A Sermon Contrasting the Teaching of Joseph Prince
By David Kowalkski
The following sermon was prepared for a congregation’s edification and thus not constructed primarily with Joseph Prince in mind. It consequently does not cover some of the issues I differ with Prince on such as the perpetuity of moral law (Prince does not believe in this but see 1 John 3:4) and confession of sin (Prince opposes this practice but see I John 1:9 which is not written to Gnostics as Prince claims).
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Within the sermon I express harmony with Prince on justification by grace through faith but differ with him on the following subjects:
- The applicability of Jesus’ teaching to believers (Prince maintains that Gospel portions as the Sermon on the Mount are expressions of the Mosaic Law that do not apply to Christians).
- The validity of exhortation (I cover this more by implication as I endorse Jesus’ exhortations — Prince sees exhortation as legalism).
- The validity of preaching on hell (Prince opposes such preaching or teaching, won’t put hell in his statement of faith, and has ignored my repeated inquiries about his beliefs on the subject).
- Self-examination (Prince repeatedly argues against this).
- Godly sorrow (Prince seems to think this is an undesirable, negative experience).
- Divine correction (Prince is the unnamed preacher I mention in the sermon who incorrectly maintains that the Lord will only show us our righteous status in justification and never expose sin in our lives).
- The definition of repentance (Prince asserts [using an out of context misrepresentation of Thayer’s Lexicon] that repentance is simply changing our minds to believe the good news about grace and has nothing to do with turning from sin).
- The nature of kingdom blessing (Prince is a classic prosperity preacher).
The Basics of Blessedness
Matthew 5:3-4
Arguably the best college basketball coach ever was John Wooden who coached UCLA to ten national championships in a twelve year period in the 60’s and 70’s. One thing he was famous for was his first practice with new players in which he would methodically teach them the proper techniques for putting on their socks and shoes. It was crucial to Wooden that his players master the basics. In the two verses we will look at in Matthew chapter five, Jesus gives us the basics of blessedness that He would have us master. These verses come at the beginning of Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and the rest of the content of that sermon is founded upon and flows from these two basics.
Most of us have read that sermon many times, and sometimes we can become so familiar with a portion of Scripture that it loses much of its impact on us. I challenge you to let the Holy Spirit make this sermon by Jesus fresh to your heart sometime soon. It’s such a powerful message. In the old days they would have called it a real barn burner. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus confronts us in a bold, unreserved manner with His kingdom demands of loving God and others.
I have heard and read a lot of sermons. I have even read some of Jonathan Edward’s notably strong classics but I’ve never read a sermon quite like this Sermon on the Mount. It is not surprising that people have devised a variety of schemes to claim that this sermon is not intended for ordinary, modern believers. The Roman Catholic Church, for example, considers the sermon to be to some degree “counsels of perfection” intended for those entering the priesthood or monastery. Others say the sermon is an expression of the Mosaic Law that has nothing to do with those of us under grace. Traditional dispensationalists tell us that the kingdom Jesus speaks of in this sermon must be the millennial kingdom. They say He couldn’t be making such demands on us in the church age. But in the conclusion to the sermon, the demand of present obedience is made clear as Jesus says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24) Additionally, after His resurrection, Jesus instructed his followers in the great commission to “Make disciples of all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:19-20). Whether we like it or not this message in its entirety is for all believers in this age.
In it Jesus summarizes what the Christian life is to be like. As he describes this life He holds the bar heavenly high and says it must be lived from the bottom of our hearts. He adds that we must be ultimately serious about living this way. Using hyperbole, Jesus says, “If your eye causes you to stumble gouge it out and throw it away…If your hand causes you to stumble cut it off and throw it away” (Matthew 5:29-30). In other words, do whatever it takes. Jesus then warns that the consequences for not doing so are deadly and eternal. He even uses the h word we seem so afraid of today, saying if we don’t get serious about living this life we will spend eternity in hell (Matthew 5:29-30). That’s some strong preaching. It makes a person want to change the channel and get a different preacher to listen to — someone less harsh!
