Word of Faith

Word of Faith, also known as Word-Faith or simply Faith, is a movement within Pentecostal and charismatic churches worldwide. Its central doctrine is that health and prosperity are promised to all believers, and are available through faith. For this reason, it has also become known as "Health and Wealth", although this is a term usually applied pejoratively by its critics. Other names, reflecting major aspects of the movement, include "Name it and claim it", "The Prosperity Gospel", and "Positive Confession".

Origins

Word-Faith teachings trace their roots to E. W. Kenyon (1867-1948), a New England evangelical pastor who taught that health and finances were the right of every believer who would claim the promises of Scripture through faith. Claiming promises was done by believing and verbally confessing the relevant scriptures, and thus Kenyon coined the phrase, "What I confess, I possess."

Pentecostal preacher Kenneth Hagin (1917-2003), of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was heavily influenced by Kenyon's writings, and began teaching the same doctrines as early as the 1930s. Hagin is often referred to as being the "father" of the modern Word-Faith movement. He elaborated on Kenyon's theology of confession, preaching a four-part formula for receiving God's promises: "Say it; do it; receive it; tell it."

Other preachers in Tulsa were mentored by "Dad" Hagin, and began to preach the same doctrines. The most prominent of these is Kenneth Copeland.

Teachings

Healing

The Word-Faith movement teaches that physical healing was included in Christ's atonement, and therefore is available here and now to all who believe. Frequently cited in favor of the doctrine is Isaiah 53:5: "By his stripes we are healed."

Because Isaiah speaks in the present tense ("we are healed"), many of the most prominent Faith preachers teach that believers should deny the symptoms of sickness, and instead positively confess that they are already healed.Kenneth E. Hagin, Right and Wrong Thinking, (Kenneth Hagin Ministries, 1966) Sickness is an attempt by Satan to rob believers of their divine right to total health.Jerry Savelle, If Satan Can't Steal Your Joy..., (Harrison House, 1982)

Most do not openly advocate dispensing with medical treatment, although some, such as Fred Price, have claimed to be strong enough in faith that they no longer need medicine.Frederick K.C. Price, Faith, Foolishness or Presumption?, (Harrison House, 1979)

Critics frequently argue that Isaiah 53:5 refers to forgiveness of sins, rather than physical healing. The entire verse in context: "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."-Isaiah 53:5

Little 'gods'

A common Faith teaching is that believers are "little gods". Kenneth Hagin wrote that God "made us in the same class of being that He is himself," and that the believer is "called Christ" because "that's who were are, we're Christ!"Kenneth E. Hagin, Zoe: The God-Kind of Life, (Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc., 1989) According to Hagin, by being "born again", the believer becomes "as much an incarnation as Jesus of Nazareth".Kenneth E. Hagin, "The Virgin Birth" in Word of Faith Magazine (December 1977) Kenneth Copeland says Adam was "not a little like God ... not almost like God ... not subordinate to God even",Kenneth Copeland, "Following the Faith of Abraham", (Teaching tape, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989) and has told believers that "You don't have a God in you. You are one."Kenneth Copeland, "The Force of Love", (Teaching tape, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1987) A common theme in Word-Faith preaching is that God created man as "an exact duplication of God's kind."Charles Capps, Authority in Three Worlds, (Harrison House, 1982)

This has proved one of the most contentious doctrines with the movement's critics, who consider it heresy. Hanegraaff contends the 'little gods' doctrine is on a par with the teaching of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and Jim Jones.Hank Hanegraaff, Christianity in Crisis, (Harvest House, 1992) In response, Faith defenders have claimed the teaching is simply underscoring the biblical view of the believer's "true identity in Christ", and is no more heretical than similar-sounding claims by C.S. Lewis and the Eastern Orthodox Church.James R. Spencer, Heresy Hunters: Character Assassination in the Church, (Huntington House, 1993)

Prosperity

According to Word-Faith theology, financial prosperity and wealth was also included in the Atonement. This is based on an interpretation of the words of the apostle Paul: "Yet for your sakes he became poor, that you by his poverty might become rich" (2 Corinthians 8:9). Critics believe Paul was speaking of spiritual riches, rather than material prosperity. Faith proponents support their view by arguing that the context is the giving of material wealth.

It is often taught that Jesus and the apostles were rich, and therefore believers should expect the same financial success.John Avanzini, "Was Jesus Poor?" (videotape)

Faith & confession

In Word-Faith teaching, the central element of faith is "confession". The doctrine is often labelled "Positive Confession". Noted Word-Faith teachers such as Hagin and Charles Capps have argued that God created the universe through the power of the spoken word (Genesis 1), and that humans were created with the same power to speak things into being by their words. Thus, making a positive confession (by reciting a promise of Scripture, for example) has the power to cause things to happen. Word-Faith preachers have likened faith to a "force".Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Faith, (KCP Publications, 1989)

Conversely, according to Word-Faith teaching, "negative confession" can bring about negative results, and therefore believers should be careful to watch their words. This is often based on a literal interpretations of Proverbs 18:21: "Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and they that love them will eat the fruit thereof."

