Read the Compelling Testimonies of Ex New Creation Church Members (Joseph Prince’s Church):
Andrew Tan (Click) & his Article (Click)
Why Daniel Chong Left Joseph Prince’s New Creation Church (Dated 8 Aug 2024)
(This article was also sent to Rev Dr Ngoei Foong Nghian, General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Singapore (NCCS) office, and for the attention of the Executive Committee Members.)
About 1 week ago, on 31 July 2024,
I received an email from Daniel Chong,
who was an Ex New Creation Church member for 14 years.
Here is what Daniel Chong wrote:
“Hello Reverend George,
I have recently come across
your articles and your website,
and have been reading them.
For context, I was “awakened” by the Lord
to errors and the false teachings
of New Creation Church around April (this year, 2024),
through an interesting series of events
that ultimately led me to read the Word for myself
and checking to see if what it said
corresponds to what was preached in New Creation Church.
I had been a member of New Creation Church for 14 or so years…
I never really questioned Joseph Prince’s teachings,
and thought he did speak as an “oracle of God”
since he’s the pastor of the church.
I never really had any real desire to read the Word at all,
and whenever I tried, the desire would just quickly leave.
Why read when I could just get the word preached
from Joseph Prince on Sunday,
and listen to his sermons on my phone afterward?
Anyway, to cut a long story (really) short,
the Lord showed me the errors in his teachings,
and the falsehoods he had been preaching,
and through an invitation from a friend
(as I was deciding to leave the church to find
a more Word-based, expository-preaching type church),
I joined her church (The Crossing).
Just last week actually,
the pastor called out New Creation Church
and Joseph Prince as false teachers
(we were going through a sermon series on 2 Timothy,
and last week’s sermon was on 2 Timothy 3:1-9)
during his sermon.
After reading up more about calling out false teachers in the Bible,
I concluded that based on the Word,
we should indeed call out false teachers and false doctrines…
In any case, ever since leaving New Creation Church
in May of this year,
I did come across your website
and started listening and reading your articles
to see more clearly what the differences are
in the teachings of New Creation Church,
and what you
(and I would say most other theologians, pastors,
and most importantly, the Word says).
It has been a great help,
because I find that my belief,
in some form, still defaults sometimes
to what I have learned from New Creation Church,
since it has been ingrained in me for so long.
I’m open to talking via text or a meetup to share more…
I would like to (if possible) do this in humility,
and that if I do share a testimony,
that it will ultimately be something that honours God
by not being contrary to his Word.
Thank you!”
Kind Regards,
Daniel Chong
George Ong’s comments:
I thank Daniel Chong,
who has the courage to share his testimony publicly,
so that many more others
could be liberated from Joseph Prince’s heretical doctrines
and leave New Creation Church.
May many more Ex New Creation Church members
follow Daniel Chong’s courageous example
by writing their testimonies.
I thank God for another precious soul
who has been delivered from the clutches
of Joseph Prince’s destructive doctrines.
Can you now understand why Joseph Prince is shaking in fear
as more and more people
are coming out of his destructive influence?
Do you now understand
why Joseph Prince has been attacking his critics so openly
in his Sunday sermons,
knowing that his critics have succeeded
in exposing him as a false teacher and his false teachings.
Joseph Prince had better know
that though God is extremely patient,
His patience can also run out on him.
We hope that Joseph Prince will repent as Kong Hee did
before the guillotine of God’s judgement falls on him
and New Creation Church.
Though this testimony is rather lengthy,
you do not have to read everything in one sitting.
My advice is you should at least read Parts A and B first.
Then, I would strongly encourage you to read the rest of it
in a few sittings.
Before I feature Daniel Chong’s Testimony,
let me feature a 20-second video clip
(which is found in Daniel Chong’s Testimony)
about what Steven Furtick said.
What he said will shock you out of your socks.
Steven Furtick was one of the speakers
for the annual youth conference
hosted by Joseph Prince’s New Creation Church (Zone X).
Steven Furtick also spoke at the main services
of New Creation Church.
On one occasion in a video,
Steven Furtick said,
“I am God Almighty!”
This is satanic!
This is outright and undisguised blasphemy
of the Almighty God!
That is why I have said Joseph Prince
is one who works for Satan
because he has allowed Steven Furtick who said,
“I am God Almighty!”
to speak at New Creation Church.