Jesus starts His sermon with a series of declarations regarding whom He blesses. When we consider all of the data provided we see that He made these declarations very forcefully. It was a solemn occasion, and Jesus assumed the seated position of one speaking with authority. He had to have spoken loudly, for Matthew 7:28 tells us the entire crowd heard him and was amazed. The Greek is quite emphatic, and especially if we consider the Aramaic behind it, a legitimate translation of the word for “blessed” would be “Oh how blessed!” The picture we are given is one of a preacher (in this case the God-Man) who, if He had been standing behind a pulpit, might have been pounding it in this introduction to His message:
Matthew 5:3-4 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
We first see that God gives His kingdom blessing to the poor in spirit. Jesus said many things about the economically poor, but the location of the poverty he’s speaking of here is in one’s spirit, and the nature of that poverty is absolute. The Greek word for poor in this verse was generally used to describe not merely the lower class, but the beggar on the street who realizes he has nothing and is completely dependent on the mercies of others for his very sustenance. To those who recognize their spiritually destitute state, Jesus promises the kingdom of heaven which imparts the present possession of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit, as well as the promise of heaven.
I’ve visited Lake Peigneur near New Iberia, Louisiana. It was once a relatively small, eleven foot deep lake until in 1980, a Texaco, drilling rig on the lake punctured the top of a salt mine which swallowed up the water, the oil rig, boats and much, nearby land. The Gulf of Mexico flowed northward through a canal into the hole, enlarging the body of water and making the eleven foot deep lake now 1300 feet deep. The vacuum below was filled with the waters above just as the emptied spirit connecting with Christ will be filled with living water.
Even knowing we’re speaking of a superior, kingdom blessing, there’s still something counterintuitive or paradoxical to us in this declaration that the poor in spirit are blessed, and it was so in Jesus day as well. The popular heroes of that day were the Pharisees who sometimes gave lip service to this concept of spiritual poverty but who generally thought themselves spiritually rich. A number of years ago I read a book by a Jewish author who idolized the Pharisees of Jesus day, and reading the book I saw these men from a perspective I never had before. Momentarily setting aside what I knew of them from the Gospels, the Pharisees seemed like spiritual giants. They memorized vast portions of Scripture, said a lot of commendable things, and went out of their way to avoid breaking laws and traditions. I remember having conflicting emotions as I read because I thought I would have admired these men had I been alive at the time, but these were the ones Jesus called blind, hypocrites, a brood of vipers, and whitewashed tombs!
Jesus crossed swords with these Pharisees on a number of issues related to the law and tradition but in Luke 18:9-14 He spoke to the heart of the matter — to the fundamental dispute He had with them:
To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other people–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get. “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus diagnosed the Pharisees as having a high sense of spiritual achievement — of being quite pleased with themselves before a holy God. From a heavenly perspective no one should have a high sense of spiritual achievement. A sense of self satisfaction is a sure sign of a sick soul. If you think you can approach God on your own merits rather than those of the cross of Christ alone woe be unto you whoever you are!
After attending a funeral a couple of years ago, I became persuaded that I did not want to be eulogized (to have praise spoken of me) at my own funeral. I wrote out what I wanted to be read instead. It is a brief testimony of how Christ saved me in my apartment at the age of nineteen in 1975 after I had ruined my life and reached my lowest point. I then describe how wonderfully Christ changed my life but note that I always found a way to mar every beautiful thing He did with mistakes, impure motives, and unbecoming conduct. I conclude with the following:
Facing eternity I have no right in myself to claim a place in God’s, holy heaven. That destination is far too good for me. I have no more right in myself to be welcomed favorably there by God than I had to be welcomed favorably by Him in that apartment in 1975. I am undeserving of such favor but will gratefully receive His grace. Out of His amazing and wonderful love, Jesus Christ paid the price for my sins on the cross. I have never had any merit or hope outside of that cross, and the only truly good thing about me was my Savior. If there is to be any eulogizing at the time of my death it should be of Christ alone.
To the natural mind it seems too good to be true, but we will enter God’s heaven just because of what Christ did for us. Oh how blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!
As we turn our attention to the second of these beatitudes we see this poverty of spirit is not just how we get in, it’s how we keep on. It does not just characterize the origin of the Christian life but the ongoing of it as well. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” The Greek indicates a continuous state of mourning of the kind associated with loud weeping and wailing. This mourning represents a serious dissatisfaction with the status quo. Such mourners obviously feel unhappy about some things, and Christ pronounces His kingdom blessing upon those who have the proper kind of unhappy feelings arising from this sense of holy dissatisfaction.
