneth Copeland:
Spoken during a crusade meeting, 19/7/1987)
What the Bible says:
Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God (John 1:18, John 3:16) The statements by Kenyon,
Hagin and Copeland are sheer blasphemy, and surely so obviously so that no Bible
references are really needed. Check out just about any book of the Bible! (Try, for a
start, Deut. 6:4 and Isaiah 43:10. Genesis 3:5 shows that the idea of being ‘like God’
was the lure of the serpent in the Garden of Eden.)
Jesus on the Cross:
The ‘Faith’ teachers insist that Jesus became a sinful, ordinary mortal man with
Satan’s nature - a “stepson of Satan”. Ray McCauley has taught that “while on the
cross, He (Jesus) was going to have to take Satan as His stepfather.” [McCauley, who was
trained under Kenneth Hagin (at RHEMA Bible Training Center), allegedly repented of this
teaching (according to a letter dated 17/11/90), but since then has continued selling and
distributing materials teaching exactly this message.]
The cross apparently accomplished nothing, being a place of ‘failure and defeat’.
Jesus did not bear our sins in his body on the cross.
What the Bible says:
The ‘Lamb of God’ remained sinless while bearing our sins. He did not become
a sinner, but was treated as one. His physical death was the blood sacrifice which paid
for our sins. (Heb. 9:12,14,28; Heb. 7:27)
The Atonement for Sin:
Not by the blood sacrifice on the cross, they say. E.g. “if His death paid it then
every man could die for himself ” (Fred K.C. Price). “The plan of redemption had just
begun. There were still 3 days and 3 nights to be gone through.” (Copeland) He was
dragged by demons into hell and tormented for 3 days and 3 nights as the payment for sin.
Adam’s suffering in hell was then substituted for. Then ‘Jesus’ had to be BORN AGAIN
to lose his Satanic nature and regain a righteous God nature. Thus we find also that, “Sin
was not reckoned to Him. Sin was not set to His account. He became sin.” (E.W.Kenyon, Identification,
p.12)
“Do you think that the punishment for our sin was to die on a cross? If that were the
case, the two thieves could have paid your price” (Fred Price)
“Physical death would not remove our sins. He tasted death for every man - spiritual
death. Jesus is the first person ever to be born again. Why did His spirit need to be born
again? Because it was estranged from God. Do you remember how He cried out on the cross,
‘My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?’”... “Sin separates from God. Spiritual
death means separation from God... Spiritual death means something more than
separation from God. Spiritual death also means having Satan’s nature.”
(Kenneth Hagin: “The Name of Jesus”, pp. 29-31).
“Jesus went into hell to free mankind from the penalty of Adam’s high treason . . .
When His blood poured out it did not atone. . . . Jesus spent three horrible days
and nights in the bowels of this earth getting back for you and me our rights with God”.
[Kenneth Copeland: From a personal letter to D.R.McConnell, dated 12/3/79. Cited in A
Different Gospel, p.120]
What the Bible says:
Sin was paid for on the cross BY THIS SACRIFICE (Heb. 10:10; Matt. 27:51). The
veil of the Temple was torn by the Father. This shows that the blood sacrifice was
accepted and thus man’s sins were paid for. We can now enter the Holy of Holies by the
Blood of the Lamb. Check out the following Bible verses: Ephesians 1:7, 2:13 and 2:15;
Colossians 1:20-22; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:24, 4:1.
Centrality of the Cross:
E.W.Kenyon wrote, “We have sung ‘Nearer the cross’ and we have prayed that we
might be ‘Nearer the cross’ but the cross has no salvation in it. It is a place
of failure and defeat” (Advanced Bible Course, p.279) [emphasis mine]. As usual,
the others merely echo Kenyon’s ideas about this.
What the Bible says:
“May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).
“I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The
message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are
being saved it is the Power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18) See also Ephesians 2:16;
Colossians 1:20 and 2:15.
*** Poison! ***
Given that the ‘Faith’ message has totally different views of the nature of man, of
God, of Jesus Christ, of the incarnation, and of the atonement, it must be questioned
whether any Bible-believing Christian should have anything to do with the movement. Should
Christians attend conferences where even one speaker is a known adherent to such
teachings? In the summer of 1994 Ray McCauley spoke at several meetings alongside top
names from the British Pentecostal/charismatic movement. Should this kind of thing happen?
Do you think that our leaders should share speaking platforms with Mormons and Jehovah’s
Witnesses as well?
Not only has McCauley polluted Africa for 15 years (as Kenneth Hagin Ministries) and
done nothing about it, but he continues to sell materials in South Africa and the U.K. (as
Ray McCauley Ministries) which teach the false atonement of the ‘JDS heresy’ (as
summed up in Fred Price's statement) and the ‘little gods’ doctrine.
Many object to such a clear-cut view of the ‘Faith’ movement, saying that since the
Bible is so often quoted in the writings of these teachers they must be Biblical. But
again we must ask ourselves a question: How much error is really required before
someone’s theology can be labelled ‘dangerous’ and must be disposed of?
The late Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, speaking on a similar issue gave this helpful
illustration: “[Imagine] a man with a bottle in his hand. There is a coloured liquid
in the bottle and there are many ingredients in that bottle. There’s water in it and
there’s colouring matter, and they’re all excellent ingredients. But there happens to
be an amount of prussic acid, and though it’s a very small amount it can kill anybody
who drinks out of that bottle! What’s the point of praising the good ingredients when
there is rank, lethal poison in the bottle?” The ‘Faith’ message contains no
small amount of poison! To simply acknowledge their ‘use’ of the Bible and ignore
their heretical ideas in the name of ‘Christian unity’ is surely spiritual suicide.
