But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord Who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.

Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

Who Is Kenneth Hagin?

Kenneth Hagin (1917-2003) is widely acknowledged as the father of the Word Faith (WF) movement. For those not familiar with the man known within WF simply as “Dad Hagin” The New International Dictionary Of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements (NIDPC) informs us that Hagin was a:

Teacher, prolific author, and advocate of the “Word of Faith” (Positive Confession) message… Hagin began as an itinerant ministry as a Bible teacher and evangelist in 1949. During the following 14 years he had a series of eight visions of Jesus Christ, who in the third vision granted him the gift of discerning of spirits,… (687).

In his book A Different Gospel D.R. McConnell, who “did graduate work at Oral Roberts University in theological and historical studies,” also correctly points out that:

Although there is little doubt that E.W. Kenyon is its founding father, the contemporary [Word] Faith movement is virtually incomprehensible without explicating the role played in it by Kenneth Hagin. Kenyon may have authored the teachings on which the [Word] Faith movement is based. But Hagin is the man who fashioned these teachings into the fastest growing movement in charismatic Christendom.

All of the major ministers of the [Word] Faith movement admit Hagin’s tutelage. He is universally recognized in the movement as both a teacher and a prophet. (55)

KENNETH HAGIN:

Here is a picture of Christ in awful combat with the hosts of darkness. It gives us a glimpse of the tremendous victory He won before He rose from the dead. The margin of King James reads, “He put off from Himself the principalities and the powers.” It is quite obvious and evident that whole demon hosts, when they had Jesus within their power intended to swamp Him, to overwhelm Him, and to hold Him in fearful bondage.

But the cry came forth from the throne of God that Jesus had met the demands of Justice, that that man’s redemption was a fact. And when that cry reached the dark regions, Jesus arose and threw back the host of demons and met Satan in awful combat. God has made this investment for He has made this deposit on which the church has a right to draw for. Oh that our eyes would open, that our souls would dare to rise in the realm of the omnipotent where that name would mean to us all that God the Father intended it to mean! In one sense, this is practically unexplored table land in Christian experience. (“The Name Of Jesus: The More Excellent Name,” The Word of Faith, April 1976, 4-6)

Christ’s physical death on the cross was not enough to save us. (How Jesus obtained His Name, cassette #44-H01)

Why did He need to be begotten or born? Because He became like we were — separated from God. Because He tasted spiritual death for every man. And His spirit and inner men went to hell in my place. Can’t you see that? Physical death wouldn’t remove your sins. He’s tasted death for every man. He’s talking about tasting spiritual death. Jesus is the first person that was ever born again. Why did His spirit need to be born again? Because it was estranged from God. (How Jesus obtained His Name, cassette #44-H01)

Physical death would not remove our sins. He tasted death for every man —spiritual death. Jesus is the first person ever to be born again. Why did HIS spirit need to be born again? Because it was estranged from God. (The Name Of Jesus, 29, 30.)

Who Is Kenneth Copeland?

“Brother Copeland,” as he is most often referred to by WF adherents, is widely regarded as Hagin’s successor as leader within WF. NIDPC tells us that Kenneth Copeland is a:

leading proponent of the “Word of Faith” message (Positive Confession)…he enrolled in Oral Roberts University (ORU), where he became a copilot on Oral Roberts’ cross-country crusade flights. While at ORU, Copeland attended Kenneth Hagin’s Tulsa seminars. Unable to pay for Hagin’s tapes, he offered the title of his car for them. Hagin’s manager Buddy Harrison, took one look at the car and said, “Just go ahead and take the tapes. Bring the money in when you can” (Hagin, 1985, 67)…

[In 1975], after an extended time of prayer, Copeland reported that the Lord had commanded him to “preach the Gospel on every available voice” (Copeland, 1981, 6)… Heavily influenced by E.W. Kenyon,… As of 1999, Copeland and his wife, Gloria, have written 58 books. Their teaching materials have been translated into 22 languages. (562)

KENNETH COPELAND:

[Jesus allegedly speaking to Copeland] Don’t be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God … They crucified Me for claiming I was God. I didn’t claim that I was God; I just claimed that I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah! That’s what you’re doing… (“Take Time to Pray,” Believer’s Voice of Victory, February 1987, 9)

The Spirit of God spoke to me and He said, “Son, realize this. Now follow me in this and don’t let your 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, like that, 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 and the very copy of that one.” I said, “Goodness, gracious sakes alive!” And I began to see what had gone on in there. And I said, “Well now you don’t mean, you couldn’t dare mean that I could have done that same thing?” He said, “Oh yeah. If you’d had the same knowledge of the Word of God that He did, you could’ve done the same thing, ‘cause you’re a reborn man too.” (Substitution and Identification, cassette #00-0202, 1989)

In hell he [Jesus] suffered for you and for me. The Bible says hell was made for Satan and his angels. It was not made for men. Satan was holding the Son of God there illegally … The trap was set for Satan and Jesus was the bait. (Walking in the Realm of the Miraculous, 1979, 77)

He allowed the devil to drag him into the depths of hell as if he were the most wicked sinner who ever lived… Every demon in hell came down on him to annihilate him… [Demons] tortured him beyond anything that anybody has ever conceived… In a thunder of spiritual force, the voice of God spoke to the death-whipped, broken, punished spirit of Jesus… That word of the living God went down into the pit of destruction and charged the spirit of Jesus with resurrection power!

Suddenly His twisted, death-wracked spirit began to fill out and come back to life… He was literally being reborn before the devil’s very eyes. He began to flex his spiritual muscles… Jesus was born again — the first-born from the dead the Word calls Him — and He whipped the devil in his own backyard. He took everything he had away from him. He took his keys and his authority away from him. Jesus Christ dragged Satan up and down the halls of hell… Jesus…was raised up a born-again man… The day I realized that a born-again man had defeated Satan, hell, and death, I got so excited… (“The Price of it All,” Believer’s Voice of Victory, September 1991, 4-6)

[Christ’s] emaciated,poured out,little,wormy spirit [was held] without legal right. (What Happened from the Cross to the Throne, cassette #02-0017, 1990).

See also:

ARROGANCE AND BLASPHEMY: THE FAITH OF KENNETH COPELAND