The Word Faith Charismatic Movement

The Pervasive Influence of the Word of Faith Movement

The Word of Faith movement, often called the prosperity gospel, has deeply infiltrated Charismatic and Pentecostal branches of Christianity, attracting a large following among pastors, teachers, and evangelists. Its most prominent figures include Kenneth Hagin, Kenneth Copeland, Frederick K.C. Price, Creflo Dollar, and the late David (Paul) Yongii Cho. Other well-known personalities associated with the movement are Gloria Copeland, Robert Tilton, John Avanzini, John and Joel Osteen, T.D. Jakes, Brian Houston (Hillsong), Joyce Meyer, Bill Johnson, T.L. Osborne, Marilyn Hickey, Jerry Savelle, Morris Cerullo, Rodney Howard-Browne, Casey Treat, Mike Murdoch, Dwight Thompson, and Oral and Richard Roberts, to name just a few.

Critics have strongly condemned the movement’s doctrines, labeling them as “heresy,” “cultic,” “Gnostic,” and even “a work of Satan.” One critic described it as “perhaps the most subtle heretical system to emerge in our times,” while another called it “a form of transcendentalism or Gnosticism (from which have come such metaphysical cults as Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, and now the health and wealth cult).”

The Word of Faith movement represents an almost unprecedented unbiblical influence within Christianity. Its widespread acceptance is so profound that it’s no longer just a part of the charismatic movement; for many, it is the charismatic movement.

Understanding the Dangers

What exactly does the Word of Faith movement teach? And why are its doctrines considered so spiritually and physically dangerous? Addressing these questions is crucial for preserving the unity of the Christian faith. Far too many have already embraced Word of Faith teachings, seemingly fulfilling 2 Timothy 4:3-4: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”

While Word of Faith doctrines are commonly disseminated through radio broadcasts, tapes, books, and tracts, their primary platforms are the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) and other Christian television channels like Daystar. These global networks have successfully brought Word of Faith theology into the mainstream, reaching millions of Christians who might otherwise never have encountered it.

As Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute, notes: “While the Faith movement is undeniably cultic – and particular groups within the movement are clearly cults – it should be pointed out that there are many sincere, born-again believers within the movement. These believers seem to be wholly unaware of the movement’s cultic theology. They represent that segment of the movement which, for whatever reason, has not comprehended or internalized the heretical teachings set forth by the leadership of their respective groups.”

Why the Appeal?

If the Word of Faith gospel is unbiblical, why is it so popular among Christians? Firstly, the movement masterfully employs evangelical and Pentecostal terminology and abundant biblical proof texts, lulling many believers into a false sense of security about its orthodoxy. Secondly, its message is undeniably appealing—perhaps the most attractive gospel ever preached.

D.R. McConnell, a critic of the Word of Faith movement and a graduate of Oral Roberts University, observes:

“Seldom, if ever, has there been a gospel that has promised so much, and demanded so little. The Faith gospel is a message ideally suited to the twentieth-century American Christian. In an age in America characterized by complexity, the Faith gospel gives simple, if not revelational, answers. In an economy fueled by materialism and fired by ambitions of the ‘upwardly mobile,’ the Faith gospel preaches wealth and prosperity. The Faith gospel promises health and long life to a world in which death can come in a myriad of ways. Finally, in an international environment characterized by anarchy, in which terrorists strike at will and nuclear holocaust can come screaming from the sky at any moment, the Faith gospel confers an authority with which the believer can supposedly exercise complete control over his or her own environment.”

The Apostle Paul’s warning to the Corinthians about false teachers rings eerily true today: “I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached. or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not yet received, or another gospel, which ye have not yet accepted, ye might well bear with him” (2 Corinthians 11:3-4).

This passage perfectly illustrates current events. Christians worldwide are not merely tolerating but actively embracing what the Word of Faith movement offers: a false Jesus, another gospel, and a different spirit.

