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Phil Pringle And Kenneth Copeland

16 Friday Mar 2012

Posted by in C3 & Pringles Associations, Pringle's History, Pringle's Influences

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Another Jesus, A Different Spirit, A Different Gospel 2Cor 11:4

Another Jesus, A Different Spirit, A Different Gospel 2Cor 11:4, (Quotes sourced below)

PHIL PRINGLE’S VIEW OF KENNETH COPELAND

Scripture says,

“Watch yourselves, that you do not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds.” 2John 1:8-11

It is important that we understand who Phil Pringle chooses to be associated with. Does Phil Pringle receive teachers who do “not abide in the teaching of Christ”? Does he endorse them?

Sadly Phil Pringle endorses and supports many false ministries and teachers like the ministry of Kenneth Copeland.

Kenneth Copeland is a key player in the prosperity movement or ‘Word of Faith’ cult. It is men like Copeland that have given rise to dangerous heresies, endorsing gnostic/occult teachings and cult-like methodologies in the C3 Church movement. Unfortunately, people like Phil Pringle have fallen victim to these men’s false teachings.

So how does Pringle see Kenneth Copeland?

Pringle considers Copeland as a brother and prophet and defends Copeland ministry from other pastors.

“When Kenneth Copeland began preaching on prosperity, it seemed out of balance to many. Maybe it was, but few prophetic messages come forth as balanced thoughts. God often has to push the pendulum to the opposite side to get us back in balance. However, for whatever reasons, a lot of preachers took up arms against Copeland and began preaching against his message.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 140.

Pringle also says ‘Brother Copeland’ has spoken in his church twice.

“I have a simple philosophy of “rolling with the punches.” This takes the heat out of a lot of the punches we take. I simply rolled with what a lot of others thought was a threat to the local church. In fact we had Brother Copeland come twice and preach in our church. We’ve only been blessed by the message.” – Phil Pringle, You The Leader, 2005, pg 141.

Must we remind readers that Pringle still promotes this book today. Since Pringle references Copeland in his book on leadership, (You The Leader), reveals Pringle sees Kenneth Copeland as a leader.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH KENNETH COPELAND?

Paul the Apostle insultingly says to the Corinthian church,

“I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully.” 2Corinthians 11:3-4

Kenneth Copeland preaches a different gospel message, a different Jesus and a different spirit among a number of other heresies. This isn’t too hard to prove.

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO COPELAND

Kenneth Copeland teaches that man is God…

“You’re all God. You don’t have a God living in you; you are one! … When I read in the Bible where God tells Moses, ‘I AM,’ I say, ‘Yah, I Am too!'” – ‘The Force of Love,’ Kenneth Copeland, tape BBC-56, 1987.

“Now Peter said by exceeding great and precious promises you become partakers of the divine class. All right, are we gods? We are a class of gods!” – Kenneth Copeland, ‘Praise The Lord’ TV Show, , 05/02/1986.

“You are not a spiritual schizophrenic — half-God and half-Satan — you are all-God” – Kenneth Copeland, Now We Are in Christ Jesus, 1980, pg. 16-17.

… And teaches that Adam was God…

“He [Adam] was not subordinate to God … [but] was walking as a god with the authority of a god. … What he said went. What he did, counted. [And when he] bowed his knee to Satan and put Satan up above him, then there wasn’t anything God could do about it, because a god had placed [Satan] there.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Love, tape #02-0028.

“God’s reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself. I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden He did just that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even. … Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as Jesus. … Adam, in the Garden of Eden, was God manifested in the flesh.” – Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham I, audiotape: #01-3001, Side 1, 1989.

“All of God’s attributes and abilities were invested in Adam.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Authority of the Believer IV; Tape #01-0304.

“You see Adam was walking as a God, Adam walked in God’s class, Adam did things in the class of god’s, hallelujah…” – Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham, Tape #01-3001.

