JRMI: Jerry Robinson Ministries International

A Systematic Examination of Word Faith Theology

Overview

Benny Hinn. Joyce Meyer. T.D. Jakes. Joel Osteen. Kenneth Copeland. Jesse Duplantis. Creflo Dollar. These are some of the most popular names in American Christianity today. And each of these ministers have actively subscribed to a theology known as "Word Faith." The Word Faith movement is a neo-Pentecostal brand of teaching that emphasizes the goodness of God and is wildly popular in many American television and radio markets. The Word Faith movement has also been labeled as the "prosperity gospel," or the "name-it-and-claim-it gospel." This is due to the movement's emphasis upon "seed-faith" teaching.

As a student of the Bible and of Christian theology, I am intellectually intrigued by the Word Faith movement. What I have done on this page is a simple and ongoing process to satisfy that intrigue. I am examining the theology of the Word Faith movement systematically. (To my knowledge, no Word Faith Systematic Theology exists in printed book form. However, if one does exist, I would love to know about it.)

This page contains audio and video clips and the writings from several Word Faith teachers on various Christian doctrines. What is disturbing about the doctrines presented on this page is that they have 1) little contextualized scriptural support and 2) little agreement with Orthodox Christian doctrines. And while the cumulative effect of this approach may seem negative, my intentions are not meant in any way to detract from the good works that these teachers have done. Joyce Meyer, for example, is an incredible Bible teacher. So let it be clear that I am not attempting, nor am I willing, to split hairs on theology.

It would be unfortunate if anyone reading this page were to misinterpret this collection of clips and writings as strictly a slam on the Word Faith movement. If you belong to a Word Faith church, these clips should not offend you at all. As a Word Faith adherent, these are your primary doctrines. Cherish them and learn them. However, if these clips and writings grieve you, you should probably ask yourself why.

I am extremely open to those who wish to discuss these topics further. As a former Jehovah's Witness turned Christian minister, I am highly sensitive to the false religious tools of mass manipulation and so-called "revelation knowledge" that can not be proven by the Word of God. Growing up in a cult required me to constantly fear men. Today, as a follower of Christ, I do not have to fear men in an unhealthy way. Instead, I fear God alone. And in order to remain free from the entanglement of false teaching, which the Bible promises will be prolific in the last days, it is vital that we, as Christians, never fear men to the point where their teachings cannot be examined in light of God's Word. Neither should we ever become too comfortable to test the teaching that we are receiving. Anyone who fears asking questions about their own belief system is a prime suspect for false teachers.

Feel free to send me an email if you would like to add a quote, video or audio clip, or simply comment on this page. My goal is for this page to become an exhaustive systematic theology resource regarding the Word Faith movement. So check back occasionally as I will be making updates.

Blessings in Christ,
Jerry Robinson

:: Theology ::
The Doctrine of God

The Word Faith view: Word Faith teachers have an interesting view of God. Through special "revelation knowledge," they claim that God is a man and probably stands about 6 foot tall and lives on a planet called Heaven. Plus, Word Faith teacher Benny Hinn adds that the trinity is not what we think. It would seem that the sovereignty of God is greatly at risk in Word Faith theology. Here are a few audio clips and textual references. Simply click each of them to listen.

Video Clips

Currently no video clips

Audio Clips

Fred Price: God cant do anything without permission

Kenneth Copeland: God the Father is a man (6 foot tall)

Benny Hinn: New Revelation on the the Trinity

Kenneth Copeland: God Inhabits the Mother Planet

Kenneth Copeland: God Lives on a Planet

Textual References

"Satan had gained ascendancy in the earth by gaining Adam's authority, and God was left on the outside. God couldn't come here in His divine power and wipe them out. He had to move in an area where it would be ruled legal by the Supreme Court of the Universe" (Charles Capps, Authority in Three Worlds, p. 51).

