My beef with Word of Faith theology

[Pavel Mosko]

Back in the early 1990s, I spent a few years at two WOF churches. One in my hometown and the other in the college town where I was taking classes. My issues come from some of these formal beliefs taken from the WOF board here. (Lots of other people make other kinds of complaints as far as heresy etc. while I think that is also sometimes a problem with the shoot from the hip preaching style of many preachers that really is not my personal issue).


"6. We believe prosperity is always God's will for all believers; for the whole person, spirit, soul, and body. The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of those who serve Him. (3 John 1:2, Psalm 35:27)

7. We believe divine healing is always God's will for all believers; for the whole person, body, soul, and spirit, and is wrought by the power of God. Jesus healed all who were oppressed of the devil. (Acts10:38, 1 Peter 2:24)

8. We believe that all of the Promises of God are always yes and amen, never no; that they are provided for in the atonement of Christ, and are the privilege of every member of the Body of Christ today who will receive them by faith. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

9. We believe that the faith to receive any of the Promises of God comes from hearing God's Word alone; that God's Word is alive and powerful, and every Promise therein contains the faith of God, sufficient to bring itself to pass in the life of any person who believes His Promise in their heart, and confesses it with their mouth. What God has so wonderfully provided by His grace we receive by faith. (Romans 10:17, Hebrews 4:12)"


These beliefs appear very reasonable etc. but my issue is they are over simplistic because they leave out some other kind of Biblical truths such as:



1) The Personal Calling we have in our lives. WOF tends to preach a "One size fits all" way of looking at God's promises etc. and well God often intends very different things for various people in particular. A number of other preachers have encouraged people to try to replicate their results with a specific prayer request, and will even cite the "God is not a respecter of persons" verse in such preaching. This I believe is very dangerous, because God is also a Father and Father often handles each child very differently.



2) The positive role of suffering in the life of Faith, known as kenosis. In terms of repentance but not just repentance but developing the soul in conforming to the Image of God. I'm talking about the Beatitudes, Paul's thorn and marks of his Apostleship etc.



3) The role of mercy and grace in the Spiritual life. There is so much exaggerated teaching on "Negative confession" in word of Faith Churches that I sometimes am stunned by certain passages of the Bible that go against it like when Sarah laughed at the News in Genesis that she was going to finally have a child in Genesis 18 or Jacob's / Israel's testimony to Pharaoh in Genesis 47:9.



4) The role of the Unknown in the life of Faith. Some folks like Paul/David Yongi Cho preach the need for a clear vision that we are praying and working for, but this is not always possible. Not only is this not possible, it wasn't always possible for various people in the Bible! Furthermore our goals, ambitions, personality, and understanding of our Calling can change a lot with age and experience.



5) The role of being satisfied with life as it is. This is kind of related to point 2, but is worth making a second point. This also is one of the primary sources of Joy in the human life (being satisfied with God and what God has already given us etc.).



6) The Role that Providence plays in our lives. This is a particular truth I've been reflecting on the last year or so and is related to points 1) and 5). This a big and complex one but I don't think many WOF really appreciate God's Providence, some of Ken Hagin's teaching especially seemed to state or imply that he could over rule God if he wanted to by making God keep his promises as is in the Bible (It was suggested it is better to not do this).



7) Failure can be positive. Related to many of the other points, Theologian William Lane Craig describes it best in the article and speech.

Failure | Reasonable Faith

 

[pdudgeon]

generally speaking, I would say that you are judging these things as they appear on the surface, without understanding the depth of both the theology and the personal, "boots on the ground" experience that goes into them.

A wonderful example of this kind of thinking is found in the life of Peter, when he throws a leg over the side of the boat and begins to try and walk on water to where Jesus is.
What happens? He sinks, and Jesus has to pull him out of the water to save him from drowning.

Now obviously if Peter asked the Lord for permission to come to Him, and Jesus granted it, then it must have been possible. Jesus doesn't lie.

So looking at what you have mentioned about WOF that you have a problem with, it doesn't mean that those beliefs are untrue, but only that you don't yet have the learning or the experience to understand what you are reading.
But don't worry. If you persevere, it with come with both time and experience.

 

[Guojing]

Back in the early 90s I spent a few years at two WOF churches. One in my hometown and the other in the college town where I was taking classes. My issues come from some of these formal beliefs taken from the WOF board here. (Lots of other people make other kinds of complaints as far as heresy etc. while I think that is also sometimes a problem with the shoot from the hip preaching style of many preachers that really is not my personal issue).


