Ken Copeland article
This is for the benefit of one of Ken Copelands followers who has been commenting on another post. Ken Copelands false teaching is well documented on many articles on the web. The false teaching comes from Kens and Glorias own mouth and again does not add up to scripture. This article is just one among many. I hope this article opens up the eyes of the commenter who follows Kens unbiblical distortion of scripture.
Tim
Kenneth Copeland's prophesy:
"Jesus is no longer the Only Begotten son"
and his Latter Rain teaching
Copeland has been known to shock his listeners with his supposed prophecies from God, such as: “Dont be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God...They crucified me for saying 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” (prophecy from Take Time to Pray article Believer's Voice of Victory,1987, p.9 )
In the above prophecy, Kenneth Copeland accomplished at least two things: 1) he denied the deity of Jesus Christ and 2) he promoted doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).
Kenneth Copeland was a guest on Benny Hinn’s January 28, 2004 broadcast This is Your Day telecast. Hinn says the lord has a word for you today. Copeland thanks Hinn for continuing in the healing ministry. Benny Hinn asked Kenneth Copeland what he sees happening in 2004. In turn, Copeland responds by reading his prophecy, to which Hinn says, “Amen“: “Right now the healing ministry of Jesus is coming into a place that no human beings has seen before. And it, we’ all going to be glad we stayed where he put us because this is our time” (Benny Hinn- Amen). (This is a Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland at Eagle Mountain International Church December 31, 2000) Complete prophecy at http://kcm.org/studycenter/prophecies/2004_yearoffullness.php
Copeland continues: “The lord began talking to me about fullness of ministry and fullness of his callings and so forth oh 25 years go, but then in late November and all the way up to new years eve, and I had a visitation of the Lord new years eve afternoon, he began to talk to me about this year, and if you, you permit me I’ll read you what he said to me, Hinn responds please:
“ the year of 2004 will be known as the year of fullness. By the close of 2004, all callings will come to fullness. Apostles ministry, prophets ministry, evangelist ministry, pastoral ministries and teaching ministries that will obey me will come into full manifestation. The gifts of the spirit will be manifested in fulness as they were when Jesus was on the earth.” (Copeland says, “We’ve not seen that, we've seen little pieces of it but not like this”)... “Families will come into their called places and know the fullness of joy on earth as it is in heaven.”
If this is true, who needs heaven? Jesus said the very opposite for the last days, and spoke of perilous times, apostasy, the love of many growing cold, and itching ears that do not want to hear the truth but what they want to hear. The only time we will see this fullness is in the Millennium, but first comes the Great tribulation.
So according to God speaking to Copeland The gifts of the spirit will be manifested in fulness as they were when Jesus was on the earth. We will see all healings, all the gifts will be working at their height beyond what we saw with the apostles by those ministries like Copeland's. Blind eyes, legs growing out, resurrections taking place, multiplication of food for thousands to be fed by what would feed only a few is what people saw when Jesus was on earth; this he says will ALL take place in 2004.
It seems these prophets receive revelations on cue at the years end, and are regularly told by Jesus what’s in store next year. This time, Copeland is being told what the Latter Rain (ie. Bill Hamon and others in the Prophetic movement) has been saying for some time now. No, we have not seen this and the Bible never says we will see this. Not even the apostles repeated what Jesus did in all his miracles, but that is only what the Bible says, we are beyond that now. Now we are into new direct words dictated by men like Copeland that give false hope and mislead many under the guise of prophecy.
Copeland continues “All forms of prosperity, to excel, to go to the high places in God, will come into fullness of manifestation spirit, soul and body, health, wealth, assets and influence to the glory of God the Father. (Hinn responds Amen.)
Follow My leading. Listen to Me. Listen to My Spirit. Things are changing. Things that now look impossible and unchangeable will suddenly turn around. To the world for no apparent reason. But you will know the reasons, for your knowing what I am doing will increase and also come to fullness.
Many who have never head the voice of My Spirit will be hearing and following fully by the end of 2004.”
To that Benny Hinn says, “dear God.”(audience claps)
“Now let me ask the Lord something” Copeland said “I’m going to need his permission to read this …(Copeland pauses, as if God gives him an immediate answer he says, all right acknowledging God's permission)
“I have taken over the politics and the politicians. (Copeland says, he’s talking about all over the world) “Listen to My voice. Vote the way I say in all elections.”
Has God taken over politics? Which party? How did God do this all of a sudden? The only change taking place is in the minds of those who are NOT living in reality.