Teachings of the Word of Faith Movement

Here are some of the core teachings of the Word of Faith Movement:

• God’s Physical Form: God is a being who stands approximately six feet tall, weighs some two hundred pounds, and looks exactly like a man (Kenneth Copeland, Spirit, Soul, and Body I – audiotape #01-0601, side 1, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 121).
• Faith as a Substance: Faith is the literal substance “that God used to create the universe, and He transported that faith with His words” (Charles Capps, Changing the Seen and Shaping the Unseen – Tulsa: Harrison House, 1980, 14). “Here, essentially, is what God did. God filled His words with faith. He used his words as containers to hold His faith and contain that spiritual force and transport it out there into the vast darkness by saying, ‘Light, be!’ That’s the way God transported His faith causing creation and transformation” (Charles Capps, Dynamics of Faith and Confession – Tulsa: Harrison House, 1987, 29).
• The Force of Faith and Spiritual Laws: All things, including God, are subject to this “force of faith” because it works according to spiritual “laws” of the universe. “There are laws of the world of the spirit … The spiritual world and its laws are more powerful than the physical world … The world and the physical forces governing it were created by the power of faith – a spiritual force …. It is this force of faith which makes the laws of the spirit world function” (Kenneth Copeland, The Laws of Prosperity – Ft. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974, 18-19). “The force of faith is released by words. Faith-filled words put the law of the Spirit of life into operation” (Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Faith – Ft. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1983, 16).
• Adam as a Duplicate God: The greatest thing God conceived and created was an exact duplicate of Himself. This duplicate god – named Adam – was God manifested in the flesh (Charles Capps, “God said, Let us make man in our image after our own likeness. The word likeness in the original Hebrew means ‘an exact duplication in kind.’ … Adam was an exact duplication of God’s kind!” from Authority in Three Worlds (Tulsa: Harrison House, 1987), 28-29. Quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 379).
• Eve’s Divinity: God eventually went to Adam, who was anatomically male and female, and separated the female part from the male part to make a “womb-man” (woman). Adam named this “man with a womb” Eve. She, like Adam, was a god (Kenneth Copeland, Sensitivity of Heart, 23, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 380).
• The Fall and Satan’s Lordship: The Fall caused Adam and Eve’s divine natures to be replaced with Satan’s nature. They also lost their rights of rulership to planet earth. Even God was barred from having full access to earth because Adam and Eve were under His lordship when they “fell.” Through their disobedience, Satan became the god of this world.
• God’s Need for Human Permission: God formulated a scheme to take back the earth, but in order to execute His plan, He had to find a human who would invite Him (give Him permission) to work within the earthly realm. Finally, God “got to a point where He had His plan ready for operation. And He saw a man named Abraham” (Frederick K.C. Price, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 381). In return for allowing God to bring the Messiah through his lineage, Abraham received unlimited health and wealth.
• Mary’s Role in Jesus’ Incarnation: For centuries, God visualized Jesus. Then, when it was finally time for the Messiah to come forth, God spoke Him into existence through faith in the same way that He had visualized and spoken into existence everything else. Bringing forth Jesus, however, was also dependent upon whether Mary would lend her faith to help form the body of the Lord out of the literal “Word” (confession) God spoke to her: “Mary received the Word of God. She actually conceived God’s Word sent by an angel. Zecharias didn’t … Mary received it. She spoke it when she conceived it in her spirit. Then it manifested in her physical body… This is the key to understanding the Virgin Birth… God spoke it. God transmitted that image to Mary. She received the image inside her… The embryo that was in Mary’s womb