Bible Text Interpretations: Word of Faith Movement in the U.S.

Content:

Introduction
The Origins of WOF Movement
Misinterpretations of Bible Verses
The World of Knowledge
Prophesy
Humanization of God
The Divinity of Man
Unbiblical Teaching about Jesus
Unbiblical Teaching about the Atonement
False Teaching about Faith
False Teaching about Positive Confession
False Teaching about Healing
Body, Soul, and Spirit
Prosperity Gospel
Seed Faith Giving
The Dangers of WOF Teachings
How to Respond to WOF Teachings
Summary

(The verses are taken from the New King James Version (NKJV).)

Introduction

The Bible warns against false teachers in the church. These people are wolves in sheep's clothing deceiving the sheep, see The Parable of the Good Shepherd:

Mat 7:15–16, 21–23
Acts 20:29–30
Rom 16:17–18
Gal 1:6–9
Eph 5:6–14, 6:12
2 Kor 11:12–15
Col 2:8
1 Tess 5:21
1 Tim 4:1–2
2 Pet 2:1–3
1 John 4:1

This is true for several preachers in the Word of Faith (WOF) movement in the
United States. They teach another God, another Jesus, and another gospel.

When I mention below that WOF preaches wrong doctrines, it doesn't include all WOF preachers, and not all the time. But it's important to know about these false teachings so as not to be deceived when you hear them.

The Origins of WOF Movement

WOF is originally based on the teachings of E. W. Kenyon. He is seen as the founder of the WOF. He was influenced by Christian Science, the New Thought movement, and Mind Science. Kenyon’s roots were in the metaphysical cults. He longed for a new Christianity. Growth was a sign of success. The church needed revelation knowledge. Note that the Bible warns against adding to scripture
(Rev 22:18–19, Proverbs 30:6).

Kenneth E. Hagin is seen as the father of WOF. He was greatly influenced by Kenyon. His teaching is the foundation for most WOF preachers today. He claimed to receive direct revelations from God. This is dangerous if added to scripture. It turned out that Hagin copied quite a bit from Kenyon, which Hagin also admitted. Much of his teaching also contradicts the Word of God, so those parts weren't revelations from God as he claimed.

Oral Roberts is often associated with WOF because of his close doctrinal and
personal ties to WOF teachers, although his teachings don't fully identify him
with that movement. But he manipulated people and bound people to himself.
He created a belief system based on fear rather than the love of God:

He emphasized the importance of investing in God's kingdom. He told the people that the measure of their devotion to God could be seen in their donations. That their gifts would be returned to them in Heaven. They would then overflow with God's love. Many poor people donated their last money and valuable possessions to him because of this false preaching
(1 Tim 6:10). But God's love is a gift beyond anything money can buy.
He spread anxiety and fear among the people when he declared that
if he didn't raised $8 million, God would take him home (Jer 17:5).
He pressured people to donate out of fear of God'a wrath.
He declared that if their faith was strong enough, they would be cured of their illnesses and find healing filled with miracles. See Beware of false prophets in The Sermon on the Mount. Promises of healing and miracles can be distorted by false prophets. True healing isn't found in false hopes but in honest and sincere faith in God.
He urged people to give more by using God's name, saying that their donations showed them more of God's love and persuaded people to contribute. He used God's name to get people to collect more donations for himself (2 Pet 2:1–3). True faith should inspire people, not exploit them.

Oral Roberts' luxury house was built with the money people had given as sacrifices, founded by the money donated by poor people, given by hope. He had lost his way in the pursuit of earthly wealth and power, see The Love of Money. True wealth isn't found in material possessions or measured by earthly things, but is found in devotion to God. What we need is a deep connection with God filled with honesty and love in our heart. Earthly riches come and go but spiritual riches remain with us forever.

Misinterpretations of Bible Verses

See the video 5 BIBLE VERSES MANY . . . TAKE OUT OF CONTEXT!:

Time 1:05–3:39: Rom 4:17b, on speaking things into existence,
see below the chapter False Teaching about Positive Confession.
Time 3:40–5:40: Isaiah 53:5 doesn't mean that we as Christians are promised physical healing. For more information, see the chapter below
Can we expect physical healing every time we ask for it.
Time 5:42–7:36: Deuteronomy (5 Mos) 8:18, about receiving wealth.
For more information, see the chapter below Prosperity Gospel.
Time 7:37–10:20: Acts 19:6, see the gift of tongues explained in
Jesus the Light of the World and The Gift of Tongues.
Time 10:22–13:25: Mat 18:18, about binding and loosing.