CULT SAFEGUARDS
It is abundantly clear from what they say and write that the ideas and teachings
promoted by Hagin, Copeland, and the rest, are heretical, and so it would be expected that
anyone realising this would turn away from the teaching and its propagators. However, this
has not often been the case. Although it is not an organised cult in the sense of having
one particular leader and an organizational headquarters, the ‘Faith’ movement has
managed to condition those inside and out with its ‘safeguards’ against Bible-based
evaluation. Perhaps if you, the reader, have come under such teaching you may have been
clearly warned not to criticise or question “God’s anointed men”. (Also, they are
prone to yell “critical spirit” or, “you’re only arguing about words!” Yet such
is clearly not the case.) Another aspect of the control by the movement’s leaders
is seen in one of Kenneth Hagin’s ‘revelations’, in which ‘Jesus’ told him that
those pastors who didn’t accept Hagin’s prophetic word would die in their pulpits
(see, for example, I Believe in Visions, pp. 114-115). Also a certain leader of one
of the Rhema Bible Churches stood up before the congregation with a copy of D.R. McConnell’s
book (mentioned already) and told people that if they read it they would lose their
salvation. Of course, these are not ‘God's anointed’ and need not be feared.
People are also very concerned that if they begin to analyse the movement’s teachings
for themselves (i.e. think critically) then God might be angered and they will lose their
healing and financial security, etc. It may sound rather odd to those on the outside, but
to those involved it is a very serious matter indeed.
APPARENT REPENTANCES
Another aspect of this struggle is found in the October ’93 issue of Alpha
magazine (UK). In its feature on Benny Hinn, it quotes him at one point (October ’91)
saying “I really no longer believe the faith message. I don’t think it adds up.” He
comments that for 10 years he filled his life with ‘Faith’ books, but then he
adds: “I respect these teachers as men of God.” On 8 June 1992, Hinn told his Trinity
Broadcasting Network TV audience that those who spoke out against ‘Word-Faith’
teacher Kenneth Copeland were “attacking the very presence of God.” Had Benny
Hinn really understood that the message he read about and preached for so long has no
power to save?
Another more serious example is that of Ray McCauley of Rhema South Africa: In October
1994, a contact in Johannesburg went and bought a copy of What Happened from the Cross
to the Throne by E.W. Kenyon, as well as Copeland’s tape Following the Faith of
Abraham I, from the Rhema Bookshop. Copeland's What Happened from the Cross to the
Throne was also available there, as well as a plethora of ‘Faith’ publications.
This shows very clearly that 3 years and 11 months after Ray McCauley claimed to have
repented of such teaching, he is still wilfully propagating it! Yet when people have asked
“Do you teach that Jesus died spiritually?” he replies “No”. The difference
between ‘teaching’ and ‘propagating’ is merely used as a means to deceive.
CHANGE?
Some Christians are convinced the ‘Faith’ teachers are in fact changing. The
scrutinizing of their teachings after such proclaimed revisions is documented by Dan
McConnell, the author of A Different Gospel. He comments that “The Faith teachers
may have toned down their rhetoric and altered some of their jargon”, but goes on to say
that “the Faith controversy has never been resolved at the doctrinal level, nor will it
until the Faith teachers recant [their] doctrines and practices. Cultic and heretical
doctrine cannot be ‘moderated’, as if all that is necessary are a few cosmetic
alterations and word changes... Moderated heresy is still heresy” (p.188).
Walter Martin has determined that “those who propagate these erroneous views (the
little gods, the born-again Jesus, and so on) have sadly crossed over into the kingdom of
the cults.” (p.104, Agony...) As Hank Hanegraaff concluded in the book Christianity in Crisis, “at stake is no less than salvation
itself.” Evidently, Benny Hinn, Ray McCauley, and all those who have been involved
with the ‘Faith’ movement, need some clear understanding of the choices involved, and
their consequences.
Yet those who have sought to help them see the errors were despised. The authors of
Agony of Deceit attempted to contact those under scrutiny: “We have sought out those in
question,” they report. “We have asked them, ‘Did we get this right? Do you really
believe this?’ We have asked them to reconsider their positions in the light of
Scripture and have repeatedly attempted to settle confusion behind closed doors. All
attempts have failed...” (p.13 Agony of Deceit)
Many of the movement's leaders thus simply will not listen to the voice of reason -
they have their visions, their ‘revelations’ from God, and anyone who disagrees with
them is automatically dismissed. This is due to their Gnostic claims to have ‘revelation
knowledge’. Those who disagree with them are said to have only ‘sense knowledge’
(i.e. the Bible’s literal, straightforward interpretation.)
CHRISTIANS?
For a Mormon to become a Christian, he would have to repent of his false beliefs about
Jesus and the gospel and then put his trust in the real Jesus. This should be the
case for those who realise the errors of the ‘Faith’ movement, too. Have you ever met
a converted Jehovah’s Witness who still thinks that Charles Taze Russell (their founder)
was a sound Bible teacher? What about a converted Mormon who thinks that Joseph Smith
(founder of the Mormons) ought to be held up along with Daniel, Isaiah and Jeremiah as a
true prophet of God?! Of course not!
It is a shame that this booklet had to be written. It would be nice if those teaching
‘Faith’ and ‘prosperity’ doctrines would meet with evangelical leaders and
scholars and settle matters quietly. Even if they came to no agreement, at least, perhaps,
the ‘Faith’ teachers could agree to stop calling themselves Christians and
masquerading as Bible-teachers among the unsuspecting Christian public.
Sadly, this has not yet happened. Instead, the ‘Faith’ teachers mock sound
theology, calling it ‘traditional church’, and so on. Paul Crouch, the head of Trinity
Broadcasting Network (the world’s largest Christian TV network) has hardened himself
against all attempts at correction: “To hell with you! Get out of my life!” was
his response on one occasion. He referred to sound theology as ‘doctrinal doodoo’ and
in the same broadcast said “I refuse to argue any longer with any of you out there! Don’t
even call me if you want to argue doctrine, if you want to straighten somebody out...
criticize Ken Copeland... or Dad Hagin. Get out of my life! I don’t even want to talk
to you... I don’t want to see your ugly face!” He evidently sees his that his ‘godship’
puts him beyond accountability, resorting on a different occasion to the following
outburst on his Praise the Lord show (July 7, 1986): “I AM A LITTLE GOD... I
am a little god. Critics be gone!” (This is the attitude of the man whose TV network
propagates many of the teachers quoted in this article.)
