Meyer can be classified as a Word-Faith teacher and as such has shown an inclination to waffle on major doctrines. In her 1991 booklet,
The Most Important Decision You Will Ever Make, an evangelistic work aimed at nonbelievers, she resounds the Word-Faith view of Christ’s atonement:
“During that time He entered hell, where you and I deserved to go (legally) because of our sin. He paid the price there ... no plan was too extreme ... Jesus paid on the cross and in hell” (pg. 35, underlining in the original).
“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 ... He was resurrected from the dead — the first born-again man” (pg. 36, underlining in the original).
“His spirit went to hell because that is where we deserved to go. Remember in the very beginning of this, I said, ‘When you die, only your body dies. The rest
of you, your soul and spirit, goes either to heaven or hell’” (ibid.).
“There is no hope of anyone going to heaven unless they believe this truth I
am presenting. You cannot go to heaven unless you believe with all your heart that Jesus took your place in hell” (ibid.).
“Jesus went to hell for you” (pg. 38, underlining in the original).
All of the above citations are from her chapter entitled, “What Should You Believe?”. The first subheading in this chapter is “What Happened on the Cross?”. Those familiar with Word-Faith vernacular will recall
Kenneth Copeland's 1984 tape, “What Happened From the Cross to the Throne.” Copeland apparently borrowed the title and theme from
E.W. Kenyon’s book by the same name.
Meyer teaches the classic “Born-Again Jesus” gospel that has been taught by Copeland,
Kenneth Hagin,
Fred Price, John Jacobs, Charles Capps,
Benny Hinn and
Jan Crouch, to name a few. It’s usually presented under the guise of “revelation knowledge,” given by the Holy Spirit and grounded in Scripture. However, this gospel does not stand up under
biblical scrutiny.
Charismatics many times will make their case by saying, “Jesus went to hell. Doesn’t it say so somewhere in the book of Acts?”
While it is true that Jesus went to hell (
Ephesians 4:8-9
;
1 Peter 3:18
), attention should be focused on what He did or didn’t do there. Meyer and her kind teach that Jesus went there to pay for our sins, it’s the same kind of payment — or better — that He made on the cross.
The reader is asked to recall Meyer’s repeated declarations: “He paid the price there ...
Jesus paid on the cross and in hell ... Jesus took your place in hell ... Jesus went to hell for
you.”
Every
cult and
pseudo-Christian sect disparages the cross. An enemy of the cross is one who even suggests that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was insufficient for salvation. Anyone who disparages the cross is teaching another gospel. The destiny of such teachers is destruction (
Philippians 3:19). Based upon Christ’s atonement for their sins, Christians are not going to hell. Therefore, no enemy of the cross can be a brother in Christ.
A pastor at whose church Meyer was to speak told her about serious concerns he had about her booklet. As a result, she has revised parts of it. Meyer’s organization labeled the revised booklet “Second Printing - May 1993” but did not mention the key theological revisions, which were limited to Chapter Four, where the previously cited passages are found. Nevertheless, the revisions leave much of the “Born-Again Jesus” doctrine intact. Apparently she has neither tried to disavow or recall the first edition nor has she made any mention of the revisions in the second printing.
Her now-unavailable tape, “What Happened from the Cross to The Throne?” continued to teach the “Born-Again Jesus” doctrine and is a close, if not
identical, copy of the Kenyon/Copeland theme and title.