After a deep dive into the New Apostolic Reformation featuring several of its front men and women and their doctrines, I was duly impressed with some of the most clever, subtle, word-smithing and subject-deflecting mechanisms used by a prominant leader in that modern movement, Bill Johnson (Sr. Pastor, Bethel Church, Redding, CA) to try to get listeners to believe he didn’t teach what he, in fact, has and does teach, about Jesus–a false Jesus.
The purpose of this post is to expose Johnson’s attempt to walk back his false version of kenosis aka Kenotic Theory which is a false view of the doctrine. His presentation is artfully spun to sound like classic Christian doctrine about the Son of God–until it is held up to what Johnson really teaches, and, most importantly, examined in the light of God’s Word.
On Johnson’s Craft
Note: Johnson never actually admits to being criticised over teaching that Jesus wasn’t always God when He was on earth. Rather, he responds to his critics quite charmingly from the angle of saying several times and in various ways that teaching that would SURELY be incorrect(!)Right?(!) Classic subject-deflection.
But wait! There’s more!
So on the surface he sounds as if he really does teach biblical doctrine about Jesus, and if you think a little more, with the added benefit for him of suggesting, by easy implication, that his critics are just telling lies–but he never says that outright, either.
What a nice guy.
As I said, very clever…
His walk-back interview is followed by an analysis of what Johnson really teaches from his seminal work, When Heaven InvadesEarth (videos of him teaching this at Bethel are easy to find, at least to date, online) however he may attempt to deny it. Other NAR-affiliated teachers who teach this false Jesus include Kenneth Copeland and Joyce Meyer.
KENOSIS DEFINITION: “The term kenosis refers to the doctrine of Christ’s “self-emptying” in His incarnation. The word comes from the Greek of Philippians 2:7, which says that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV). The word translated “emptied” is a form of kenoó, from which we get the word kenosis.
[…]
There are some false teachers who take the concept of kenosis too far, saying that Jesus gave up all or some of His divine nature when He came to earth. This heresy is sometimes referred to as the kenosis theory, but a better term is kenoticism or kenotic theology, to distinguish it from biblical understanding of the kenosis.” (emphasis mine).read the entire article here…
Now on to the guest features.
FIRST: Here is Johnson’s walk-back explanation and although he emphasizes that Jesus was always God numerous times, he teaches something exactly the opposite in his seminal work, noted above, which is presented in the second video with readings directly from his book, and in the book review below that.
SECOND: Here is what Johnson actually teaches:
For another, more thorough explanation of his teaching, consider also the following excerpt with a link to the entire review:
Johnson Goes “Off the Map” by Teaching a False Christology
Bill Johnson embraces a doctrine that teaches that during His earthly ministry Jesus operated only as a man and not God. Johnson claims that Christ laid aside His divinity. Johnson says, “He performed miracles, wonders, and signs, as a man in right relationship to God . . . . not as God. If He performed miracles because He was God, then they would be unattainable for us” (Johnson: 29; emphasis and ellipses in original). Johnson’s theology requires that Christians do greater miracles than Jesus. If Jesus’ divinity had any influence on His mighty works, then we might think we could not do the same (and rightly so). So Johnson embraces what is often called the kenosis heresy—that Jesus laid aside His divine nature. He writes elsewhere: “He laid his divinity aside as He sought to fulfill the assignment given to Him by the Father . . . (Johnson:79)”
Johnson’s priority that believers must be able to do signs and wonders causes him to make many statements that blur the distinction between us and Christ and thereby diminish the uniqueness of Christ: “For us to become all that God intended, we must remember that Jesus’ life was a model of what mankind could become if it were in right relationship with the Father.” (Johnson: 138). On the contrary, the Biblical writers claimed that Christ was the Creator (see John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2). Jesus was affirmed to be the unique divine son (Mark 9:7) by a voice from heaven. Jesus’ deity was affirmed many places in the gospels. The gospel writers used Jesus’ mighty works to prove His deity. If Johnson is right and Jesus had laid aside His deity, then the mighty works prove only that Jesus learned what anyone could learn if he had the right faith and relationship to God. The claims of the gospels thereby become moot. Jesus is no longer unique, but only a special enlightened one who could lead the way to many such enlightened ones in the future. Thus we have a New Age Christ rather than the Biblical one.
If Johnson is correct and we can do greater works than Jesus (based on his misinterpretation of John 14:12; Johnson: 136), then whoever did greater works would have even greater reason to make himself the object of someone’s faith and worship.[4] The apologetic that points to Jesus’ life and miracles as proof of His deity would become worthless because others could do the same.
The kenosis doctrine is based on a misuse of Philippians 2:7 where Paul says that Jesus emptied Himself. False teachers claim that Jesus “emptied” Himself of deity and became only a man during the Incarnation. This claim is tantamount to the outright denial of Christ’s deity. This important issue is missed on people like Johnson, who attack the validity of Christian scholarship. Johnson’s denial of Christ’s deity during His earthly ministry is the same as the Word of Faith heresy’s denial of Jesus’ deity when He died on the cross. They claim he lost His divinity and suffered in hell as a man. Both denials are blatant heresy. Let me explain why. Continue reading…
See what you think.
Closing Thoughts
If anybody preaches a different Jesus this renders several other essential Christian doctrines moot–at least it renders them up for grabs to override or nullify the biblical Jesus altogether to achieve one’s own purpose.
Consider just this one essential doctrine: the eternal nature of Holy Trinity that is, all three persons of the Godhead–God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit–for perhaps the most significant doctrine, in my view, at risk in Johnson’s theology, therefore, in the NAR as well.*
Smelling any sulfur and brimstone yet?
*Here is a summary of at least 5 other major doctines in harm’s way over at Bethel and other NAR affiliates.