"6. We believe prosperity is always God's will for all believers; for the whole person, spirit, soul, and body. The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of those who serve Him. (3 John 1:2, Psalm 35:27)

7. We believe divine healing is always God's will for all believers; for the whole person, body, soul, and spirit, and is wrought by the power of God. Jesus healed all who were oppressed of the devil. (Acts10:38, 1 Peter 2:24)

8. We believe that all of the Promises of God are always yes and amen, never no; that they are provided for in the atonement of Christ, and are the privilege of every member of the Body of Christ today who will receive them by faith. (2 Corinthians 1:20)

9. We believe that the faith to receive any of the Promises of God comes from hearing God's Word alone; that God's Word is alive and powerful, and every Promise therein contains the faith of God, sufficient to bring itself to pass in the life of any person who believes His Promise in their heart, and confesses it with their mouth. What God has so wonderfully provided by His grace we receive by faith. (Romans 10:17, Hebrews 4:12)"


These beliefs appear very reasonable etc. but my issue is they are over simplistic because they leave out some other kind of Biblical truths such as:



1) The Personal Calling we have in our lives. WOF tends to preach a "One size fits all" way of looking at God's promises etc. and well God often intends very different things for various people in particular. A number of other preachers have encouraged people to try to replicate their results with a specific prayer request, and will even cite the "God is not a respecter of persons" verse in such preaching. This I believe is very dangerous, because God is also a Father and Father often handles each child very differently.



2) The positive role of suffering in the life of Faith, known as kenosis. In terms of repentance but not just repentance but developing the soul in conforming to the Image of God. I'm talking about the Beatitudes, Paul's thorn and marks of his Apostleship etc.



3) The role of mercy and grace in the Spiritual life. There is so much exaggerated teaching on "Negative confession" in word of Faith Churches that I sometimes am stunned by certain passages of the Bible that go against it like when Sarah laughed at the News in Genesis that she was going to finally have a child in Genesis 18 or Jacob's / Israel's testimony to Pharaoh in Genesis 47:9.



4) The role of the Unknown in the life of Faith. Some folks like Paul/David Yongi Cho preach the need for a clear vision that we are praying and working for, but this is not always possible. Not only is this not possible, it wasn't always possible for various people in the Bible! Furthermore out goals, ambitions, personality, and understanding of our Calling can change a lot with age and experience.



5) The role of being satisfied with life as it is. This is kind of related to point 2, but is worth making a second point. This also is one of the primary sources of Joy in the human life (being satisfied with God and what God has already given us etc.).



6) The Role that Providence plays in our lives. This is a particular truth I've been reflecting on the last year or so and is related to points 1) and 5). This a big and complex one but I don't think many WOF really appreciate God's Providence, some of Ken Hagin's teaching especially seemed to state or imply that he could over rule God if he wanted to by making God keep his promises as is in the Bible (It was suggested it is better to not do this).



7) Failure can be positive. Related to many of the other points, Theologian William Lane Craig describes it best in the article and speech.

Failure | Reasonable Faith

I attend a church where the senior pastor has WOF roots too, from EW Kenyon, Hagin and Copeland.

But I have realized that WOF pastors do vary in terms of which aspect they choose to focus on. Mine focus a lot on Paul's gospel of grace.

Like others, my church believe in divine healing and financial prosperity. Its really up to you how much you want to believe in those. For me I am more of a mid acts dispensationalist, so I am leaning more towards cessationalism.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

But don't worry. If you persevere, it with come with both time and experience.

Did you leave Catholicism to join a WOF Protestant church?


As for me my life of Faith took me away from WOF 27 years ago, and I believe I am much better off for it.

 

[com7fy8]

Well, I would not cookie-cut every word of faith person to be alike. I might get to know someone who claims to have been with Jesus for fifty years, and see what he or she has to say.

So, I am not officially word of faith, but I evaluate the idea of body soul spirit prosperity, and I think first of what Jesus says >

"'But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.'" (Matthew 6:33)

So, to me it appears how Jesus says my attention needs to be first to seeking His kingdom. His kingdom is spiritual, I would say . . . the realm of all Jesus is experiencing and enjoying in Heaven. He wants us to share this with Him, and this to be the main focus of our seeking. This is so we are sharing with Him in His love and His personal guiding in His peace, I get through Colossians 3:15 >

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful." (Colossians 3:15)

So, we all are "called in one body" to being personally ruled by God's own peace in our "hearts" < a very personal place. This is part of our basic calling, in Jesus.

So, is this in basic teaching of word of faith? I don't know. Each one, of course, will answer for oneself, each can speak for oneself.