“One thing he stopped me and said to me then, He said “I’m telling you to vote in all elections and I’m telling you in all elections you vote the way I tell you to vote. And another thing was your ballot is your seed a ballot is your, its not just a vote, your ballot is your seed to do well under any administration, I don’t care what they do. If you vote with God and do what he says your gonna come out well even if the rest of them go down the drain. And that’s your seed.”
Your ballot is not just a vote it is your seed? Where’s that mentioned in the Bible? This is beyond ridiculous. Remember, Copeland claims to have received a prophecy from God. If politics and the politicians are now in control of God then why would they go down the drain? How can your ballot do well under any administration no matter what they do? Does the way we vote now have us receive a blessing from God?
“This is the time you've been waiting for, hoping for, and believing for. You will know Me ways that up to now you've never heard of before. Stay close to Me. Keep yourself in love. Obey My every command. Stay in My Word continually. Keep yourself and your prayer life fresh daily. Live by faith. 2004 will be the fullest year of your life. 2005 is the year of overflow. How much overflow depends on how much you sow towards it in 2004.”
So then God blesses us now according to our work of sowing? this sounds more like karma, what you give in 2004 will pay its dividends in 2005. Actually, the new covenant is operated by grace, Christ’s work and His unmerited favor toward his children. These are TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYSTEMS presented. The Bible has nothing to say about sowing one year will be seen the next. The Bible speaks more of sowing to the flesh or the Spirit, which is not the kind of sowing (money or voting etc.) that Copeland is talking about. (See Galatians 6:7-9) It is about receiving rewards afterwards.
“So All the things that I have studied over the last years since I first started hearing this, I, I heard brother Hagin mention it uh back in the 70’s...Fulness, We’ve never seen the gifts of the spirit in their fullness. Everything that God can do, we never seen that”... “God has made a decision, now once he makes a decision Benny, remember he's a sovereign God. But when he makes a sovereign decision he never changes and that decision then in a way really becomes his own boundaries. If he has decided to do it a certain way, he has made a sovereign decision that he will not and therefore he cannot express himself in fullness in the earth without us.”
Where does the Bible ever say such a thing? This is certainly founded upon the Latter Rain teachings, it is a modified version of the Manifest Sons of God doctrine. Are we going to see EVERYTHING God can do?
“ But then the lord referred me to the book of Ephesians, there’s a prayer in the first chapter, there’s a prayer in the third chapter and then the results of those prayers are outlined in the fourth, fifth and sixth chapter.
We start with the prayer in the first chapter 16th verse “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The anointed one, Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints... what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward who believe, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.” What is the exceeding greatness toward us who believe? And he raised him from the dead and placed him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principalities, all power, all might all dominion... Appointed him, placed him as head over his body gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills or fulfills all things, Jesus is the filler upper he is the fullness of the father but not without us because he’s only the head.”
What is Copeland saying? The Bible says before the church was made (indwelled with the Spirit) that He, Jesus, was the fullness of God by Himself. Col 1:19 “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell” Col. 2:9 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Notice the word ALL, meaning all that makes God who He is, every attribute and characteristic, the complete nature is found in Christ Jesus in bodily form (only) when He became man. Christ does not need the church body to have this fullness, as if only the head is in need of something .This is serious error but it only gets worse. As Copeland continues, he denies Christ having the fullness alone and other core teachings:
Copeland pauses and says I thought how can that be to Hinn and the audience (relating back to the 70's when he first heard this message) But then, “Well let’s stop and lets track some things for a moment. God created Adam and Adam was the fullness of God, he was not a little example of God he was the likeness of God, and God put his own hands on him and crowned him with his gory. And put his power inside him to bless the entire earth. He said I bless you. YOU multiply you bless the earth. Now the earth that came upon the earth did not come from heaven it came out of Adam. (Hinn is impressed) “There was enough spiritual power and capacity to curse this whole planet. With death, the devil didn’t have that kind of power. But this man like God did. But when he disconnected from God he connected with Satan and that’s where Satan got his power, he got it out of Adam. Now, then comes Adam the second, Jesus, is he the fullness of God, is he the full expression of God himself, (Hinn says amen he is) but then comes the new creation created in Christ Jesus your and my and your recreate human spirit. Recreated in the very likeness of the one who went before us. And suffered and died and raised again…And his spirit went through torture and torment .The firstborn from the dead, he’s no longer called the only begotten son of God.” No, no, he’s called the firstborn son of God, the first begotten of many brethren and we are the fullness of him …
This is false, but Copeland always twist the Scripture ever so slightly to make his own unique point, which happens to be a interpretation completely outside the Scripture. Satan did not get his power transferred out of Adam. God did not put his own hands on Adam. The Scriptures are void of this teaching.