Because man is God, Copeland teaches,

“Pray to yourself, because I’m in yourself and you’re in Myself. We are one Spirit, saith the Lord.” – Kenneth Copeland, “Believer’s Voice of Victory”, Feb. 1987, pg. 9.

Thus as a God an in complete oneness of God’s Spirit, Copeland promotes Gnosticism, teaching His pantheistic laws of the universe (doctrine of demons)…

“When we use the spiritual laws that God has set up, God must obey what we request.” – Kenneth Copeland, Praise the Lord, TBN, 05/02/1986.

And teaches God is incompetent unless we give Him invitation to use us.

“God cannot do anything for you apart or separate from faith.” – Kenneth Copeland, Freedom from Fear, KCM, 1980, pg. 11-12.

“God had no avenue of lasting faith or moving in the earth. He had to have covenant with somebody. . . . He had to be invited in, in other words, or He couldn’t come. God is on the outside looking in. In order to have any say so in the earth, He’s gonna have to be in agreement with a man here.” – Kenneth Copeland, God’s Covenant With Man II, Frt. Worth, KCM, 1985, audiotape #01-4404, side 1.)

Since the source of God’s power is Copeland’s divine, godly, spiritual, faith, He teaches believers can speak the desires of their heart into existence…

“What you are saying is exactly what you are getting now. If you are living in poverty and lack and want, change what you are saying…. The powerful force of the spiritual world that creates the circumstances around us is controlled by the words of the mouth.” – Kenneth Copeland, “The Laws of Prosperity, Ft. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974.

“You have the same creative faith and ability on the inside of you that God used when he created the heavens and the earth.” – Kenneth Copeland, ‘Inner Image of the Covenant,’ side 2.

“God used words when He created the heaven and the earth… Each time God spoke, He released His faith — the creative power to bring His words to pass.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Power of the Tongue, (Fort Worth: KCP Publications, 1980), pg. 4.

Because Copeland is God and is so divine with the faith of our creator God, He claims God is the biggest failure…

“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… I mean, He lost His top-ranking, most anointed angel; the first man He ever created; the first woman He ever created; the whole earth and all the fullness therein; a third of the angels, at least – that’s a big loss, man…. 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.” – Ken Copeland, Audio-Clip “Christianity in Crisis,” Hank Hanegraaff.

(Hear him say part of the quote above by clicking here.)

This is a different gospel; a different message; a different good news contrary to what the Apostles preached. As the Apostle Paul said,

“Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!” Galatians 1:7-9

JESUS ACCORDING TO COPELAND

Copeland teaches Jesus was rich and His death did not atone for our sins and that Jesus became demon possessed or satanic on the cross.

“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, 05/12/?.

“It would have been impossible for Jesus to have been poor!” – Kenneth Copeland, Calvary Contender, 15/02/93.

“Because his physical death was not enough for the payment of sins there was a another way for sins payment. Jesus put Himself into the hands of Satan when He went to that cross, and took that same nature that Adam did [when he sinned].” – Kenneth Copeland, The Incarnation, Frt. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, audiotape: #01-0402, Side 1, 1985.

“JESUS “HAD TO GIVE UP HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS” – Kenneth Copeland, The Incarnation, Frt. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, audiotape #01-0402, 1985, side 2.

He teaches Jesus was damned to hell…

“He [Jesus] allowed the devil to drag Him into the depths of hell….He allowed Himself to come under Satan’s control…every demon in hell came down on Him to annihilate Him….They tortured Him beyond anything anybody had ever conceived. For three days He suffered everything there is to suffer.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Price of it All, pg. 3.

