Five Joyce Meyer quotes you won't post on Facebook

Joyce Meyer is one of the most popular Christian speakers and authors around today. In 2005 TIME Magazine placed her 17th in their list of the most influential evangelicals in America. She has sold millions of copies of her books and it would be hard to find many more popular names within Christianity today. Popularity however is not to be the measure by which we judge a person but we are to 'try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world'. Matthew 12:37 says 'by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned'. It is biblical to look at a person's words that we might test them by scripture to see if they are true, but sadly in Joyce Meyer's case we find that there is much to be concerned about. Although she is often quoted by Christians on social media, there is nothing in the following statements which any believer could recommend to their friends. (It is not our desire to quote anyone out of context and if it can be shown that any of the following quotes have been taken in such a manner we will gladly remove them)

1. Joyce Meyer teaches that Jesus Christ stopped being the Son of God

Joyce stated of the Lord Jesus Christ that '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.' Her words here are heresy, plain and simple. She is claiming that at the point where Christ commended his spirit into the hands of the Father that he ceased to be divine, that he ceased to be the Eternal Son of God, and the second person of the Trinity as he has been from all eternity. When questioned by the scribes and pharisees Christ declared that 'before Abraham was, I am', making it clear to all that he was the eternal, unchanging God. Joyce Meyer's teaching here goes against the words of the Saviour and the beliefs of orthodox Christianity.

2. Joyce Meyer teaches that Jesus Christ was born again

'The minute that blood sacrifice was accepted Jesus was the first human being that was ever born again.' It is difficult to fathom how she arrives at this conclusion; either she has a greatly diminished view of the saviour, or she does not understand the doctrine of regeneration. The new birth is necessary for all who would be forgiven of their sin, and if any man be in Christ (be born again) he is a new creature. The one who has been born again has been changed, and that change was necessary for them to have a right standing before God. How then can she apply this to the Lord Jesus Christ, stating that he had been born again? The implication of her statement is that Christ had a need of regeneration, something which is only required by someone who is a sinner!

3. Joyce Meyer teaches that Jesus Christ paid for our sins in hell

In her book 'The most important decision you'll ever make' Joyce Meyer says that Christ '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.' This is completely contrary to the teaching of scripture which clearly teaches that Christ paid for our sins on the cross. Colossions 1:20 says he 'made peace through the blood of his cross' and 1 Peter 2:24 says that he 'bare our sins in his own body on the tree'. On the cross Christ cried 'It is finished' - the price was paid there!

4. Joyce Meyer teaches that she is not a sinner

Where does she find such a teaching? Possibly in her own pride, but certainly not in scripture for she is quoted as saying '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.' However the apostle John says that 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.' John includes himself in this category, but it appears that Joyce Meyer has reached a state of perfection not attained by the beloved disciple. She has failed to recognise her own sinfulness, and the truth that we are only sinners saved by grace who fail our Lord daily.

5. Joyce Meyer teaches that she receives extra biblical revelation

Joyce Meyer has stated that she has received revelation directly from God; '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.' The previous four quotes show that much of what she teaches is certainly not from scripture, yet neither is it from the Lord, for God's special revelation to man is complete, the canon of scripture is closed. Everything that a man (or woman) teaches ought to be tried against the Word of God and where it contradicts God's Word it ought to be rejected. With Joyce Meyer there is much to reject.

There are many other matters with which we have issue with Joyce Meyer; her lavish multi-million dollar lifestyle, her taking upon herself the position of a preacher despite being a woman, her teaching that Christ descended into hell and had the demons of hell upon him mocking him as well as other lesser errors. However the five quotes that we have briefly highlighted ought to be sufficient warning to keep us from such a false prophet as Joyce Meyer. May we instead earnestly seek out faithful teachers of God's Word, those who are faithful to the blood and the book, and who exalt the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.