False Teachings About Health
One of the tragedies about the health and wealth ’gospel’ is that it excludes any who
aren’t perfect. If you are sick, you are a sinner or you lacks faith. Those in poverty,
illness, disabilities, trials and suffering are told that they are faithless, under God’s
judgment or have sin in their lives. Does the Bible support this view? We will examine
the doctrine and compare it to scripture to see if they agree.
Jesus is the Savior of the Body
Benny Hinn wrote the following in his book ’Rise and be Healed’:
The Bible says in Ephesians 5:23 that Jesus is the Savior of the body. If Jesus
Christ is the savior of the body, then your body ought to be made whole.
Let’s look at the passage Hinn is quoting to see if scripture is teaching that everyone’s
body should be healed. Ephesians 5:
23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and
He is the Savior of the body.
24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their
own husbands in everything.
What is the body? It is the body of Christ - or the church. To understand this fully, let’s
also bring in two other passages:
Romans 12
4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have
the same function,
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one
another.
Colossians 1:
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking
in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,
Colossians leaves no doubt - the body is the church. Jesus is the Savior of the church.
Our physical bodies will one day be redeemed, but while this world is under the curse of
sin and death, our bodies will decay. 2 Corinthians 4:16 says, "Therefore we do not lose
heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed
day by day." The Bible teaches us that our flesh is subject to corruption, but our inner
man is a part of the Body of Christ - or the church. There is a reason why we are
promised a new body when Christ returns. How do teachers of guaranteed health explain
the aging process that even they are subject to? Our old body suffers from the curse of
sin. The new body will be because of His redemption.
Refuse to acknowledge illness
Word Faith teachers teach that we should refuse to acknowledge sickness or symptoms of
sickness. In a discussion on TBN, Paul Crouch explained that the devil could create a
physical manifestation in our flesh that is a trick of the devil and an illusion of sickness.
These could look very real and even convince doctors. It is up to us, Crouch claims, to
have enough faith to overcome these manifestations. Faith teachers go on to claim that
medical treatment is for the weak in faith. Kenneth Copeland describes how to use faith
to deny sickness.
Now remember, pain has come, disaster has come; now for a while you’re going
to have to stop and control and discipline yourself. Every time you are going to
have to make the decision - I refuse to consider my body. I refuse to be moved by
what I see and what I feel.
...
I’ve had people die with me standing there saying, ’bless God you ain’t gonna die’.
And they did anyway. And I glad I stood. I ain’t never stood for anything in my
own life that didn’t come to pass. I can only use my faith just so far with you. -
Kenneth Copeland
It is alarming the Kenneth is acknowledging that some people have died under the belief
that they did not need treatment. I was stationed with an aspiring Word-Faith preacher
when I was in the military. We were very good friends but we also seldom agreed on
scripture. We spent hours discussing scriptures, but I could never get him to show me
scriptures that supported his beliefs. It was always something he was taught outside of
scripture that persuaded him. We were stationed together for 2 years. Once he fell during
training and broke his wrist. For three days he refused treatment. When the pain became
unbearable, he agreed to have it put in a cast. He believed that denying symptoms showed
faith but getting treatment was for the weak in faith. Over the two years we were
together, he caught his share of colds, the flu and other common ailments. I noticed that
his sniffles lasted as long as the rest of us.
I can’t bring myself to believe that Benny Hinn, Kenneth Copeland, Kenneth Hagan,
Frederick Price and other faith teachers never get colds or other common illnesses. I
know for a fact that Kenneth Hagan had four cardiac traumas while claiming that he did
not allow sickness into his life. In March of 1999, the healing pastor Oral Roberts,
appeared on TBN and was supposedly healed of pain he was having. After leaving he
suffered a heart attack. He did not use faith to heal, he went to the hospital. He had an
angioplasty procedure to clear the blockage. Faith teachers claim that we should not seek
treatment while they are treated. It is dishonest to hide their ailments from their
congregations who are trying to imitate them.
Faith teachers claim that they are problem free because of their own faith, but they can
only go so far with you. However, consider the story of the paralytic in Matthew 9:2. His
friends brought him to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, He healed the sick man. Why
didn’t Jesus respond according to the paralytic’s faith? According to this passage and the
line of reasoning of the Word-Faith teaching, if a church member can’t be healed, it is a
reflection upon the faith of those around him or her.
