False Preacher: Kenneth Copeland

Kenneth Copeland is another Word Of Faith televangelist, hosting “ The Believers Voice Of Victory” on TBN. Before becoming a Christian, he was a recording artist. He is also a licensed airplane pilot and was a chauffeur for Oral Roberts. Though he got most of his influence from Kenneth Hagin. And he’s got a fleet of private jets in his private airport “Kenneth Copeland Airport”, in fact, more private jets than all the other rich televangelists.

Sadly though, Kenneth Copeland has got plenty of false teachings like his mentors. And he has said and wrote some of the most blasphemous things you’ll see from any preacher.

Kenneth Copeland believes faith is a force:
“Faith is a power force. It is a tangible force. It is a conductive force.” (The Force of Faith, pg. 10, KCP Publications, 1989)

Kenneth Copeland believes heaven is a planet and that it’s a duplicate of Earth:

“Heaven has a north, and a south, and an east and a west. Consequently, it must be a planet.” (Spirit, Soul and Body 1, 1985, audiotape #01-0601, side 1)

"You don't think earth was first, do you? Huh? Well, you don't think that God made man in His image, and then made earth in some other image? There is not anything under this whole sun that's new. Are you hearing what I'm saying? This is all a copy. It's a copy of home. It's a copy of the Mother Planet. Where God lives, He made a little one just like His and put us on it."( Following the Faith of Abraham 1, 1989 audiotape #01-3001, side 1)

If heaven was a planet I am sure scientists would have found it by now…

According to Copeland, Satan is the owner of all the Earth:

“God’s on the outside looking in. He doesn’t have any legal entree into the earth. The thing don’t belong to Him. You see how sassy the Devil was in the presence of God in the book of Job? God said, ‘Where have you been?’ Wasn’t any of God’s business. He [Satan] didn’t even have to answer if he didn’t want to ... God didn’t argue with him a bit! You see, this is the position that God’s been in … Might say, ‘Well, if God’s running things He’s doing a lousy job of it.’ He hadn’t been running ’em, except when He’s just got, you know, a little bit of a chance.” (Image of God in You III, 1989, audiotape #01-1403, side 1)

Wasn’t any of God’s business? Yes it was since he created the earth! And God already knew where Satan was anyways. That kind of attitude seems to show that Kenneth Copeland questions God’s authority. That God has no right to interfere in the earth is….blasphemy?

Positive Confession of course:

"Words create pictures, and pictures in your mind create words. And then the words come back out your mouth....And when that spiritual force comes out it is going to give substance to the image that's on the inside of you. Aw, that's that visualization stuff! Aw, that's that New Age! No, New Age is trying to do this; and they'd get somewhat results out of it because this is spiritual law, brother." (Kenneth Copeland, Believer's Voice of Victory (television program), TBN, 28 March 1991.)

Just like Kenneth Hagin, Copeland has his own formula of faith, but slightly different:
(1)Seeing or visualizing whatever you need, whether physical or financial.

(2)Staking your claim on Scripture.

(3)Speaking it into existence. (Inner Image of the Covenant audiotape #01-4406, side 2, 1985)

So basically, it’s New Thought. Based on an occult belief where we have the power to create our own reality and that power lies within ourselves. And that our words have power to affect the world around us. Imagine whatever you want and you can speak it into existence. This is a New Age, pagan belief.

God apparently has measurements in His appearance according to Copeland:

“The Bible says that God measured the heavens with a 9 inch span. Now the span is the difference of distance between the end of the thumb and the end of the forefinger. And that Bible said, in fact the Amplified Bible translation translates the Hebrew text that way, that He measured out the heavens with a 9 inch span. Well I got a ruler and measured mine, and my span is 8 and 3 quarter inches long. So now God’s span is a quarter of an inch and a quarter inch longer than mine. So you see, that faith didn’t come bellowing out of some GIANT monster somewhere. It came out of the heart of a being that is very UNCANNY, the way He’s very much like you and me. A being that stands somewhere 6’2, 6’3, that weights somewhere in the neighborhood of a couple hundred pounds, little better, has a span of 8 and, I mean 9 inches across, stood up and said “LIGHT BE!” and this universe situated itself and went into motion. Glory to God!” (Spirit, Soul and Body 1,audiotape #01-0601, side 1, 1985) [link] (7:17-8:32)

Here Copeland has taken Isaiah 40:12 out of context. Where Isaiah is taking a figure of speech and using figurative language to describe God’s power and his greatness as shown in the whole chapter. And some other pastors have done similar things using that verse too. And besides, I think God can take on any shape or form or thing, since He’s God. Kind of like how God s choose to be a burning bush when Moses met him and a pillar of cloud and fire during the Exodus.

Here’s a video of Kenneth Copeland and Rodney-Howard Browne speaking to each other in tongues and the way they act looks like nonsense, possibly demon possession. [link]

1 Corinthains 14 is about speaking in tongues. Verses 27 and 28 are pretty important:
“If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most there, each in turn, and let one interpret. But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church and let him speak to himself and to god.”

Too bad there’s no interpreter there so we could be sure that those 2 men were speaking in tongues for real.