The World of Knowledge

The World of knowledge is mentioned in the Bible (1 Cor 12:7–8),
see 2. The Word of knowledge in Spiritual Gifts.

It can provide knowledge about a person or something that occurs. But it doesn't add to scripture or contradict scripture. We must compare what a preacher says with what the Bible says. The Bible must be our foundation (2 Tim 3:16–17). When we read a verse in the Bible, it's important to read it in its context (to read the verses before and after), and compare it with other parts of the Bible that talk about the same thing.

Prophesy

Some people prophesy about the future (1 Cor 12:10), see 6. Prophecy in
Spiritual Gifts. Prophecy should be assessed and corrected according to God's Word, the Bible (Rev 22:18–19).

Humanization of God

Man was created in the image of God (Gen (1 Mos) 1:26–27). Image in this case means internal, not physical. It reflects God’s spirituality, personality, morality, and intellect. Man is unique on Earth, in that man can spiritually relate to God. It separates humans from animals. WOF teaches that God looks like man physically. God is the same size as Adam. Man is a duplication of God. This isn't what the word image means in scripture. You have to look at the context (Col 3:8–10). God is spirit (John 4:24). We aren't equal with God (Isaiah 40:18, 28–30, 46:5).

The Divinity of Man

WOF not only lowers God, they raise man to the level of God. Satan said the same thing about himself as the morning star in Heaven (Isaiah 14:12–14 (NIV)).
Satan deceived Eva in the Garden of Eden in the same way (Gen (1 Mos) 3:4–5).
The WOF says that man was created equal to God, and that God made Adam the
god of the Earth before he fell.

They believe that every Christian is a god, with a small letter g, little gods.
They base it on John 10:34, where Jesus quotes Psalm 82:6. But Jesus means
there that the rulers were called gods because of their divine mission to judge according to the Old Testament. See this explained in these videos at the times:

26:15–28:41 in John 10:22-42 – Opposed by Stoning.
30:17–36:04 in John 10 (Part 2) :22-42 • "I and the Father are one".

That Christians aren't gods is also what the Bible says:

Isaiah 40:25, 43:10, 44:6, 8
Deuteronomy (5 Mos) 4:35

It's also taught by some WOF preachers that Adam gave life to the animals.
This is of course not correct, it was God who did it:

Gen (1 Mos) 1:24, 29–30

Adam and Eve got dominion in the Garden of Eden (Gen (1 Mos) 1:28b). They were given a position of authority to rule the Earth. When Adam and Eve sinned (see

The Biblical Creation and the Fall of Man) they surrendered their dominion to Satan.
We know this because Satan has been given the name "the ruler of this world"
(John 14:30) and "the prince of the power of the air" (Eph 2:1–2). When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan told Jesus that the power over all the kingdoms of the world had been given to him (Luke 4:5–8). Jesus didn't question it. However, it's a temporary dominion that Satan has. Satan's power was broken through the death
of Jesus, who bore our sin on the cross (John 12:31–33), see Salvation, but he can still deceive us. As Christians we belong to another kingdom, the kingdom of God (Phil 3:20, Col 1:13). It's within this kingdom of the world ruled by Satan
(1 John 5:19). There will come a day when Jesus will get that kingdom back
(Rev 11:15), see The Millennial Kingdom and the Great White Throne Judgement.
See this explained at time 5:07–9:15 in 1 John 3 • Beloved, we are God’s children.
See also step 5 in Objections to Christianity in Misconceptions and Objections.