"He (God) is measured out heaven with a nine-inch span…The distance between my thumb and my finger is not quite nine inches. So, I know He’s bigger than me, thank God. Amen? But He’s not some great, big, old thing that couldn’t come through the door there and, you know, when He sat down, would fill every seat in the house. I don’t serve the Glob." (Jerry Savelle, Framing Your World with the Word of God, Part 2 (Fort Worth, TX: Jerry Savelle Evangelistic Association, Inc., n.d.), audiotape #SS-36, side 1.

"I was shocked when I found out who the biggest failure in the Bible actually is…The biggest one in the whole Bible is God…Now, the reason you don’t think of God as a failure is He never said He’s a failure. And you’re not a failure till you say you’re one." (Kenneth Copeland, Praise-a-Thon program on TBN (April 1988).

"Adam committed high treason; and at that point, all the dominion and authority God had given to him was handed over to Satan. Suddenly, God was on the outside looking in… After Adam’s fall, God found Himself in a peculiar position…God needed an avenue back into the earth…God laid out His proposition and Abram accepted it. It gave God access to the earth and gave man access to God..Technically, if God ever broke the Covenant, He would have to destroy Himself." (Kenneth Copeland, Our Covenant with God (Fort Worth, TX: KCP Publications, 1987), 8-11 passim.

:: Christology ::
The Doctrine of Christ

The Word Faith view: The view of Christ in the Word Faith movement is extremely peculiar and almost elusive. Once again, through special "revelation knowledge" Word Faith proponents view Jesus Christ primarily as a man with "divine qualities." I find the textual references on their Christology the most disturbing.

Video Clips

Creflo Dollar on the Deity of Christ #1

John Hagee On Christ's Deity

Creflo Dollar on the Deity of Christ #2

Audio Clips

Paul Crouch & Kenneth Copeland: Jesus Did Not Claim to be God

Creflo Dollar: Jesus was just an anointed man

Textual References

Jesus Christ supposedly told Copeland in the following prophecy: "Don’t be disturbed when people put you down and speak harshly and roughly of you. They spoke that way of Me, should they not speak that way of you? The more you get to be like Me, the more they’re going to think that way of you. They crucified Me for claiming that I was God. But I didn’t claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah." (Kenneth Copeland, Take Time to Pray, Believer’s Voice of Victory 15, 2 (February 1987): 9.

"What [why] does God have to pay the price for this thing? He has to have a man that is like that first one. It’s got to be a man. He’s got to be all man. He cannot be a God and come storming in here will attributes and dignities that are not common to man. He can’t do that. It’s not legal." (Kenneth Copeland, What Happened from the Cross to the Throne (Kenneth Copeland, Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1990), audiotape #02-0017.

"Jesus didn’t come as God, he came as a man, and he did not come perfect. Perfect in the sense that he didn’t need to be added to." — Creflo Dollar

:: Anthropology ::
The Doctrine of Man

The Word Faith view: The anthropology of the Word Faith movement comes dangerously close to the deification of man. "Revelation knowledge" in the Word Faith movement has led to the concrete doctrine that men are are in fact "little gods."

Video Clips

Creflo Dollar teaches that we are little gods

R.J. McCowan on the Power of Words

Audio Clips

Kenneth Copeland: Adam was god manifested in the flesh

Benny Hinn: Adam was a flying spaceman

Benny Hinn: We are little gods

Benny Hinn: We are little gods (2)

Benny Hinn: We are little messiahs

Morris Cerullo & John Avanzini: Little gods

Paul Crouch & Kenneth Copeland: We are gods

Textual References

"Man… was created on terms of equality with God, and he could stand in God’s presence without any consciousness of inferiority…God has made us as much like Himself as possible…He made us the same class of being that He is Himself…Man lived in the realm of God. He lived on terms equal with God…The believer is called Christ…That’s who we are; we’re Christ!" (Kenneth M. Hagin, Zoe: The God-Kind of Life (Tulsa, OK: Kenneth Hagin Ministries, Inc., 1989), 35-36, 41.

"God’s reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself…He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even." (Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham I (Kenneth Copeland, Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989), tape #01-3001, side 1.