What should we do?
After examination of the details given above we must come to some conclusions. So, what
should we do? The Bible exhorts us to “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it
has been taught”, so that we can “encourage others by sound doctrine and refute
those who oppose it” (Titus1:9). Elsewhere, the Apostle Paul tells us that “If
anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally
condemned!” (Galatians 1:9)
Evidently Paul took these matters very seriously. So should we. If you, the reader,
have been involved in the ‘Faith’ movement, especially if you have accepted the false
gospel documented above, then please read the following Bible passage: Acts 19:18-19. This
shows the right response to God and His truth.
APPENDIX ~ Useful books on this subject:
Health and Wealth - Andrew Brandon, Kingsway
Publications, 1987
This book was widely available in Christian bookshops until 2 or 3 years ago. Stocks of it
burned at a warehouse in Cumbria and Kingsway have sadly never reprinted it. After trying
unsuccessfully to order it from most of the main UK wholesalers, I eventually found my
copy among some second-hand books which came into the City Mission bookshop in Birmingham!
For those who would see more of Andrew Brandon's book on our bookshelves, Scripture Union
UK has acquired the copyright and need your encouragement to reprint it. Brandon writes
very well, and doesn’t play games when it comes to dealing with the issues at stake, for
he exposes the 'Jesus' of the prosperity gospel to be other than the real One. Chapter 7,
'Another Jesus', under the subtitle A Jesus who is less than God, begins a
section which strikes at the heart of the deceptive 'gospel', which indeed does not lead
to the real Jesus. This book deals clearly with both the spiritual and moral flaws of the
teachings emanating from the 'Faith' Movement.
A Different Gospel - D.R. McConnell, Hendrickson
Publishers, Peabody, MA., 1988
Originally written as a Master's thesis this book addresses the 'Faith' Movement's origins
and its denial of the blood atonement in a clear, concise manner. McConnell takes us from
Kenneth Hagin's plagiarizing of the writings of E.W.Kenyon to the origin of Kenyon's
beliefs - the occultic thinking of Christian Science and New Thought metaphysics. Here, he
says, Kenyon developed his belief in the power of the mind and the confession of the mouth
as the source of life's blessings and difficulties. In other words, man, by his mental
attitude and the words he speaks, becomes the creator of his circumstances. Just why
Kenyon decided that the blood atonement was 'sense knowledge' and that Jesus actually had
suffered 'spiritual death' on the cross and then suffered in hell to pay for sins is not
known. But that he is the originator of this modern day pollution, via Hagin et al, is
absolutely certain. Available from Evangelical Press.
The Agony of Deceit - Various authors, Editor:
Michael Scott Horton, Moody Press, 1990
This book exposes an all-important part of the 'Faith' teaching which wasn't covered by
McConnell: the denial of the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ. (For example, "Jesus
said 'I didn't claim to be God when I walked the earth'" - Kenneth Copeland.) It also
deals with the 'Faith' belief that the born-again believer is a little god. Although a
good portion of the book deals with the question of the validity of TV Christian ministry,
this is certainly a good question for us given that an organisation called Vision
Broadasting is sending us Copeland and other ‘Faith’ teachers via satellite. Available
from Scripture Press.
Christianity in Crisis - Hank Hanegraaff, Harvest
House Publishers, Eugene, OR., 1993
In a unique presentation, Hanegraaff brings together all that has been exposed in these
other books. Furthermore he presents a broad account of the ‘Faith’ message, from Adam
to the born-again believer. This is important in understanding the statement, “particular
groups within the movement are clearly cults” (p.41). He also provides us with a
wide range of short biographical sketches of the actions and beliefs of modern ‘Faith’
teachers (e.g. Avanzini, Price, Hickey, Tilton, Cerullo) which is really what we needed to
be alerted to those who are counted amongst them. As he progresses through the book he
provides ample documented quotations incriminating the ‘Faith’ proponents in various
areas, including the ‘God’ of their beliefs. For instance, Copeland’s ‘God’ “measured
out the heavens with a 9-inch span. See, God is not 437 feet tall, weighing 4000 pounds,
and got fist a fist big around as this room...” Rather, he is “a being that stands
somewhere around 6'-2", 6'-3", that weighs somewhere in the neighbourhood of a
couple of hundred pounds or a little better, has a span of 9 inches across.” (Copeland:
Spirit, Soul and Body I, audiotape #01-0601. Cited on p.356 Christianity in Crisis).
Furthermore, his forthright assessment has brought to light the heart attitudes of men
who, it is plain, seek greedily the money of the weak, while claiming “Jesus had a nice
house, a big house” (John Avanzini on Trinity Broadcasting Network, January 1991.) Such
attitudes we find are only equalled by the “don’t touch God’s servant” threats
made publicly by Benny Hinn against the author of this book. The true heart of the ‘Faith’
teachers is laid bare. We are grateful for Hanegraaff's bold, much-needed assessment of
the ‘Faith’ Movement. Clearly he is right when he states that “the stakes are high -
no less than salvation itself.”
The fastest growing segment
of professing Christianity today is the Word-Faith Movement, also known as the Positive Confession or
simply "Faith" movement. Its growth is at least partially due to the massive
amounts of money the leaders are able to extract from the faithful. This influx of cash
allows for huge buildings and extensive ministries, and more importantly, wide exposure on
television, which translates into numerical growth. Not only do many Word-Faith preachers
broadcast their services and campaigns, but Word-Faith adherents, Paul and Jan Crouch, own
the largest Christian-based television network in the world. The Trinity Broadcasting
Network (TBN), founded by the Crouches, with an estimated net worth of approximately $600
million dollars, is capable of televising the Faith message (as well as many other errant
messages) all over the world.