Copeland is saying that Jesus is just like Adam. Think this through, this means either Adam was equally God or that Jesus was not God. But Copeland is saying Adam was God and he stated this position many times:
“if you stood Adam upside God they look just exactly alike…Now here's Adam in the image of God, and in the likeness of God. All of God's attributes, all of God's authority, all of God's faith, all of God's ability, was invested in that man." (The Authority of the Believer IV, Tape #01-0304)
"Adam was just as much the Son of God as Jesus, Jesus just as much the Son of God as Adam. " (Kenneth Copeland, Believer's Voice of Victory, January 29, 2001 [GOD TV]
“Adam was as much like God as you can get, just the same as Jesus when he came to earth, he said if you have seen me you have seen the father. He wasn’t a lot like God he’s God manifested in the flesh, I want you to know something Adam in the Garden of Eden was God manifested in the flesh”“(Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham I (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989), tape #01-3001, side 1)
According to Copeland this means that Adam, who was God, sinned. Jesus, the second Adam, was God, was just like Adam and did not sin.
Adam was not the fullness of God no creature can be this. Jesus is God, He is the only human being God came in the flesh: 1 Tim.3:16 “God was manifested in the flesh,” ONLY ONCE, in Jesus. To say God came in the flesh (incarnate) in any another creature (like Adam) is denying that Christ was the only God come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). This is not God’s Spirit that is prophesying through Copeland. Besides being unbiblical, it’s not even logical. Adam did not pre-exist as an eternal being as the Son of God did before He came to earth. This denies the uniqueness of Jesus being the only begotten Son. If Copeland's teachings were true, then Jesus is the second only begotten and we are third, fourth, fifth ad infinitum.
Copeland also states, “he’s not longer called the only begotten son of God.” If we listen to Copeland, then the apostle John is wrong when he, led by the Spirit, wrote the eternal word of God…
I Jn. 4:15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
I Jn. 5:5 “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
I Jn. 5:12 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
I Jn. 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
Then we no longer need this confession! We should believe just as the Scripture states: “Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14).
John's teaching that he is the Son of God MEANS HE is the ONLY begotten Son of God. Unique, one of a kind, no other like him.
Is Jesus no longer called the Only begotten Son of God?
Jesus is the only begotten because he is a Son by his eternal nature, being God. The Son is the same nature as the Father, which is a position occupied by no other is. We are sons by adoption and are given the divine nature. Yet Copeland makes no distinctions. There are two Greek words that are used for “Son.” Those who have experienced the new birth are sons of God by an adoption (Jn.1:12). The Greek word is teknon ( Rom.8:14-15, 19:23; Gal. 4:5, Eph.1:5). We find that this word for “Son” is never used for Jesus. Instead the Greek word huios is used. This word is exclusively applied to Jesus as the Son, which refers to his position of nature, as the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. Copeland is promoting the Manifest Sons of God doctrine of the Latter Rain heresy. This is nothing new. Copeland has been teaching these heresies for years.
Even John, the last apostle to write New Testament Scripture, states, “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (I Jn. 4:9). He doesn’t think he is no longer called this. So exactly when did this happen?
John 3:18: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
We are told to believe on the name of only begotten Son of God to be saved. Furthermore, when did Jesus stop being the Son of God? After his resurrection?
After the resurrection Paul preached Christ in the synagogues saying, “He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). So when did He stop being the Son of God?
John disproves this also: Rev. 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass” Jesus is still the Son of God (only begotten) and always will be.
In referring to the eternal Son, A.H. Strong wrote “That Sonship of Christ is eternal, is intimated in Psalm 2:7 “This day I have begotten thee” is most naturally interpreted as the declaration of an eternal fact in the divine nature.” Notice what he says next that is most important. “Neither the incarnation, the baptism, the transfiguration, nor the resurrection marks the beginning of Christ’s Sonship, or constitutes him Son of God. These are but recognitions of manifestations of a preexisting Sonship, inseparable from his Godhood.” “This sonship is unique- not predictable of, or shared with, any creature. The Scriptures intimate, not only an ETRENAL GENERATION OF THE SON, but an eternal procession of the Spirit.” (Systematic Theology p.304)
In other words he always was God only begotten Son, past -present- and future.