Daniel Chong’s Testimony:
Why Daniel Chong Left Joseph Prince’s New Creation Church
A. Introduction
Hello,
As you read this testimony,
I pray that by the Lord’s grace, and His working in you,
that you may firstly have an open mind and heart
as you read through this testimony,
and that you would also test and see for yourself
whether these allegations and differences in doctrine
are true to the Scripture.
For all of my Scriptural quotations,
I will be using the English Standard Version (ESV).
As Christians, we believe that Scripture
is certain, inerrant, and sufficient.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says that
“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Jesus, in John 10:35, also says that
“Scripture cannot be broken”.
So, like the Bereans mentioned in Acts 17:11
who examined the Scriptures daily to see if the word that was preached by Paul and Silas was so, and therefore believed (Acts 17:12),
I would also like to urge you to examine the Scriptures for yourself.
I admit that I, like any human, am fallible,
and I am not theologically trained in any way,
and still only beginning this journey with the Lord as a child.
I do not claim that my interpretation of any Scripture
is the interpretation,
but I hope that by using Scripture,
you would examine for yourself if it is true.
B. Sequence of Events Leading to My Departure from New Creation Church
Now, to give some context first:
I attended New Creation Church
for a period of approximately 14 years, from 2010 to 2024.
During that period of time,
I was going to the main service on Sundays
at The Rock and The Star,
while also attending the youth services.
From what I recall,
I never had much of any desire to read the Scripture for myself.
Joseph Prince frequently preached on
Romans 10:17, which says that
“faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
He also quotes the context of Romans 10:14, which says
“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”
I reasoned that since Joseph Prince quoted from Scripture,
and also the context of it,
his interpretation of faith
coming by asking us to hear his sermons
again and again over the week worked for me.
That was why I never really felt much of a need
to read the Scripture for myself at home.
I believed that I was being “fed” well during Sunday services,
and the same sermon (or library of sermons)
over the course of the week.
As Joseph Prince also mentioned more than once
that although some preachers outside of New Creation Church
may have good sermons,
the sermons preached in New Creation Church
were considered “homemade food”,
and meat instead of milk
(using 1 Corinthians 3:2 as his reference).
Therefore, I never really bothered
with listening to sermons from outside New Creation Church,
save for preachers who were popular among the youths
such as Steven Furtick and Michael Todd
(Steven Furtick came down to New Creation Church before to preach).
Anyway, all that is to say that I never really bothered
questioning Joseph Prince’s doctrine.
Fast forward to 2024,
a series of events occurred that would shake me
and I would say, “wake” me or “slap me awake”
from New Creation Church’s doctrine, and see the differences.
Early in 2024,
I had two (great, God-given really!) friends from other churches
who tried to warn me about Joseph Prince’s false teachings.
They went about it very patiently and gently,
even though I was still very obstinate
in believing whatever interpretations I had
from my years in New Creation Church
(for example, on taking the Holy Communion for healing).
I thank God for both of them.
Few months into 2024, after something terrible happened to me,
I was frustrated with God and blamed him (and also myself)
for my prayer not getting answered.
It was a prayer that I had as one of my prayer requests for many years
(any youths/young adults will probably be able to guess),
and left unfulfilled after many years.
I’ve heard over the years of many people
who had their prayer requests fulfilled.
As context, New Creation Church dedicates the last week of the year
(or the first week of the new year on some occasions)
as a week where we bring up our “3 prayer requests” to God,
and believe that He will answer them.
2 of my 3 requests were mostly material/earthly wants and desires,
while the last one was me tacking
in the “God, improve my walk with you”
just to make it sound “holy” and “Christ-centered”.
I have heard (anecdotally)
that there have been people in New Creation Church
who made more than 3 requests,
and/or have very material requests.
Anyway, I was quite frustrated and disappointed with God
that my long-time request had not been fulfilled yet,
and in fact, seemed to be far from getting fulfilled.
After a little period of my (absolutely sinful) “indignation” towards God,
I was led to go on YouTube to search for whatever sermons
I could find about the topic
(that I was praying and “believing” God for).
Stumbling through sermon after sermon,
I ultimately came across a sermon by Pastor Paul Washer.
In it, I was hearing things I had never heard of before
(or at least from what I recall) in New Creation Church.
He spoke about suffering, affliction, persecution
as something all Christians have to face,
and that these were not from Satan,
but from God himself.
He mentioned that following Christ will cost us.
He mentioned that we’ve become so far removed from Scripture.
He cited Matthew 7:13-14, the Sermon on the Mount, which says,
“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.”
