Book Review:
The Bible Faith Study Course, by Kenneth E. Hagin

Hagin Bible Faith Course - Scrutiny through the lens of biblical context
A commentary by Penny Olive

In October of 2000, I was invited to participate in the above-mentioned study course. As the weeks progressed, I became increasingly concerned about the way Mr. Hagin introduced his teachings. Five weeks later, after much prayer and careful deliberation, I decided to withdraw from this study course. It is my firm belief that Mr. Hagin has based his teachings on misinterpretation of Scripture.

My main concerns are the following:

The author takes Scripture out of context, ignoring the preceding and following verses and the purpose of the entire book from which the Scripture verse was taken.

The author randomly selects a word from the Scripture verse, and, using a "slight of tongue" technique, makes an irrelevant statement, consequently changing the contextual meaning of the word in the verse. He then proceeds to build his own teaching upon this error.

Having misinterpreted the Scripture verse, the author then reinforces the error, using constant repetition of the error, interspersed with the Scripture verse, for reinforcement purposes.

The author finally reinforces his erroneous teaching in the 'Questions for study' section of the workbook, inviting the participants to respond to questions based on his own erroneous teaching, again reinforcing the error using his misinterpretation of the Scripture verse.

The author demonstrates an obvious disrespect for the personhood of the people in the recounted stories - a form of spiritual abuse.

The ministry of this man appears far-reaching to the eye, but it is important to note that big does not necessarily constitute fruit.

Despite the indication at the front of the workbook, the author quotes other bible translations without naming their source, simply referring to them as, "another translation" (see page 7), or "one modern translation" (see page 15).

For reasons of brevity, I will address only the first four chapters of this book.

The Four Chapters
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Chapter 1
How Faith Comes - Part 1

On the left side of page 1, paragraphs 2 and 3, we read the following:

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Hebrews 11:6 Notice particularly the first part of Hebrews 11:6: "But without faith it is impossible to please him... " If God demands that I have faith when it is impossible for me to have faith, then I have a right to challenge His justice. But if He places within my hands the means whereby faith can be produced, then the responsibility rests with me whether or not I have faith.

Notice that the author has selected the word "impossible" to subtly change the meaning of this verse. Hagin's words are: "impossible for me to have faith", whereas God's Word says "impossible to please him". He uses the word "impossible" in his sentence and tries to change the meaning of the Scripture verse.

His statement is irrelevant to the Scripture verse, and taken completely out of context. In the Book of Hebrews, Paul has been speaking to Christian Jews who, because of persecution, are thinking of abandoning their faith. He has just instructed them to persevere in their faith, encouraging them to 'hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful'. Hebrews 10:23. In Hebrews 11, Paul names all those who have gone before, telling his readers that they were commended for their faith, and continues to encourage them "since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses." Hebrews 12:1

Nowhere in this letter or in this verse does it say that 'God demands' that I have faith. Faith is a gift from God. Ephesians 2:8, 1Corinthians 12:9

Hagin's teaching casts a burden of doubt and blame on the believer concerning his gift of faith.

On the right side of page 2, third paragraph, Hagin says the following:

Notice in Mark 5:34 that Jesus didn't say that His power or His faith had made the woman whole. Jesus said to the woman, ... THY FAITH hath made thee whole... " Mark 5:34

The author has completely ignored a preceding verse in the same chapter. In verse 30 of the same chapter in Mark, we read,
At once Jesus realised that power had gone out from him. Mark 5:30

Mr. Hagin says in this paragraph, 'Jesus didn't say that His power or His faith had made the woman whole.' Subtly using the words, 'His faith', he slips in the notion of our faith (i.e. the woman's faith, "THY FAITH") as a basis for this particular teaching error. Yet verse 30 clearly tells us that Jesus knew 'that power had gone out from him'.

We have faith in God, but it is God who heals us. As verse 30 tells us, the power came out from Jesus to heal the woman. The woman had faith in God to be healed, but it is God Who healed her through the power that went out from Jesus. And, as verse 30 tells us, Jesus knew this.

The author's teaching erroneously removes the power of healing from God to man.

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Chapter 2
How Faith Comes - Part 2

In paragraphs 2 and 3, on the left side of page 7, we read:

Now FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 God is telling us exactly what Bible faith is. Hebrews 11:1 says that faith is the evidence of things not seen and faith is the substance of things hoped for. In other words, faith is substance.

