In this section we’ll take a look at where The Word of Faith Movement came from, what are its basic teachings, and begin to see how these teachings are antithetical to the Word of God.
“The movement known as “Word of Faith” is a branch off of the Pentecostal movement. In the late 20th century, E. W. Kenyon studied under Phineas Quimby, and was taught a system known as “New Thought” that connected the mind with God’s Word in such a way that what we think and speak is brought into reality by God. This is where the “name it and claim it” theology originated.” (3 Errors of the Word of Faith Preaching, by Josh Bruce.)
Kenyon was a Baptist Preacher who had no formal theological training. However, he granted himself a doctorate designation prior to his death in 1948. It’s said that Kenyon received much of his teachings from “mind scientists” such as Mary Baker Eddy (founder of Christain Science), and other mind science teachers of that time. Kenneth Hagin is said to be the father of the modern-day Word of Faith doctrine, and that he obtained much of his teachings from Kenyon. Hagin founded Rhema Bible Training College in 1974 located in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. The irony is that Hagin never received any formal theological training. However, he did receive an honorary doctorate degree from Oral Roberts University.
Personally, I had been somewhat familiar with the Word of Faith movement back in the 1980s when I was pastoring in upstate New York. My mentor Pastor and I would often talk about their teachings and where it was off, biblically speaking. It was really big back then and TBN aired many Word of Faith ministers daily. Honestly, I thought it was about dead until I moved to San Antonio Texas. To my amazement there are several churches here that adhere to their teachings, although its more covert. You almost never find it on their church web sites when you look up, “what we believe”. Moreover, I didn’t even realize that I was attending one of these churches until over a year later. One morning while I was having my devotions the Lord brought to my mind a sequence of events and then the light bulb went on. I’ll get into more of that later, but right now I’ll go over some of their teachings.
Decree and Declaire
Kenneth Hagin taught that “you can have what you say”. The pattern of thought goes something like this. We were made in God’s image (Gen1:27). God can create with the power of his word (Gen 1:3, 6,9, 14, 20, 24, 26). And since we’re made in God’s image we can “call those things that were not as though they were”. We then are like little “gods”.
” Kenneth Hagin taught that humans are equal with God. He said man “was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority… God has made us as much like Himself as possible… He made us the same class of being that He is Himself… Man lived in the realm of God. He lived on terms equal with God.” Mankind had potential to rule as little gods but this was thwarted by the Fall. Therefore, “Man lost his place by high treason against God.” As a result, man took on the nature of Satan. However, through Jesus mankind is restored and has potential to become little gods once again.
LCU* graduate Kenneth Copeland adds:
“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 just 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… Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh.” (Article, “Is Joyce Meyer Word of Faith”, by Shawn Nelson, November 2014) *Life Christian University
The Law or Force of Faith
It’s taught that “laws” govern the faith-force. These laws operate independently of God’s sovereign will and even God himself is subject to these laws. All that’s needed is that you believe and speak “faith filled words” in order to bring something to pass. Hence, positive confession. You just don’t allow any negative thoughts in your mind. If a negative thought enters your mind, you must certainly not speak it out loud! “Many Christians undo their prayer of faith by negative thinking and confession.” If you’re sick just proclaim “I’m well”, or “I’m healed in the name of Jesus!” If you’re in dire straits financially, you proclaim, “I’m rich! I have more than I need!” Many of this movement not only believe you can you walk in divine heath and wealth, but there’s also something wrong if you’re not! They teach that Jesus was healthy, rich and happy, and you should be too.
Additionally, if you’re depressed it’s because of your wrong thinking. “You just have to change your thinking. Look at things form a faith filled perspective!” Their advice or council is, “snap out of it, girl!” “Look at all your blessings!” In other words, it’s your fault that you’re depressed. If you’re looking for compassion and for them “to weep with those that weep” you’d be out of luck. You just use the force of faith! All better, see?
What’s even more disingenuous, is that these same people whenever they’re in front of the congregation always have a smile on their faces and act all happy. But I’d bet you a million dollars (I actually don’t bet or have a million dollars) that if they had a camera on them 24/7 and when something bad happens, that would not always be the case. They have struggles and bad days just like the rest of us. I assure you that spurious smile on their faces on Sunday mornings is just a front.
Before I site how the teaching of the Word of Faith movement is antithetical to the word of God, I want to make sure that we don’t throw the baby out with the bath water. First, Jesus wants us to have faith. He sometimes would rebuke those who did not have faith or enough faith. When the disciples were in a boat with him on the sea of Galilee, and just before he had calmed the storm, he said, “O’ you of little faith.” (Matt 8:26 NIV) It should he noted though, that their faith should have been in the fact that Jesus was in the boat with them. It was not in some “law of faith”. The Apostle Paul wrote regarding himself in Galatians 2:20, “And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Again, Paul’s faith was in the Son of God, not in “a law of faith.” In Hebrews 11:6 we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Once again, that faith is directed towards God, not some cosmic faith force. Second, I do believe that as a child of God we should do our best to guard our thoughts and speak the things in line with the word of God. (See Phil 4:8)
However, with the above being understood, sometimes God will bless you even if your faith happens to falter a bit. “He remembers that we are dust.” (Ps 103:14) In Romans 9:15 we read, “For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” (Romans 9:15 NLT) God’s blessing doesn’t always depend on our good or right actions. God may choose to bless us in spite of ourselves. It’s called grace. Moreover, He can even have favorites. It’s His prerogative! God chose Israel, a stiffed neck stubborn people, to be his chosen nation. News flash! GOD IS SOVERIGN!! I’ll dare us think he’s our cosmic bellhop up in Heaven that is bound to do whatever we “doth decree”! How arrogant is that type of thinking? But I’m getting ahead of myself.
(In part 3 I’ll demonstrate using scripture just how unscriptural the Word of Faith doctrine is. I’ll also, go into detail on the sequence of events that the Lord showed me that I was attending a Word of Faith church. I believe that what I’m about to reveal will put an exclamation mark on this subject, not because of anything special about me, but because how Wonderful He is!)