Well-known personalities
within the movement include Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Robert
Tilton (who is staging a come-back), Paul Yonggi Cho, Benny Hinn, Marilyn Hickey, Frederick K.C. Price, John Avanzini, Charles Capps, Jerry
Savelle, Morris Cerullo and of course, Paul and Jan Crouch.
Beliefs
Faith Is a Force
As is implied by the title
"Word-Faith," the supporters of this movement believe that faith works like a
mighty power or force. Through faith, we can obtain anything we want -- health, wealth,
success, whatever. However, this force is only released through thespoken word. As
we speak the words of faith, power is discharged to accomplish our desires. Hagin's theme,
as found in his booklet How to Write Your Own Ticket with God, can be summarized as
follows (Christianity in Crisis, pp. 74-75):
In the opening
chapter, titled "Jesus Appears to Me," Hagin claims that while he "was in
the Spirit" -- just like the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos -- a white cloud
enveloped him and he began to speak in tongues. "Then the Lord Jesus Himself appeared
to me," says Hagin. "He stood within three feet of me." After what sounded
like a casual conversation about such things as finances, ministry, and even current
affairs, Jesus told Hagin to get a pencil and a piece of paper. He then instructed him to
"Write down: 1,2,3,4." Jesus then allegedly told Hagin "if anybody,
anywhere, will take these four steps or put these four principles into operation, he will
always receive whatever he wants from Me or from God the Father." That includes
whatever you want financially. The formula is simply: "Say it, Do it, Receive it, and
Tell it."
1. Step number one
is "Say it." "Positive or negative, it is up to the individual. According
to what the individual says, that shall he receive."
2. Step number two is "Do it." "Your action defeats you or puts you over.
According to your action, you receive or you are kept from receiving."
3. Step number three is "Receive it." We are to plug into the "powerhouse
of heaven." "Faith is the plug, praise God! Just plug in."
4. Step number four is "Tell it so others may
believe." This final step might be considered the Faith movement's outreach program.
Kenneth Copeland states
the faith formula this way: "All it takes is 1) Seeing or visualizing whatever you
need, whether physical or financial; 2) Staking your claim on Scripture; and 3) Speaking
it into existence" (Christianity in Crisis, p. 80).
Paul Yonggi Cho, borrowing
from the occult, has developed what he calls the "Law of Incubation." Here is
how it works: "First make a clear-cut goal, then draw a mental picture, vivid and
graphic, to visualize success. Then incubate it into reality, and finally speak it into
existence through the creative power of the spoken word" (Christianity in Crisis,
pp. 83-84).
If a positive confession of
faith releases power, then according to Word-Faith, a negative confession can actually
backfire. Capps says the tongue "can kill you, or it can release the life of God
within you." This is so because, "Faith is a seed ?you plant it by speaking
it." There is power in "the evil fourth dimension" says Cho. Hagin informs
us that if you confess sickness you get sickness, if you confess health you get health,
whatever you say you get. "This spoken word ?releases power -- power for good or
power for evil," is the commonly held view of the movement. It is easy to see why the
title "Positive Confession" is often applied to this group.
As one might guess, the
teachings of the Faith movement are very attractive to some. If we can produce whatever
our hearts desire by simply demanding what we want by faith, if we can manipulate the
universe and perhaps even God, then we have our own personal genie just waiting to fulfill
our wishes. Frederick K.C. Price wastes no words when he writes:
"Now
this is a shocker! But God has to be given permission to work in this earth realm on
behalf of man. ?Yes! You are in control! So if man has control, who no longer has it? God.
... When God gave Adam dominion, that meant God no longer had dominion. So, God cannot do
anything on this earth unless we let Him or give Him permission through prayer" (Prayer:
Do You Know What Prayer Is. ... and How to Pray? The Word Study Bible, p. 1178).
This is certainly a theology
that would appeal to the masses, and thus accounts for the Faith movement's popularity.
The Deification of Man
Faith teachers like to
teach, based upon serious mishandling of passages such as John 10:31-39 and II Peter 1:4,
that Christians are "little gods." Copeland says, "Now
Peter said by exceeding great and precious promises you become partakers of the divine
nature. All right, are we gods? We are a class of gods!" (Christianity in Crisis,
p. 116). Benny Hinn
declares, "God came from heaven, became a man, made man into little gods, went back
to heaven as a man" (Christianity in Crisis, p. 382 n. 43). Earl Paulk wrote,
"Until we comprehend that we are little gods and we begin to act like little gods, we
cannot manifest the kingdom of God" (Satan Unmasked, p. 97).
The Humanization of God
While man is glorified, God
is humiliated in the Faith system. Copeland claims that God is a being who stands about
6'2"-6'3", weighing somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple of hundred pounds,
and has a hand span of 9" across (Christianity in Crisis, p. 121). Copeland
also declares "Adam was the copy, looked just like (God). If you stood Adam beside
God, they looked just exactly alike. If you stood Jesus and Adam side-by-side, they would
look and sound exactly alike" (Christianity in Crisis, p. 137).
Many of the Word-Faith
teachers also embrace a heresy known as Tritheism, which in essence teaches that there are
really three separate Gods. Hinn, under supposed inspiration, explains:
"Man,
I feel revelation knowledge already coming on me here. Holy Spirit, take over in the name
of Jesus. ... God the Father, ladies and gentlemen, is a person; and He is a triune being
by Himself separate from the Son and the Holy Ghost. Say, what did you say? Hear it, hear
it, hear it. See, God the Father is a person, God the Son is a person, God the Holy Ghost
is a person. But each one of them is a triune being by Himself. If I can
shock you -- and maybe I should -- there's nine of them. Huh, what did you say? Let
me explain: God the Father, ladies and gentlemen, is a person with his own personal
spirit, with his own personal soul, and his own personal spirit-body. You say, Huh, I
never heard that. Well you think you're in this church to hear things you've heard for the
last 50 years? You can't argue with the Word, can you? It's all in the Word (Christianity
in Crisis, p. 123-124).