It is tragic that so many people are living in self-delusion because they believe that if they
acknowledge a problem, they have excluded themselves from the grace of God. I have
seen doctors give a diagnosis to people who proudly say, "We refuse to accept this. They
don’t have cancer, they are not sick". Is this faith? What takes more faith, refusing to
accept the obvious and demanding that God heal us here and now on our terms, or
submitting ourselves to God and trusting Him regardless of what path He takes us down?
It is good to pray for healing and to lean on God for strength. But it is equally important
to trust God even when it hurts.
Do we have the power to determine when we die?
Word-Faith teachers claim to have the power to choose their quality of health and even to
determine their own life span.
Some people get upset and say, "I don’t believe that". Go ahead and die then. The
Bible says, ’according to your faith, be it unto you’. Now if I believe that and stay
here and die when I get ready to die and leave here, that’s on me. If you don’t
believe in that, go ahead and die. I will believe and be healed and you can not and
be sick. You can die of cancer; you can die of a stroke. That’s ok. We can stay in
love in Jesus; you can be sick and I’ll be well. If you don’t believe then stay sick.
Fredrick Price
Can a man really determine when he will die? This teacher is claiming that he will choose
when to die. Because of his own faith, he will stay in this life until he is ready to go. That
is quite a claim. If you look at scripture you will see that the grace of God is always given
without merit. The reason is so that no man can boast. In spite of this, Faith teachers
continuously boast that it is ’my faith’ that keeps me healthy; it is ’my faith’ that makes
me wealthy; it is ’my faith’ that destroys my problems. Then why don’t faith teachers
peacefully lay their life down and yield their spirit by their own power when their lives
come to an end? I have yet seen any man predict their own departure from this life. It is
also ironic that Word-Faith teachers and their students do not have any longer life span
than the rest of the population. Where is the evidence for the bold claims of power?
If someone can brag about themselves, they are not under the grace of God. Word-Faith
teachers claim that Jesus is the Savior of the body as well as our souls. If their
interpretation were true, Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that it is the grace of God not of works
(or our own efforts) so that no one can boast. If the grace of God eliminates any
possibility of boasting, then anything boasted is not the grace of God. The Bible warns
against this kind of boasting in Romans 11. We are told not to boast because we don’t
support Christ (who is the root of our salvation), but rather Christ supports us.
The apostle Paul stated, "I will not boast of myself, except in my infirmities" (2
Corinthians 11:30). The next chapter Paul says, "I will boast in my infirmities that the
power of Christ might rest upon me". Let’s examine this passage closer. 2 Corinthians 12
7 And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the
revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet
me, lest I be exalted above measure.
8 Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart
from me.
9 And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made
perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities,
that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in
persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am
strong.
The health and wealth gospels claim that we should be healed and in comfort, yet the
apostle God used above any other refutes this. He first acknowledges that he has an
infirmity and then identifies it as a problem in his flesh. It created shame and
embarrassment, so he begged God three times to heal him. God’s answer was no. This
’thorn’ kept Paul from thinking to highly of himself. Apparently it was necessary. It
would be very easy to become proud when God has revealed so much to Paul and
commissioned him to reveal it to the world. Not only does Paul acknowledge a physical
problem, but he also acknowledges persecution, needs (poverty according to 1
Corinthians 4:11), and distress. Did Paul have problems and troubles? He testifies that he
did. Then Paul says that because of these weaknesses, he becomes strong because of
Christ. Where we lack, God is strong. When I think I am strong, the Bible says that God
resists me because of pride. God’s strength is made perfect in weakness.
Does God reject the sick?
Perhaps the most unjust quote is this tirade against those in need by Fredrick Price:
How can you glorify God in your body when it doesn’t function right? How can
He get glory when your body doesn’t even work - and the Bible says you are the
temple? The Holy Spirit lives in your body. What makes you think that the Holy
Spirit wants to live in a body where He can’t see out the windows and can’t hear
out the ears? What makes you think the Holy Spirit lives inside a body where the
limbs and the organs and the cells do not function right? You don’t want to live in
a house with a leaky roof; you don’t want to live in a house with the toilets
running over in the floor; you don’t want to live in a house where the electricity
doesn’t work and the wires are hanging out of the wall. You get it fixed. What
makes you think God wants to live in a temple where He can’t see out of the eye
and walk with the feet and He can’t move with the hands? Because the only hands
that He has in the earth realm is in the body. The only eyes that He has in the
earth realm is in the body. If He can’t see out of them God is going to be limited
and he can’t be helped. - Fredrick Price
I have to confess that every time I see this quote it makes my blood boil. Here, Word-
Faith teachers are abusing the very people who need compassion the most. One day
Word-Faith teachers will stand and apologize to all those whom they have insulted with
this horrible doctrine. What an insult it is to equate someone’s infirmity to overflowing
toilets. The gospel is not for those who are perfect. In fact, those who need God the most
understand grace the best.