To begin with, how can one live in a world that is in rebellion against its creator and feel good about that? The psalmist said “Streams of tears flow from my eyes, for your law is not obeyed” (Psalm 119:136). Paul said in Philippians 3:18, “For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” Also, how can we live in continual comfort in the midst of the painful effects of the fall? Deeply moved, Jesus wept at Lazarus tomb (Luke 11:33-39). Even more so, how can we realize that judgment is coming to people beloved of God and not feel bad about that? Jesus wept over rebellious Jerusalem as He foretold its coming judgment (Luke 19:41-44). There is so much wrong with this fallen world that an enlightened person in their right mind can’t help but weep sometimes.
But dare we look at ourselves for a moment? What response does an enlightened, inward gaze produce? The apostle Paul taught a principal not of obsessive introspection but of healthy self-examination. In 2 Corinthians 13:5 he told us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith, and in 1 Corinthians 11:28 he said that “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup” of the Lord’s supper. The principle is clear. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us the heart is deceitful above all things. We all have a tendency toward self-justification and need to occasionally examine ourselves in prayer as we let God shine His light on our conduct and heart.
Does an enlightened, inward gaze make us feel proud of ourselves? A sense of self satisfaction is a sure sign of a sick soul. We cannot exalt ourselves in the presence of God’s glory. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and exalted he cried out, “Woe to me…I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips…” (Isaiah 6:5). We cannot behold His holiness and feel proud of ourselves. Furthermore, a spiritually healthy believer has an active, spiritual nervous system that feels bad when he or she has done bad things. In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul was inspired by the Holy Spirit to expose some things that needed correction in the church. The effect it had upon the Corinthians was a desirable and productive one. Paul’s inspired letter caused a godly sorrow in the Corinthians that led them to change their ways:
Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it–I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while–yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. (2 Corinthians 7:8-10)
Exposure of bad things within makes godly people feel bad. This kind of enlightened mourning follows from the experience of poverty of spirit because we never achieve a state of spiritual wealth in ourselves and are, in this age, occasionally forced to confront various aspects of our deficiency.
Wherever God’s Spirit moves, this holy mourning can be seen. I’ve spent a good bit of time studying revival phenomenon, and I have found that one very common mark of true revival movements is weeping as the Spirit moves upon people who consequently see and feel their need to change. One typical event occurred on July11, 1742 during the first Great Awakening, as George Whitefield spoke to a crowd of around 20,000 people in Scotland. During that service “people wept over their sins and some fell prostrate.” In one meeting led by Jonathan Goforth in the North China Revival of 1908 we are told “Upon the meeting being thrown open for prayer many arose to pray, only to break down weeping.” One minister observed that in these meetings “the floors were wet with pools of tears.” Goforth noted the comments of a fellow missionary who witnessed the revival:
Hitherto I have had a horror of hysterics and emotionalism in religion, and the first outbursts of grief from some men who prayed, displeased me exceedingly. I didn’t know what was behind it all. Eventually, however, it became quite clear that nothing but the mighty Spirit of God was working in the hearts of men.
Whenever I preach I always make a concerted effort to avoid any controversy, and I’ve actually succeeded in that effort two or three times. I just don’t seem to be very good at that endeavor as you will see. Not many years ago a supposed revival movement swept through the land that was characterized by mass, hysterical laughter. I do believe that one can be influenced by God’s Spirit in a way that results in a kind of holy laughter, but I do not believe that a movement characterized by mass, hysterical laughter can be called a true revival movement. I’ll let God be the judge of what it is but it is not revival. Revival is not playtime. It is serious business in which God visits His people in power to transform, motivate, and empower them for service. I agree with Martyn Lloyd-Jones who said the following:
There can be a lot of laughing and lightness, and obvious organization in evangelistic campaigns. Never in a revival, but rather awe, this reverence, this holy fear, the consciousness of God in his majesty, his glory, his holiness, his utter purity. And that…leads inevitably to a deep and terrible sense of sin, and an awful feeling of guilt. It leads men and women to feel that they are vile and unclean and utterly unworthy and, above all, it leads them to realize their utter helplessness and hopelessness face to face with such a God…In their utter helplessness and hopelessness they prostrate themselves and cast themselves upon the love and mercy and compassion of God.