The WOF has added that Adam ruled the Earth as a little god, and then God gave up his dominion over the Earth. When Adam sinned, Satan gained power on Earth also over God. God must now ask men for permission to act in this world, because he lost ownership of this world when Adam sinned. But God hasn't lost ownership of this world, see God is sovereign in God's Attributes. See also:

Psalm 22:28 (29 in some Bible translations)
Psalm 115:3
Psalm 135:5–6
Psalm 145:13
Dan 4:3 (3:33 in some Bible translations)
Isaiah 14:26–27
Isaiah 46:9–11
Job 23:13

Unbiblical Teaching about Jesus

WOF teaches that Jesus never claimed to be God. But it's not according to the Bible, see Jesus – I AM. God become man when Jesus was born on Earth at his incarnation. He then retained his deity but added being a man. Deity and humanity dwelt in the body of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus could eat and sleep as man on Earth:

John 1:1–5, 14, 3:16, 10:30–33
John 8:56–59, Gen (1 Mos) 18:1–3
Col 1:19–20, 2:8–9

Unbiblical Teaching about the Atonement

WOF teaches that Jesus Died Spiritually (JDS) on the cross, that is:

Salvation wasn't achieved on the cross.
Salvation wasn't achieved through the physical death of Jesus.
Salvation isn't accomplished through the blood of Jesus.
Jesus had to die both physical and spiritual on the cross.
Jesus took on Satan’s sinful nature and ceased to be God
when he died spiritually on the cross.
Jesus suffered three days in Hell, where he was tortured.
Jesus paid for our sin in Hell, not on the cross.
Jesus had to be born again in Hell.
Salvation could have been attained by any born again man,
if he had sufficient knowledge by faith.

The Bible says the following:

Atonement was completed on the cross:

John 19:30
1 Cor 1:17–19
Gal 6:14
Col 2:13–15

Salvation is accomplished through the blood of Jesus:

Rom 5:9
Eph 1:7–8, 2:13–16
Col 1:19–20
Heb 9:13–14, 13:12
1 Pet 1:18–19
1 John 1:7
Rev 1:5

Jesus took the punishment for our sin but didn't take on a sinful nature:

2 Cor 5:21
Isaiah 53:5–6

Jesus didn't die spiritually, and he didn't go to hell:

Luke 23:46, Psalm 31:5 (6 in some translations)

Jesus didn't cease to be God:

Psalm 90:1–2
Heb 13:8

Jesus was crucified from 9 AM to 3 PM. From 12 AM to 3 PM darkness covered the whole land (Mat 27:45). Darkness is a sign of judgement. This is probably the time when God the Father judges Jesus for our sin. The communion is broken between
God the Father and Jesus, who experiences the wrath of God the Father during
these three hours, during the darkness. This ends at 3 PM when the atonement
is accomplished on the cross (John 19:28–30). The relationship between
God the Father and Jesus is now restored. Jesus was the same all that time,
the Son of God and without sin.

Heb 2:14–15, 9:11–12
Luke 23:46
Mat 27:51–54

The veil in the temple was broken in two, see The Rending of the Veil of the Temple. This means that the redemption is done, animal sacrifice is no longer needed once a year by the high priest. Jesus has given his life on the cross for our sin, through his blood, for all eternity. For detailed information, see The Atonement.

False Teaching about Faith

WOF believes that faith is a power activated by a spoken word, whether you are a believer or not, according to four spiritual laws, which God must obey:

Say what you want. By doing so, you put the power of faith into action.
Do something (donate money) that moves God into action.
Depending on your action you will receive, or will be kept from receiving.
Get ready to receive and receive it.
Tell someone else about it and announce that you got it.
Do it even before it has manifested as if you have already received it.

It can be compared to turning on a switch to make the current flow.
There is no support for this in the Bible. It comes from metaphysical cults.

See it properly explained in these videos:

Time 11:28–13:28 in September 2024 Bible Q&A.
Time 7:52–10:17 in Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │March 2024.
Time 30:14–33:43 in John 4 (Part 3) :43-54 • A crisis of Faith.
Time 29:06–38:17 in John 14 (Part 1) :1-14 • “I am the Way . . .”.

See also Ask, and it will be given to you in The Sermon on the Mount.

Faith is a foundation on which we stand, a belief and a trust in Jesus,
what he did on the cross, see Faith in Faith, Hope, and Agape Love.

Faith is an attitude, not an object (Hebrew 11:1).

Example of faith in the Bible:

Mat 9:20–22
Luke 7:6–9

False Teaching about Positive Confession

WOF’s definition of positive confession is the practice of saying out loud what you want to happen, with the expectation that God will make it happen.
"Name it and claim it." What I confess I possess. What we believe is a result of our thinking. Positive confession makes positive things happen. The spoken word can create things.