We understand that “the gate” refers to Jesus Christ himself (salvation),
but Pastor Paul Washer mentioned
that some of us believe that the gate is narrow,
but the way is broad/easy that leads to life,
because that was what many of us lived in
– a life based on how the world defines it.
The “hard” way in the Greek, refers to affliction or oppression,
and also refers to confinement or restriction.
The hard way that leads to life
is one that would have afflictions, oppression,
and would also be confining and restrictive,
as is the Christian life.
I was paraphrasing what Pastor Paul Washer said,
but then he went on to mention that since Jesus Christ,
as God himself has died for me, for my sins,
and accomplished much more than that for me,
who are we then not to live the life
that He has instructed us to live by?
Hearing all of these made me come to slowly realise
that I was indeed living in a way
that wasn’t representative of the Christian life.
I never even read the Bible to know fully
how Jesus wanted me to live!
Of course, even now, I still deal with sin,
but it sure did seem like Jesus’ way or instructions
of how he wanted us to live,
is not to live a life chasing health and prosperity.
It is so much more than that!
To cut a long story short,
I thank God for His will
that allowed me to experience this series of events.
It started to form cracks in my belief in Joseph Prince’s doctrine.
I was then led to read the Scripture for myself,
specifically going to portions of Scripture
that was preached on by Joseph Prince,
but also reading other parts of Scripture (especially the epistles).
Frankly, I was quite amazed at how little I knew about the Scripture,
and how much it actually contained.
So many of these were not preached
(or touched on occasionally) in New Creation Church.
I also realised that quite a number of verses
and portions of Scripture used in Joseph Prince’s preaching
were taken out of context, and/or misinterpreted.
If all Scripture is breathed out by God, profitable for teaching,
reproof, correction, training in righteousness,
so that all Christians (men of God) may be complete
and equipped for every good work as mentioned in 2 Timothy 3:16-17,
why is New Creation Church and Joseph Prince
not preaching from all parts of Scripture?
Even for controversial or difficult portions of Scripture
(for example, 1 Timothy 1:3-11 about identifying false teachers,
or Matthew 7:21-23 on how not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will be saved,
even if they prophesied in Jesus’ name, or even cast out demons in His name,
or do mighty works in His name (which from an outward look, it does look great).
Only those who do the will of the Father are saved.
I spent a few weeks after watching that Paul Washer sermon
going through the Scripture,
cross-referencing my interpretation and understanding
of a portion of Scripture
(based on at least the context of the surrounding verses, chapter, and book),
and cross-referencing it to other parts of the Scripture
to substantiate, along with cross-referencing it
to commentaries and interpretations
from many renowned theologians and church fathers
down through the years.
Eventually, I decided that;
I believe it was the Spirit’s conviction or stirring within me,
but foremost by the Word
to leave New Creation Church.
After apologising to my two friends whom I argued with,
I was invited to visit the church of one of these friends.
I would gladly say that by God’s grace.
He has brought me out of sitting
under the false teachings of Joseph Prince
and into a church that boldly preaches (expositorily)
the Word of God every Sunday.
Praise the Lord indeed!
That is my story.
C. Refutations
Now, for this next section,
I will endeavour to compare and contrast Joseph Prince’s preaching
and their interpretation of the Scriptural verses they use,
against some portions of Scripture
that I will put, alongside my interpretation,
along with commentaries or interpretations
from other (more theologically trained) sources.
I will structure it as such where I will put all the verses/portions
of Scripture that Joseph Prince uses for his assertions,
and then verses/portions of Scripture for my assertions.
It is not an exhaustive list.
I hope that through this structure,
that God’s own Word will be prioritised first,
and allow you to read it for yourself
(examine it thoroughly like the Bereans in Acts 17:12)
and only read my own interpretations or other interpretations thereafter.
As a caveat, I’ll also try to prioritise
some of Joseph Prince’s more erroneous preaching on “primary” issues,
while having some “secondary” issues down the line,
and some New Creation Church practices following that.
1. Should we call out false teachers and false doctrines?
Before getting into refuting or contending against Joseph Prince’s teaching,
I think we should answer this question first.
Why should we call out false teachers and false doctrine anyway?
Aren’t we as Christians called to leave peaceably with one another (Romans 12:18)
and love one another (John 13:34, Romans 13:8-10 and many others)?
Please read these verses by yourself,
before reading my explanation/interpretation below:
1 Timothy 1:3-6 and then 1 Timothy 1:18-20 together, Matthew 7:15, 1 Timothy 5:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:14-18, 2 Timothy 4:1-4, Titus 3:8-11, 2 John 1:9-11, Ephesians 5:11, 2 Peter 2:10-22, Romans 16:17, John 7:24 (non-exhaustive list).