Jesus died spiritually

Often referred to by critics simply as "JDS", this is the teaching that in order to atone for sins, Jesus had to die both physically and spiritually. E.W. Kenyon was the first to explicitly articulate the doctrine, although it was later taken up by Hagin, Copeland and many of their followers.D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel, updated edition, (Hendrickson, 1995), p117 The doctrine asserts that Jesus' bodily sacrifice was but the beginning of the Atonement, which continued with Jesus' suffering in Hell. It is often said that Jesus took on humanity's "satanic" nature, and was "born again" in Hell.Kenneth Copeland, What Happened from the Cross to the Throne (audiotape)

Many critics have labelled the teaching heresy, believing it compromises the teaching that Jesus' blood atoned for sin.D.R. McConnell, A Different Gospel, updated edition, (Hendrickson, 1995), 114-131

Preachers & ministries

Proponents of the doctrine in the United States include Creflo Dollar, Frederick K.C. Price, Benny Hinn, Joel Osteen, Marilyn Hickey, Rod Parsley, Jesse Duplantis, Oral Roberts, Joyce Meyer, John Avanzini and Keith Butler, among others. Many of these pastors appear regularly on Trinity Broadcasting Network, whose founders and directors Paul and Jan Crouch are also proponents of the Word-Faith doctrine.

In Australia, Pastor Brian Houston of Hillsong Church and Evangelist Tim Hall promote Word-Faith doctrine. In South Africa, Ray McCauley is the movement's chief proponent, and in the United Kingdom, Clive Pick and Paul Scanlon are among the main Word-Faith preachers.

Critics & controversy

One of the earliest critics of the movement was ORU professor Charles Farah, who published From the Pinnacle of the Temple in 1979. In the book, Farah expressed his disillusionment with the movement's teachings, which he argued were more about presumption than faith.Charles Farah, From the Pinnacle of the Temple, (Logos, 1979)

That same year, Pentecostal scholar Gordon Fee wrote a series of articles denouncing both the health and the wealth gospels. In 1982, one of Farah's students, Daniel Ray McConnell, submitted a thesis to the faculty at Oral Roberts University arguing that Kenyon was the father of the movement, that Hagin had plagiarized his doctrines from Kenyon, and that the unique doctrines of the Faith movement were heretical. McConnell's thesis was published as the book, "A Different Gospel," in 1988.

One of McConnell's classmates, Dale H. Simmons, published his own research in earning a doctorate at Drew University. Simmons argued that Kenyon was influenced by both the metaphysical cults and the Faith Cure movement of the nineteenth century. 1990 saw the publication of "The Agony of Deceit" as a conglomeration of critiques of Word of Faith doctrines. One of the authors, Christian Research Institute founder Walter Martin, issued his judgment that Kenneth Copeland was a false prophet and that the movement as a whole was heretical.

In 1993, Hank Hanegraaff's Christianity in Crisis charged the Faith movement with heresy, and accused many of its churches of being "cults". He accused the Faith teachers of "demoting" God and Jesus, and "deifying" man and Satan.Hank Hanegraaff, Christianity in Crisis, (Harvest House, 1993)

Other critics, such as Ole Anthony, Norman Geisler, Dave Hunt and Roger Oakland, have denounced Word-Faith theology as aberrant and contrary to the teachings of the Bible. Critics have also condemned the teachings on wealth, arguing that the Bible condemns the pursuit of riches (, , , , , ).

The "health and wealth" teachings have been heavily criticized, with opponents arguing that Faith teachers tend not to stress the multiple scriptures warning against material prosperity (eg. Luke 6:20, Matthew 19:24, Ezekiel 16:49, James 2:5) and telling of the importance of helping the poor (eg. Isaiah 58:5-7, Luke 12:33 Mark 10:21, Proverbs 22:9, Acts 20:35, Psalm 82:1-5, Proverbs 24:31, Proverbs 19:17, Proverbs 29:7, Proverbs 21:13, Luke 20:37-42, Acts 10:5).

Relevant passages

Salvation

Faith

Faith and Prayer
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God's Will

Giving
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Wealth (in addition to giving)
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Healing

Resources

Criticism of Word of Faith

Charismatic Chaos by John MacArthur (ISBN 0310575729)
Christianity in Crisis by Hank Hanegraaff (ISBN 0890819769)
A Different Gospel by Dan R. McConnell (ISBN 1565631323)
New Wine or Old Deception by Roger Oakland (ISBN 0936728620)
Seduction of Christianity by Dave Hunt (ISBN 0890814414)
Righteous Riches. The Word of Faith Movement in contemporary African American Religion by Milmon F. Harrison (ISBN 019515388)

Support of Word of Faith

Faith and the Pharisees: Sincere Critics Have Been Sincerely Wrong by Ted Rouse (ISBN 1890900036)
The Laws of Prosperity by Kenneth Copeland (ISBN 0881149527)
Quenching the Spirit: Discovering the Real Spirit Behind the Charismatic Controversy by William DeArteaga (ISBN 0884194329)
The Tongue: A Creative Force by Charles Capps (ISBN 0892740612)
What You Say Is What You Get by Don Gossett (ISBN 0883680661)

Notes & references

External links

Defending the Modern Faith Movement
- Faith, Wealth, & Possessionsby Charles Martin

= Criticism of Word Of Faith Movement

Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity

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