"You don’t have a god in you, you are one." (Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Love (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1987), audiotape #02-0028, side 1.)

"Are you ready for some real revelation knowledge....you are god." (Benny Hinn, "Our Position In Christ", tape #AO31190-1)

"I am a ‘little messiah’ walking on earth," (Benny Hinn, Praise-a-Thon program on TBN (November 6, 1990).

"Did you know that from the beginning of time the whole purpose of God was to reproduce Himself?…Who are you? Come on, who are you? Come on, say it: ‘Sons of God!’ Come on, say it! And what does work inside us, brother, is that manifestation of the expression of all that God is and all that God has. And when we stand up here, brother, you’re not looking at Morris Cerullo; you’re looking at God. You’re looking at Jesus." (Morris Cerullo, The Endtime Manifestation of the Sons of God, (Morris Cerullo, San Diego: Morris Cerullo World Evangelism, n.d.), audiotape 1, sides1 & 2.

"I’m going to to tell you what blasphemy is! When God says you are the righteousness of God and you go around talking about, ‘I’m unworthy.’ That’s blasphemy!…Blasphemy is when you go against what God has said about your true self! OOOOh! We are so unworthy! Shut up with that blasphemy!….You are not a sinner saved by grace. You are sons and daughters of the Most High God! You are gods! You are God’s reflection on this planet. For you to say that thing is for you to count the blood of Jesus worthless. His blood was sent to cleanse you of your sin and you going around saying that you are still a sinner! What’s the matter with you?" (Creflo Dollar, Audio-Clip, “Creflo Dollar: Christian Celebrity or Charismatic Gnostic?” #0418)

:: Divine Healing ::

The Word Faith view: According to the Word Faith teachers, one of God's desires is that Christians live in extravangant and luxurious physical wealth. However, this wealth only comes to those Christians who know how to "release God" into their the realm of their finances. God is "released" by the Christian's activating the force of their faith. This faith is most often expressed through positive confessions made by the Word Faith Christian.

Video Clips

Divine Healing through Prayer Aids

Peter Popoff and his Miracle Spring Water

Miracle Manna Commercial

Audio Clips

Benny Hinn: "True" Christians do not get sick

Fred Price: On Divine Healing

Fred Price: On Divine Healing 2

Kenneth Copeland: On Divine Healing

Textual References

"It takes money to preach the gospel. Jesus Himself knew that, and contrary to what some people think, His ministry was not a poor one. He had so much money coming in and going out through His ministry that He had to appoint a treasurer. His name was Judas." (Kenneth Copeland, “From Faith to Faith A Daily Guide to Victory,” December 5)

"I’ve never had the Lord say, ‘Jesse, I think that car is a little bit too nice.’ I’ve had vehicles and the Lord said, ‘Would you please go park that at your house. Don’t put that in front of my house. I don’t want people to think that I’m a poor God.'" (Jesse Duplantis, “When Will We Yield To The Anointing of Wealth II,” April 10, 2005)

""Give $10 and receive $1000; Give $1000 and receive $100,000 … give one house and receive one hundred houses or a house worth one hundred times as much. Give one airplane and receive one hundred times the value of the airplane. … In short, Mark 10:30 is a very good deal" (p. 54)." (Kenneth Copeland, God's Will Is Prosperity, pg. 54)

"I’m telling you, Jesus wasn’t poor, and He didn’t wear no rags, either. Like we march in on these Easter little plays that we do at our church, with those raggedy sheets on. Jesus didn’t have no rags on. He wore designer clothes, honey!" (Creflo Dollar Crusade, Feb. 9, 1999).

:: Financial Prosperity ::

The Word Faith view: According to the Word Faith teachers, one of God's desires is that Christians live in extravangant and luxurious physical wealth. However, this wealth only comes to those Christians who know how to "release God" into the realm of their finances. God is "released" by the Christian's activating the force of their faith. This faith is most often expressed through positive confessions made by the Word Faith Christian.

Video Clips