This certainly is not the first time Copeland has stated this, though his followers may have missed it, he has been saying this teaching for over 24 years. “Jesus is no longer the only begotten Son of God....” (Copeland: “Now Are We in Christ Jesus”, p.24, Kenneth Copeland Publications, Texas. 1980)
On Hinn's telecast Copeland says he’s not longer called the only begotten son of God.” No, no, he’s called the firstborn son of God, the first begotten of many brethren and we are the fullness of him”
Copeland is making up terms that do not exist--except, through Copeland's faulty revelation knowledge. He is not called the firstborn son of God anywhere in Scripture as Copeland claims, but the firstborn son. There is a difference because this accentuates his humanity.
Matthew 1:25 “…and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.” Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn Son.” NOT firstborn son of God because the phrase Son of God refers to his deity.
The only Scripture that comes close to this is “that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). That He, Jesus was raised to eternal life bodily first, then others will follow.
Jesus is called “the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). “But when He again brings the firstborn into the world” (Heb. 1:6). “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead” (Rev. 1:5).
The Greek word for firstborn is prototokos, which means first in rank, a heir, to have preeminence in position, the first to bring forth. It is not about His origin. The other Greek word for created is protoktisis, which is not used for Christ, but used for created things.
“He is not called the firstborn Son of God” at all, anywhere! And I challenge anyone to find this in Scripture. Copeland is using the method of diaprax, to convince the church into another doctrine, he wants us to believe that we are just like Jesus (as Sons) and Jesus was only the first and God is soon to have on earth numerous Christ’s just like Jesus.
This is rank heresy, and it needs to be recognized for what it is. Copeland has twisted the Scripture and has denied Jesus is still the only begotten Son, unique among all men as the ONLY God/man. This is Manifested Sons of God teaching straight out of the Latter Rain heresy and perpetuated by so many others today. Hinn accepts it. Copeland teaches it, and so do many others.
And it is very similar to other statements that are non Christian, occultists. “It is far more important that men should strive to become Christ’s than that they should believe that Jesus was Christ” (Mystic Masonry, by J. D. Buck, p. 62).
If this isn’t enough. Copeland further states in Ephesians “Now go over to the third chapter here’s the 2nd prayer beginning with the 14th verse well I really can’t …let me read the verse in the 2nd chapter first, you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin, now the same action when you got born again when your human spirit was recreated in Christ Jesus it was exactly the same work that the holy ghost did on Jesus when he raised him from the dead. Not one small bit less but exactly the same.”
This is false! Jesus’ spirit was not dead in sin needing to be reborn, but alive and sinless; His spirit was NOT recreated. Herein is the false teaching of the “born again” Jesus after the cross that Copeland has upheld for so many years. And Hinn agrees with it. Besides, Jesus raised from the dead also means he cannot die anymore, but we can.
This teaching can very subtle unless one pays attention they will not be aware of the turnaround he is doing to the Scripture
Why should anyone believe what Copeland says will come to pass? This fails in two ways; first and most importantly from the Bible. Second he’s been wrong many times before.
One of the more outrageous and obvious times was spoken at Word of Life Christian Center Honolulu Hawaii when he addressed Islam: “But There are going to be multiplied millions upon millions there’s going to be close to a billion people that have been trapped in that religion, that over the next few months are gonna come into the kingdom of God. That’s gonna happen, you watch and see what I’m telling you (cheering)” (Word of Life Christian Center Honolulu Hawaii, dedication service, evening service, December 2, 2001.)
Three years later, more than a few months have passed. But Copeland's followers are still cheering, as Copeland is about to return again.
We are reminded of what Paul said, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). The deception grows worse on a daily basis.
Keep in mind that in the past, Copeland also said, “By the end of June you will begin to hear of super-miracles, mega-moves of God that startle human minds and thinking… And before the end of the summer it's going to be an absolute outpouring of the glory of God. There will be manifestations of the Holy Ghost suddenly appear on streets and in stores and in churches and different places around the world” (Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland to the Body of Christ at the Helena, MT Victory Campaign on May 10, 2002 ) [This has also been repeated by Rod Parsley and Cindy Jacobs etc.)
False teaching and false prophecy never matter to those not walking in the truth.
Hinn concludes by saying “What Kenneth Copeland is saying is straight from heaven.” Is it??? We cannot afford to overlook what these men are teaching. The church is in desperate need to recognize what these teachings are - FALSE. And we need to speak up about where these men are leading the church, because it is certainly away from the revelation of the apostles, not in it.
Copeland's teachings are not “from heaven,” as Benny Hinn maintains. They are whole lot more south.
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1).