Hinn, under fire, later
retracted his remarks, only to reaffirm them two years later.
Jesus supposedly told
Copeland, "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" (Christianity in
Crisis, p. 137-138). Many of the Faith heresies concerning God can be traced to the
notes found in Dake's Annotated Reference Bible.
The Distortion of the
Cross
Four atonement-related
errors on the part of the Faith teachers can be documented:
1) Christ was re-created on the
cross from divine to demonic. To put it in Faith vernacular, Jesus took on the very nature
of Satan himself.
2) Your redemption was not secured on the cross, but in hell. In fact, many Faith teachers
claim that Christ's torture by all the demons of hell was a "ransom" God paid to
Satan so that He could get back into a universe from which He had been banished.
3) Jesus was reborn (or born again) in the very pit of hell.
4) Christ was reincarnated through His rebirth in hell and that those who (like Christ)
are bornagain can become "incarnated" as
well.
Thus, Faith teachers take
Christ, the spotless Lamb, and pervert Him into an unholy sacrifice on the cross (Christianity
In Crisis, p.153).
Practices
While many, even within the
Word-Faith churches, are unaware of some of the doctrinal heresies of the movement, none
can plead ignorant of the strange and bizarre practices and emphasis of its leaders. The
following things are standard occurrences in virtually every one of their television
broadcasts, evangelistic campaigns, and church services.
A Prosperity Gospel
Nothing will create more
euphoria in the average person than the promise to make them wealthy, and this the
Word-Faith leadership knows very well. The Word-Faith teacher's lifestyle is clearly
identified by opulence, luxury, riches, and the assurance that all of this can be his
followers as well -- if only they apply certain principles.
Robert Tilton is normative.
On a Trinity Broadcasting Network program in 1990 he said:
"Being
poor is a sin, when God promises prosperity. New house? New car? That's chicken feed.
That's nothing compared to what God wants to do for you" (Charismatic Chaos,
p. 285).
Fred Price on a similar
broadcast explains how it works:
"If you've got one dollar faith and you ask for a
ten-thousand dollar item, it ain't going to work. It won't work. Jesus said, 'According to
your [faith],' not according to God's will for you, in His own good time, if it's
according to His will, if He can work it into his busy schedule. He said, 'According to
your faith, be it unto you'" (Charismatic Chaos, p. 286).
Of course, the road to
prosperity somehow always leads to the offering plate of the Word-Faith Movement. Gloria
Copeland (Kenneth's wife) pulls no punches in her book God's Will Is Prosperity:
"Give $10 and receive $1000; Give $1000 and receive
$100,000 ?give one house and receive one hundred houses or a house worth one hundred times
as much. Give one airplane and receive one hundred times the value of the airplane. ?In
short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal" (p. 54).
A Health Gospel
The
"name-it-and-claim-it" pundits are not content with mere wealth; they want to
feel well enough to enjoy their prosperity. So do most of their listeners. So while you
are giving away wealth, why not dispense health as well?
The Word-Faith teachers, as
is true of many other charismatics, believe that Christ provided for physical healing at
the cross. As a result, not only are Christians saved from sin, they are promised a life
of health. Kenneth Copeland writes in Healed ?to Be or Not to Be:
"The first step to spiritual maturity is to realize your
position before God. You are a child of God and a joint-heir with Jesus. Consequently, you
are entitled to all the rights and privileges in the kingdom of God, and one of their
rights is health and healing" (p. 25).
But, if healing is part of
the atonement, why do Christians get sick? Lack of faith, as Benny Hinn explains:
"The
Bible declares that the work was done 2,000 years ago. God is not going to heal you now --
he healed you 2,000 years ago. All you have to do today is receive your healing by
faith" (Rise and Be Healed, p. 44).
Of course reality, in the
form of sickness, has to be faced even by the Word-Faith leaders. Fred Price may proclaim
"we don't allow sickness in our home," but his wife still has cancer. Kenneth
Hagin brags that he has not had a headache, the flu, or even "one sick day" in
nearly 60 years, but he has had four cardiovascular crises. Paul Crouch may have healed
Oral Roberts of chest pains on a TBN Broadcast, but it didn't stop Oral from having a
heart attack a few hours later (Christianity in Crisis, pp. 237-238). How are these
things explained away? Predictably, by blaming them on the devil. Sickness in the
Word-Faith camp is usually seen as satanic attacks that must be repelled by words of faith
(i.e., "positive confession").
Experiences
The faith leaders make some
amazing claims. Hagin, for example, has visited (so he says) both heaven and hell as well
as had out-of-body experiences (Christianity in Crisis, p. 334). He has had many
visits from Jesus and angels. He boasts of the ability to heal, cast our demons, and
levitate people (p. 336). Hinn opens his best selling book with these words:
"It was three days before Christmas 1973. The sun was
still rising on that cold, misty Toronto morning. Suddenly He was there. The Holy Spirit
entered my room. He was as real to me that morning as the book you are holding in your
hand is to you. For the next eight hours I had an incredible experience with the Holy
Spirit. It changed the course of my life (Rise and Be Healed, p. 1).
Hinn speaks of frequent
personal visits from the Lord, the first being at age eleven:
"I saw Jesus walk into my bedroom. He was wearing a robe
that was whiter than white and a deep red mantle was draped over the robe. I saw his hair.