was nothing more than the Word of God… Mary conceived the Word in her spirit, it manifested itself in her physical body” (Capps, Dynamics, 84-87). “Mary conceived the Word of God in her heart… Mary conceived the Word sent to her by an angel (God’s Word) and conceived it in the womb of her spirit. Once it was received in her spirit, it manifested itself in her physical body. She received and conceived the Word of God in her spirit… The embryo in Mary’s womb was nothing but the pure Word of God- and it took flesh upon itself” (Charles Capps, Authority in Three Worlds, – Tulsa: Harrison House, 1980, 81-83). “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” (Kenneth Copeland, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 381).
• Jesus’ Wealth on Earth: While on earth, Jesus was wealthy. He lived in a big house, had a great deal of money, and wore the finest clothes (John Avanzini on two different TBC broadcasts, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 381-382).
• Jesus Not Claiming Divinity: Although Jesus declared that he walked with God and that God was in Him, He never actually claimed to be God (Kenneth Copeland, Take Time to Pray – Believers Voice of Victory (February 1987) 9). In fact, during His three years of public ministry, “Jesus did not stand in a class by himself… He was ministering on earth as a human being- a prophet anointed with the Holy Spirit” (Kenneth Copeland, quoted in Crenshaw, Man As God, 320). Jesus remained sinless so He could redeem men from their satanic natures.
• Spiritual Death of Jesus and Atonement in Hell: In order to redeem humanity, Jesus had to die spiritually as well as physically. When He died spiritually, He died in the same way that Adam died. In other words, He lost His divine nature and was given the nature of Satan. Jesus’ death on the cross and His shed blood did not atone for our sins (Kenneth Copeland, Jesus Our Lord of Glory – Believers Voice of Victory (April 1982), 3). The atonement took place in hell through the devil’s torturing of Jesus’ spirit for three days and three nights. Unfortunately for Satan, Jesus was was taken to hell “illegally” because He had never sinned. This “technicality” enabled God to use His “force of faith” to revive Jesus’ spirit, restore Jesus’ divine nature, and resurrect Jesus’ body. Through the resurrection process, Jesus was “born again.”
• Christians as “Little Gods”: When a person is born again, they experience exactly what happened to Jesus. Their satanic nature is replaced by God’s divine nature. The transformation is so identical to Jesus’ transformation that Christians become little gods (small “g”) and are as much an incarnation of God as was Jesus.
• Authority of Christians: Because Christians are “little gods,” they now have access to the “God-kind of faith,” which can be used to get virtually anything they want. Christians, rather than God, have authority in the earth over Satan and sickness and disease. Consequently, believers should never pray God’s will be done (Frederick K.C. Price, cited in Hanegraaf, Crisis, 384).
• Steps to Obtain Desires: To obtain specific desires, Christians must do three things: (1) loose the power of the “force of faith” by speaking or positively confessing whatever is wanted (e.g., “I am healed,” “I am not sick,” etc.); (2) believe that whatever has been confessed will definitely be received; and (3) ignore or look beyond the visible reality (i.e., remaining sickness, low finances, etc.) and continue claiming what has been confessed.
• Origin of Negative Circumstances: Everything bad, including poverty and sickness, comes from Satan. God’s people should have a completely blessed life. A Christian not experiencing such a life is either: (1) in sin; or (2) lacking enough faith to bring about what is desired.
• Negative Confessions and Tragedy: The power of audible confessions is so great that sometimes a person can unknowingly bring tragedy upon themselves by making negative confessions. For example, a woman who is mugged may have actually caused that mugging if at any time prior to the experience she made comments like, “I live in such a dangerous part of the city that I’m afraid I’ll be mugged.” The woman should have been saying, “I will not be mugged.” Similarly, someone who jokingly says “I feel like I’m going crazy” may actually become insane.