As a summary, from these verses and portions of Scripture,
we can see that in various parts of God’s Word,
even in the New Testament epistles,
false teachers parading false doctrines were called out.
In 1 Timothy 5:19-20, elders (pastors) who persisted in sin
(in verse 17, the context is about preaching and teaching)
were to be rebuked in the presence of all.
Various false teachers and their false doctrines
have been named,
such as Hymanaeus and Philetus in 2 Timothy 2:17-18
who preached that the resurrection had already happened,
which was false (read 1 Thessalonians 4).
Paul used strong words in 2 Timothy 2:17 as well,
saying that their talk (referring to their false doctrine)
will spread like gangrene
(a disease that spreads throughout the body).
In 2 Peter 2, Peter uses very strong language,
through the use of various metaphors
to speak against false teachers,
and giving instruction on how to identify them
(for example, 2 Peter 2:18-19 says that false teachers speak loud boasts of folly,
enticing people by sensual passions of the flesh,
and that they promise freedom,
but they themselves are slaves to corruption).
2 John 1:10-11 instructs us not to receive anyone who preaches false doctrine
(verse 9: anyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ)
and even not to greet them, as doing
so would make us complicit in their wicked works.
Jesus himself warned us to beware of false prophets
who are wolves in sheep’s clothing
(someone who hides evil under the appearance of good),
which rings even more so when considering that Christians
are considered as Jesus’ flock of sheep (John 10:27).
This instruction is emphasised more towards the pastors and leaders of churches
(as the Epistles of Timothy and Titus are pastoral epistles),
but that does not mean we as Christians should not point them out as well,
especially when they have been preaching false doctrine consistently.
Of course, we are not to call out false teachers and false doctrine without discernment.
We are to judge with right judgement (John 7:24).
Consistency in preaching false doctrine,
whether they are preaching falsely
on more primary issues or more secondary issues,
and the reach these false teachers have
are some factors to consider as an example.
Joseph Prince, to me, has been quite consistent in his false doctrine,
has a large audience and reach (especially with his broadcast ministry and books),
and does preach falsely on several primary issues.
Now, with that foundation,
let us explore some of these erroneous teachings
2. Healing is something we deserve as Christians, and sickness and disease are “Lying Symptoms” placed by the devil
This is what Joseph Prince teaches:
“Since the devil knows that he has no power over you, what he will do is give you lying symptoms to make you worry. Take your health, for example. The devil cannot just put a disease on you. He has no right to do that to a child of God because Jesus has borne your sins on the cross. He has taken your punishment and borne your diseases and pains. By His stripes you were healed. (Isaiah 53:4–5) You also cannot be cursed with any curse because Christ has redeemed you from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13)”
(Excerpt from https://www.josephprince.org/blog/articles/grace-flows-in-worry-free-areas-of-your-life)
Other than the excerpt listed above,
anyone who has been in New Creation Church
for a good period of time
would have probably heard of this being preached and asserted.
Sickness and diseases are “lying symptoms”
that have been placed by the devil
because they actually have no right to be in our body
since our sicknesses and diseases have been already borne
by Christ on the cross, and by his stripes we have been healed.
Another verse sometimes quoted is 3 John 1:2
which says,
“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.”
In New Creation Church,
we are told to declare healing over our bodies,
to constantly pray for healing,
as it is God’s will to heal us.
Something that is also mentioned is the question
why we go to the doctor when we’re sick,
if it is not God’s will to heal us.
If we don’t see our complete healing manifest yet,
we should keep praying because we believe
that we’re 30% healed, or 60% healed,
but keep praying and we will be 100% healed.
Please read these verses by yourself,
before reading my explanation/interpretation below:
Romans 8:23, Romans 8:35-36, Acts 14:22, 1 Timothy 5:23, 2 Timothy 4:20, Philippians 2:26-30, James 1:2-4, John 9:1-3, Luke 13:10-17.
Also read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and Hebrews 2:3-4 thereafter,
and finally, James 5:14-16, 1 John 5:12 and Matthew 6:9-13 (non-exhaustive list).
From Romans 8:23, it says that
we who have the firstfruits of the Spirit (referring to us as Christians)
“groan inwardly”
as we wait for the redemption of our bodies (and adoption as sons).