To test preachers and their message carefully by God's Word is not a matter of divisiveness, but wisdom and obedience to the word. It is holding to the unity of the faith and pursuing love. I can only hope more people will do so (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
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Tim
Kenneth Copeland's prophesy:
"Jesus is no longer the Only Begotten son"
and his Latter Rain teaching
Copeland has been known to shock his listeners with his supposed prophecies from God, such as: “Dont be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God...They crucified me for saying 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” (prophecy from Take Time to Pray article Believer's Voice of Victory,1987, p.9 )
In the above prophecy, Kenneth Copeland accomplished at least two things: 1) he denied the deity of Jesus Christ and 2) he promoted doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1).
Kenneth Copeland was a guest on Benny Hinn’s January 28, 2004 broadcast This is Your Day telecast. Hinn says the lord has a word for you today. Copeland thanks Hinn for continuing in the healing ministry. Benny Hinn asked Kenneth Copeland what he sees happening in 2004. In turn, Copeland responds by reading his prophecy, to which Hinn says, “Amen“: “Right now the healing ministry of Jesus is coming into a place that no human beings has seen before. And it, we’ all going to be glad we stayed where he put us because this is our time” (Benny Hinn- Amen). (This is a Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland at Eagle Mountain International Church December 31, 2000) Complete prophecy at http://kcm.org/studycenter/prophecies/2004_yearoffullness.php
Copeland continues: “The lord began talking to me about fullness of ministry and fullness of his callings and so forth oh 25 years go, but then in late November and all the way up to new years eve, and I had a visitation of the Lord new years eve afternoon, he began to talk to me about this year, and if you, you permit me I’ll read you what he said to me, Hinn responds please:
“ the year of 2004 will be known as the year of fullness. By the close of 2004, all callings will come to fullness. Apostles ministry, prophets ministry, evangelist ministry, pastoral ministries and teaching ministries that will obey me will come into full manifestation. The gifts of the spirit will be manifested in fulness as they were when Jesus was on the earth.” (Copeland says, “We’ve not seen that, we've seen little pieces of it but not like this”)... “Families will come into their called places and know the fullness of joy on earth as it is in heaven.”
If this is true, who needs heaven? Jesus said the very opposite for the last days, and spoke of perilous times, apostasy, the love of many growing cold, and itching ears that do not want to hear the truth but what they want to hear. The only time we will see this fullness is in the Millennium, but first comes the Great tribulation.
So according to God speaking to Copeland The gifts of the spirit will be manifested in fulness as they were when Jesus was on the earth. We will see all healings, all the gifts will be working at their height beyond what we saw with the apostles by those ministries like Copeland's. Blind eyes, legs growing out, resurrections taking place, multiplication of food for thousands to be fed by what would feed only a few is what people saw when Jesus was on earth; this he says will ALL take place in 2004.
It seems these prophets receive revelations on cue at the years end, and are regularly told by Jesus what’s in store next year. This time, Copeland is being told what the Latter Rain (ie. Bill Hamon and others in the Prophetic movement) has been saying for some time now. No, we have not seen this and the Bible never says we will see this. Not even the apostles repeated what Jesus did in all his miracles, but that is only what the Bible says, we are beyond that now. Now we are into new direct words dictated by men like Copeland that give false hope and mislead many under the guise of prophecy.
Copeland continues “All forms of prosperity, to excel, to go to the high places in God, will come into fullness of manifestation spirit, soul and body, health, wealth, assets and influence to the glory of God the Father. (Hinn responds Amen.)
Follow My leading. Listen to Me. Listen to My Spirit. Things are changing. Things that now look impossible and unchangeable will suddenly turn around. To the world for no apparent reason. But you will know the reasons, for your knowing what I am doing will increase and also come to fullness.
Many who have never head the voice of My Spirit will be hearing and following fully by the end of 2004.”
To that Benny Hinn says, “dear God.”(audience claps)
“Now let me ask the Lord something” Copeland said “I’m going to need his permission to read this …(Copeland pauses, as if God gives him an immediate answer he says, all right acknowledging God's permission)
“I have taken over the politics and the politicians. (Copeland says, he’s talking about all over the world) “Listen to My voice. Vote the way I say in all elections.”
Has God taken over politics? Which party? How did God do this all of a sudden? The only change taking place is in the minds of those who are NOT living in reality.
“One thing he stopped me and said to me then, He said “I’m telling you to vote in all elections and I’m telling you in all elections you vote the way I tell you to vote. And another thing was your ballot is your seed a ballot is your, its not just a vote, your ballot is your seed to do well under any administration, I don’t care what they do. If you vote with God and do what he says your gonna come out well even if the rest of them go down the drain. And that’s your seed.”
Your ballot is not just a vote it is your seed? Where’s that mentioned in the Bible? This is beyond ridiculous. Remember, Copeland claims to have received a prophecy from God. If politics and the politicians are now in control of God then why would they go down the drain? How can your ballot do well under any administration no matter what they do? Does the way we vote now have us receive a blessing from God?