I looked into His eyes. I saw the nailprints in His hands. I saw everything. ... When it
happened, I was asleep, but suddenly my little body was caught up in an incredible
sensation that can only be described as 'electric.' It felt as if someone had plugged me
into a wired socket. There was a numbness that felt like needles -- a million of them --
rushing through my body. And then the Lord stood before me while I was in a deep, deep
sleep. He looked straight at me with the most beautiful eyes. He smiled, and His arms were
open wide. I could feel His presence. It was marvelous and I'll never forget it" (Rise
and Be Healed, p. 22).
When Hinn describes his
conversion, he does not mention the cross, repentance, or faith; rather, it is all couched
in terms of experience:
"What I really felt, though, was that this surge of
power was cleansing me -- instantly, from the inside out. I felt absolutely clean,
immaculate, and pure. Suddenly I saw Jesus with my own eyes. It happened in a moment of
time. There he was. Jesus" (Rise and Be Healed, p. 31).
Hinn claims power of a
supernatural nature often emanates from his body:
"Once, my mother was cleaning the hallway while I was in
my room talking with the Holy Spirit. When I came out, she was thrown right back.
Something had knocked her against the wall. I said, 'What's wrong with you, Mama?' She
answered, 'I don't know?' Well, the presence of the Lord almost knocked her down" (Rise
and Be Healed, p. 42).
Both the appeal of the book
and its dangers are evident in this quote:
"Are you ready to meet the Holy
Spirit intimately and personally? Do you want to hear His voice? Are you prepared to know
him as a person? That's exactly what happened to me, and it drastically transformed
my life. It was an intensely personal experience, and it was based on God's Word. You may
ask, 'Was it the result of a systematic Bible study?' No, it happened when I invited the
Holy Spirit to be my personal friend. To be my constant guide. To take me by the hand and
lead me 'into all truth.' What He will uncover and reveal to you in Scripture will make
your study of the Bible come alive" (Rise
and Be Healed, p. 48).
Both the Word-Faith leaders
and their followers make the same mistake of basing their lives on experiences and
feelings rather than upon the inspired Word of God.
Kenneth Hagin is considered
the father of Word-Faith. He has a syndicated radio show carried by about 250 radio
stations; a Bible School (Rhema Bible Training Center) with 12,000 graduates from
1974-1992; a magazine with 400,000 subscribers; and has sold millions of books and other
publications.
Kenneth Copeland is the
heir-apparent to the Faith throne (although Benny Hinn has moved in to challenge).
Copeland's empire spans the globe with similar ministries as Hagin.
Benny Hinn was pastor of
Orlando Christian Center in Orlando, Florida. (He recently moved his ministry to Dallas.)
Hinn reaches the world through evangelistic campaigns, television, and literature. His
book Good Morning Holy Spirit was the best selling Christian book in 1991, selling
a quarter of a million copies in only three months. He is perhaps best known as a
"Faith-Healer" in the traditions of Kathryn Kuhlman (his idol) and Oral Roberts.
His "ability" to "slay in the Spirit" large groups of people at once
(by blowing on them or waving his arm their direction) has brought him considerable
notoriety.
Frederick K.C. Price,
the most prominent of black Word-Faith preachers, pastors the 16,000-member Crenshaw
Christian Center, and has his own television show.
John Avanzini,
best-known fundraiser among the Word-Faith leaders. He has said, "A greater than a
lottery has come. His name is Jesus!"
Robert Tilton
perfected the Christian infomercial through his "Success-N-Life" television
program.
Marilyn Hickey is
(except for Gloria Copeland and perhaps Jan Crouch) the best-known woman in the movement.
She teaches people to speak to their wallets and checkbooks in order that their wealth may
increase.
David Yonggi Cho is the pastor
of the 700,000 Full Gospel Yoido Church in South Korea. Cho, who often speaks at Robert
Schuller Conferences on church growth (along with Bill Hybels), is perhaps the closest
link to the occult. He teaches a concept called the "Fourth Dimension." The
first three dimensions are physical and are controlled by the fourth, which is the
spiritual. Cho teaches that Christians can get anything they want by calling upon the
spirit world in the Fourth Dimension and visualizing what they want. When a person
(Christian or unsaved) follows the proper formula of positive thinking, speaking and
visualizing, they "incubate" and eventually give birth to their desires. These
techniques are the same used in his occult-infested country. Cho is aware of this fact,
but believes what works for "them" will work for "us" -- so use it.
* This report has
been excerpted and or adapted from an article ("The Word of Faith Movement") in
the April 1999, Think on These Things, Southern View Chapel, Springfield, IL, Gary Gilley, Pastor.
The quotes which follow are all from Kenneth Copeland:
“This man [Jesus] is a carbon copy of the one that walked through the garden of Eden.”
(“What Happened from the Cross to the Throne”, tape.)
“Every prophet that walked the face of the earth under the Abrahamic covenant could
have paid the price if it were a physical death only” (“What Happened...”)
“When he said ‘It is finished’ on that cross, he was not speaking of the plan of
redemption. The plan of redemption had just begun, there were still three days and
three nights to be gone through.” (“What Happened...”)
“When His blood poured out it did not atone.” (Kenneth Copeland: From a
personal letter to D.R.McConnell, dated 12/3/79. Cited in A
Different Gospel, p.120)
“Jesus went into hell itself and suffered the penalty for sin” (Believer’s Voice
of Victory magazine, May 1994, page 5.)
“[Jesus] accepted the sin nature of Satan in His own Spirit, and at the moment that He
did so, He cried ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’.” (“What
Happened...”)
“He [Jesus] was down in that pit and there he suffered the punishment
for three horrible days and nights for Adam’s treason... There is a new birth takes
place in the very depths of the earth, when the command of God says ‘That’s enough,
loose him and let him go’.” (“What Happened...”)