Apparently, Adam was a clone of God according to Copeland:

"God's reason for creating Adam was His desire to reproduce Himself! I mean a reproduction of Himself, and in the Garden of Eden He did that. He was not a little like God. He was not almost like God. He was not subordinate to God even. And Adam is as much like God as you could get, just the same as Jesus when He came into the Earth. He said: ‘If you’ve seen me, you’ve seen the father.’ He wasn’t a lot like God, He’s God manifested in the flesh, and I want you to know something! Adam in the Garden of Eden was God manifested in the flesh!" [link] (4:04-4:56)

Okay…so if Adam was a clone of God, that would mean God sinned when he ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge? Right…

Copeland implies that Jesus was raped before the crucifixion by the Roman soldiers…

"Let me tell you something folks. Anybody in here that's ever been sexually abused, listen to me right now. Listen to me very carefully. The bible's very careful about the way it says these things. But down there in that dungeon, Romans, ungodly men, ungodly men, put him (Jesus) to every kind of abuse that you can think of. There is no sin that Jesus didn't bare. There is nothing, there is no such thing as a sexual abuse on somebody that Jesus doesn't know firsthand what it's all about. He's been where you are, I don't care what you've been through, Jesus has been through it. And everything's done to him that we couldn't even speak of." (The Resurrection Truth)

Here’s the big one, where Kenneth Copeland has the guts to say one of the most blasphemous things you’ll ever hear anyone say:

"I was shocked when I found out who the biggest failure in the Bible actually is. Everybody you ask ‘Who's the biggest failure?’ They say ‘Judas’. Somebody else will say ‘Naw, I believe it was Adam’ .Well how about the devil? He's the most consistent failure. But he's not the biggest in terms of material failure and so forth. The biggest one in the whole Bible is God. Oh! What, what, what - don't you turn that set off! You listen to what I told you, now you sit still a minute. You know me well enough to know I wouldn't, I wouldn't tell something I can't prove from the Bible.” (TBN Praise A Thon April 1988) [link] (0:09-0:51)

WOW. Just WOW. How did Copeland get away with saying that on the air? Where was the outrage from TBN viewers around the world? Where was the demand from all Christians to kick him off the air and to stop teaching? Were there a bunch of complaints sent to TBN and Copeland’s ministry for saying such blasphemy? I don’t know, but it seems like there wasn’t. Now why does Copeland think God is the biggest failure in the Bible? Here’s his reason:

“…He lost his top ranking most anointed angel. The first man he ever created. The first woman he ever created. The whole earth and all of the fullness there in. A third of the angels at least! That’s a big loss man, I mean you figure that all, that’s a lot of real estate brother, gone down the drain. Now… the reason you don’t think of God as a failure is he never said He was a failure. And you’re not a failure till you say you’re one.” (TBN Praise A Thon April 1988) [link] (4:13-4:55)

And God never said he was a failure! Adam and Eve were still there after they sinned. God didn’t lose control of the Earth. And He didn’t lose his angels. He kicked Satan and his angels out of heaven according to Isaiah 14: 12-15, because of Satan’s desire to surpass God. The angels that choose to follow Satan became demons.

You know, it really amazes me how Kenneth Copeland is still alive for saying one of the worse things anyone can say about God, and that God didn’t strike him down. Did Copeland ever repent for saying that garbage? I sure hope so.

Kenneth Copeland is also known for his fleet of private jets. He has more private jets than any other televangelist. His latest are 2 (!!!) Cessna Citation X’s, one for Copeland and the other for his wife, both valued at $20,000,000!!! A Cessna Citation X is one of the fastest business/ private jets on the market. Copeland’s website says:

”As you know, Gloria and I have been believing God for two Cessna Citation X's so that we can better fulfill the calling of Kenneth Copeland Ministries…..”

Here’s a link to a list of Copeland’s jets, how fast they can go and their price values.
[link]

Now, I am not really against a pastor owing a private jet. They can be very useful, for getting to small runways or airports in remote areas such as those that are in the middle of a jungle, desert or mountain ,far away from major cities and to preach the gospel to natives or villagers, if it’s too difficult to travel by foot or drive through those kinds of places to reach people. But to own a fleet of jets paid for by followers just to use them for family vacations and conferences in your own country, when you say they are used to preach the gospel to people, that to me looks like lying and scamming people out of their money just to please yourself.

Here’s a video of an Inside Edition investigation where Copeland is asked about why he’s allowed to live the rich life, using his follower’s money. [link]

And just check out what he has to say towards the end of that video at 4:08-4:19

Lisa Guerrero: "Sir, you have a fleet of private jets. Why is that necessary? You're a minister. How many jets do you have?"

Kenneth Copeland :"That... is none of your business." Copeland then walks away.

It is my business and everyone’s business! Why does a televangelist need so many expensive private jets?! Paid for with his follower’s money just to fly into places to have fun instead of preaching the gospel like he said he would!

When Copeland had to deal with Senator Grassley’s (R-Iowa) request for Copeland and other big name televangelists to give out their financial information because of suspicions of making money off their congregation just to live the rich life, Copeland had this to say:

"You can go get a subpoena, and I won't give it to you," Copeland reportedly says. "It's not yours, it's God's and you're not going to get it and that's something I'll go to prison over. So, just get over it. ... And if there's a death penalty that applies, well, just go for it."

Well according to those flight records, Copeland doesn’t seem to be using the jet’s for God’s work.

And like Benny Hinn, Copeland doesn’t take criticism well it seems, and will also give death threat’s to his critics:
“Several people that I know, have criticized, and some of them are dead right today in an early grave because of it and there’s more than one of them that got cancer!” [link] (3:12-3:23)

Benny Hinn stands up for Copeland and has this to say:

“And I love Copeland. He’s my friend. And anybody who’s attacking him is attacking the very presence of God.” (Benny Hinn, TBN June 8, 1992)

Yeah, like God’s presence is really going to be with Kenneth Copeland after all the garbage he has said during his teachings There’s plenty more of Copeland’s teachings that show how he’s a false preacher.

A former partner of Copeland, Rich Vermillion, has written a blog about Copeland and his experiences with Copeland’s ministry: [link]

Let’s pray that Kenneth Copeland repents. Hope you enjoyed reading and look forward to next week’s false preacher.