Right at the beginning of this chapter, the author takes the word faith out of context, drawing his own conclusion, and completely ignoring the message of the entire Book of Hebrews. Hagin does this by attaching the word "substance" to faith, saying, 'In other words, faith is substance', whereas Paul tells us that faith is the "substance of things hoped for". Mr. Hagin thereby changes the meaning of the word faith in its entirety, limiting it to the concrete, and consequently leads the participant into yet another erroneous teaching: That in order to receive, you have to have the attitude that you already have received.

In verse 23 of the preceding chapter, Paul tells his readers:
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Hebrews 10:23

Further down in the same chapter, Paul says:
So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while,
"He who is coming will come and will not delay.
But my righteous one will live by faith.
And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him."
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Hebrews 10:35-39

And in chapter 12 verse 28, he speaks of a 'kingdom that cannot be shaken'.

The Book of Hebrews is about persevering in our faith, despite persecution. It is not about an easy way out. It is not about mind over matter. Mr. Hagin has taken the word faith out of context, misinterpreted it, and limited it to the word "substance"

He is erroneously teaching that answered prayer is a matter of mind over matter.

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Chapter 3
What Faith Is - Part 1

On the left side of page 15, paragraphs 1, 2, and 3, the participant reads the following:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Moffatt's translation of this verse reads: "Now faith means that we are confident of what we hope for, convinced of what we do not see." One modern translation of Hebrews 11:1 reads: "Faith is giving substance...to things hoped for." The difference between Faith and Hope What God is simply telling us is that faith is laying hold of the unseen realm of hope and bringing it into the realm of reality. Too many times when it comes to receiving the Holy Spirit or healing or an answer to prayer, many people are just simply hoping they will receive.

The author now changes the scriptural meaning of Paul's words, "things hoped for", by insinuating his own meaning of the word hope. Mr. Hagin says at the end of paragraph 3, 'many people are just simply hoping they will receive'. This statement is irrelevant, and has nothing to do with the scriptural meaning of the words, "things hoped for", that Paul has been speaking to the Hebrews about in the Book of Hebrews.

Through this irrelevant statement, Hagin has now pointed the participant in a wrong direction. He has made a wrong interpretation of the understanding of the words "things hoped for", and he now continues to build on this error, using this irrelevant thread of hoping, equating hope with doubt.

In this chapter, the author's error is that he equates hope with doubt.

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Chapter 4
What Faith Is - Part 2

On page 25, left side, paragraphs 1 and 2, we read the following:

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1 Faith gives substance to things hoped for. You see, hope doesn't have any substance. But faith gives substance to those things you are hoping for. In other words, what God is saying here in Hebrews 11:1 is that faith is taking hold of the unseen realm of hope, and bringing it into the realm of reality.

Here, Mr. Hagin changes the words of the Scripture verse: He says, "Faith gives substance" to things hoped for. In this section, Hagin proceeds to link hope with unbelief. He says in the second paragraph, "hope doesn't have any substance." Further on in the chapter, he plays with the grammar of present and future tenses to make his point.

Hebrews has much to say about hope that is sure and offered, firm, and secure, and none of these verses links hope with unbelief.
See Hebrews 3:6 the hope of which we boast,
6:11 to make your hope sure,
6:18 to take hold of the hope offered to us,
v19 hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure,
7:19 a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God,
10:23 hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful,
11:4 sure of what we hope for

And this is just the Book of Hebrews.

Again, Mr. Hagin's statements are totally out of context with what Paul has been saying to his readers in the Book of Hebrews.

Hagin's teaching here denigrates hope, linking it with unbelief, and leading the participant to doubt and wonder about his own salvation as well as the salvation of others.

In closing, I would like to say that as in Matthew 4:5-6, The Temptation of Jesus, the words that Mr. Hagin uses appear to be truth.

But, if we look closely at Matthew 4:6b, we can see that the devil, pretending to quote Psalm 91:11-12, conveniently omits verse 11b, "to guard you in all your ways". The devil was trying to get Jesus to destroy himself - to physically throwing himself down from the highest point of the temple - by misquoting the Scripture verse, wording it in such a way as to suggest to Jesus that God would send His angels to physically catch him up, so that he would not come to any harm. Jesus knew his Scriptures, and so he responded, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test".

The Temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11 provides clear example to us of Scripture verse that is misinterpreted, misquoted, and taken out of context.

It is therefore my firm belief, that Truth cannot, and should not, be built upon error - and Mr. Hagin begins all of the teachings in his book, based on error.

As there are a number of these studies being conducted in various places within the Christian community, I pray that the Lord bless us all with His Wisdom and Discernment.

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