A Critical Analysis of Word of Faith Teachings

A common defense from Word of Faith adherents is that their critics misrepresent or quote their teachers out of context. When faced with substantive challenges to their unique theological tenets, the typical retort is, “My pastor never said that,” or “That’s not what we believe at all.” Yet, Jesus Himself declared, “Every careless word that men shall speak, they shall render account for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you shall be justified, and by your words you shall be condemned” (Matthew 12:36-37). He also taught that defilement comes from what “proceeds out of the mouth” (Matthew 15:11). The following contextual quotes from Word of Faith teachers, placed in direct opposition to the Word of Scripture, unequivocally reveal that these teachers have been corrupted by what the Apostle Paul termed “doctrines of demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).

Word Faith vs The Word of God

A Faulty Foundation: Faith in Faith

Many of the preceding doctrines are linked to the mistaken concept that faith is a literal substance, “a power force … a tangible force … a conductive force.” (Copeland, Force, 10). According to Kenneth E. Hagin, faith in one’s own faith is the secret to getting every desire of your heart.

Did you ever stop to think about having faith in your own faith? Evidently God had faith in His faith. because He spoke words of faith and they came to pass … Having faith in your words is having faith in your faith. That’s what you’ve got to learn to do to get things from God: Have faith in your faith. (Kenneth E. Hagin. Having Faith in Your Faith . Tulsa Faith Library, 1980, 4-5

Word Faith teachers twist scriptures to support their erroneous views. They do so with many scriptures, but the two verses they appeal to the most are Hebrews 11:1 and Mark 11:22. These passages are important because each one actually disproves the very position the faith teachers claim they support.

In Christianity in Crisis, a 447 page critique if Word of Faith doctrine, Hank Hanegraaff contends that the movement’s entire theology “rests on the word ‘substance’ in Hebrews 11:1 – ‘Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen,’ He goes on to explain and then refute their argument.

Faith teachers interpret the word “substance” to mean the ‘basic stuff’ out of which the universe is made. Faith cannot rightly be understood to mean “the building block of the universe,” since it it never used in that sense in the book of Hebrews. much less the entire Bible. The word translated “substance” in the KJV is more accurately rendered “assurance”. Faith is a channel of living trust – and assurance – which stretches from man to God. True biblical faith is faith in God as opposed to faith in substance (or faith in faith as Hagin puts it). True biblical faith (pistis in the Greek) encapsulates three essential elements … knowledge, agreement, and trust. (Hanegraaff, Crisis, 69-70)

Hypostatsis is translated in the NASB as ” assurance, in the NIV as “being sure”. Faith provides an inner certainty about things that simply are not open to empirical verification but are communicated by God’s Word (Hebrews 11:1) ,,, Pistis (“faith,” belief”) and related words deal with relationships established by trust and maintained in trustworthiness.

Regarding Mark 11:22, Word Faith teachers disregard the standard “Have faith in God” translation in favor of an erroneous rendering of the text, which reads “Have the faith of God.” God is the object of faith, not the possessor of faith. Therefore a proper meaningful translation is to have faith in God. By embracing a faulty view of faith, and by manipulating scriptures to get them to mean what one wants them to say, thousands of well meaning believers have plunged themselves into a cesspool of false teachings. One doctrine inseparably linked to the belief that faith is a force is “positive confession”, which maintains that words themselves actually contain the power to change reality (positively or negatively, depending on what kind of words are spoken) when coupled with the faith-force. Put bluntly. “what you say is what you get.” (Charles Capps, quoted in Crenshaw, Man as God, 177)

Confessing It Means Possessing It

Word Faith celebrity Kenneth Copeland says, “What you are saying is exactly what you are getting now. If you are loving in poverty and lack and want. change what you are saying … The powerful force of the spiritual world that creates the circumstances around us is controlled by the words of the mouth.” (Copeland, Laws, 98). Kenneth E. Hagin, who served for many years as Copeland’s mentor, echoes his protege” “Your right confessions will become a reality: and then you will get whatever you need from God.” (Kenneth E. Hagin, Right and Wrong Thinking for Christians (Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1966), 30.