… And for Jesus to die and go to hell, Copeland teaches that Jesus lost his divine nature…

“There is no more sacrifice beyond this [the cross] because God has given Himself. There’s not any further that God can go ’cause that is part of Himself hanging on that cross. And the very inside of God, hanging on that cross, is severed from Him and in that moment of severing, the spirit of Jesus accepting that sin and making it to be sin, He’s separated from His God at that moment. He’s a mortal man; capable of failure, capable of death. Not only that, but He’s fixing on being ushered into the very jaws of hell. And if Satan is capable of overpowering Him there, he will win the universe and mankind is doomed.” – Kenneth Copeland, What Happened from the Cross to the Throne?, Frt. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, n.d., cassette tape, side 2. (Emphasis mine)

D.R McConnell, author of the must-read book ‘A Different Gospel’, writes,

“Kenneth Copeland is even more direct in denying the atoning efficacy of Christ’s blood: “Jesus went into hell to free mankind from the penalty of Adam’s high treason… When His blood poured out it did not atone. . . . Jesus spent three horrible days and nights in the bowels of this earth getting back for you and me our rights with God.”” – D .R. McConnell, A Different Gospel, 1988, pg. 120. (Ref: 28: Personal letter from Kenneth Copeland, Ft. Worth, Tex., March 12, 1979; italics added for emphasis.)

To demonstrate that we’re not being selective with the quotes of Kenneth Copeland, Copeland reiterated to the Christian Research Institute (CRI),

“When Jesus was made to be sin; He was separated from God. This is the reason while hanging on the cross, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?” He had finished the Abrahamic Covenant by becoming the last sacrifice to ever be offered. When His blood was poured out, it did not atone, it did away with the handwriting of the ordinances that were against us. Jesus spent three horrible days and nights in the bowels of this earth getting back for you and me our rights with God.” – Kenneth Copeland, From letter to CRI, March 12, 1979.

Because Copeland does not believe in the atoning power of the blood, he teaches,

“Because his physical death was not enough for the payment of sins there was a another way for sins payment. Jesus put Himself into the hands of Satan when He went to that cross, and took that same nature that Adam did [when he sinned].” – Kenneth Copeland, The Incarnation, Kenneth Copeland Ministries, audiotape #01-0402, 1985, side 1.

“Jesus death on the cross was not enough to save us.” – Kenneth Copeland, What Happened From the Cross to the Throne?, Tape #00-0303), Believer’s Voice of Victory, September 1991.

“It wasn’t the physical death on the cross that paid the price for sin … anybody could do that.” – What Satan saw on the day of Pentecost, Tape #02-0022.

We can conclude that he does not know Jesus, the gospel and the atonement.

THE HOLY SPIRIT ACCORDING TO COPELAND

So where did Copeland get his teachings? From another spirit. As Copeland confesses boldly:

“The spirit of God spoke to me. And He said, “Son, realize this. Now follow me in this and don’t let tradition trip you up.” He said, “Think this way—a twice born man whipped Satan in his own domain.” And I threw my Bible down and I said, ”What?”

He said, ”A born again man defeated Satan, the firstborn of many brethren defeated him.” He said, ”you are the very image, the very copy of that one.” I said, ”Goodness, gracious sakes alive!”

And I begin to see what had gone on in there, and I said, ”Well now you don’t mean, you dare not mean, that I could have done the same thing?” He said,  ”Oh yeah, if you’d had the knowledge of the Word of God that he did, you could’ve done the same thing, cause you’re a reborn man too.” – Kenneth Copeland, Substitution and identification, tape#00-0202, side 2.

We know this is another spirit because it is not speaking on behalf of the Father and Son, but on its own accord (emphasis mine):

“But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” John 16:13

Faith is not a force. Faith in Greek is πίστις which is pistis. The basic definition of pistis is ‘trust’. However, Jesus is the OBJECT of our faith. Jesus is not only our faith but graces us with the faith to believe in Him through His Spirit (Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:8). This is done so the Spirit can keep us in Christ and to keep pointing us to Christ (John 16:7-15). Jesus’ name is also ‘Faithful and True’ (Revelations 19:16) and his cross has demonstrated the loving, living faithfulness of God. Jesus is alive and IS the substance of our faith in which we hope for. The point is – God does not NEED faith, He is faith and the source of faith on which we rely.

In saying this, what is the spirit behind Copeland’s doctrines? His doctrines of Jesus, the cross, genesis, man and faith, can be traced to Gnosticism, New Age, through New Thought into the camp of the occult. Does this sound like teachings you would hear from the bible?