LATER THIS SAME DAY, I JUST FOUND THIS VIDEO WHERE BILL JOHNSON SPEAKS FROM HIS STAGE ABOUT HIS FALSE KENOSIS THEORY. IT STARTS AT ABOUT THE 18 MINUTE MARK:
~~~~~
IF YOU, READER, HAVE NOT YET PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN THE REAL GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ASSURED OF YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION, HERE IS INFORMATION ON WHY AND HOW: ABCs of Salvation
Come join a wonderful family of believers.
Post Script: If you have been conned into believing any false doctine anywhere, or have been brought up in one or more, or simply haven’t been aware of the difference between true Christianity and counterfeit (and we are in an age of gross deception), God receives you in repentence with open arms and He will help you “come out of her” and back to Him. I have my own testimony of coming out of perhaps the oldest, biggest, wealthiest, all-purpose religious system filled with many and varied false doctrines, teachings, and practices, with, of course, the usual smattering of biblical truth, to keep followers hanging on, so I know it can happen for anyone.
pnissila 
What Does Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, Redding CA, Really Teach About Jesus? Includes a Bonus Video Found Later this Same Day of Posting
Phyllis Beveridge Nissila
After a deep dive into the New Apostolic Reformation featuring several of its front men and women and their doctrines, I was duly impressed with some of the most clever, subtle, word-smithing and subject-deflecting mechanisms used by a prominant leader in that modern movement, Bill Johnson (Sr. Pastor, Bethel Church, Redding, CA) to try to get listeners to believe he didn’t teach what he, in fact, has and does teach, about Jesus–a false Jesus.
The purpose of this post is to expose Johnson’s attempt to walk back his false version of kenosis aka Kenotic Theory which is a false view of the doctrine. His presentation is artfully spun to sound like classic Christian doctrine about the Son of God–until it is held up to what Johnson really teaches, and, most importantly, examined in the light of God’s Word.
On Johnson’s Craft
Note: Johnson never actually admits to being criticised over teaching that Jesus wasn’t always God when He was on earth. Rather, he responds to his critics quite charmingly from the angle of saying several times and in various ways that teaching that would SURELY be incorrect(!) Right?(!) Classic subject-deflection.
But wait! There’s more!
So on the surface he sounds as if he really does teach biblical doctrine about Jesus, and if you think a little more, with the added benefit for him of suggesting, by easy implication, that his critics are just telling lies–but he never says that outright, either.
What a nice guy.
As I said, very clever…
His walk-back interview is followed by an analysis of what Johnson really teaches from his seminal work, When Heaven Invades Earth (videos of him teaching this at Bethel are easy to find, at least to date, online) however he may attempt to deny it. Other NAR-affiliated teachers who teach this false Jesus include Kenneth Copeland and Joyce Meyer.
KENOSIS DEFINITION: “The term kenosis refers to the doctrine of Christ’s “self-emptying” in His incarnation. The word comes from the Greek of Philippians 2:7, which says that Jesus “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (ESV). The word translated “emptied” is a form of kenoó, from which we get the word kenosis.
[…]
There are some false teachers who take the concept of kenosis too far, saying that Jesus gave up all or some of His divine nature when He came to earth. This heresy is sometimes referred to as the kenosis theory, but a better term is kenoticism or kenotic theology, to distinguish it from biblical understanding of the kenosis.” (emphasis mine). read the entire article here…
Now on to the guest features.
FIRST: Here is Johnson’s walk-back explanation and although he emphasizes that Jesus was always God numerous times, he teaches something exactly the opposite in his seminal work, noted above, which is presented in the second video with readings directly from his book, and in the book review below that.
SECOND: Here is what Johnson actually teaches:
For another, more thorough explanation of his teaching, consider also the following excerpt with a link to the entire review:
“AN INVASION OF ERROR: A REVIEW OF BILL JOHNSON—WHEN HEAVEN INVADES EARTH
By Ken Silva pastor-teacher on Jul 5, 2011
By Apprising Ministries special correspondent Bob DeWaay
See what you think.
Closing Thoughts
If anybody preaches a different Jesus this renders several other essential Christian doctrines moot–at least it renders them up for grabs to override or nullify the biblical Jesus altogether to achieve one’s own purpose.
Consider just this one essential doctrine: the eternal nature of Holy Trinity that is, all three persons of the Godhead–God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit–for perhaps the most significant doctrine, in my view, at risk in Johnson’s theology, therefore, in the NAR as well.*
Smelling any sulfur and brimstone yet?
*Here is a summary of at least 5 other major doctines in harm’s way over at Bethel and other NAR affiliates.
LATER THIS SAME DAY, I JUST FOUND THIS VIDEO WHERE BILL JOHNSON SPEAKS FROM HIS STAGE ABOUT HIS FALSE KENOSIS THEORY. IT STARTS AT ABOUT THE 18 MINUTE MARK:
~~~~~
IF YOU, READER, HAVE NOT YET PUT YOUR FAITH AND TRUST IN THE REAL GOD THE FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT TO BE ASSURED OF YOUR ETERNAL SALVATION, HERE IS INFORMATION ON WHY AND HOW: ABCs of Salvation
Come join a wonderful family of believers.
Post Script: If you have been conned into believing any false doctine anywhere, or have been brought up in one or more, or simply haven’t been aware of the difference between true Christianity and counterfeit (and we are in an age of gross deception), God receives you in repentence with open arms and He will help you “come out of her” and back to Him. I have my own testimony of coming out of perhaps the oldest, biggest, wealthiest, all-purpose religious system filled with many and varied false doctrines, teachings, and practices, with, of course, the usual smattering of biblical truth, to keep followers hanging on, so I know it can happen for anyone.
But above all, STAY IN THE WORD OF GOD.
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