Joyce Meyer
The Joyce Meyer Ministry takes in a great deal of money.
She travels in a private jet and has several multimillion dollar homes.
"While Meyer's previous salary is
unknown, a recent series of investigative articles in the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch revealed Meyer's ministry purchased for Joyce and Dave a $2
million home, a $10 million private jet, and houses worth another $2 million
for the couple's children, who also work for the ministry. The articles also
outlined Meyer's recent personal purchases, including a $500,000 vacation home.
Meyer, 60, lives in Fenton, Missouri, near St. Louis." (1/1/2004,
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/januaryweb-only/1-19-13.0.html)
Having a lot or a little money is neither good nor bad.
If she has earned it all fairly through her work, fine. Nevertheless, this
article will focus on her teaching, not on her finances. Let's take a look at
scripture, then Joyce Meyer's teachings.
First, what does the Bible say?
It is absolutely necessary that we Christians use
biblical discernment when supporting any preacher and/or teacher of the gospel.
It is irrelevant whether or not we like the person, think the person is a good
speaker, or if the person says things that are uplifting. Instead, we must be
as noble as the Bereans.
- "Now
these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received
the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see
whether these things were so," (Acts
17:11).
- "Now
these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos
for your sakes, that in us you might learn not to exceed what is written,
in order that no one of you might become arrogant in behalf of one against
the other," (1 Cor. 4:6).
If the Bible
says that even Paul was checked by scripture, and that we are not to exceed
scripture's teaching, then aren't we obligated to judge what Mrs. Meyer says
against the word of God? Of course we are. It is not enough to just believe
what she says, no matter how good the words are or how well she presents them.
Let's not be taken in by a public figure who is confident, assertive, and
appears to be biblical. Our duties as Christians include biblical discernment -
which can only be done by examining what she says and comparing it with
scripture.
What does Joyce Meyer teach?
For the most part Joyce Meyer preaches a positive,
biblical message that is of great value to many people. We applaud her desire
to be biblical, to point women to godly submission and humility, to trusting
God, being loving, to have value based in what Christ has done for us, etc. These
are all good. However, there are some very significant errors that need to be
addressed. Some of them are so bad that she is outside of biblical orthodoxy
and must be considered a false teacher. Let's take a look at what Joyce Meyer
has said.
Following is a list of quotes from Joyce Meyer, along
with responses.
1. Jesus stopped
being the Son of God: "He could have helped himself up
until the point where he said I commend my spirit into your hands, at that
point he couldn’t do nothing for himself anymore. He had become sin, he was no longer the Son of God. He was sin."(http://storage.carm.org/joycemeyer/joyce-meyer-Jesus-became-sin-stopped-being-son-of-God.mp3)
1. Response: This is heresy. Jesus did not ever stop
becoming the son of God. Essentially what she is saying is that Jesus stopped
being divine, the eternal son, second person of the Trinity. This is an attack
on the very nature of Christ and it is a dangerous false teaching. Joyce Meyer
needs to repent and retract this statement. There is no place in Scripture that
says Jesus stopped being the son of God. She's adding to the word of God and
placing in the hearts and minds of listeners false doctrine.
2. Jesus was born
again: "The minute that blood sacrifice was accepted Jesus was the first human being that was ever born again,"
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neKsa_74w7k&feature=related)
1. Response: This is just
plain wrong. Being born again means to be saved from the wrath of God for a
person's sins (Eph. 2:1-3), to have a new birth (John 3:3),
and to be regenerated (2 Cor. 5:17). Mrs. Meyer is simply wrong biblically. Why
does she teach this? It can only be because she has bought into many of the
errors of the Positive Confession movement where it is sometimes said that
Jesus lost his divine nature, went to hell, finished the atonement in hell, and
was born again! This is a serious error since it implies that Jesus needed to
be changed...
3. Jesus paid for
our sins in hell: "He became our sacrifice and died on the cross. He
did not stay dead. He was in the grave three days. During that time he entered hell, where you and I deserve to go
(legally) because of our sin. He paid the price there.”