James said “Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” (James 4:9-10). When God initially exposes the distance between where we are and where He wants us to be, a sane person who really sees that mourns.
Now that mourning inevitably leads to incredible peace and profound joy. God comforts those who mourn with the “oil of joy,” but you cannot bypass the mourning that shows you’ve seen yourself in the Lord’s light. I recently read a couple of books by an author who claimed in both books that the Lord will never show us anything wrong with our hearts or conduct. This author maintained that the Lord will only show us the righteous standing we have through justification. I would suggest this man reread Jesus’ letters to the seven churches in Revelation chapters 2-3. Jesus tells five of those churches in very strong terms about the things He has against them, calling all five of these to repent. He tells the Laodiceans “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” (Revelation 3:19). This same author redefines repentance, by the way, but scholars still agree that repentance involves a turning away from sin.
Am I saying that when God visits us in power by His Spirit, and shines His light on our heart and conduct we will never feel proud of ourselves? That’s exactly what I’m saying. When God turns the bright lights on and exposes all the dirty nooks and crannies of our temple it does not initially please us. But let me be very clear, that exposing light is also a healing light. The same light that exposes our sin reveals Christ in all of His love and mercy. For the repentant, mourning gives way to the peace that passes understanding and to assurance of eternal joy. Oh how blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted!
At this point it should be clear that Jesus uses this word “blessed” in an unusual way. From the second beatitude we saw that this blessing is deeper than emotions since those who mourn are counted blessed. When we look down to verse eleven of Matthew five we observe that this blessing is irrespective of circumstances. Jesus says there “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” So what the beatitudes convey is not conventional, worldly wisdom. Jesus looks past mere, surface issues to things of the Spirit and matters of eternity. A lot of people are obsessed with what Solomon described as meaningless vanities under the sun, but Jesus is more concerned that we know His kingdom blessing which surpasses everything under the sun.
God gives grace to the lowly and contrite heart (Isaiah 66:2) resulting in this blessing that surpasses pleasant circumstances and happy feelings as a mighty river surpasses a rivulet of water running down one’s driveway. Kingdom blessedness is infinitely deeper and longer lasting than worldly success or pleasantness. The blessedness God intends for you is far more than a temporary circumstance or fleeting emotion. What He wants for you is eternal glory — eternal and glorious beyond comparison. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted!
About This Sermon
David Kowalski is working on an evaluation of the teachings of Joseph Prince, the senior pastor of New Creation Church in Singapore. His review of Prince’s books Destined to Reign and Unmerited Favor will soon be posted at Apologetics Index.
Note: As the above article is a sermon, no footnotes are provided. All Scripture references are from the New International Version.
first of all, why do you take time to write something about joseph prince. If you think he is wrong then thats fro God to take care of not you or anyone else. And, just to mention. In the day Paul was also thrown in prison and persecuted for what he taught. Just like Joseph Prince.
Anita: If I understand you right, you are saying I was wrong to write something negative about Joseph Prince (I am certain you would not have objected if I wrote something flattering about him), and that in publicly disagreeing with Prince, I have persecuted him.
Correction of error will always seem negative to the one being corrected, but one of the biblical purposes of teaching is correction when needed, and a great deal of the New Testament is written for this very purpose. If correction is sin, then the Bible is a sinful book — which it is not, so correction is not sin. You believe God will correct Joseph Prince if Prince is wrong. Do you suppose that God never uses people to correct error? The Holy Spirit inspired Paul to exhort Timothy to openly correct false teachings, warning him that this would be needed:
“As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.” (1 Timothy 1:3 NASB)
“But evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (2 Timothy 3:13 NASB)
“Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires.†(2 Timothy 4:2-3 NASB)
Paul also provided Timothy with examples of naming names when doing so:
“Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.” (2 Timothy 2:17-18)
Gnosticism was a serious error that invaded the early church. God used the early church fathers such as Irenaeus to expose the false nature of their teaching. When the Roman Catholic Church fell into error, God used the Protestant reformers to publicly refute those errors. This correction was needed and did much good for many people. I thank God that the church fathers and the reformers took the time to publicly correct error. The idea that God never uses people to correct error flies in the face of the clear teaching of Scripture and the experience of the church through history.