Positively confessing something is the very first step to getting what is wanted (i.e. healing, a new boat, someone to marry etc.). The “force of faith” coupled with a carefully conceived positive confession is really the only way to produce results because such methods are what release God’s ability to bring about the things desired” “God’s Word conceived in the heart, then formed with the tongue and spoken out of the mouth becomes a spiritual force releasing the ability of God.” (Charles Capps, Dynamics, 33)

The stress placed on correct “speaking” often leads to some rather interesting instructions on how to “make” God work:

What do you need? Start creating it. Start speaking about it. Start speaking it into being. Speak to your billfold. Say, “You big thick billfold full of money.” Speak to your checkbook. Say, “You checkbook, you, You’ve never been so prosperous since I owned you. You’re just jammed full of money.” Say to you body. “You’re whole, body! Why, you just function so beautifully and so well. Why, body, you never have any problems. You’re a strong, healthy body.” Or speak to your leg, or speak to your foot, or speak to your neck, or speak to your back…. Speak to your wife, speak to your husband, speak to your circumstances; and speak faith to them to create in them and God will create what you are speaking.” (Marilyn Hickey, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 63).

This exhortation, as humorous as it sounds, masks a cruelty that comes through whenever someone in the Word Faith movement faces trials. Just as positive words have the power to create positive (good) results, negative words have the power to create negative (bad) results, at least to the Word Faith followers. Consequently, those suffering have only themselves to blame, say the Word Faith teachers. As Frederick K. C. Price says, “If you keep talking death, that is what you are going to have. If you keep talking sickness and disease, that is what you are going to have, because you are going to create the reality of them with your own mouth. That is a divine law.” (Price, Realm, 29).

The Sin of Suffering

Those in the Word Faith movement feel the spoken word is so powerful that individuals can bring tragedy upin themselves without even realizing it.

We live in an environment of our own making – one that we have largely created by our own words (Kenneth E. Hagin, quoted in Crenshaw, Man As God, 199)

Whether you realize it or not, you frame your world with your words daily (Charles Capps, quoted in Man as God, 77)

Somebody says, “You mean the world that I’m living in right now originated by the words of my mouth?” They certain did, because the Bible says you are snared by the words of your mouth, you are taken by your words. (Jerry Savelle, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 68)

With word you bind things, or you loose other things. Sometimes you think you are just being honest, and you loose the devil against your finances by saying things like, “Well, we just never can get ahead”. (Charles Capps, Dynamics, 64)

Unfortunately, Word Faith proponents explain suffering through a conventional appeal to the sovereignty of man. There are no victims, nothing out of control, and everything can change because those afflicted are calling the shots. As long as someone possesses enough knowledge about what God has promised, says the right words, and has enough faith, all will be taken care of – bills will get paid, family members will be healed, and money will fall from the sky like manna from heaven. One’s own words control life because words “are the most powerful things in the universe today.” (Charles Capps, Creative Power, 25). “Health, success, happiness, and prosperity are God’s will for you when you believe His word enough to act on it.” (T.L. Osborne, quoted in Hanegraaff, Crisis, 361)

In the Word Faith movement, all suffering is caused by man, rather than God. As Frederick K. Price says, “You are suffering because you’re stupid!.” (Price, quoted in Crenshaw, Man As God, 156). The stupidity to which Price refers is expressed through speaking negative confessions or through not realizing that positive confessions will bring about good things. Apparently suffering is something that affects the ignorant.

Capps also points out that that Job’s problems were caused by his own words ..” The thing which I greatly feared is come upon me.” (Job 3:25). (Capps, Tongue, 92), Scripture, however, indicates that God PERMITTED Job to be afflicted: “The Lord said to Satan, ‘Behold, all that he has is in your power; only do not lay a hand on his person.’ and ‘Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.” (Job 1:12;2:6)

According to Word Faith teachers, no good can ever come from suffering. Kenneth E. Hagin asserts, “You cannot for anywhere in the Bible where God causes these things [tragedies] to happen to teach His people something.” (Kenneth E. Hagin, How You Can Be Led by the Spirit of God, Tulsa: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1978, 91).

The Wheel of Fortune

Financial prosperity to those in the Word Faith movement is more than just a blessing; it’s an absolute right.