(The most important decision you'll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second
printing, may 1993, page 35)
o
Response: This is
blatantly wrong. Jesus did not pay the price of our redemption in hell. He paid
the price on the cross. It was finished on the cross when he said, "It is
finished" (John 19:30). Also, consider the following verses:
o
Col. 1:20,
"and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace
through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth
or things in heaven."
o
Col. 2:14,
"having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees
against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having
nailed it to the cross."
o
1 Pet.
2:24, "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross,
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were
healed."
4. Jesus went to
hell in our place and was tormented: "Jesus
paid on the cross and went to hell in my place. Then as God had
promised, on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. The scene in the spirit
realm went something like this: God rose up from his
throne and said to demon powers tormenting the sinless son of God, 'let
him go.' Then the resurrection power of Almighty God went through hell and
filled Jesus. On earth his grave where they had buried him was filled with
light as the power of God filled his body. He was resurrected from the dead --
the first born again man." (The most important decision you'll ever
make, by Joyce Meyer, second printing, may 1993, page 36)
o
Response: Where does
she get this completely fictitious dialogue between God and the demon powers?
It is made up, not founded in scripture, and mistakenly assumes that Jesus went
to hell, the place of torment and suffering after he died on the cross. The
Bible does not teach any such thing. However, it does say that Jesus descended
into the lower parts of the earth (Eph. 4:9).
This can mean that Jesus was physically buried, or that Jesus went to Hades to
inform those who had already died about who he was and what he did on the
cross, or it can be referring to his incarnation as is contrasted with his
ascending into heaven (Eph. 4:10). But there is simply no reason to believe that
Jesus suffered in hell and finished the atonement there. See response to Quote 1.
5. If you don't
believe Jesus went to hell, you cannot be saved: "His spirit went to hell because that is where we deserve to
go… There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth."
(The most important decision you'll ever make, by Joyce Meyer, second
printing, may 1993, page 37)
0. Response: This is an
amazingly bad statement on her part. She is saying that you cannot be saved
from your sins unless you believe that Jesus went to the hell where we deserve
to go. This is a modification of the gospel message that saves, as is found in 1 Cor.
15:1-4 that states it is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.
Nowhere in scripture are we told to believe that Jesus suffered for us in hell
or that he went there, where we deserve to go. This is very wrong and is
heretical.
6. We are called
little gods: "I was listening to a set
of tapes by one man and he explained it like this..this kind of gets the
point across...he said why do people have such a fit
about God calling his creation, his creation, his man not his whole
creation, but his man, little gods? If he's God
what's he going to call them but the God kind? I mean if you as a human being
have a baby you call it a human kind. If if [sic] cattle has another cattle
they call it cattle kind. I mean what is God supposed to call 'em? Doesn't the Bible say we are created in his image? Now
you understand I am not saying you are god with a capital G. That is not the
issue here so don't go trying to stone me or yell blasphemy at me." "The Bible says right here John 10:34...'and
Jesus answered is it not written in your law I say we are gods.' So men
are called God's by the law..."(Joyce Meyer). (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrP3OLCH9GI&feature=related)
0. Response: In this clip
she goes on to quote John 10:34 where Jesus says to the Pharisees "you are
gods," which is a quote from Psalm 82:6,
which is an imprecatory Psalm of condemnation for the unrighteous judges. Psalm 82:7
says, nevertheless you will die like men. She then turned to Psalm 82 and went
through it. The video stopped so I do not know what she would have said about
the next, all important verse.
7. Joyce Meyer
said she is not a sinner: "I am not poor. I am not
miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie
from the pit of hell. That is what I were and if I still was then Jesus died in
vain. I'm going to tell you something folks. I didn't stop sinning until I
finally got it through my thick head I wasn't a sinner anymore. And the
religious world thinks that's heresy and they want to hang you for it. But the
Bible says that I am righteous and I can't be righteous and be a sinner at the
same time." (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dmHJdM63hk)
0. Response: Mrs. Meyer
needs a lesson in basic Bible. 1 John 1:8
says, "If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the
truth is not in us." Notice that John the apostle says "we." He
is including himself with sinners. Also, Paul said in Rom.
7:19-20,24,
"For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I
do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer
the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me...24 Wretched man that I am! Who
will set me free from the body of this death?" Is Joyce Meyer better in
Christian character than John and Paul? I think not. Mrs. Meyer fails to
recognize her own sinfulness, and so mistakenly denies her own sinfulness. I
can only conclude that this false teaching comes from pride because it
certainly isn't biblical.
