Scripture Twisting

There is a solemn obligation for the minister of the Gospel to preach the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament (2 Timothy 4:2), to preach all of the Scriptures (Acts 20:27), and to preach only the Scriptures (Galations 1:8).  This should be a non-negotiable starting point for any type of ministry.  After all, these Scriptures and these Scriptures only compose the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16).  Every word is needed to produce and sustain life (Deuteronomy 8:3), and no other (word) is on a par with it or can claim to be without error in whatever it asserts.  Neither, therefore, can any other such "word" have unquestionable authority in what it addresses.  That is the prerogative of the Word of Scripture only (John 10:35).

The minister of the Gospel is under the equally solemn obligation to handle the Scriptures accurately (2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 3:16), and to proclaim its message clearly (Hebrews 4:12).  In order to achieve this, the Christian church has insisted on developing a system or "science" of interpreting the Bible.  This science is called "hermeneutics."  It sets forth principles virtually agreed upon by orthodox Christians everywhere that form the necessary guidelines for all Biblical interpretations whether in personal devotions or in public speaking.

It is unrealistic to expect all Christians to be in agreement on the precise interpretation of every passage of Scripture.  But they should agree on the fundamental approach to biblical interpretation...there is a difference between occasional misinterpretations and unacceptable methods of biblical interpretation.  All have fallen victim to the former, but no one should be guilty of blatantly disregarding a responsible methodology.

This applies to every minister of the Gospel...whether he labours in relative obscurity or in the limelight.  After all, no minister runs a free-lance operation.  The person who proclaims the Scriptures is under strict orders from God and is fully accountable to Him.  He is God's ambassador and, therefore, his Master's voice.  Faith Movement televangelists are no exception.  The often-reported immediate "conversations" with God seem to give the impression not only that they possess a source of truth beyond the Bible, but also that they are exempt from following acceptable methods of biblical interpretation.  This should evoke a protest.  Not only is the Bible sufficient but also the proper principles of interpretation are universal and, therefore, binding upon all.

The electronic and [Faith Movement] preacher stands in need of a special reminder in this regard, since possibly more than anyone else he has the potential of being a force for tremendous good or a source of incalculable harm.  The man and his message may earn the respect of his audience and have a life-changing impact upon it.  But by who he is and what he says, he may also leave cynicism and public ridicule in his wake, dealing a severe setback to the cause of Christ.

Also the televangelist [Faith Movement] preacher must face up to the necessity of a biblical hermeneutics that heralds the Scriptures as its only starting point and champions a responsible method of interpretation.  In a word, he must honour Scripture as the only inerrant and binding Word of God, and present its meaning accurately and clearly.  Only so can he set forth God's truth properly and bring out its significance appropriately...


For more information on Victory Churches and the Faith Movement, go to the Reference Library.  Click on any book title to get a brief overview of the book.  All books on the list are available through www.amazon.com. 

The Claim of a Special Annointing or Calling

Toxic Characteristic #1 - continued

One terribly poisonous misconception claims that God had a special calling only for certain people and everyone else needs to find something "unspecial" to do. According to the misconception, the business person who tries to do God's will on the job is not as special as the leader of a church.

This premise contradicts the teaching that God has a special plan for every person's life. In a healthy church, a pastor will encourage individuals to minister as they discover talents and gifts that can be used in serving God. The minister of pure faith will encourage everyone to consider themselves special in the eyes of God. Each person has a very special place of service designed by God, and each person should be encouraged to find it.

In a toxic system, the toxic minister sets himself or herself up as having a special destiny or mission that can be performed by no one else. This special anointing or calling is often nothing more than the pathological need to be valued or esteemed. It also takes some of the power that should be attributed to God and gives it to the toxic minister. It is a way to usurp God's authority, and it is a way to discredit anyone who disagrees with the direction of the ministry. If others will not value the minister enough to submit to his or her dictatorial rule, God's anointing is called in to make sure that everyone understands that any waiver of support is really a waiver in faith in God. Those who have felt this type of manipulation should leave this church or organization immediately. But most religious addicts don't feel it; they thrive on it (for a while).

This claim of a special touch has caused problems for people I know. The abuse of a high position to build a self-serving ego has caused unhealthy marriages to continue without healing, finances to be wasted, time to be spent in hours of futile work, and individuals to feel forsaken by a God who does not seem to care. Under the guise of special direction from God, many individuals have compromised their faith and fallen into a trap that did nothing but establish one person's authority above any earthly accountability.

The religious addicts at the top always seem to profit from this misguided loyalty by being able to spend more, build more, or sin more, depending on the area of their lives that has deteriorated. The victimized followers -- seeking a closer relationship with God but focusing more on the addicted leader than on God -- lose contact with God and often fall away from faith permanently. Misguided loyalty allows the delusions of the leader to grow and destroys the faith of the loyal. The result may be financial or spiritual bankruptcy. The only hope to protect other potential victims is for the leader who claims to be God's special officer to be forced into accountability or dethroned.

Power often corrupts. When organizations develop with little or no accountability for the leader, tremendous potential exists for the leader to fall into corruption. One church I was involved with in Texas confronted a minister about his behaviour. Many issues led to the question of whether the minister should stay or go. The minister responded by saying he had started the church and that anyone disagreeing with him should leave. He claimed that God had given him a vision for the church and the means by which the church had grown. The leaders knuckled under to the pressure, and the minister retained his position. He continued with no form of accountability, and it was only a matter of time until he got into trouble again.

When ministers wield absolute authority, everyone loses, even God. This is always the case when religion serves the person instead of a person serving God.

(Toxic Faith, Chapter 6)