“The force of faith is released by words. Faith-filled words put the law of the Spirit of life into operation.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Force Of Faith, Frt. Worth, KCM, 1983.

“What you are saying is exactly what you are getting now. If you are living in poverty and lack and want, change what you are saying…. The powerful force of the spiritual world that creates the circumstances around us is controlled by the words of the mouth.” (The Laws of Prosperity, Kenneth Copeland, Ft. Worth: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974). – Kenneth Copeland, The Laws Of Prosperity, Frt. Worth, KCM, 1980.

“Faith is a power force. It is a tangible force. It is a conductive force.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Faith, Frt. Worth, KCP Publications, 1989, pg. 10.

You can see Copeland’s teachings manifest Gnosticism as he does his best to explore the knowledge of his understanding of this unbiblical, creative, faith ‘force’.

“Faith is a spiritual force….It is substance. Faith has the ability to effect natural substance.” – Kenneth Copeland, Forces of the Created Human Spirit, Frt. Worth, KCM, 1982, pg. 8.

“The force of gravity… makes the law of gravity work… this force of faith…makes the laws of the spirit world function.” – Kenneth Copeland, Laws of Prosperity, Frt. Worth, KCP Publications, 1974, pg. 18-19.

“Faith is God’s source of power.” – Kenneth Copeland, Forces of the Recreated Human Spirit, Frt. Worth: KCM, 1982, pg. 8.

“Everything that you’re able to see or touch, anything that you can feel, anything that’s perceptive to the five physical senses, was originally the faith of God, and was born in the substance of God’s faith.” – Kenneth Copeland, Spirit, Soul Body, Frt. Worth: KCM, 1985, audiotape #01-0601, side 1.

“Faith was the raw material substance that the Spirit of God used to form the universe.” – Kenneth Copeland, Authority of the Believer II, Frt. Worth, KCM, 1987, audiotape #01-0302), side 1.

“God used words when He created the heaven and the earth… Each time God spoke, He released His faith — the creative power to bring His words to pass.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Power of the Tongue, Frt. Worth: KCP Publications, 1980, pg. 4.

“Words are spiritual containers” – Kenneth Copeland, Forces of the Recreated Human Spirit, 1982, pg. 15; cf. 14.

“The force of faith is released by words. Faith-filled words put the law of the Spirit of life into operation.” – Kenneth Copeland, The Force of Faith, Frt. Worth, KCP Publications, 1989, pg. 18.

“The day that Jesus was crucified, God’s life, that eternal energy .. moved out of Him and He allowed the devil to drag him into the depths of hell as if He were the most wicked sinner who ever lived..[and] to come under Satan’s control .. [or] His body would have never died. …” – Kenneth Copeland, Believer’s Voice of Victory, [Quoted in Berean Call] September, 1991.

It is clear to see that Copeland preaches a different gospel and a different Jesus under a different spirit not of gone. It is safe to say, judging by the bible that Kenneth Copeland disqualifies himself to be called a Christian. Therefore he is a false teacher and is sending people to hell with his false teachings and false prophecies. Even more importantly are the dates of the above quotes of Copeland. Pringle had him speak in C3 Brookvale in the 1990s and endorses him in his books in 2005. So after all Copeland has said and done and the criticism he has received, Pringle endorses him.

One has to ask the questions: Why does Phil Pringle associate himself with Kenneth Copeland? Why does he call him brother and considers his messages prophetic? If pastors were preaching against him, why does Pringle endorse him and promote him?

We have to come to a grim conclusion that Phil Pringle endorses Kenneth Copeland and “participates in his evil deeds” as the scriptures say. This is a serious evil Pringle has chosen to partake in.