8. The host of
hell were literally on Jesus and were laughing: "They
were having the biggest party that had ever been had. They
had my Jesus in the floor and they were standing on his back jumping up and
down laughing. And he had become sin. Don't you think that God was
pacing, wanting to put a stop to what was going on? All the host of hell were
upon him. Upon him. Up on him. The angels were in agony. All the creation is
groaning. All the host of hell was upon him. Up on him. They got on him. They
got him down in the floor and got on him and they were laughing and mocking. Ha
ha ha ha. You trusted God and look where you ended up. You thought he'd save
you and get you off that cross. He didn't, ha ha ha."
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNfOaxIcOMhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwNfOaxIcOM)
0. Response: Where did she
get this - in the sacred Book of Joycemeyeronomy? It is certainly not in the
Bible, and yet she has no problem teaching it as an authoritative truth. Does
she not know that the Bible says not to exceed what is written (1 Cor. 4:6)?
Yet, she has done exactly this. She is in grave error and has violated God's
word that says that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the cross (1 Pet.
2:24) and finished the atonement on the cross (John 19:30)
- not in hell at the hands of demons! There is no way demons were literally
standing 'on' Jesus. Meyer is in gross error!
9. Joyce Meyer
gets revelation knowledge: “The Bible can’t even find any way to
explain this. Not really that is why you have got to
get it by revelation. There are no words to explain what I am telling
you. I have got to just trust God that he is putting it
into your spirit like he put it into mine.” (http://storage.carm.org/joycemeyer/joyce-meyer-revelation-knowledge.mp3)
0. Response: Revelation
knowledge? Is she on par with the apostles who received revelation knowledge
from God himself? Or how about the Old Testament prophets? Does she, like them,
also receive revelation knowledge from God? If so, how would we know if it were
true or not? The answer is simple: we test what she says against Scripture, and
it is obvious that she is getting a lot of things from somewhere else that contradict
the word of God.
Joyce Meyer is a preacher
As unpopular as it might be to say, Joyce Meyer is wrong
for occupying the position of a preacher of God's word. Not only does she
preach false doctrines, but she also functions as a preacher by teaching God's
word, exegeting it, applying it, and telling people what to believe...in
public. She is out of place for doing this. She speaks as a minister of the
gospel teaching with authority. She needs to stop. if you doubt this, and if
you also believe the word of God, then please see the article Should women be
pastors and elders?
-------------
On 11/29/2011, CARM called the Joyce Meyer Ministries in
Mo., and spoke to a man who directed us to the website, contact info, and how
to submit an email. We told him about CARM and the issues that we wanted to
find out regarding her teachings. He again pointed us to the website and we
were told that someone would contact us. At the website we submitted this email
to them via their form at
http://www.joycemeyer.org/MediaRelations/MediaRelatedInquiry.aspx on
11/29/2011.
I'm Rev. Matt Slick, the president of
the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry, carm.org. CARM is a very
large and popular apologetics site (1.3 million monthly page views). I'm doing
research on Joyce Meyer and her teachings and have serious concerns about some
of the things she has taught. Instead of writing articles based on information
from years ago, I would very much like to submit a list of questions to her
(and/or interview her) regarding Christian theology, soteriology, and
christology to find out what her present views are. I can submit a list of
questions so as to get the most current teachings she has in these areas. The information
would then be used in toto on the CARM.org website, radio show, and books. I
want accurate information so as to not misrepresent Mrs. Meyer in anyway. Thank
you for your time and I look forward to your response. Rev. Matt Slick, M.Div.
President, carm.org.
We have yet to hear back from them.
3 comments:
The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement is by and large Arminian with a few exceptions. Be that as it may, the worst part of the movement is the influence of Christian Science and the New Thought mind cults. The Charismatic movement is heterodox for the most part and outright heretical for all the reasons above.
Arminianism is a false religion as well.
Charlie
It worries me to see, how people like joyce meyer is influencing even the believers....! we need to be sensitive..!!
It worries me to see, how people like joyce meyer is influencing even the believers....! we need to be sensitive..!!
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