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Is the Word of Faith movement Biblical?

O

Oscar3

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unred typo said:
I don’t even know what ‘Word of Faith’ actually teaches, or what their doctrinal statement of faith might read like. It’s only what you write here that I react to, either favorably or unfavorably. I don’t usually care to get into condemning different denominations since it seems all have some good and evil in them, in varying degrees. I doubt if you can find two thinking people in the same church that agree on every issue. Only when a group of people have been collectively brainwashed do you find heads bobbing in complete unison.
:angel: :angel: :angel: :angel: :roll:
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Is the Word of Faith movement Biblical?


Question: "Is the Word of Faith movement Biblical?"

Answer: Word of Faith teaching is decidedly unbiblical. It is not a denomination, and does not have a formal organization or hierarchy. Instead, it is a movement that is heavily influenced by a number of high-profile pastors and teachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Paul and Jan Crouch, and Fred Price.

The Word of Faith movement grew out of the Pentecostal movement in the latter 20th century. Its founder was E. W. Kenyon, who studied the metaphysical New Thought teachings of Phineas Quimby. Mind science (where "name it claim it" originated) fit well with the emerging Pentecostal movement and its emphasis on the supernatural, so he combined them and created a peculiar mix of orthodox Christianity and mysticism. Kenneth Hagin in turn studied under E. W. Kenyon and made the Word of Faith movement what it is today. Although individual teachings range from completely heretical to completely ridiculous, what follows is the basic theology most Word of Faith teachers align themselves with.

At the heart of the Word of Faith movement is the belief in the "force of faith." It is believed words can be used to manipulate the faith-force, and thus actually create what they believe Scripture promises (health and wealth). Laws supposedly governing the faith-force are said to operate independently of God's sovereign will and that God Himself is subject to these laws. From here, its theology just strays further and further from Scripture: It claims that God created human beings in His literal, physical image as little gods. Before the fall, humans had the potential to call things into existence by using the faith-force. After the fall humans took on Satan's nature and lost the ability to call things into existence. In order to correct this situation, Jesus Christ gave up His divinity and became a man, died spiritually, took Satan's nature upon Himself, went to hell, was born-again, and rose from the dead with God's nature. After this, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to replicate the Incarnation in believers so they could become little gods as God had originally intended.

Following the natural progression of these teachings, as little gods we again have the ability to manipulate the faith-force and become prosperous in all areas of life. Illness, sin, and failure are the result of a lack of faith, and are remedied by confession--claiming God's promises for oneself into existence. Simply put, the Word of Faith movement exalts man to god-status and reduces God to man-status. Needless to say, this is a false representation of what Christianity is all about. Obviously, Word of Faith teaching does not take into account what is found in Scripture. Personal revelation is highly relied upon in order to come up with such absurd beliefs, which is just one more thing counted unbiblical.

Countering Word of Faith teaching is a simple matter of reading the Bible. God alone is the Sovereign Creator of the Universe (Genesis 1:3; 1 Timothy 6:15), and does not need faith--He is the object of faith (Mark 11:22; Hebrews 11:3). God is spirit, and does not have a physical body (John 4:24). Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26, 27; 9:6), but this does not make him a little god nor divine. Only God has a divine nature (Galatians 4:8; Isaiah 1:6-11, 43:10, 44:6; Ezekiel 28:2; Psalms 8:6-8). Christ is Eternal, the Only Begotten Son, and the only incarnation of God (John 1:1, 2, 15; 1:14, 18; 3:16; 1 John 4:1). In Him dwelt the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9). By becoming a man Jesus gave up the glory of heaven but not His divinity (Philippians 2:6-7) though He did choose to withhold His power while walking the earth as man.