In this massacre of grace Price has taught that those crippled, disabled, blind and
suffering from disease as being useless to God. Faith teachers claim that God cannot use
a blind man because God needs the eyes to see in this earth realm. In spite of what
anyone might claim, God does not need us to do His will. His will is accomplished with
the strong and the weak. All are weak, we just don’t realize how truly dependent we are
on God. Romans 11 says:
18 do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do
not support the root, but the root supports you.
What arrogance it is to think that God depends on us. If it were not for God’s sustaining
hand, we would all cease to have our being. God does not need your eyes to see anything.
2 Chronicles 16:9a "For the eyes of the LORD move to and fro throughout the
earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His.
Notice, it is the Lord that shows Himself strong on our behalf, not the other way around.
We are all blind to everything except our shortsighted point of view. Also consider
Exodus 4:
11 So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the
mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?
Whose fault is it that a man or woman is born with a physical problem? God said that He
has made us the way we are. Psalm 139 tells us that God knits us together in our mother’s
womb. Why does God create some people with physical infirmities? Perhaps when we
look at the eternal scope, they are not infirmities at all. From the temporal, human
perspective, problems are a tragedy, but from an eternal perspective, we will thank God
for these ailments that shape our character and the character of those around us. We often
struggle to grasp this reality. So did the disciples of Jesus. Look at John 9
2 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he was born blind?"
3 Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of
God should be revealed in him.
Don’t miss the important statement of Jesus. This man did not sin, nor did his parents.
His infirmity was the result of circumstances completely outside of human control. God
created this man blind so that the works of God could be revealed in him. In this case, the
man was healed. However, healing is not the only works of God. In fact, physical healing
means nothing on the eternal scale. His healed body is now dust. It is the inner man that
is renewed day by day - not the physical man.
Word-Faith doctrine teaches that if you are sick, the temple of the Holy Spirit has been
polluted. They are assuming that God is bound to the physical world, but as we have seen
earlier, God is Spirit. It is for our benefit that the Spirit of God indwells us. What defiles
the temple of the body? We’ll let the scriptures explain. Look at 1 Corinthians 3
16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God
dwells in you?
17 If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of
God is holy, which temple you are.
18 Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age,
let him become a fool that he may become wise.
If anyone defiles the temple of God, He will judge them. Does this mean God will judge
those who have ailments? 1 Corinthians 6 explains what that defilement is:
18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he
who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.
19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in
you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?
20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in
your spirit, which are God’s.
Where does a cripple come into this condemnation? Many healthy people defile their
temple every day. The Bible does not say that God cannot tolerate sickness, it says that
God will not tolerate sin - especially sexual immorality. God can and will use those
crippled, blind, disabled, and who suffer from any number of infirmities. The only
requirement is a heart that is completely His. God looks at the heart, not the body.
It is a shame that those who need Christian compassion the most are ridiculed because
they can’t get up and walk. Those who suffer are under God’s blessing, yet the church
today calls them cursed. Look at Psalm 72:
12 For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has
no helper.
13 He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy.
14 He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be
their blood in His sight.
Was Job wrong?
The biggest threat to the Word-Faith doctrine is the testimony of Job. Job’s suffering was
only eclipsed by Jesus Christ on the cross. Job lost his family, health, possessions and
friends. Even in the worst of suffering, Job praised God and remained faithful. The
Word-Faith movement teaches that all suffering is the result of sin, unbelief or some type
of personal failure. So how do they explain the testing of Job? Instead of learning from
the testimony of Job, Faith teachers attempt to assassinate his character. There was no
shortage of examples, so I selected two quotes that affirm the Word-Faith position
clearly.
Fredrick Price - We’ve even used the statement that Job made - which is an
incorrect statement. Job has said, the Lord has given and the Lord has taken away
- how many times have you heard a preacher say that? [The phrase is repeated in a
mocking tone] How are you going to bless God when He just took your wife?