God wills the (financial) prosperity of every one of his children, and therefore for a Christian to be in poverty is to be outside God’s intended will; it is to be living a Satan defeated life. And usually tucked away in this affirmation is a second: Because we are God’s children … we should always go first-class- we should have the biggest and the best, a Cadillac instead of a Volkswagen, because this alone brings glory to God. (Gordon D. Fee, The Disease of the health and Wealth Gospels, – Beverly, Mass: Frontline Publishing, 1985, 4).

In Kenneth Copeland’s words, “Jesus bore the curse of the law on our behalf. He beat Satan and took away his power. Consequently, there is no reason for you to live under the curse of the law, no reason for you to live in poverty of any kind.” (Copeland, Laws, 51).

The Bible names countless individuals who, although they were righteous before God, were poor: Paul the apostle (Philippians 4:11-12); his companions (1 Corinthians 4:9-13); the Old Testament faithful (Hebrews 11:37). Even the Lord Jesus lived in poverty (Matthew 8:20).

But these facts are vehemently denied by John Avanzini, who assures everyone that “Jesus was handling big money.” (John Avanzini Praise the Lord, TBN, videotape, September 15, 1988). In fact, he claims, “Jesus had a nice house, a big house-big enough to have company stay the night with Him at the house.” (John Avanzini, Believers Voice of Victory, TBN, videotape, January 20, 1991).

Scripture nowhere indicates that Jesus was wealthy, Instead, it clearly portrays Him as being poor: “For ye know the grace of our Lord jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Spiritual wealth or life comes to us sinners through the death of Christ. Christians are to be rich in spiritual things (James 2:5), including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Revelation 2:9 speaks of believers who, although poor by worldly standards, are still “rich” because of the spiritual wealth they possess.

Temporal riches are of much less value than spiritual riches. According to Paul, “But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.” (1 Timothy 6:9-10)\

Lay up not for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)

Health and Healing

In Word Faith theology all believers “should thoroughly understand that their healing was consummated in Christ. When they come to know that in their spirits – just as they know it in their heads – that will be the end of sickness and disease in their bodies.” (Kenneth E. Hagin, Seven Things You Should Know about Divine Healing, Tulsa; Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1979, 54).

Isaiah 53:4-6 is the primary verse misinterpreted by the Word Faith teachers. They cross reference this passage with Matthew 8:17. The healing spoken of in these passages have to do with being healed of the effects of sin – separation from God, rather than physical disease. Psalm 41:4 states “Lord be merciful to me: heal my soul; for I have sinned against thee.”

Word Faith leaders have an intense aversion toward sickness. Frederic Price says this” “how can you glorify God in your body, when it doesn’t function right? How can you glorify God? How can he get glory when your body does not even work? What makes you think the Holy Ghost wants to live inside a body where He can’t see out through the windows and He can’t hear with the ears? What makes you think the Holy Spirit wants to live inside of a physical body where the limbs and the organs and the cells do not function right? And what makes you think He wants to live in a temple where He can’t see out of the eyes, and He can’t walk with the feet< and He can’t move with the hands? The only eyes that He has that are in the earth realm are the eyes that are in the body. If he can’t see out of them God’s gonna be limited.” (Price, quoted in Hanegraaf, Crisis, 259-260).

But such a mind-set becomes even more harsh when coupled with the Word of faith practice of citing a personal lack of faith as the primary cause of a sickness:

Medicine is not God’s highest or best. There is a better way when you know how to use your faith. … When you have developed your faith to such an extent that you can stand on the promises of God, then you won’t need medicine. (Frederick. K. Price, Faith, Foolishness, or Presumption? – Tulsa: Harrison House, 1979, 87-93).

Does God guarantee that Christians will be healed as long as they have enough faith and are not in sin? He does not. Instead, He gives His Word gives us numerous examples of godly individuals who were not healed. Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; Galatians 4:13-15); Timothy (1 Timothy 5:23); Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20); and Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25-27).