“This is the time you've been waiting for, hoping for, and believing for. You will know Me ways that up to now you've never heard of before. Stay close to Me. Keep yourself in love. Obey My every command. Stay in My Word continually. Keep yourself and your prayer life fresh daily. Live by faith. 2004 will be the fullest year of your life. 2005 is the year of overflow. How much overflow depends on how much you sow towards it in 2004.”
So then God blesses us now according to our work of sowing? this sounds more like karma, what you give in 2004 will pay its dividends in 2005. Actually, the new covenant is operated by grace, Christ’s work and His unmerited favor toward his children. These are TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SYSTEMS presented. The Bible has nothing to say about sowing one year will be seen the next. The Bible speaks more of sowing to the flesh or the Spirit, which is not the kind of sowing (money or voting etc.) that Copeland is talking about. (See Galatians 6:7-9) It is about receiving rewards afterwards.
“So All the things that I have studied over the last years since I first started hearing this, I, I heard brother Hagin mention it uh back in the 70’s...Fulness, We’ve never seen the gifts of the spirit in their fullness. Everything that God can do, we never seen that”... “God has made a decision, now once he makes a decision Benny, remember he's a sovereign God. But when he makes a sovereign decision he never changes and that decision then in a way really becomes his own boundaries. If he has decided to do it a certain way, he has made a sovereign decision that he will not and therefore he cannot express himself in fullness in the earth without us.”
Where does the Bible ever say such a thing? This is certainly founded upon the Latter Rain teachings, it is a modified version of the Manifest Sons of God doctrine. Are we going to see EVERYTHING God can do?
“ But then the lord referred me to the book of Ephesians, there’s a prayer in the first chapter, there’s a prayer in the third chapter and then the results of those prayers are outlined in the fourth, fifth and sixth chapter.
We start with the prayer in the first chapter 16th verse “Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers; That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, The anointed one, Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him: The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what is the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints... what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward who believe, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead.” What is the exceeding greatness toward us who believe? And he raised him from the dead and placed him at his own right hand in the heavenly places. Far above all principalities, all power, all might all dominion... Appointed him, placed him as head over his body gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills or fulfills all things, Jesus is the filler upper he is the fullness of the father but not without us because he’s only the head.”
What is Copeland saying? The Bible says before the church was made (indwelled with the Spirit) that He, Jesus, was the fullness of God by Himself. Col 1:19 “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell” Col. 2:9 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Notice the word ALL, meaning all that makes God who He is, every attribute and characteristic, the complete nature is found in Christ Jesus in bodily form (only) when He became man. Christ does not need the church body to have this fullness, as if only the head is in need of something .This is serious error but it only gets worse. As Copeland continues, he denies Christ having the fullness alone and other core teachings:
Copeland pauses and says I thought how can that be to Hinn and the audience (relating back to the 70's when he first heard this message) But then, “Well let’s stop and lets track some things for a moment. God created Adam and Adam was the fullness of God, he was not a little example of God he was the likeness of God, and God put his own hands on him and crowned him with his gory. And put his power inside him to bless the entire earth. He said I bless you. YOU multiply you bless the earth. Now the earth that came upon the earth did not come from heaven it came out of Adam. (Hinn is impressed) “There was enough spiritual power and capacity to curse this whole planet. With death, the devil didn’t have that kind of power. But this man like God did. But when he disconnected from God he connected with Satan and that’s where Satan got his power, he got it out of Adam. Now, then comes Adam the second, Jesus, is he the fullness of God, is he the full expression of God himself, (Hinn says amen he is) but then comes the new creation created in Christ Jesus your and my and your recreate human spirit. Recreated in the very likeness of the one who went before us. And suffered and died and raised again…And his spirit went through torture and torment .The firstborn from the dead, he’s no longer called the only begotten son of God.” No, no, he’s called the firstborn son of God, the first begotten of many brethren and we are the fullness of him …
This is false, but Copeland always twist the Scripture ever so slightly to make his own unique point, which happens to be a interpretation completely outside the Scripture. Satan did not get his power transferred out of Adam. God did not put his own hands on Adam. The Scriptures are void of this teaching.