提 防 他 的 書
Books by or associated with Kenneth Copeland Ministries
Charles Capps puts it like this: “God said, Let us make man in our image after our
likeness. The word likeness in the original Hebrew means “an exact
duplication in kind.”... Adam was an exact duplication of God’s kind!” (Authority
in Three Worlds, p.15-16. [Emphasis in original]. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House,
1982.)
They teach that he had the nature of God and great inner creative power as God
had. E.W. Kenyon taught that man “must partake either of God’s nature or of Satan’s
nature”, and therefore he has no distinct nature of his own. Charles Capps
puts it like this: “God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness.
The word likeness in the original Hebrew means “an exact duplication in kind.”...
Adam was an exact duplication of God’s kind!” (Authority in Three Worlds,
p.15-16. [Emphasis in original]. Tulsa, Oklahoma: Harrison House, 1982.)
What Capps is putting to us here is made crystal clear for us by his
fellow Faith-teacher Kenneth Copeland when he states quite emphatically that “God’s reason for creating Adam was His
desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden
He did that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not
subordinate to God even.... Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as
Jesus - When He came into the earth He said ‘If you've seen Me you've seen the
Father’. He wasn't a lot like God - He’s God manifested in the flesh. And I want
you to know something: Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh!”
(“Following the Faith of Abraham”, part I, side 1). [Cassette obtained
from Kenneth Copeland Ministries, Bath, UK, Summer 1994]
What the Bible says:
In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 the Hebrew word Elohim is used only of God, not of man (who
was only a creature). Adam was created with a sinless human nature. He had a nature
that was made ‘in the image of God’ but was distinct from it. (Genesis 1:26 and 2:7)
They teach that he was a little god who owned the planet earth and all God’s
creation. According to Kenneth Hagin, man “was created on terms of equality with God,
and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority... Man
lived in the realm of God. He lived on equal terms with God.” (Zoe: The God-Kind of
Life, p. 35-36, Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc. 1989.) According to some of
the ‘Faith’ teachers he was given total ownership for a 6000 year period. His spoken
words would cause food to grow and feed him. Meanwhile, God was “outside looking in”
(as Copeland tells us on his tape, “What Happened...”) and “powerless to do
anything” - He had given the Earth to man freehold.
What the Bible says:
Adam’s dominion was only a stewardship to look after what God had made, to tend the
garden of Eden and look after the animals (Gen. 1:28; Gen.2:15). The Earth and everything
in it still belonged to God - Adam was God’s tenant. (See, for example, Lev. 25:23,
Deut.4:39, Jer. 27:5, Psa. 24:1- “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it”).
Andrew Brandon, in his book Health and Wealth (which gives an excellent overview of
the movement), gives the following illustration: “Man was given dominion over the
earth, but this must not be confused with legal authority. Man was God’s viceroy,
representing him in Creation. The situation was not unlike the position of Mountbatten in
India before independence. As viceroy of all India, he represented the power and interests
of the British government. Because of the authority delegated to him, he was allowed to
use his own initiative in some matters. Nevertheless, he was answerable to the British
government and could be deposed at will if he was found to be unsatisfactory.” (Health and Wealth, p.104, Kingsway Publications, 1987)
They teach that Adam lost God’s nature and suffered ‘spiritual death’ taking the
nature of Satan, and so he became “a step- son of Satan”. He became powerless; he lost
his creative power. Again, I quote from Charles Capps’ book Authority
in Three Worlds: “Adam had revelation knowledge that flowed from God, the Father.
But when Adam bowed his knee to Satan, he shut God out. God found Himself on the outside
looking in. His man, Adam, had lost his authority. Satan... had... become the god of the
world system.... Satan had gained ascendency in the earth by gaining Adam’s authority,
and God was left on the outside. God couldn’t come here in His divine power and
wipe them out. He had to move in an area where it would be ruled legal by the Supreme
Court of the Universe.” (pages 50-51) Now observe how clearly Frederick K.C. Price
states the belief of the ‘Faith’ teachers: “Adam, as I said, gave it [the earth]
away to the serpent, to the Devil. As a result of it he got his behind kicked out of the
garden. He went out of Eden, out of the garden. He began to wander around, and he has
troubles from day one. Now God was out of the business. God was out of the earth realm.
God had no more stock in this earth realm. No more. None at all. Nothing He could do. Not
a thing in the world He could do.... The only way God could get back into this earth
realm, He had to have an invitation. Ha-hah! He had to have an invitation.” (“Ever
Increasing Faith” program on TBN [1 May 1992], audiotape #PR11.)
CHARLES CAPPS Ordained as a minister in the International Convention of Faith Churches and Ministers
by Kenneth Copeland.
Capps has gone so far as to teach that Jesus was the product of God's positive
confession: "This is the key to understanding the virgin birth. God's Word is full
of faith and spirit power. God spoke it. God transmitted that image to Mary. She received
the image inside of her....The embryo that was in Mary's womb was nothing more than the
Word of God....She conceived the Word of God." (Charles Capps, Dynamics of Faith
and Confession (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1987), 86-87; cf. Charles Capps, Authority in
Three Worlds (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1982), 76-85)
Capps claims that if someone says, "I'm just dying to do that" or "That
just tickled me to death," their statements may literally come true (i.e., they
may die). According to Capps, this is precisely why the human race now lives only about
seventy years instead of 900 years, as was the case with Adam. (Charles Capps, The Tongue
-- A Creative Force (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 1976), 91)
Thank you for visiting Cephas Ministry Inc. (www.cephasministry.com)
1. Faith is a force that both God and man can use:
"Faith is a force just
like electricity or gravity" (Copeland), and it is the substance out of which God
creates whatever is (Capps). God uses faith, and so may we in exactly the same way in
order to produce the same results through obedience to the same "laws of faith"
(Capps) that God applied in creation. "You have the same ability [as God has]
dwelling or residing on the inside of you" (Capps). "We have all the
capabilities of God. We have His faith" (Copeland).