Acts 14:22 speaks about Christians needing to face
many tribulations to enter the kingdom of God,
similar to James 1:2-4 about facing trials of various kinds.
1 Timothy 5:23 tells us about Paul’s advice to Timothy
for his stomach and other ailments (diseases),
2 Timothy 4:20 and Philippians 2:26-30
gave examples of Christians in the early church
who were sick or even ill to the point of (near) death
even as they helped support the church.
Lastly, John 9:1-3 has Jesus saying
that the man’s sickness was not due to any sin,
but that the works of God might be displayed in him.
It was for Jesus’ own glory, and for the man’s own sake,
as he later believed in Jesus (John 9:35-38).
All of these verses speak about affliction, tribulation, trials,
which include sickness,
as something that we still need to go through as Christians.
In the New Testament (or even the Old),
was it written anywhere or shown anywhere
that it’s always God’s will to heal?
If so, how would one explain Paul’s advice to Timothy
to take medicine for his stomach and other ailments,
when Paul could have just assured Timothy
that God would heal him, or declare healing over Timothy?
What about the Christians
– Trophimus (2 Timothy 4:20)
or Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:26-30) who were sick,
and Epaphroditus almost dead from an illness?
You might say that these Christians
all had “lying symptoms” of illness from the devil,
and that they were on the road to recovery, perhaps 40% healed,
but indeed, there were examples of Christians (even Timothy) sick and ill.
No one said to “declare healing” over these Christians,
nor to pray against “lying symptoms”
or that “as Jesus borne our diseases, by his stripes we’re healed”.
In John 9:1-3 and Luke 13:10-17,
even though these events took place before the cross,
it still showed us Jesus (and thus God)’s reason for healing.
Both these people in John 9:1-3 and Luke 13:10-17
did not ask to be healed.
Jesus simply just healed them out of his own accord,
out of his own will.
The result? They both glorified and worshiped the Lord.
In both Matthew 6:9-13 and 1 John 5:12,
it speaks about God’s will – that his will (not ours) be done,
and that if we ask anything according to his will (not ours),
He hears us.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 speaks about God’s will,
which is our sanctification.
Does it mention physical healing for our bodies here on earth?
No!
Is God not sovereign over our health?
Is God only God over everything but our health,
that the devil can place “lying symptoms”
(which are just another word for diseases and sicknesses really) in us?
Ephesians 1:11 says that God works all things
after the counsel of His will and according to His purpose.
Now, what about 3 John 1:2?
That verse was simply a prayer by John,
and also served as a common greeting
during that historical time period.
Does this verse constitute enough evidence
to claim or assert that it is always God’s will to heal,
or if we as Christians deserve healing
because “lying symptoms” or diseases
placed by the devil should not be there?
A most definite no!
That being said, we should still pray for healing,
as mentioned in James 5:14-16 and even 3 John 1:2.
Also, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11 and Hebrews 2:3-4
makes it clear that there are the gifts of healing by the Spirit,
which are distributed according to his own will,
and the purpose of these gifts (including healing)
is for the common good.
It does not depend on any declaration of healing.
Even though we are called to pray for healing,
it ultimately and solely depends on God’s will for each of us
– so that in the end, we may be sanctified before God.
Other than that, even if it’s God’s will for us not to be healed (yet or ever),
let’s not lose heart in our God (or worse, denounce him).
He is sovereign over all things,
including our afflictions, sufferings, and persecutions.
Romans 8:28-30 speak of God using all things
for the good of those who love God,
and that includes our sufferings.
In Philippians 1:22, Paul wrote that
“if I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me”.
He wrote that whilst imprisoned, and due to that,
probably tortured, beaten, scorned, and prone to diseases.
Most of the apostles were martyred for their faith!
In spite of all our physical suffering on earth,
Revelation 21:3-4 promises us that God himself will dwell with us
and wipe away every tear from our eyes,
and that death, pain, mourning, and crying will all be no more.
3. The Holy Communion is also taken for physical healing
This is what Joseph Prince teaches:
“That’s what partaking of the Holy Communion is about. When you hold the bread in your hand, simply remember how Jesus’ body was broken at the cross so that yours may be healed and whole. Say, “Lord Jesus, thank You for bearing my condition on Your own body at the cross. When the lashes fell across Your back, my condition died. It has no right to linger in my body!”
– Excerpt from https://www.josephprince.com/meditate-devo/partake-your-way-to-wholeness
Since I mentioned healing in the previous point,
I felt that this would be a natural lead-up from that point.