Why is this evil? I can personally give an example of this. I know a family who attended Christian City Church. They came to love Kenneth Copeland through Pringle’s association. The mother took the Copeland’s teachings to heart and introduced his false faith teachings to her family. Their family started a church seperate from C3 who refered often to Copeland. The mother found out she had a fatal sickness and relied on her faith alone to heal her. She died causing much division in this church, troubling others and leaving behind a deep sadness when she passed away. In spite of her authoritative nature when it came to Copelands teaching on faith(which was frightening), she was very hospitable, gentle and inclusive. She was loved by all of us when she passed away. I had no idea that she found Copeland through Pringle’s endorsement of him. Would she be alive today if Copeland was not endorsed by Pringle?

We encourage ANYONE who is moved by the grim facts about the spiritual status of Pringle and the C3 movement, to pray for them.

Pray that he repents, turns away from Copeland and re-examines his theological understanding of the scriptures. We will examine Pringle’s theology and see how much Word of Faith teachers influence his theology.

NOTE: We wish to thank LetUsReason and DeceptionInTheChurch for      helping us with part of our research efforts. We wish to leave more  quotes from Kenneth Copeland in the comment section for C3ChurchWatchresearch purposes.

Understanding The Doctrines Of Demons The C3 Movement Teach

15 Thursday Mar 2012

Posted by in C3 Culture, C3 Spirituallity, Pringle's Beliefs, Pringle's Doctrine/Gospel, Pringle's Influences, Pringle's Laws

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Scriptures say,

“But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons…” 1Timothy 4:1

What one believes often determines the state of their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health. One of the reasons why the church is so sick is because of the New Thought/Occult/New Age/Gnostic teachings that is being spread by the Prosperity or Word of Faith Movement. The C3 Movement is apart of this movement, teaching these doctrine of demons.

Ouroboros

As you read this article, you may start to recollect or recognise elements in the teachings of Phil Pringle and other famous pastors within the movement. We will be relying on this article so that people can identify when Pringle, other C3 teachers or Pringle’s associates outside his movement preach these pagan doctrines.

First, we need to understand what some of these doctrines of demons (elemental spirits) are. We encourage you to read this in relation to what the Apostle Paul Paul teaches in Romans 1:18-32 (emphasis mine):

“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen…

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done… Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

‘Epistemology’ is a theory about the nature of knowledge: how one gains knowledge and how much can be known. [1]

Epistemology /ɨˌpɪstɨˈmɒlədʒi/ (from Greek ἐπιστήμη (epistēmē), meaning “knowledge, science”, and λόγος (logos), meaning “study of”) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature and scope (limitations) of knowledge. It addresses the questions: What is knowledge? How is knowledge acquired? How do we know what we know? [2]

Faith, ethics and philosophy are interconnected. The outworking of philosophy reveals the morals or ethics of the philosophical structure within communities. This is why it is important we carefully sift through many philosophies today and reject the dangerous ones. Bad philosophies can really damage us and our communities. Here are a few to start with: Deism, dualism and deification; mysticism and fideism.

Deism is the metaphysical world view that the universe is governed by impersonal, spiritual laws rather than a personal, sovereign God.[3]

Dualism is the metaphysical view of reality that the spiritual realm and the physical realm are mutually exclusive and even opposed to one another. [4]Dualism is the belief  that all of reality is reducible to just two opposite principles, with little or nothing in between: light versus darkness, spirit versus matter, good versus evil, etc. [5]

Deification is the metaphysical view that salvation entails man becoming God.[6]

Mysticism is a system of belief that attempts to perceive spiritual reality apart from objective, verifiable facts. It seeks truth through feelings, intuition, and other internal senses. Objective data is usually disregarded as mysticism derives it’s authority from within. Spontaneous feeling becomes more significant than objective fact. Intuition outweighs reason. An internal awareness superseds external reality.

Unfortunately, mysticism is at the heart of modern existentialism. [7]

Philosophies like dualism, mysticism and deification can all be traced back to pagan Greece. Some can be traced back further still. While dualism is still prevailing in today’s culture, we can find it’s roots in zoroastrianism.