This notion that correction is wrong also flies in the face of statements by Joseph Prince and yourself. I have repeatedly heard Prince speak of how “the average Christian” is wrong. I have heard him mention Jonathan Edwards by name, calling him a legalist. You have taken the time to write about me, saying that what I have done is wrong. If correction is for God to do and no one else, you have sinned by publicly correcting me for correcting Prince. The essence of your comment is self-defeating. You are saying it is error to say anything is error — but your comment is an accusation of error on my part.
I see you have adopted Joseph Prince’s definition of persecution. To Prince, persecution is what happens when anyone publicly disagrees with him and him alone. He tells people to check out what he says against the Bible. This is all I have done. I have not imprisoned Joseph Prince — just disagreed with him. Prince does not think it is persecution for people to openly disagree with people he disagrees with.
Although Prince tells people to check what he says against Scripture, he also says that if anyone actually disagrees with him, they hate him, are used of Satan, and are “persecuting” him. You compare my disagreement with Prince to Paul’s being imprisoned for preaching the true gospel of repentance and faith in Christ our Lord and Savior. Open disagreement and correction is not the biblical concept of persecution. If this is so, then Paul persecuted Peter:
“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.” (Galatians 2:11 NASB).
When the early church fathers confronted the error of Gnosticism, some of the Gnostics accused them of division and a kind of persecution. Evangelicals have had to confront errors of all kinds in the last two centuries, and many times the false teachers have accused Evangelical teachers of mean-spirited division and/or persecution. It is a very bad sign when someone sees public disagreement as a form of persecution (and thus sinful). I have never heard this authoritarian effort to silence dissent from anyone but false teachers. Biblically orthodox teachers generally welcome critiques from those who differ with them because they can answer the criticisms with properly interpreted Scripture. This “persecution” argument is also self-defeating. If public disagreement is persecution, you have just persecuted me.
I hope you can see that the mentality being promoted by Prince and his followers is that the only one who has a right to think for him or herself is Joseph Prince and that he and his followers are the only ones who have the right to disagree openly with others. This mentality is most unscriptural and quite dangerous.
Prince does not think it is a sin for you to disagree with me but he does think it is a sin for anyone to openly disagree with him (“persecution”). I do not think Prince sins by disagreeing with others but I do think what he teaches is unscriptural in many ways.
Joseph Prince teaches very serious errors not spoken to in this article. I very briefly address some of the problems with his aberrant theology in a post on Google+ (https://plus.google.com/115849606049187132320/posts/UWdCBzqbVKK). It contains links to a number of articles I have written that contrast the teaching of Joseph Prince, though these articles do not mention him by name and were not originally written with him in mind. I have also posted some material by Wayne Grudem that speaks to some of Prince’s error in principle, without naming him (https://plus.google.com/115849606049187132320/posts/XhkuyyzaJU6).
I hope that Princians will love me even if they differ with me. I love them and am trying to help them by steering them to a more biblical path.
Christ had strong words of rebuke for the Ephesian church (Revelation 2:1-6) but he began His comments with a word of commendation and approval:
“I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary.” (Revelation 2:2:2-3 NASB).
I pray that you take the time to read some of the materials I have provided links for. Blessings to you.
I have listened to at least 100 sermons by Joseph prince aND read 3 of his books. And here is my problem with the many people who try to say HP is off of the context of the scriptures. I hardly ever see those people break down word for word exactly specifically what Joseph prince said or taught. And when it comes to the scriptures for the person to go into the Hebrew and Greek as Joseph prince does a lot. And through that exaustingly fully show points that Joseph prince makes. And then present the counter argument against Joseph prince in the same detailed exaustive way! I have done that myself several times. And I see nothing unbiblical within many teachings of joseph prince. So until I actualy see a person critique teachings of Joseph prince in the full format I mentioned above? Then as far as I’m concerned the person who tries to point out errors in the teachings of joseph prince don’t fully know what they are saying Because if they did? Then they would use the format I expressed above in order to fully and exhaustively point out errors of people like Joseph prince. Thank you!