But, in any case, I need to constantly and personally seek to be personally ruled by God's own peace in my heart. God's peace is the harmony of God living and loving in His power in our hearts, so sharing with us. In this peace, I see things and people the way God has me seeing people and things. In this peace which is God's peace, I share with our Creator in His own creativity for how to love each and every person . . . since Jesus does want us to love any and all people >

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?" (in Matthew 5:46)

This is another basic of Christianity > we are all-loving > this fits with being ruled by God's peace . . . ruled by God who is all-loving. What He does with us, then, has an all-loving benefit, not only prosperity for our own selves!! So, does word of faith, and do you, emphasize this??

And God is almighty; so this peace is almighty to keep us safe in our hearts and minds > "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (in Philippians 4:6-7) This happens because of submitting to how God rules us. So, we do not only speak this and expect this, but we personally submit to how God in us rules us in His peace. So, I don't know if this is what a word of faith person does, or if you do.

Now, I would say this is great prosperity, then, to be personally ruled in God's own peace. But this requires how we personally submit to God, all the time, so we can so benefit from how our Heavenly Father rules His obedient children in His own peace.

But this is what we all are "called in one body" to do. And so, I would offer, any real calling of Jesus is done within this calling to be ruled by God's peace. Any calling includes doing that calling by seeing how God rules us in His peace to do it.

So, if we are doing things in stress and arguing and fighting and mental and emotional chaos > this is not in God's almighty peace guarding our "hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (see Philippians 4:6-7) This is not what God intends by any calling.

And if we obey God, this is prosperity for our Father, pleasing Him. So, another basic of Biblical prosperity is how we seek first how God is prospered.

Therefore, our attention needs to be first to seeking all God desires. And is His desire first focused on us having things going well? Or, is He first focused on conforming us to the image of Jesus > Romans 8:29? How much does word of faith, then, talk about all which is involved in being conformed to the image of Jesus?

I'm not sure I have time to find out what each other person really believes, and I doubt any one person or group statement can speak for all in a group. I need to submit to God in His peace and discover where He now takes my attention. And love any and all people, the way He has me loving any and all people in this peace. And discover how He personally corrects my character so I am how Jesus is and loves >

Hebrews 12:4-14 guarantees this correction as a basic of being a child of God; because God so dearly loves each of His children, He personally corrects us. His grace favors us, by how He deeply corrects us to become like His Son Jesus.

Then, grace favors Jesus, really, and how Jesus is.

How much does word of faith . . . and how much do you . . . talk about how God's word guarantees that every child of God has His personal correction changing our character to be His way? Hebrews 12:9 to me shows how we need to actively seek our Father for how He is able to correct us.

How much does a word of faith person, then, emphasize this?
And are you making sure people know this?

God's real correction of our character results in us sharing with Him in His own holiness, in the "peaceable fruit of righteousness" of His own love > Hebrews 12:4-14. And it appears to me that God says we get this by actively seeking Him for this. And so we become like Jesus so we can do all His word the way He means His word . . . better than we can think and try to get ourselves to do.

"Therefore submit to God." (in James 4:7)

 

[com7fy8]

BYOB

What does BYOB mean? For a party, this means bring your own booze, right? At least, in my background

How about bring your own Bible?

A point I am getting at, by the way, is how the same word > BYOB > can have very different meanings for different people! Likewise, how different people understand God's word or word of faith could be even exact opposite. So, bring your Bible into evaluating anyone . . . including yourself.

Anywhere you go, you don't know who might not be right, or who could surprise you with what is better than you have been believing. So, I would say get to know God's word, and be ready to see how people anywhere could be not giving you all which God's word gives, or someone will help you understand and live His word better.

Something I just remembered is 1 Timothy 2:1-4. This is what our Apostle Paul says to do > "first of all".

So, is this what a word of faith person tells you to do . . . "first of all" . . . since this is God's word???? Also, have you yourself been doing this and telling people to do this ? ? ? ?

I will recheck, now, but I am not sure any other scripture says what to do "first of all", besides 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

So . . . . . . do you know what this says?

Off I go to check, again, if any other scripture has a "first of all" clause.

 

[com7fy8]

Oh my . . . yes >

"first of all" our First Love Commandment > Mark 12:29

"first of all" > what Jesus said to His disciples in a certain situation > Luke 12:1

"first of all" > the gospel Paul delivered to the Corinthians > 1 Corinthians 15:3

And Colossians 3:14 says >

"And above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection." (Colossians 3:14)

"above all" > to take our shield of faith > Ephesians 6:16

"above all" > not to swear, James says > James 5:12

"above all things" > "have fervent love for one another" > 1 Peter 4:8

So, in God's word what Paul says to do "first of all" does have company One might say it does not make sense to have several things that are first, but good things of God's love can be in a big tie for first place!