Zechariah became mute according to the WOF, to prevent his negative words
from jeopardizing God's plan for the birth of John the Baptist (Luke 1:18–20). But according to the Bible, a negative word from Zechariah can’t jeopardize God's plan. This is what the Bible says about God's power:

Isaiah 14:26–27, 46:10
Psalm 135:5–6

See also time 13:25–14:09 in Acts 19 (Part 2) :8-41 • Ministering in Ephesus.

False Teaching about Healing

There are basically four types of healing that God gives:

Natural healing that is part of our immune system created by God.
Through scientific research and medical treatment of our minds and bodies.
However, we shouldn't put all our hope in man, which is something God doesn't want us to do. He wants us to seek his help as well, which we can do through prayer. See the end of King Asa of Judah.
When we breathe our last and enter God's presence.
Supernatural healing. Then there is no natural or scientific explanation for the healing. It happens from time to time even nowadays.

Does supernatural physical healing occur in our time:

There is no verse in the Bible that says physical healing has ceased to exist.
We can still pray, and should pray, for physical healing, and people are healed
by it because we have a merciful God. There are bible verses that confirm it
(1 Cor 12:9), see 4. Gifts (plural) of Healing in Spiritual Gifts.

Can we expect physical healing every time we ask for it:

WOF believes that when Jesus died for us on the cross, he died also for our physical ailments (Isaiah 53:5, 1 Pet 2:24), and that physical healing in this life before death is a God-given right of all believers. They believe that if a person isn't physical healed, it's either because the person doesn't have faith to be healed or is living in some kind of sin.

The word for healed in Isaiah 53:5 can be translated as either physical healing or spiritual healing, but not both. Spiritual healing means salvation from sin and peace with God because of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross. This means that the word for healed can have two different meanings. We have to look in context to understand what it means. According to the context, it must mean spiritual healing.
Christ's sacrifice heals our sinful condition and satisfies the penalty for our sin.
This doesn't mean that all true believers are promised physical healing in this life. See this explained in the following videos at the following times:

41:44–43:42 in May 2024 Bible Q&A.
38:28–43:33 in Bible Q & A With Pastor Paul and Sue.
25:03–32:46 in Hebrews 11 Part 1 v1 • What is Faith?
24:19–25:43 in Bible Q&A With Pastor Paul │March 2024.
3:40–5:41 in 5 BIBLE VERSES MANY . . . TAKE OUT OF CONTEXT!

This means that we aren't always physically healed when we ask for it. However,
we can improve our ability to heal by studying how people were healed in the New Testament, see Ask, and it will be given to you in The Sermon on the Mount.

See also The Book of Job and these short animated videos explaining suffering:

Examples of spiritual healing:

A healing can be a spiritual healing according to several verses in the Bible:
Psalm 41:4 (5 in some translations), Isaiah 6:10, 19:22, 30:26, 1 Pet 2:21–25.

Jesus healed people

Jesus healed people of their physical ailments during his ministry to fulfill what
was said by prophet Isaiah: "He took our illnesses and bore our diseases"
(Mat 8:16–17, Isaiah 53:4), see chapter "Why Miracles" in Miracles of Jesus.

See time 18:40–38:40 in Luke 4 (Part 3) :31-44 • Demons, Miraculous Healing.

Jesus healed instantly and completely:

Mat 8:13, 20:30–34
Mark 1:30–31, 5:41–42
Luke 5:24–25

They didn't have to proclaim that they were healed, "plant a seed" (see
Seed Faith Giving below), or exercise some measure of faith to be healed.

Jesus healed any disease:

Mat 4:24
Luke 4:40

Healing was a sign ministry:

The main reason Jesus healed people was to confirm who he is (Mat 11:2–6,
Luke 7:18–23). It was a sign ministry, he is the Son of God, salvation comes through him. The same can be said about the disciples. God healed through them to authenticate their ministries, although it was also done out of mercy (Acts 3:1–10). Therefore, it may be easier to heal a non-believer on the street than a Christian believer in a prayer meeting. Being healed can help a person become a believer in Christ. It's more important to win a soul for eternal life with Christ, than to be healed in this life. God wants us to love him, even if we aren't physical healed in this life.