As I have mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I have done precisely the kind of analysis for which you ask. This short piece is merely an introduction to the much fuller article at https://apologeticsindex.org/4981-antinomianism (that contains links to 17 other articles). It seems as though I have read and carefully studied more of Prince’s works than have you and I painstakingly analyze his teachings, as well as their implications and ramifications in the 18 articles which this piece merely introduces. Those who claim they will listen to such an analysis will not be afraid to read the one, long article with links to 17 others.
I believe that the final authority on the word of God is the Holy Spirit. I also believe that man will always make mistakes becos we know in part. But I also believe anyone can be corrected no matter how popular you are or successful. I think the problem we are having is the inability to admit that yes I made a mistake and stand to be corrected and that is humility which is lacking with most of our big pastors. For God sake there is no end on how much u will continue to discover in the word of God. God on a daily basis wants to reveal Himself to us thru His word, and so no matter who u are be open to correction it is not about u it is about Jesus and the souls. God bless the body of Christ. Amen
Tina: You speak to the all important issue of authority. Yes, the Holy Spirit illumines the Word to us but He only illuminates what is already there. The Holy Spirit has already spoken in the Bible, which is an objective, propositional revelation. For example, if the Bible says Paul went to Ephesus, it is unspiritual rather than super spiritual for anyone to assert that the Holy Spirit showed them this has a higher, symbolic meaning, and is not to be taken literally. Likewise, when an overwhelming preponderance of passages in the New Testament teach a doctrinal truth such as the deity of Christ, one cannot legitimately claim inspired understanding that contradicts this.
The unfortunate fact is that people are often mistaken in what they believe the Holy Spirit has “revealed” to them, and this is why an objective, written revelation from God is so very valuable. To claim one’s subjective, personal “revelations” as an authority over the plain meaning of the written word which the Spirit has inspired is to abandon any hope of a solid foundation for revealed truth — all becomes feeling/opinion. The Holy Spirit never speaks out of the Word what He has not breathed into the Word in the first place. It is for this reason that we are able to “test all things,” and with conflicting truth claims being made we must test all things against the objective, written word.
Of course, people vary in interpretations of the Bible as well, but on important matters, God has spoken clearly enough in the Bible that we can definitively say certain things related to doctrinal essentials with both certainty and clarity. God has not stuttered or spoken in vague language with regard to such things as repentance and sanctification. What Joseph Prince teaches on these things contradicts the overwhelming testimony of the written Word.
Biblical humility does not cause us to assume that one view is not more biblical than another. The prophets did not think humility required them to say, “Thus is my opinion.” When God has spoken (as He has in His written Word), we may boldly say, “Thus says the Lord” because He has clearly revealed His absolute truth. Christian humility consequently involves the submission of our supposed, spiritual visions and revelations to the clear teaching of the Bible. We must speak with reserve and and a generous spirit on topics that are non-essential and about which genuinely orthodox people have differed. The tent of biblical orthodoxy contains small differences within but it excludes those who stray on God’s clear revelation in Scripture on such essentials as grace, faith, repentance, and sanctification.
Matters such as popularity and feeling are irrelevant when considering what God has objectively said in the Bible. Claims to spiritual revelation come under the authority of the written Word. They must never be seen as an authority higher than the written Word that can assert the Word means something not clear to the mind. We do not test the written Word by contemporary “revelation;” we test contemporary “revelation” by the written Word. Humility demands we submit to this biblical authority. We must always defer to what God has already spoken when contradictory claims are made.
Dear David,
Thank you very much for your well written article. As a member of pastor prince’s congregation for many years, it comes as no surprise if many in his church, myself included, do not see things the way you do, even if they are true! Partly because we are quite new to the word of faith heresy and our christian leaders here are either not aware or choose to shut up about it. Not many of us have discernment when it comes to this topic and many of us see prince as a god! I have myself only begun to realise the errors that have been imported from the states and have written about it on my blog. As an insider, i can and will speak up on this heresy in the hope that more ppl will wake up. If you areinterested, do drop me a mail.