Many Christians ask: ” if Christ healed everyone who came to Him when he was on the earth, why would He not want everyone to be healed today, as long as they have faith? After all, Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8)”. Firstly, there is no evidence in Scripture that Jesus healed everyone who was ever brought to Him during His lifetime on the earth. Secondly, nowhere in Scripture is perfect healing for all promised before the resurrection and glorification, which will occur at the final judgement (see Revelation 20-22). Physical healing in its ultimate sense can only ultimately be a result of the transformation of our “death-doomed” bodies into bodies like His glorious resurrected body (Romans 8:11; 1 Peter 1:24). Thirdly, healing came from Christ based on His will, regardless of the individuals faith. He healed those who believed (Matthew 8:13) and those who did not believe (John 9:1-38).

It is simply a fact that everyone on the earth will die at some time or another. Death can either be caused by a catastrophic event, or illness or what some refer to as “old age” or “natural causes”. There is nothing natural when we speak of death due to “natural causes”. This is simply a form of death that is the outcome of our mortal bodies wearing out and eventually failing through years of wear and tear. Even if one claimed to have “perfect health” that person too will die one day. No one is immune from death.

Kenneth Hagin and E.W. Kenyon

The Christian church was first introduced to Word Faith teachings through Kenneth E. Hagin, also known as “Dad” hagin. He got his doctrines from E.W. Kenyon, an individual who was greatly influenced by the metaphysical, mind science cults such as Christian Science, Unity School of Christianity, and Church of Religious Science. Kenyon;s interest in the metaphysical cults was intense. Kenneth Hagin plagiarized much of Kenyon’s writings, making it his own.

E.W. Kenyon’s teachings are considered by some to be a bridge between New Thought metaphysics and the modern Word of Faith movement. While he was exposed to metaphysical ideas and even attended Emerson College where they were prevalent, he maintained that his ultimate goal was to find answers to the spiritual needs of humanity. However, critics argue that his teachings, particularly those on “revelation knowledge” and the believer’s inherent divinity, have strong parallels to occult and metaphysical concepts. 

Here’s a more detailed breakdown:

• Kenyon’s Exposure to Metaphysical Ideas: During his time in Boston, Kenyon encountered various New Thought, Transcendentalist, and Unitarian leaders. He attended Emerson College, where these ideas were prominent. 
• Influence on the Word of Faith Movement: Kenyon’s teachings are widely seen as foundational to the Word of Faith movement, which emphasizes the power of positive confession and declarations to shape reality. 
• Critiques of Kenyon’s Theology: Critics argue that Kenyon borrowed heavily from metaphysical religions like Christian Science and New Thought, particularly in his emphasis on “revelation knowledge” and the believer’s divine nature. 
• Contrasting Views: Some argue that Kenyon distinguished himself from these groups by maintaining a focus on sin, repentance, and salvation through Christ, which are not central to New Thought teachings. 
• Impact on Subsequent Teachers: Kenyon’s ideas were further developed and popularized by figures like Kenneth Hagin, who is considered a key figure in the Word of Faith movement. 
• Controversial Teachings: Some of Kenyon’s teachings, such as the idea that believers are “incarnations” as Jesus was, are considered by some to be heretical or occultic. 
• The “Born Again” Concept: Kenyon’s assertion that believers are “incarnations” after being “born again” is a central point of contention, with some viewing it as a dangerous distortion of Christian doctrine. 

Conclusion

The people of God have and always will be plagued by false teachers and false prophets (2 Corinthians 11:13; Galatians 2:4; 2 Peter 2:1-3). jesus himself said “Beware of false prophets , which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.” (Matthew 7:15).

Paul the apostle, during his farewell address to the Ephesian church, warned of two kinds of “wolves” in sheep’s clothing: those who attack the church from the outside, and those who poison it from the inside.

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30)

But there were false prophets also among the people, evene as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shale they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgement now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.” (2 Peter 2:1-3)