Now that is the dumbest thing in the world.
Why was this an incorrect statement? God did not think so, therefore, how can Faith
teachers claim this? God said that in all that Job said, he never sinned with his lips. If Job
was blaming God for taking from him when God did not, wouldn’t that be sin? If our
claims about God put God in a bad light, it would be sin.
Benny Hinn - We people say things at times that we are not even supposed to say.
You know what we have said this a million times but it is not even scriptural - all
because of Job. The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name
of the Lord [mocking and laughing]. That is not Bible. I have news for you, the
Lord giveth and never taketh away. Just because he [Job] said ’blessed be the
name of the Lord’, don’t mean that he is right. He was just being religious. When
you say something that is contrary to the word of God, you are literally being
controlled by Hell.
God called Job blameless and upright, but Faith teachers claim that Job was being
controlled by Hell. The Word-Faith movement’s attack on Job is a direct and blatant
challenge to the Word of God. God said that Job did not sin with his lips; Faith teachers
say that he being a hypocrite acting religious and controlled by Hell. The Bible says, "the
Lord gives and the Lord takes away"; Faith teachers say, "The Lord gives and never takes
away". In the Garden of Eden, the devil only added one word to God’s word and reversed
the meaning. Eve testified that God said, "If you eat of the tree in the middle of the
garden, you will surely die". The devil said, "No, God said you shall surely not die". One
word is all that was changed. This isn’t much different than the tactic to discredit God’s
work in Job’s life. Faith teachers have only added the word ’never’ in an attempt to
discredit Job. However, the Bible warns that we are not to add to God’s word or else He
will rebuke is and we will be found to be a liar. To reword what God has said simply
because it does not fit our doctrine is a serious offense.
We know who was right by how God dealt with Job’s friends. If you read the story of
Job, his friends came under the pretense of comfort him during his suffering. Instead of
comfort, they offered condemnation. They accused Job of some secret sin. They said that
something was wrong in Job’s life. The presumptuously claimed that God would never
allow these things to happen to a righteous man. They were filled with advice and holy
rebuke. When Job declared his faith in God and stated that this was not the result of
anything wrong in his life, they rebuked him for being proud and unrepentant. In all of
his trials, God stated that Job was blameless. God’s declaration against Job’s friends are a
different matter entirely. Look at Job 42:
7 And so it was, after the LORD had spoken these words to Job, that the LORD
said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is aroused against you and your two
friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.
8 "Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My
servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall
pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly;
because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has."
God Himself is testifying that what Job has spoke was right and what his friends stated
was sin. Not only this, but God refused to even hear the prayers of repentance from Job’s
friends. God required that they had to go to Job and then Job could seek atonement on
their behalf. So who was just being religious, Job or his friends?
In spite of this clearly stated fact in the Bible, Faith teachers accuse Job of sin just as his
friends did. What’s more is that they also condemn those who suffer just as Job’s friends
did. Like Job’s friends, those who condemn those who suffer for God’s purposes will one
day offer apologies just as God required of Job’s friends. Job spoke rightly of God when
he declared the greatest statement of faith in the Bible, "Though He slay me, yet will I
trust Him" (Job 13:15). An amazing statement of faith is also found in Job 19
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself, And my eyes shall behold, and not another. How
my heart yearns within me!
Can there be any greater faith than what God revealed in Job? Even in suffering, Job
declared his trust in God. Even when his skin was so covered in boils that he had to sit in
ashes, he affirmed that his flesh would be redeemed and his heart yearned for God. His
love was not for the things that were lost, but for the Lord Himself. The truth about faith
is that if we love things, we can never truly enjoy things and we can never truly love God.
If we love God then our relationship will not waver even if we lose everything. We
cannot lose the promises of God. A man whose faith is in the blessings of God will waver
when the storms of life threaten. A man or woman whose faith is in God will only grow
closer and cling tighter when trouble arises. Only God has life and hope. Everything else
will fail.
I believe that God wants us to be healthy and blessed. I also believe that God will not
give us those things at the expense of the eternal blessings He wants to give. There is a
reason behind everything. We will only see the true blessings if we are faithful even in
the storm. We can only be faithful in the storm if we truly trust and love God.
Eddie Snipes
Exchanged Life Outreach
http://www.exchangedlife.com