Your well written paper is illuminating David. I myself a former Prince advocate has forsaken such absurd teachings from him, influenced by his root on the faith movement like Kenneth Hagin. I have also written a paper in response to some of my church members who are advocating Prince theology. Just because its popular teaching means true, we have to examine it in light of the Scripture. His teaching are subtle penetration to the evangelical church sadly many of our sincere brethren have been deceive. let us hold on to what is good and true and forsake such absurd, distorted teaching.
Maxim: Thank you for your kind words but I thank you even more for daring to objectively examine a teaching you once advocated. That takes humility and strong character. I would encourage you to look at an article I have posted to my Apologetics Index personal page (though not yet to the home page). It contains a summary of several, serious doctrinal problems in Prince’s teaching and contains links to several other articles I have written that address these issues in principle: https://apologeticsindex.org/3115-joseph-prince. If you have a link to the paper you have written (even if just a link to a dropbox account) I would be very interested in reading it.
Hi all! I’m Douglas! And first I would like to say that I have been a born again Christian for 30 years. And have spent countless hours delving way deep into the scriptures. And that was only by God’s inspiration! And well well when it comes to Joseph prince? I see all kinds of Christians and even some pastors and church leaders commenting negatively about Joseph prince and some or much of his teaching? And I’m not saying that he is 100% accurate on every single thing he has ever wrote or said or taught? But I will say that a huge amount of what he said is spot on in line with the scriptures? He goes to great lengths to stay in context with the scriptures. And breaks down the exact meanings and definitions and tenses of Greek and Hebrew? And that’s something I did for years. And here is a scripture (the GOODNESS of God leads a man to repentance). And with that I say this. Another pastor who inspires me a lot is Dan mohler. He is on YouTube. He made a statement during one of his teachings. I can’t remember it word per Batum? But this is pretty close? (How can you live a life where you don’t do any sinful acts if you focus on sin)? So with that here is my point. Joseph prince and what he teaches is focussed to get people’s focus off of try to do good (obey law concepts). And trying to DO good and not DO bad perse? And get people to focus on Jesus and his finished work. And on grace and the goodness of God. And through doing that a person will live out in their lives of sinning less and less! But if a person is evaluating things they do or don’t do in context of sinning or not sinning? Then they are focussing in the wrong direction? And they will always struggle with sinful acts. They will lack in the area of repenting. And yes repentance does indirectly include change of action. For sure! But the definition of repent is (change of mind). And before repentance happens in actions? What a person does or don’t do? Repentance has to happen first in the mind! And the mind repents more and more as a persons focus is on Jesus and gods goodness and grace! Not evaluating sin or no sin and what the person does or don’t do? Right and wrong? So like I said Joseph prince isn’t 100% accurate in every single thing he has ever wrote, said, or taught? But I will say that if a person does use discernment if they do listen to or read works by Joseph prince? They will definitely over a period of time in their life gain more peace in their heart and life! And thats the number one thing everyone wants!!!! Peace!!!! Thank you all for bearing with me! And may the Lord richly bless you all!
Douglas, I appreciate your interest in this short sermon. I strongly recommend your reading the much more extensive evaluation of Prince’s errors that I provide in this article — https://apologeticsindex.org/4981-antinomianism. I must agree that much of what Joseph Prince teaches is true, just as I would agree that much of what the Word-Faith movement, the New Apostolic Reformation, Oneness Pentecostalism, Roman Catholicism, and even cults such as Mormonism teaches is true. No false teacher advocates all error or no one would listen to anything they say. The fact that someone teaches much truth does not make it needless for us to evaluate all of what they say and to determine how serious any of their errors are if we should find any. If I give someone learning how to drive instructions on how to operate their vehicle and conclude by telling them to always use the pedal to the far right in order to stop, that is a serious error that must be corrected even if all of my other instructions have been accurate. Though Joseph Prince teaches many things that are in line with the Bible, many of the things he teaches are not, and many of those errors are very serious deviations from biblical orthodoxy. Such errors are detrimental to believers and should be corrected.
