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How Should We View "Jesus Only/Word Of Faith" Churches?
- Thread starter JesusFan
- Start date
Just one perspective
A lot of people joined the anti-Trinitarian “Jesus-only Oneness Pentecostals" because they were drawn to Pentecostalism and this branch comes across as very authentic. Oneness sounds reasonable to a monotheist who doesn't understand the Trinity and using the term Trinity won't get you anywhere when talking to them - The word Trinity isn't in the Bible after all. Then you have to work through the Acts 2:38 … ““Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”. This is huge in the Jesus-only churches.
Some converts to Pentecostalism will drift away from Oneness churches because they were not drawn to those churches based on anti-Trinitarian doctrine. They were drawn to those individual churches because of what appeared to a more genuine expression of Christian moral codes, sanctification and spiritual gifts than what is seen in the more materialistic Charismatic churches.
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Osage Bluestem
Member
All non trinitarian churches are heretical cults because they misrepresent God.
We can pray that many who attend will get saved because of scripture and grow to leave the false teachers in those places.
Isnt there a time in Church History that allot of churches fell into Arianism....thats when you start getting growth of churches like the Unitarians.
On the Word of Faith people.
Again, my one data point:
My aunt believes in this stance. I had a really nice visit with her this past Summer after not seeing her for many years. She is a Christian and is solid on the foundational doctrines related to salvation (C v A set aside momentarily
). But in her mind the "name it - claim it, word of faith" point of view is the natural outcome of believing in inerrancy of scripture. Because she believes completely in the inerrancy of Scripture and is a literalist in her reading, to deny the word of faith message would be analogous to denying the Divinity of Christ.
I listened to her tell me how she feels ostracized from family and Church because very few people in her part of Arkansas believe in Word of Faith/Name it Claim it stuff. She doesn’t feel welcomed in the Charismatic churches she has visited.
While I did encourage her to try attending one of her local Baptist churches, I did not try to convince her that she was in error. She has been beaten up by others quite thoroughly already. I felt very strongly that at this point in her life (~ 78 years old, and based on what she shared with me, that for her “Word of Faith” teaching is too tightly woven with her general faith in Scripture. Disproving this “theology” could cause a serious falling away. She loves our Lord, reads the Bible daily and prays diligently and faithfully, and she doesn’t care about material things. She is willing to die if the Lord wills it rather than compromise what she believes she get from Scripture – and very nearly did die a little over a year ago.
There are things I can learn from her about unwavering faith, commitment and dependence on God, but I certainly hate the heresy that torments her. I pray that God will bring the right person into her path that can ease her out of the excesses of the Name it/Claim it Word of Faith nonsense while strengthening her genuine love of Christ.
Again, my one data point:
My aunt believes in this stance. I had a really nice visit with her this past Summer after not seeing her for many years. She is a Christian and is solid on the foundational doctrines related to salvation (C v A set aside momentarily
). But in her mind the "name it - claim it, word of faith" point of view is the natural outcome of believing in inerrancy of scripture. Because she believes completely in the inerrancy of Scripture and is a literalist in her reading, to deny the word of faith message would be analogous to denying the Divinity of Christ. I listened to her tell me how she feels ostracized from family and Church because very few people in her part of Arkansas believe in Word of Faith/Name it Claim it stuff. She doesn’t feel welcomed in the Charismatic churches she has visited.
While I did encourage her to try attending one of her local Baptist churches, I did not try to convince her that she was in error. She has been beaten up by others quite thoroughly already. I felt very strongly that at this point in her life (~ 78 years old, and based on what she shared with me, that for her “Word of Faith” teaching is too tightly woven with her general faith in Scripture. Disproving this “theology” could cause a serious falling away. She loves our Lord, reads the Bible daily and prays diligently and faithfully, and she doesn’t care about material things. She is willing to die if the Lord wills it rather than compromise what she believes she get from Scripture – and very nearly did die a little over a year ago.
There are things I can learn from her about unwavering faith, commitment and dependence on God, but I certainly hate the heresy that torments her. I pray that God will bring the right person into her path that can ease her out of the excesses of the Name it/Claim it Word of Faith nonsense while strengthening her genuine love of Christ.
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quantumfaith
Active Member
On the Word of Faith people.
Again, my one data point:
My aunt believes in this stance. I had a really nice visit with her this past Summer after not seeing her for many years. She is a Christian and is solid on the foundational doctrines related to salvation (C v A set aside momentarily
I listened to her tell me how she feels ostracized from family and Church because very few people in her part of Arkansas believe in Word of Faith/Name it Claim it stuff. She doesn’t feel welcomed in the Charismatic churches she has visited.