GNOSTICISM

One of the oldest and slipperiest manmade/demonic doctrines is gnosticism. GotQuestions defines and warns the dangers of gnosticism well,

Naturally, the connection between Bible reading and prayer is one to be encouraged; they should always go together. However, the dangers inherent in this kind of practice, and its astonishing similarity to transcendental meditation and other dangerous rituals, should be carefully considered. It has the potential to become, and often does become, a pursuit of mystical experience where the goal is to empty and free the mind and empower oneself. The Christian, on the other hand, uses the Scriptures to pursue the knowledge of God, wisdom, and holiness through the objective meaning of the text with the aim of transforming the mind according to truth. God said His people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), not for lack of mystical, personal encounters with Him.

Those who take this supernatural approach to the text can disconnect it from its context and natural meaning and use it in a subjective, individualistic, experiential, even name-it-and-claim-it way for which it was never intended. Here is where lectio and gnosticism dovetail into one. Christian gnosticism is the belief that one must have a “gnosis” (from Greek Gnosko, “to know”) or mystical, inner knowledge obtained only after one has been properly initiated. Only a few can possess this mystical knowledge, limiting the number of those “in the know.” Naturally, the idea of having inside information is very appealing and makes the “knower” feel important, special and unique in that he/she has a special experience with God that no one else has. The “knower” believes that the masses are not in possession of spiritual knowledge and only the truly “enlightened” can experience God. Thus, the reintroduction of contemplative, or centering, prayer—a meditative practice where the focus is on having a mystical experience with God—into the Church. Contemplative prayer is similar to the meditative exercises used in Eastern religions and New Age cults and has no basis whatsoever in the Bible, although the contemplative pray-ers do use the Bible as a starting point.

Further, the dangers inherent in opening our minds and listening for voices should be obvious. The contemplative pray-ers are so eager to hear something—anything—that they can lose the objectivity needed to discern between God’s voice, their own thoughts, and the infiltration of demons into their minds. Satan and his minions are always eager for inroads into the minds of the unsuspecting, and to open our minds in such ways is to invite disaster. We must never forget that Satan is ever on the prowl, seeking to devour our souls (1 Peter 5:8) and can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), whispering his deceptive lies into our open and willing minds.

Finally, the attack on the sufficiency of Scripture is a clear distinctive of lectio divina. Where the Bible claims to be all we need to live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16), lectio’s adherents deny that. Those who practice “conversational” prayers, seeking a special revelation from God, are asking Him to bypass what He has already revealed to mankind, as though He would now renege on all His promises concerning His eternal Word. Psalm 19:7-14 contains the definitive statement about the sufficiency of Scripture. It is “perfect, reviving the soul”; it is “right, rejoicing the heart”; it is “pure, enlightening the eyes”; it is “true” and “righteous altogether”; and it is “more desirable than gold.” If God meant all that He said in this psalm, there is no need for additional revelation, and to ask Him for one is to deny what He has already revealed.

The Old and New Testaments are words from God to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning they contain and the authority from God they carry, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first; then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and communing with God rightly. As long as a person takes this view of the Bible and prayer, he/she is engaging in the same kind of meditation and prayer that Bible-believing followers of Christ have always commended.  [8]

Bear this understanding in mind as you sift through the teachings at any C3 Church you go too. We are living in deceptive times. Heed the warnings of our Apostle Paul:

“If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.” Colossians 2:20-23

____________________________________________

1. McConnell, D. 1988. A Different Gospel, pg. 105.
2. Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epistemology, (Accessed 12/12/11).
3. McConnell, D. 1988. A Different Gospel, pg. 45.
4. McConnell, D. 1988. A Different Gospel, pg. 45.
5. McConnell, D. 1988. A Different Gospel, pg. 105.
6. McConnell, D. 1988. A Different Gospel, pg. 45.
7. MacArthur, J. 1992. Charismatic Chaos, pg. 35.
8. GOT QUESTIONS, Question: “What is Lectio Divina?”, http://www.gotquestions.org/lectio-divina.html, (ACCESSED 15/03/12).