Reading your comment I can tell you have not read my article on the so-called grace movement because I address such things as the distinction between Mosaic law and moral law (as well as many other issues) in that article. I also address with many Scripture references the issue of repentance in that article. As for Prince’s supposed scholarship, I can only suggest here that you have probably no formal seminary training in Greek and Hebrew. Many false teachers (such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses) take advantage of the general public by pretending to have scholarly insights that the rest of the scholarly world rejects. I have a short piece on this website that gives tips on how those not formally trained in Greek and Hebrew can test the claims of teachers who make novel assertions about what is said in the original languages of Scripture — https://apologeticsindex.org/3184-testing-claims-about-the-hebrew-and-greek. We do not have to take a teacher’s word for it if they simply assert the Greek or Hebrew “really” says something all other scholars have missed over the centuries. I also recognize that Joseph Prince does use the word “context” quite often but upon close inspection of his teachings, I find that he frequently takes individual passages and verses out of their larger, biblical context (in spite of his spurious claim to caution in this respect) — misrepresenting their true meaning.
The bottom line with Joseph Prince is that he is a classic, Antinomian heretic who misdefines repentance, misrepresents sanctification, and offers unconditional, eternal security without the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. He says repentance should not be preached, hell should never be mentioned, exhortations should never be expressed, godly sorrow for sin should never be felt, and confession of sin to God should never be offered. He also parrots many of the false teachings of the Word-Faith movement. Among those errors is the idea that the overriding goal of life is my success rather than my obedience. This is a toxic blend of errors that has born much bad fruit among those who have consumed this fare. There is much good food to be found in rat poison but the little poison that is there is deadly. I’m afraid there is more than a little poison to be found in the teachings of Joseph Prince. I would be happy to answer any further questions you might have in the comments thread of my article on the modern, Antinomian “grace” movement linked to above in this comment.
If you believe you can lose your salvation, then this is only because you are trusting in yourself to keep from losing it. This means you have “fallen from Grace”, and have become a self savor. You see yourself as the reason you keep your salvation, or lose it. You can only believe that you can lose your salvation, if you believe that your are the reason you are saved. Once you understand that JESUS is the reason you are saved, and that God will keep you saved…. Philippians 1:6 You are THEN actually trusting in Christ and not yourself for salvation. This is how to believe correctly…. “Jesus who saved you, will keep you saved”… “God who saved you, will keep you saved”… “The blood of Jesus that saved you, will keep you saved”. If your faith rejects those, then you are a self saver.
Larry:
I will address your comment with one consideration in mind at a time. First, I strongly emphasize in the above article that we must trust in Christ alone for salvation, and not at all in ourselves (you seemed to have missed this):
Both Calvinists and Arminians believe, however, that the saving grace of God is only given to those who are of the faith and who evidence that faith in believing and obedience until the end. Calvinists call this the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints. They say those who fall into grievously sinful lifestyles with no repentance or who reject the basic beliefs of Christianity were never truly saved to begin with. Joseph Prince rejects this doctrine and teaches that one can be of the faith without persevering.
Arminians believe it is possible for someone to forfeit (not “lose”) the faith (see, for example, 1 Timothy 4:1-5).
Thus, the bottom line in both schools of thought rejects the antinomian heresy of Joseph Prince, as I discuss at much more length in this article and also in this one
You quote only one actual verse of Scripture in your comment (Philippians 1:6). This is a verse that all believers acknowledge is inspired. It promises that God will continue His work in those of us who believe until the day of Christ. No one disputes this, but all orthodox believers (of which Prince is not one) believe this heavenly faithfulness is fully harmonious with a conditioning fidelity on the human side. In other words, neither Calvinists nor Arminians believe in “once saved always saved live as you please.” Both teach the idea that those saved by real faith that receives real grace will please God in their doctrine and lifestyle.
If your “faith” rejects these biblical doctrines (illustrated in dozens of passages in the articles to which I linked) you are a self-savior who trusts in your own idea of faith rather than the faith God reveals in His Word. You believe you can be saved regardless of your beliefs or lifestyle without necessarily trusting in the Savior who not only justifies but changes our beliefs to the end and transforms our lives till He returns! That is the real grace that is received by real faith and which really saves. Bible-believing Christians have always believed this since it is so plainly revealed in Scripture (again, see the articles to which I linked).