 

[bèlla]

I don’t consider myself a Word of Faith follower. But your comments were interesting nonetheless.

We believe prosperity is always God's will for all believers; for the whole person, spirit, soul, and body. The Lord has pleasure in the prosperity of those who serve Him.

I have witnessed the blessings of Deuteronomy 28 in my life many fold.

And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you. The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down.

We believe divine healing is always God's will for all believers; for the whole person, body, soul, and spirit, and is wrought by the power of God. Jesus healed all who were oppressed of the devil.

I was healed from two incurable diseases, two physical maladies and spiritual oppression. Fully delivered and restored from each.

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD. —Jeremiah 30:17

He sent from on high, he took me;
he drew me out of many waters.
He rescued me from my strong enemy
and from those who hated me,
for they were too mighty for me.
They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
but the LORD was my support.
He brought me out into a broad place;
he rescued me, because he delighted in me.
The LORD dealt with me according to my righteousness;
according to the cleanness of my hands he rewarded me. —Psalm 18:16-20

We believe that all of the Promises of God are always yes and amen, never no; that they are provided for in the atonement of Christ, and are the privilege of every member of the Body of Christ today who will receive them by faith.

I laid everything on the altar when I returned to God. Family, friends, resources, career, interests, etc. This is the result.

Blessed are those who fear the LORD, who find great delight in his commands.
Their children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely, who conduct their affairs with justice.
Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever.
They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the LORD.
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. —Psalm 112:1-8

We believe that the faith to receive any of the Promises of God comes from hearing God's Word alone; that God's Word is alive and powerful, and every Promise therein contains the faith of God, sufficient to bring itself to pass in the life of any person who believes His Promise in their heart, and confesses it with their mouth. What God has so wonderfully provided by His grace we receive by faith.

I wandered many years desperately searching for Him in different places and teachings. But through it all He remained by my side. When I read Joseph’s story, I recounted the instances when providence was working on my behalf, and the Lord was with me.

He used Judaism to bring me home. Then He restored me. Wholly healed and made anew. Now I can say the same.

Joseph is a fruitful vine—a fruitful vine by a spring, whose branches scale the wall.
The archers attacked him with bitterness; they aimed at him in hostility.
Yet he steadied his bow, and his strong arms were tempered by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,
by the God of your father who helps you, and by the Almighty who blesses you, with blessings of the heavens above, with blessings of the depths below, with blessings of the breasts and womb.
The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills.
May they rest on the head of Joseph, on the brow of the prince of his brothers. —Genesis 49:22-26

May his land be blessed by the LORD with the precious dew from heaven above and the deep waters that lie beneath,
with the bountiful harvest from the sun and the abundant yield of the seasons,
with the best of the ancient mountains and the bounty of the everlasting hills,
with the choice gifts of the land and everything in it, and with the favor of Him who dwelt in the burning bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph and crown the brow of the prince of his brothers.
His majesty is like a firstborn bull,
and his horns are like those of a wild ox. With them he will gore the nations,
even to the ends of the earth. Such are the myriads of Ephraim, and such are the thousands of Manasseh. —Deuteronomy 33:13-17

I’ve come full circle. He returned all I set aside. Everything I sacrificed for Him and my purpose. All that I denied myself for His glory has been restored. I am a better in every way. God wills it.

~Bella

 

[Pavel Mosko]

don’t consider myself a Word of Faith follower. But your comments were interesting nonetheless.

Well that's what I'm here for.

I was healed from two incurable diseases, two physical maladies and spiritual oppression. Fully delivered and restored from each.

Yes and I have seen and been in prayer circles where similar things have taken place. I am not Cessionist etc. Even though I was formerly raised as such in the conservative Lutheran church I was a part of. I did learn later that sort of belief was not of official Lutheranism, but something they picked up from American Evangelicalism of the time.

I wandered many years desperately searching for Him in different places and teachings. But through it all He remained by my side. When I read Joseph’s story, I recounted the instances when providence was working on my behalf, and the Lord was with me.

He used Judaism to bring me home. Then He restored me. Wholly healed and made anew. Now I can say the same.

Well the paradigm of the Faith as a "Journey of discovery" etc. is one theme that I would like to promote. Because I think many people see the Faith as a kind of ideology that saves your soul etc. which has some problems (I've seen my share of Christian misanthropes who exist because of this orientation). Anyway that sort of trope, metaphor etc. is at the heart of the Bible but definitely under utilized most of the time by most Christian ministers today. (It's used usually only briefly in passing, then people go back to just discussing the Faith as a systematic theology, a collection of doctrines etc.)