Kenneth Copeland
| "There are people attempting to
sit in judgement right today over the ministry that I'm
responsible for, and the ministry that Kenneth E. Hagin
is responsible for ... Several people that I know had
criticized and called that faith bunch out of Tulsa a
cult. And some of 'em are dead right today in an
early grave because of it, and there's more than one of
them got cancer" [Why All
Are Not Healed, audiotape #01-4001],
"That fellow is dead today. Now
I said that to warn you. Don't criticise people
for preaching [Identification]. If you don't
understand it, keep your mouth shut and pray"
[How to Receive Revealed Knowledge,
audiotape],
"We have had about half a dozen
enquiries from readers of the Believer's Voice of
Victory magazine who have enclosed copies of your
articles on Kenneth Copeland's teaching, and for that
reason we have published some observations on what you
have written. I am quite deliberately not sending
you a copy of the full notes, not because there is
anything in them which we do not want you to read, but
because we do not wish to embark on a debate with an
organization which is 'officially' challenging Kenneth's
teaching" [Observations,
KCM reply to Reachout Trust's Newsletters: Is the
Copeland Message Scriptural?, (Spring 1992), and
Copeland Continuing, (Summer 1992), (14 January
1993)]. |
Benny Hinn
| Attacking Word-Faith
teachers is "tantamount to
attacking the very presence of God"
[programme on TBN, 08 June 1992],
"Those who put us down are a bunch of
morons ... You know, I've looked in the Bible for one
verse, I can't seem to find it - one verse that says, if
you don't like 'em, kill 'em. I really wish I
could find it! I wish God would give me a Holy
Ghost machine gun - I'd blow your head off!"
[Televised conversation with Paul Crouch,
Praise-a-Thon, programme on TBN, (09 Nov 1990)],
"The day is coming when those who
attack us will drop dead - I speak this under the
anointing of the Spirit. Can I tell you something?
Don't touch God's servants - it's deadly... [critics]
will fear us! Hear this! Today they will
mock us; tomorrow they will fear us!"
[Service held at Anaheim Convention
Centre, September 1991)],
"Now I'm pointing my finger with
the mighty power of God on me ... You hear this. There
are men and women in Southern California attacking me. I
will tell you under the anointing now, you'll reap it in
your children. You'll never win ... And you [sic]
children will suffer. You're attacking me on the radio
every night; you'll pay, and your children will. Hear
this from the lips of God's servant. You are in danger.
Repent, or God Almighty will move his hand"
[Melodyland Christian Center, Southern California, (07
August 1992),
Relating an incident with
a customs officer at a Chicago airport:
"If I could have killed him, I would"
[Touch Not Mine Anointed,
Sermon given at Hinn's church in Orlando, Florida, (No
date)],
"Now I'm going to tell you that God
prophetically is showing us in the Psalms that the body
of Jesus Christ in America will sooner or later become
militant, and we will say 'We've had it! You touch us
one more time, and DROP DEAD, BROTHER!' If you
pray - get 'em - nothing can prevent that from
happening, but God had allowed enough grace that you can
say, 'Lord, forgive them' ... it's really up to YOU.
God has given you the choice, whether He should judge
them or not. It's in your hands. There are
folks out there, attacking you, they know exactly what
they are doing. I have two of them who've done
that to me. The Lord reward them. I prayed
that in my own prayer time. I said, Lord, don't
forgive them - let them have it!"
[Touch Not Mine Anointed, Sermon
given at Hinn's church in Orlando, Florida, (No date)]. |
Paul Crouch
| "I think God's given up on a lot
of that old rotten Sanhedrin religious crowd, twice
dead, plucked up by the roots. I think they're damned
and on their way to hell and I don't think there's any
redemption for them ... I say to hell with you! ... Get
out of God's way, quit blocking God's bridges or God's
gonna shoot you if I don't! ... Get out of my life! I
don't even want to talk to you or hear you. I don't want
to see your ugly face! Get out of my face in Jesus' name"
[Praise-a-Thon, programme on TBN, (2nd April
1991)]. |
Touch Not Mine
Anointed
We need here to deal with the Faith
teachers' oft repeated cry, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my
prophets no harm." This is taken from two Bible passages:
| "When they went from nation to
nation, and from one kingdom to another people; He
suffered no man to do them wrong; yes, He reproved kings
for their sakes, saying Touch not mine anointed, and do
my prophets no harm" (1 Chronicles 16:20-22 and Psalm
105:13-15). |
This quote is used to brush aside any
criticism of certain teachers and to threaten with Divine
retribution any folks who would question them. But is this
right?