Copeland is saying that Jesus is just like Adam. Think this through, this means either Adam was equally God or that Jesus was not God. But Copeland is saying Adam was God and he stated this position many times:
“if you stood Adam upside God they look just exactly alike…Now here's Adam in the image of God, and in the likeness of God. All of God's attributes, all of God's authority, all of God's faith, all of God's ability, was invested in that man." (The Authority of the Believer IV, Tape #01-0304)
"Adam was just as much the Son of God as Jesus, Jesus just as much the Son of God as Adam. " (Kenneth Copeland, Believer's Voice of Victory, January 29, 2001 [GOD TV]
“Adam was as much like God as you can get, just the same as Jesus when he came to earth, he said if you have seen me you have seen the father. He wasn’t a lot like God he’s God manifested in the flesh, I want you to know something Adam in the Garden of Eden was God manifested in the flesh”“(Kenneth Copeland, Following the Faith of Abraham I (Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Ministries, 1989), tape #01-3001, side 1)
According to Copeland this means that Adam, who was God, sinned. Jesus, the second Adam, was God, was just like Adam and did not sin.
Adam was not the fullness of God no creature can be this. Jesus is God, He is the only human being God came in the flesh: 1 Tim.3:16 “God was manifested in the flesh,” ONLY ONCE, in Jesus. To say God came in the flesh (incarnate) in any another creature (like Adam) is denying that Christ was the only God come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). This is not God’s Spirit that is prophesying through Copeland. Besides being unbiblical, it’s not even logical. Adam did not pre-exist as an eternal being as the Son of God did before He came to earth. This denies the uniqueness of Jesus being the only begotten Son. If Copeland's teachings were true, then Jesus is the second only begotten and we are third, fourth, fifth ad infinitum.
Copeland also states, “he’s not longer called the only begotten son of God.” If we listen to Copeland, then the apostle John is wrong when he, led by the Spirit, wrote the eternal word of God…
I Jn. 4:15 “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
I Jn. 5:5 “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
I Jn. 5:12 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
I Jn. 5:13 “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
Then we no longer need this confession! We should believe just as the Scripture states: “Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession” (Hebrews 4:14).
John's teaching that he is the Son of God MEANS HE is the ONLY begotten Son of God. Unique, one of a kind, no other like him.
Is Jesus no longer called the Only begotten Son of God?
Jesus is the only begotten because he is a Son by his eternal nature, being God. The Son is the same nature as the Father, which is a position occupied by no other is. We are sons by adoption and are given the divine nature. Yet Copeland makes no distinctions. There are two Greek words that are used for “Son.” Those who have experienced the new birth are sons of God by an adoption (Jn.1:12). The Greek word is teknon ( Rom.8:14-15, 19:23; Gal. 4:5, Eph.1:5). We find that this word for “Son” is never used for Jesus. Instead the Greek word huios is used. This word is exclusively applied to Jesus as the Son, which refers to his position of nature, as the ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. Copeland is promoting the Manifest Sons of God doctrine of the Latter Rain heresy. This is nothing new. Copeland has been teaching these heresies for years.
Even John, the last apostle to write New Testament Scripture, states, “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (I Jn. 4:9). He doesn’t think he is no longer called this. So exactly when did this happen?
John 3:18: "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
We are told to believe on the name of only begotten Son of God to be saved. Furthermore, when did Jesus stop being the Son of God? After his resurrection?
After the resurrection Paul preached Christ in the synagogues saying, “He is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). So when did He stop being the Son of God?
John disproves this also: Rev. 2:18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write, 'These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass” Jesus is still the Son of God (only begotten) and always will be.
In referring to the eternal Son, A.H. Strong wrote “That Sonship of Christ is eternal, is intimated in Psalm 2:7 “This day I have begotten thee” is most naturally interpreted as the declaration of an eternal fact in the divine nature.” Notice what he says next that is most important. “Neither the incarnation, the baptism, the transfiguration, nor the resurrection marks the beginning of Christ’s Sonship, or constitutes him Son of God. These are but recognitions of manifestations of a preexisting Sonship, inseparable from his Godhood.” “This sonship is unique- not predictable of, or shared with, any creature. The Scriptures intimate, not only an ETRENAL GENERATION OF THE SON, but an eternal procession of the Spirit.” (Systematic Theology p.304)
In other words he always was God only begotten Son, past -present- and future.
This certainly is not the first time Copeland has stated this, though his followers may have missed it, he has been saying this teaching for over 24 years. “Jesus is no longer the only begotten Son of God....” (Copeland: “Now Are We in Christ Jesus”, p.24, Kenneth Copeland Publications, Texas. 1980)
On Hinn's telecast Copeland says he’s not longer called the only begotten son of God.” No, no, he’s called the firstborn son of God, the first begotten of many brethren and we are the fullness of him”
Copeland is making up terms that do not exist--except, through Copeland's faulty revelation knowledge. He is not called the firstborn son of God anywhere in Scripture as Copeland claims, but the firstborn son. There is a difference because this accentuates his humanity.