2. Faith's force is released by speaking words: "Words are the most
powerful thing in the universe" because they "are containers" that
"carry faith or fear and they produce after their kind" (Capps). God operates by
these very same laws. "God had faith in His own words ... God had faith in His faith,
because He spoke words of faith and they came to pass. That faith force was transported by
words ... the God-kind-of-faith ... is released by the words of your mouth" (Hagin).
"Creative power was in God's mouth. It is in your mouth also" (Capps).
3. Man is a "little god" in God's class: "Man was designed
or created by God to be the god of this world" (Tilton, Hagin, Capps). "Adam was
the god of this world ... [but he] sold out to Satan, and Satan became the god of this
world" (Hagin). "We were created to be gods over the earth, but remember to
spell it with a little 'g'" (Tilton, Hagin, Capps). "Adam was created in God's
class ... to rule as a god ... by speaking words" (Copeland). "Man was created
in the God class ... We are a class of gods ... God himself spawned us from His innermost
being ... We are in God; so that makes us part of God (2 Cor 5:17)" (Copeland).
4. Anyone--occultist or Christian--can use the faith force: Because man
is a little god "in God's class: very capable of operating on the same level of faith
as God" (Capps), and "because all men are spirit beings" (Hagin), therefore
anyone, whether Christian or pagan, can release this "faith force"
by speaking words if he only believes in his words as God believes in His (Hagin).
"God is a faith God. God releases His faith in Words, [and we must do the same:] ...
Everything you say [positive or negative] will come to pass" (Capps). "Spiritual
things are created by WORDS. Even natural, physical things are created by WORDS"
(Hagin).
5. You get what you confess: The vital key is confessing,
or speaking aloud, and thereby, releasing the force of faith. "You get what you
say" (Hagin, Hunter). "Only by mouth confession can faith power be released,
allowing tremendous things to happen" (Cho). "Remember, the key to receiving the
desires of your heart is to make the words of your mouth agree with what you want"
(Copeland). "Whatever comes out of your mouth shall be produced in your life"
(Tilton). "They're [his two children] 30-some years of age today, and I don't believe
I prayed more than half a dozen times for both of them in all these years. Why? Because
you can have what you say -- and I had already said it!" (Hagin).
6. Never make a negativeconfession: The
tongue "can kill you, or it can release the life of God within you ... whether you
believe right or wrong, it is still the law" (Capps). There is power in "the
evil fourth dimension" (Cho). If you confess sickness you get it, if you confess
health you get it; whatever you say you get" (Hagin). "Faith is as a seed ...
you plant it by speaking it" (Capps). "The spoken word ... releases power --
power for good or power for evil" (Bashan). Therefore, it is very important never
to speak anything negative but only to make a positive
confession -- hence the name of the Positive Confession movement.
An ex-Programmer states that the Illuminati Mind-Control
intentionally used verses from every book of the Bible. The Programmers also intentionally
used everything Jesus said in one distorted way or another in the programming. A person
can pick up a Bible with Jesus’ words in red, and get a quick idea of one area of the
Bible which was heavily misused. The programmers love to reframe (twist) parables. Fritz
"Originally, God made the earth and the fullness thereof,
giving Adam dominion over all the works of His hands. In other words, Adam was the god of
this world." (The Believer's Authority, 2d ed. [Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin
Ministries, 1991], 19.)
Kenneth Hagan gives us his view of Christology which he taught Kenneth Copeland. Hagan
believes that Jesus was born again. Yet in fact, Jesus was never born again even once,
because he never sinned and did not need redemption like us. Copeland confuses two
completely different concepts of "born again" and "Christ being
begotten".
"** Falwell is more open to Pentecostals and charismatics than I
had known. In fact, for many years Thomas Zimmerman, the late general superintendent of
the Assemblies of God, and C.M. Ward, the late speaker of Revivaltime, were welcome guests
at Liberty University. ‘We try to be friends of all who are friends of Christ,’
Falwell told me" (Stephen Strang, "Revival in Lynchburg?" Charisma,
October 1997, p. 122).
In 1985, Falwell invited radical Catholic Senator
Edward Kennedy to speak at Liberty Baptist College and Thomas Road Baptist Church.
"The Senator announced to the audience of 5,000, ‘I am an American and a Catholic.’
He then lectured them on Pope John XXIII’s renewal of the gospel call and the voice of
Catholic bishops in the U.S.A. He opened his speech with these words. ‘I have come
here to discuss my beliefs about faith and country, tolerance, and truth in America.
... I love my country and I treasure my faith.’ ... In spite of Kennedy’s travesty of
historical facts, open defiance of Biblical standards (‘I utterly reject any such
standards,’ he said), his obvious scorn of Biblical truth and defense of his Roman
faith, the Senator was given two standing ovations and was interrupted a dozen times by
applause. Cal Thomas’ impression as Moral Majority spokesman was that this is a step
towards ‘disarming ideologues on both sides’" (The Flaming Torch,
Jan.-Mar. 1985).
Word of Faith 的 傳 道 人 (Faith Movement 信 心 運 動)
Kenneth
Copeland 甘利夫˙葛普蘭
按 
Confirmed Illuminati Mason
他 常 在 聚 會 上 因「聖 靈」充 滿 而 像 動 物 般 吼 叫 及 狂 笑
， 按 
Confirmed
Illuminati Mason Charles Capps 跟 
在 預 言 方 面 ， 他 經 常 到 像 野 獸 吼 叫 的 
Confirmed
Illuminati Mason 跟 
如 Charles Capps 及
Kenneth Copeland 一 樣 ， 他 亦 將 人 的 身 份 提 昇 至 一 個 不 合 理
的 地 步 ， 甚 至 認 為 人 是 世 界 的 主 ︰
他 說 自 己 是 屬 浸 信 會 ， 但
他 亦 與