Firstly, as always, we must look at
the context! If we do, we notice a couple of things...
- Both passages actually refer to
physical attack, not to biblical criticism,
- The "anointed" in these verses
refers to the entire People of God (specifically the
nation of Israel, but by extension, the Church), not just to a
few individuals within the nation (or Church).
Secondly, it must be said that
true men of God love the truth and have no problem at all with
seeing their teachings weighed against Scripture, and themselves
being taken to task where necessary - indeed, they will be grateful
for it.
Thirdly, if someone is
teaching unbiblical things, then it follows that they can't claim to
be God's "anointed", since doctrinal purity is a mark of a
representative of God. If they are especially godly then they
will also be especially mature and humble. They won't 'lord
it' over their hearers but will actually encourage their
audience to test what they say by God's Word, and to question
apparent discrepancies - as Paul did:
| These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily,
whether those things were so" (Acts 17:11). |
Fourthly, such an argument is a mis-use
of Scripture, patently at odds with many others, and simply serves
to frighten, oppress and cow the people of God and thus to control
them. This is not the behaviour associated with the meek and
gentle true shepherd in Scripture, but is, rather, one of the
practices of the Nicolaitans (those teachers or leaders who
subjugate the people), and is something God hates (see Revelation
2:6,15 also Luke 22:25-26). Every believer is part of
the priesthood now, and we should not be frightened of any man:
| "Ye also, as lively stones, are
built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer
up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus
Christ ... ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people" (1 Peter 2:5,9),
"The fear of man bringeth a snare: but
whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe"
(Proverbs 29:25). |
So we should not fear the threats of
these teachers - and they should trust in the Lord, instead
of their own attempts of subjugate men, to keep them from "harm".
Fifthly, it is a well-known mark of
cultic movements that a small number of people in a group
claim special anointing and demand that their words not be
judged against God's Word. The truth makes us free,
but such teachers and leaders engender fear and bondage instead.
Prove All Things
So what does Scripture have to say to
us on the matter of testing men's teachings?
Certainly we are not to judge one
another's hearts (Matthew 7:1-5), but, the Word-Faith teachers'
complaints notwithstanding, we are to test all teachings,
prophecies, and practices against Scripture and judge whether they
are true or false:
| "But he that is spiritual judgeth all
things" (1 Corinthians 2:15a),
"Prove all things, hold fast that which is good" (1
Thessalonians 5:21),
"Beloved, believe not every spirit,
but try the spirits whether they are of God: because
many false prophets are gone out into the world" (1 John
4:1). |
There are times when a failure to
'criticise' or 'judge' a teaching or doctrine is to be disobedient
to the Word of God, and far from gullibly swallowing everything we
are told - however well-known or respected or popular the teacher -
believers are to test all that passes for doctrine, to rebuke and
correct those in error (for their sake, as well as for the
sake of their hearers), and to disassociate from any teachers who
continue to teach false doctrine:
| "Preach the word; be instant in
season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all
longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come
when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after
their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers,
having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears
from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But
watch thou in all things..." (2 Timothy 4:2-5a),
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them
which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the
doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ,
but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches
deceive the hearts of the simple" (Romans 16:17-18),
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth
not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He
that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the
Father and the Son. If there come any unto you,
and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your
house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth
him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds" (2 John
1:8-11). |
Elizabeth McDonald
March 2016
©
Bayith Ministries
http://www.bayith.org
bayith@blueyonder.co.uk
|