Matthew 1:25 “…and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus.” Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn Son.” NOT firstborn son of God because the phrase Son of God refers to his deity.
The only Scripture that comes close to this is “that He might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:29). That He, Jesus was raised to eternal life bodily first, then others will follow.
Jesus is called “the firstborn from the dead” (Col. 1:18). “But when He again brings the firstborn into the world” (Heb. 1:6). “And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead” (Rev. 1:5).
The Greek word for firstborn is prototokos, which means first in rank, a heir, to have preeminence in position, the first to bring forth. It is not about His origin. The other Greek word for created is protoktisis, which is not used for Christ, but used for created things.
“He is not called the firstborn Son of God” at all, anywhere! And I challenge anyone to find this in Scripture. Copeland is using the method of diaprax, to convince the church into another doctrine, he wants us to believe that we are just like Jesus (as Sons) and Jesus was only the first and God is soon to have on earth numerous Christ’s just like Jesus.
This is rank heresy, and it needs to be recognized for what it is. Copeland has twisted the Scripture and has denied Jesus is still the only begotten Son, unique among all men as the ONLY God/man. This is Manifested Sons of God teaching straight out of the Latter Rain heresy and perpetuated by so many others today. Hinn accepts it. Copeland teaches it, and so do many others.
And it is very similar to other statements that are non Christian, occultists. “It is far more important that men should strive to become Christ’s than that they should believe that Jesus was Christ” (Mystic Masonry, by J. D. Buck, p. 62).
If this isn’t enough. Copeland further states in Ephesians “Now go over to the third chapter here’s the 2nd prayer beginning with the 14th verse well I really can’t …let me read the verse in the 2nd chapter first, you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sin, now the same action when you got born again when your human spirit was recreated in Christ Jesus it was exactly the same work that the holy ghost did on Jesus when he raised him from the dead. Not one small bit less but exactly the same.”
This is false! Jesus’ spirit was not dead in sin needing to be reborn, but alive and sinless; His spirit was NOT recreated. Herein is the false teaching of the “born again” Jesus after the cross that Copeland has upheld for so many years. And Hinn agrees with it. Besides, Jesus raised from the dead also means he cannot die anymore, but we can.
This teaching can very subtle unless one pays attention they will not be aware of the turnaround he is doing to the Scripture
Why should anyone believe what Copeland says will come to pass? This fails in two ways; first and most importantly from the Bible. Second he’s been wrong many times before.
One of the more outrageous and obvious times was spoken at Word of Life Christian Center Honolulu Hawaii when he addressed Islam: “But There are going to be multiplied millions upon millions there’s going to be close to a billion people that have been trapped in that religion, that over the next few months are gonna come into the kingdom of God. That’s gonna happen, you watch and see what I’m telling you (cheering)” (Word of Life Christian Center Honolulu Hawaii, dedication service, evening service, December 2, 2001.)
Three years later, more than a few months have passed. But Copeland's followers are still cheering, as Copeland is about to return again.
We are reminded of what Paul said, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie" (2 Thessalonians 2:11). The deception grows worse on a daily basis.
Keep in mind that in the past, Copeland also said, “By the end of June you will begin to hear of super-miracles, mega-moves of God that startle human minds and thinking… And before the end of the summer it's going to be an absolute outpouring of the glory of God. There will be manifestations of the Holy Ghost suddenly appear on streets and in stores and in churches and different places around the world” (Prophecy delivered by Kenneth Copeland to the Body of Christ at the Helena, MT Victory Campaign on May 10, 2002 ) [This has also been repeated by Rod Parsley and Cindy Jacobs etc.)
False teaching and false prophecy never matter to those not walking in the truth.
Hinn concludes by saying “What Kenneth Copeland is saying is straight from heaven.” Is it??? We cannot afford to overlook what these men are teaching. The church is in desperate need to recognize what these teachings are - FALSE. And we need to speak up about where these men are leading the church, because it is certainly away from the revelation of the apostles, not in it.
Copeland's teachings are not “from heaven,” as Benny Hinn maintains. They are whole lot more south.
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction" (2 Peter 2:1).
To test preachers and their message carefully by God's Word is not a matter of divisiveness, but wisdom and obedience to the word. It is holding to the unity of the faith and pursuing love. I can only hope more people will do so (1 Thessalonians 5:21).
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posted by Tim Wirth | 11:32 AM
1 Comments:
I would love to meet the person that wrote that article!!! Good Job!!!!All partners of KCM need to read that!
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