Not all New Testament believers were healed:

1 Tim 5:23
2 Tim 4:20
Phil 2:25–27
2 Cor 12:7–9 (probably a physical weakness)

Body, Soul, and Spirit

Kenneth E. Hagin taught that man is a spirit, has a soul, and lives in a body.
This isn't correct. See Body, Soul, and Spirit in The Danger with Gnosticism.

Prosperity Gospel

The Prosperity Gospel is also called The Health and Wealth Gospel. The idea is that by giving money to a church or preacher, you will become rich and healthy.

Joseph and Mary weren't rich:

Joseph and Mary were poor when Jesus was born. (Luke 2:22–24,

Leviticus (3 Mos) 12:8). Poor people sacrificed a pair of turtledoves
or two young pigeons. They received gifts (gold) later from the wise men (see The Christmas Star), which were probably used when they travelled
to Egypt, living there as refugees. Archaeology has shown that Nazareth
was a poor community.

Jesus wasn't rich:

Mat 8:19–20: Jesus had no place to live, he was homeless.
John 19:26–27: Jesus told John the apostle to take care of Mary.

WOF says that Jesus had a nice house, and refer to John 1:35–39,
but these verses don't say that. Even though Jesus had a fine coat
(it was without seam, woven from the top in one piece (John 19:23))
it doesn't make him rich.

The disciples weren't rich:

Mat 10:9–12, 17:24–27

Luke 14:33, 18:28–30, 22:35–36

Acts 3:6

1 Cor 4:11–13

Jesus warns us about the love of money:

Mat 6:19–21, 13:22–23

Luke 12:15–21, see The Parable of the Rich Fool

Acts 20:33–35

1 Tim 6:6–12, see The Love of Money

2 Pet 2:14

Rev 3:17, see Laodicea in
The Seven Churches in the Book of Revelation.

Seed Faith Giving

Oral Roberts introduced Seed Faith Giving. When other WOF preachers noticed that it was very successful in raising money, they introduced it in their ministries and developed it further, see the videos:

That means you have to give God something to work with in order to get. If you don't give, you don't get. The more you give, the more you get. God multiplies your seed, thirtyfold, sixtyfold or hundredfold (Mark 4:8). It can also bring health and salvation to your family. It's mainly money that you have to give.

Three Principles for Seed Faith Giving:

God is our source (Phil 4:19).
Give first (primarily money), so it it will be given back to you (Luke 6:38).
Expect a miracle (Mark 11:24).

Luke 6:38 (see step 2 above) must be read it in its context, especially the verses before. It means that God will bless you if you treat people the way you want to be treated (Luke 6:37). It's not about money.

Luke 6:34–35 says that when you give, you shouldn't give with the motivation to receive, which is the opposite of what Seed Faith Giving says.

They base it a lot on Mat 13:3–9, see The Parable of the Sower. Their interpretation of this parable is that the seed is money. It's the believers who sow. The ground is the ministry where you sow your money. The thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold increase refer to the financial increase that you get back.

Jesus himself explains this parable in Mat 13:18–23: The seed is the Word of God, the gospel, not money. Those who sow are those who spread the Word of God. They will receive different kinds of responses when they preach the Word of God.
The ground is those who hear the Word of God. The parable isn't about money.
Their interpretation isn't biblical.

Gal 6:7–10 is also used by preachers of Seed Faith Giving. But these verses deal with spiritual matters and aren't about money.

The Dangers of Seed Faith Giving:

It promotes the idea that God’s blessings are for sale. The more money you give to their ministries, the more blessings you receive. You have to give God something to work with. You have to give to get. If you don’t get, it's because you haven’t given enough money. This isn't according to the Bible.
God's gifts can’t be bought with money (Acts 8:18–23, Mat 7:9–11).
It encourages people to give with a selfish motive. I give to get. The more
I give, the more I get. This principle isn't of God, see Ananias and Sapphira. The most important thing isn't how much we give, but why we give, our motivation. It should be done out of love, mercy, a desire to help others,
to see God glorified (James 4:2–3), see Ask, and it will be given to you
in The Sermon on the Mount.
It promotes greed and overemphasizing the importance of material things (Luke 12:15–17, Hebrew 13:5, Phil 4:11–13, 1 John 2:16–17, 1 Tim 6:6–12).
It makes people focus on the here and now, not the afterlife
(Col 3:1–4, Mat 6:19–21).
It leads people to give under pressure, to give more than they can afford
(2 Cor 8:11–12, 9:7).
It's contrary to the gospel message. Not just scripture, but also the whole idea of the gospel, that it’s free, it’s of grace and love (Eph 2:8–9).
We can’t buy our salvation.