The Word of Faith movement is deceiving countless people, causing them to grasp after a way of life and faith that is not biblical. Our hope is in the Lord, not in our own words, not even in our own faith (Psalm 33:20-22). Our faith comes from God in the first place (2 Peter 1:1), and is not something we create for ourselves. So, be wary of the Word of Faith movement, and any church that aligns itself with Word of Faith teachings.

http://www.gotquestions.org/Word-Faith.html
 
reply

Oscar, so you think you know everything about Word of faith, and made yourself the condemner. Who do you think you are? By your statements, you are showing your ignorance of the Bible. Just Baptist nonsense.



May God bless, Golfjack
 
unred typo said:
You are correct to believe that we have no choice in the timing of God’s decision of when or if we will be born again. The only choice we have is whether we will do what he requires to ready ourselves for this event. If we as the bride of Christ do not submit to his will, how can we expect to give birth to the spiritual fruit of our union with him and his word within us? We cannot be the rebellious, stubborn, willful child-bride who runs away with our many other lovers and expect to be blessed by our bridegroom with a spiritual offspring, the new birth.

The promise of predestination into God’s eternal reward is only given to those who remain faithful to their vows. You can’t be disobedient to your heavenly calling and ignore your commitment to Christ and still remain heir to the promises. God has only pre-determined that those who are faithful in obedience to him through Christ (by confession and repentance from sin against his words) will be given eternal life. Are you saying that we can promise to love, honor and obey him and then follow every evil desire we run into, not repent of our sins and then return to him and still be called faithful and still inherit eternal life?
:-?
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How can we, as you say, have a choice as to ‘whether we will do what he requires to ready ourselves for this event.’ (ie being born of the Spirit).

For it is not us who gives birth to anything of the Spirit but it is God who gives birth to the Spirit within us. Consider the seed of man. Once the seed is planted, can the seed say when or whether or not it will bring forth life. No. And neither does the seed of the Spirit which is predestined to bring forth eternal life within those whom God chooses.

I’m not really sure of the meaning of your reference to a bride. A bride can never be a bride without first being given life. It is not until AFTER we are born of God that we become part of the bride. It is not until AFTER we have been given life (and the word dwell within us) that we grow, mature and bring forth fruit.
 
Oscar, I split yout post off into a new thread. I don't want to see the other thread derailed; plus, it is worthy of a thread of it's own.

golfjack, this will allow you to defend your beliefs.

Ed, sorry, I split your post into here by mistake. If you would, please repost it back to the "Ode to Free Will", so I can remove it from here. Thanks.

Peace,
Vic
 
Vic C. said:
Oscar, I split yout post off into a new thread. I don't want to see the other thread derailed; plus, it is worthy of a thread of it's own.

golfjack, this will allow you to defend your beliefs.

Ed, sorry, I split your post into here by mistake. If you would, please repost it back to the "Ode to Free Will", so I can remove it from here. Thanks.

Peace,
Vic
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Thank You Vic
I will go look for it. :)
 
Golf
If the Word of Faith religion is not a cult, then why is the movement in all the cult watch list?

Would you say this is a conspiracy maybe?
 
Vic C. wrote:
Oscar, I split yout post off into a new thread. I don't want to see the other thread derailed; plus, it is worthy of a thread of it's own.
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oscar3 said:
Thank You Vic
I will go look for it. :)
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LOL, you found it when you posted here, in it. :wink:
 
This being my grandma's 140th birthday - celebrating on the Highest Possible Plane of course...

It gives me great joy to post this - my *2500 - in her cherished memory :-D

http://www.christianforums.net/viewtopi ... highlight=

If anyone knows Castle Macarene, Antrim town, she & my dear old grandad lived in the cottage outside its gates, as he was the gamekeeper 8-)

(For those who love the craic doublespeak, that also meant he kept some game in reserve for the local constabulary, for kindly helping him home on weekend nights in his wild youth, so it is!) :oops:

I can almost hear their merry laughter :multi:

Relevance to topic?

"We are surrounded by such a great cloud-crowd of witnesses" - Hebrew 11

Word up :wink:

Ian :angel:
 
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