Under Joseph Prince’s preaching about the Holy Communion
and also in his books (such as “Eat Your Way to Life and Health”),
he teaches that the Holy Communion can
and should be taken to pray for or proclaim healing
for our physical bodies.
He quotes Isaiah 53:5 and sometimes also 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
as his Scriptural basis for his teaching and assertion.
He would frequently preach to the congregation
to take the Holy Communion at home daily,
or multiple times a day, praying for healing for our bodies.
We also declared sometimes
during the partaking of the Holy Communion (when eating the bread)
that we would live to be 120 (years old).
From personal experience
(and I would speak for many in New Creation Church),
my family would buy Holy Communion packets
from New Creation Church
and store them at home to use whenever we fell sick
(if we remembered to take them).
I recall taking them once a day
whenever I had a cold or a sore throat.
We also take them during most or all small group sessions.
Please read these verses by yourself,
before reading my explanation/interpretation below:
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 with emphasis on verses 24 and 26, and then 1 Corinthians 11:20-22 followed by 1 Corinthians 11:27-34 for the broader context. Also read 1 Peter 2:24-25 (and read the entirety of Point 2)
According to Paul, or rather according to Jesus’ own words,
he said nothing about healing
when he instituted the Holy Communion with his disciples.
Verse 24 makes it very clear.
Verse 26 also shows us what Jesus’ purpose for us
is with the Holy Communion
– to proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes,
not to proclaim healing when we eat of his body.
In 1 Peter 2:24-25, Peter quotes from Isaiah 53:5, including the
“by his wounds you have been healed” (which is part of what Joseph Prince uses),
but is he referring to physical healing?
Verses 24 and 25 give the context that it is about spiritual death
– bearing our sins, dying to sins and living to righteousness,
straying like sheep but now returned to Christ.
Should we as mere Christians,
add to God’s own breathed out Word
by saying that the Holy Communion
is to be taken for physical healing?
Isn’t it quite clear already from 1 Corinthians 11:23-26
(and Jesus who said these words that can be found in Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24 and Luke 22:19-20)
that the Holy Communion is only to remember
and proclaim His death until he comes?
I would like to remind us of 2 Timothy 2:15,
that Paul instructed Timothy
to rightly handle or divide the word of truth (the Scripture).
This instruction rings especially true for pastors
(Timothy was the pastor of a church, and the epistle was a pastoral epistle).
Even Charles Spurgeon has a sermon on it
(https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/rightly-dividing-the-word-of-truth/#fli pbook/)
where he said that the Word
was not something to be trifled with,
not meant to be toyed with.
Still, let’s hold fast to the truth that the Holy Communion
is meant only for Christians; children of God.
This is a high privilege in and of itself!
In Philippians 3:7-8, that whatever (earthly) gain Paul had
(of which he had a lot – read Philippians 3:4-6),
he counted it all as loss
(not even zero, but loss, as in a negative) for the sake of Christ;
for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus.
He repeats this a third time when he said that he suffered
and counted all things as rubbish (trash!)
in order that he may gain Christ.
As Christians, we have Christ Jesus himself,
which is of surpassing worth as compared to every earthly thing
and gift we have, whether it’s a healthy life,
enough money to go on multiple holidays,
exceeding worldly knowledge.
All of these are considered trash; considered as loss,
for the surpassing worth of Christ Jesus himself!
4. “God told me”
Quite frequently in Joseph Prince’s sermons and his books,
he would say that “God told me…” (or something of that sort).
You may peruse through Reverend George Ong’s
extensive collection of articles/videos
to find many instances where Joseph Prince has done this.
Please read these verses by yourself,
before reading my explanation/interpretation below:
Hebrews 1:1-2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 4:12, the entirety of Psalm 119 (or at least any part of it). Also read Titus 1:9.
Firstly, in Hebrews 1:1-2,
we see that God used to speak through prophets in the Old Testament,
but in these last days,
he has spoken through His Son, Jesus Christ.
Through Jesus, we have the gospel revealed to us all.
Through Jesus, we also see the Father (John 14:9-10).
Hebrews 4:12 speaks about how the word of God is living and active,
and is able to so rightly and so accurately divide and discern
soul and spirit, joints and marrow, thoughts and intentions of the heart.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 speaks about
how the word of God that was preached to the Thessalonians
by Paul and his companions was indeed the word of God.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 was covered in my introduction, but to reiterate:
all Scripture is God breathed for equipping a Christian for every good work.
All in all, the word of God (Scripture) should guide us
on how we conduct ourselves and live our Christian lives.