Jesus and his disciples never told anyone to sow a seed before they healed them,
or before they received salvation (Acts 3:6).

The principles for giving are described at the end part of The Book of Corinthians.

The Dangers of WOF Teachings

The roots aren't found in scripture. It builds more on metaphysical cults.
The teaching doesn't rely solely on the Word of God. It contains revelation knowledge or alleged Word of knowledge that adds to the Bible.
They humanize God. They give God the characteristics of man.
They believe that God isn't all powerful and not all knowing.
They teach that God has lost dominion and control over the world.
They teach that the humans are little gods and have deity. Man is equal to God. Men, not God, have dominion over the Earth. Humans must give God permission to be able to act in this world.
They humanize Jesus. They take away the divinity of Jesus.
They teach a false view of the atonement.
They teach that faith is a force that must be activated by our words.
Even God must obey this power, formulated in a four-step formula.
They think all Christians should be healthy.
They think all Christians should be wealthy.
We must first give in order to receive from God (Seed Faith Given).
This principle isn't of God, see Ananias and Sapphira.
It's focused on the self and the present, not on God and not on the afterlife.
It has disillusioned many Christians. They have given a lot of money but haven't received help as promised by their preachers.
It misrepresents Christianity to the world.
Many are false prophets who preach a false gospel.

How to Respond to WOF Teachings

Some reasons why people follow WOF teachings:

Ignorance of basic Christian doctrines (2 Tim 3:16–17, 1 Tim 4:13).
Lack of spiritual discernment. Can’t distinguish between right and wrong teachings (Heb 5:12–14).
Preach to people who have itching ears about what they want to hear
(2 Tim 4:1–4).
They have charismatic and popular teachers.
They have great exposure, for example on television.

How to respond:

Pray (Eph 6:12).
We need to read and study the Bible (1 Tim 4:13, 2 Tim 2:15, 3:16–17).
See time 2:17–6:34 in 2 Timothy 1 (Part 2) :13–18 • Holding fast, guarding
and the verses of Proverbs 3:5–7.
Remember the seriousness of their false teachings.
Evaluate my motives. Am I receiving God's truth?
Why do I listen to people who preach false doctrine?
Expose these false teachers and teachings (Gal 1:6–9, 1 Tim 6:6–11),
see CRAZY "CHURCHES" and "PREACHERS" vs A TRUE CHURCH of GOD.
Then see the meaning of Do not judge others in The Sermon on the Mount.

Summary

True faith isn't about what I can get from God. It's about giving myself to him completely. It's about the glory of God. To surrender to Jesus. Wealth, success, and happiness aren't signs of God's favour. It's a false gospel to preach that the more I give, the more blessings I will receive in return. The Bible doesn't promise that kind of wealth. It's more about who we become in Jesus, building a relationship with him. God's love is enough. It's not about what I can get in this world, not about material gain. We are called to follow Christ, not for what we can gain from him, but because he is our Savior, our Lord. He gave his life for us. True faith has nothing to do with personal gain, but laying down my life for God, trusting God with my future, and accepting his will, even when it means walking through struggles and suffering.

God's love isn't something that I can earn, it's a gift that is freely given. It's through that love that we find peace, not through amassing riches or success. The only hope that really matters is hope in Christ. The kind of hope that depends not on the things of this world but on God's eternal love. Peace and fulfillment only come when I surrender my life to Jesus. True faith in God isn't about accumulating riches or achieving success in this world. It's not about asking God for a perfect life, free of struggle and hardship. True faith is about surrendering my life to Jesus, trusting him with all my heart. Our blessings are in Heaven to come (Eph 1:3, 1 Pet 1:3–4).

See also Some stories close related to the gospels at the end of
The Four Gospels.

Thursday, October 3, 2019

Word of Faith Movement in the U.S.