While I did encourage her to try attending one of her local Baptist churches, I did not try to convince her that she was in error. She has been beaten up by others quite thoroughly already. I felt very strongly that at this point in her life (~ 78 years old, and based on what she shared with me, that for her “Word of Faith” teaching is too tightly woven with her general faith in Scripture. Disproving this “theology” could cause a serious falling away. She loves our Lord, reads the Bible daily and prays diligently and faithfully, and she doesn’t care about material things. She is willing to die if the Lord wills it rather than compromise what she believes she get from Scripture – and very nearly did die a little over a year ago.
There are things I can learn from her about unwavering faith, commitment and dependence on God, but I certainly hate the heresy that torments her. I pray that God will bring the right person into her path that can ease her out of the excesses of the Name it/Claim it Word of Faith nonsense while strengthening her genuine love of Christ.
Kudos Ed to you for how you handle things. Blessings
Thank you for the kind words.
Study Athanasius the Bishop of Alexandria. He stuck with the Nicene formula for the Trinity when most of the world around him fell into Arianism.
You should look up some of his quotes.
Tom Butler
New Member
Word/Faith folks believe that one may actually order God around.
They hold that if you speak "faith-filled words" God is obligated to give you what you say.
They hold in error.
They hold that if you speak "faith-filled words" God is obligated to give you what you say.
They hold in error.
Yes. The absolute doctrinal error is astounding and growing nearly daily.
I have a tape only a couple of years old (2) where Kenneth Copeland actually states that if you just keep saying "I'm saved" eventually you will be.
It is no different that chanting and matras. Say it enough and it will happen. Believe it hard enough and *poof*. I have many in my extended family who are name-it-and-claim-it (which should not be confused necessarily with WoF movement) and the Word of Faith (WoF). They jump on you if you "I think I feeling sick".. Don't speak it into existence! I have a little 'faith' challenge ongoing with them. If they will keep claiming and declaring that I am pregnant (and I get that way) then I will convert. So far no luck.
Another major heresy is that they claim we are little gods because we are made in God's likeness. Ergo, like God who spoke things into existence so can we as 'children of God'. We are little christs, small gods ourselves.
Or Benny Hinn, on TBN, declaring a direct revelation from God (on air) that God is not 3 but 9! Each person of the trinity has 3 parts to him just as the Trinity is 3 in 1. And since he spoke it.. it must be so because it was spoken in faith.
I have got a stack of research nearly 4 inches high on the garbage.
Yes, they believe sincerely just like Mormans do, but the sad fact is that their theology is so profoundly messed up.. even the gospel (in the more mainline Faith Churches) is convoluted.. to where you declare to God - you are saved.
The saddest part of American Christianity, is that we no longer correct false teaching, one-on-one for fear of hurting someones feelings. We put emotion over their spiritual welfare and well being, or at worst their eternal destiny. We coddle them and appease them, rather than IN LOVE, show them where they are biblically in error and stand by scripture.
The person who does not seek to correct such error, according to scripture, does not truly love that person as they are supposed to. I'm not saying scream or chide them.. I'm saying to stand on scripture but also to be aware of lovingly revealing truth for their spiritual growth.
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Oneness Pentecostals are modalists (or Sabellians, to use the ancient term). Father, Son and Spirit are manifestations of one divine being. It is certainly an error, though I suspect that a good number of Baptists in the pews are practical modalists and don't know it. (This is not a good thing.)
They're not Arians, though, who believe Christ is a created being (to simplify a multi-headed hydra of arguments and distinctions). Jehovah's Witnesses are the outstanding example of modern Arianism (though, again, I suspect it is more common in Protestant churches than one would like.)
Modern American Unitarianism doesn't even justify the epithet of heresy, having long departed from Christianity or even theism.
Word Faith Pentecostals, while generally being Trinitarian, are to me more dangerous, treating God as the ATM in the sky bending to our will and wants and whims.
They're not Arians, though, who believe Christ is a created being (to simplify a multi-headed hydra of arguments and distinctions). Jehovah's Witnesses are the outstanding example of modern Arianism (though, again, I suspect it is more common in Protestant churches than one would like.)
Modern American Unitarianism doesn't even justify the epithet of heresy, having long departed from Christianity or even theism.
Word Faith Pentecostals, while generally being Trinitarian, are to me more dangerous, treating God as the ATM in the sky bending to our will and wants and whims.
This is absoluetly true. We have many Baptist who have unorthodox understandings of the Trinity. Get an open discussion about this in a large, adult Sunday School class and see how many opinions you get. This confusion and vacuum of teaching by the Chruch on these basic doctrines is one reason why many Baptists are easy prey to Mormons.
Tom Butler
New Member
You are right on the money. I even heard Copeland describe it as "blab it and grab it" on one occasion.