There is of course, still the possibility of a gift of prophecy,
which is a gift of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 14:1).
But, how do we discern
whether “God told me this and that” is accurate?
We must discern through the lens of Scripture.
If the word received contradicts Scripture,
or goes against Scripture,
which has already been established as living and active,
able to divide, God-breathed,
and used for every good work of a Christian,
then is that “word” truly from God?
And if this is done consistently,
would you say that this person is glorifying and honouring God
by going against His own Word?
Granted, if it’s regarding an interpretation of Scripture, it can differ.
Still, we can’t just say that
“God told me that this is the 100% accurate interpretation of this portion of Scripture”.
Ask yourself:
how can you reliably prove that someone is speaking a word from God?
My answer is that we cannot reliably prove it,
unless it is from Scripture (God’s own Word).
For words of prophecy, the gift of prophecy (at least I believe this)
shouldn’t be used authoritatively by using the words
“God told me to tell you…”
We need to also test these prophecies
to see if they hold true (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).
Titus 1:9 is part of a portion of Scripture
that goes into the qualifications for elders/overseers (pastors) of a church.
It highlights that a pastor needs to hold firm
to the trustworthy word as taught,
and give instruction in sound doctrine.
At the very least, shouldn’t sound doctrine
be preaching consistent with Scripture?
I don’t believe Joseph Prince has reliably proven
that what he preaches is in accord with God’s own Word,
and neither are his “God told me that…” prophecies.
All that said, we should still take heart that God’s own Word
as whatever we need to be instructed
and equipped for every good work (my interpretation
is that these good works are pleasing and honouring to God).
Psalm 119 is the lengthiest psalm in Scripture,
and you can see how highly God’s Word,
even His laws, statutes and commandments,
are so highly esteemed,
so highly regarded, so highly honoured, as is God himself.
We should take heart and thank God
that we don’t need any extra-biblical words to live a godly life.
We can also thank God that in our present age,
His Word has become so accessible to many,
and translated into a multitude of languages for all to read!
We can also thank God
that He has raised up many godly men and women
who study, speak, and/or preach His Word truthfully.
5. Justified by grace, but no sanctification needed to obey the law
Joseph Prince in many of his sermons,
quotes Romans 6:14-23,
saying that sin shall not have dominion over us,
for we are not under law, but under grace.
There are also many instances where he asserts (strongly)
that the law, or the Ten Commandments (in particular)
is the ministry of death and kills,
as he quotes from 2 Corinthians 3:7.
He also frequently says that the law is demand,
while grace is supply.
He is right in preaching that we are justified by grace alone,
through faith in Jesus Christ, yes.
But I would assert that he is wrong
to say that the law, the Ten Commandments,
(that have been inscribed in our hearts) kills.
and is therefore not needed in the New Covenant as Christians.
He sometimes also uses Galatians 3:24-25
to say that we’re no longer under the tutor, that is the Law,
as we now have Christ.
Please read these verses by yourself,
before reading my explanation/interpretation below:
Romans 7:7 and then Romans 7:12-13, Romans 3:20, Galatians 3:2-3, also read Colossians 1:29, Philippians 1:6, 1 John 1:8-10
I believe Romans 7:7 and Romans 7:12-13
is enough to debunk the claim
that the Ten Commandments kill.
It is sin that kills
(James 1:14-15 says that temptation comes in when we are lured by our own desires, and desire births sin, and sin when fully grown leads to death).
The Law is by no means sin at all.
It is instituted by God himself!
Romans 7:12-13 goes to say
that the Law is holy, righteous, and good.
Paul also refutes the Law being something
that kills in his very next statement,
“Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good…”
Then, if the Law (Ten Commandments) is good,
what use does it have in our New Covenantal, Christian life?
Galatians 3:2-3 does make it clear that since we have begun in the Spirit,
we cannot be perfected (sanctified) by the flesh (keeping the Law).
I admit that I will have to rely on commentaries and exposition from others on this,
but to begin, Romans 3:20 says that through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.
The Law is good for showcasing our sins,
which we will still commit in our Christian life,
similar to how the Law showed our dire need for Jesus Christ,
our Saviour, for justification.
The Law shows us God’s perfect standards,
and we as Christians should hate or abhor breaking his Law.
Sadly, we still do break his Law even as Christians, and that is sin.
The Law reveals by its standards where we have sinned,
and therefore, what we need to repent from.
Repent?
Why do we need to repent as a Christian
when we have already been justified, and the judgement of God
for our sins already borne on Jesus at the cross?
When we are justified,
that moment also begins our process of sanctification.
It’s a process started by God himself (Philippians 1:6),
made fully complete when Jesus returns for us.
Sanctification is the process that God works in us
to make us more and more like Christ.
Still, even after justification, we still sin,
and anyone who says that we don’t, or that we have no sin,
is a liar (1 John 1:8, 1 John 1:10).
Even in Revelation 3:19,
Jesus himself said that those He loves, He reproves and disciplines,
and so we should be zealous and repent.
Jesus himself told the church in Laodicea to repent
(and some of the other churches beforehand as well)!
In 1 John 1:9, we are commanded as Christians
to confess our sins,
and God is faithful and justified to forgive us of our sins
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
As a note, I am reminded that Joseph Prince does teach
that 1 John 1 was written to the Gnostics.
I will draw an inference here that he is asserting
that 1 John 1 is not applicable to Christians,
because it was not written to Christians, but to Gnostics.
Does this not go against 2 Timothy 3:16-17,
that all Scripture is God-breathed, profitable for reproof and correction, and enables the man of God to be equipped for every good work?
If 1 John 1 was written not written to believers, but to the Gnostics,
does this mean that 1 John 1 is not part of Scripture?
1 John 2:3-6 show us that we are to obey his commandments,
which is proof that we know him, that God’s love is in us,
that we abide in Christ.
You cannot say “I know him” but not keep his commandments.
Of course, we don’t keep his commandments perfectly.
It is impossible,
and that is why 1 John 2:1-2 gives us the assurance
that even though these words were written
that we may not fall into sin,
but if we do sin (which we will, as 1 John 1:10 makes it clear),
we have an advocate with the Father,
our propitiation for our sins: Jesus Christ.
We cannot run away from the fact that even as Christians, we do sin.
Let us not be too disheartened by this reality though,
because as mentioned, once we are justified, God (not us!)
immediately begins our process of sanctification,
and he who begins a good work in us
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6).
It is God’s will that we be sanctified (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
Later on in 1 Thessalonians 23-24,
Paul prayed that God would sanctify us completely,
and that our whole spirit, soul and body
be kept blameless at the coming of Jesus Christ,
and lastly, that He is faithful, and will surely do it.
Let’s also take heart that
we do not have to strive for sanctification by ourselves,
to be as righteous and sinless as Jesus,
before we could be justified by him.
We were justified by him while we were unrighteous sinners!
I won’t go into much more detail about sanctification,
but feel free to read Philippians 2:12-13, Galatians 5:16
and Romans 6:19-22.
6. Being Blessed, Prosperity, Faith being the hand that takes
Joseph Prince has frequently taught the congregation
to expect prosperity and blessings from God,
not only in the spiritual sense, but also materially
– financial wealth, earthly resources, and so on and so forth.
A verse he likes to quote is 2 Corinthians 8:9 which says,
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.”
He also preached about being blessed (financially) to be a blessing,
citing Abraham as an example in Genesis 12:1-3.
Other examples would be him preaching
that God will supply as much as we want
until we tell him to stop,
which usually coincides with his
“faith is the hand that takes” teaching.
Please read these verses by yourself,
before reading my explanation/interpretation below:
Matthew 5:2-11, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Philippians 4:11-12, 2 Corinthians 6:4-10, Matthew 6:30-33, Luke 12:28-34, Matthew 8:18, and then Matthew 8:23-28, Matthew 14:28-31.
Firstly, let’s explore the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus, in his opening address
to the large crowd gathered around him in Matthew 5:1,
said nine statements of what he himself (Jesus, as God)
considered constituted a “blessed” person.
Did any of the statements made by Jesus
involve any form of material or financial blessing?
Next, let’s look at Paul’s epistles
as Joseph Prince does make the claim
that he’s preaching the same gospel as Paul did.
In 2 Corinthians 8:9, the verse Joseph Prince uses
as part of his teaching of financial prosperity and wealth,
reading from verse 1 onwards
will give us the context of how 2 Corinthians 8:9 is used.
Verse 2 sets the stage,
saying that even though the church in Macedonia
was severely afflicted and had extreme poverty (not wealth),
they still had abundant joy and even a wealth of generosity.
Verses 3 and 4 continue, saying that
even though the Macedonian church had extreme poverty,
they gave according to their means,
and even begged earnestly to give for relief of the saints!
Verses 10 to 15 go into further details
regarding the context that 2 Corinthians 8:9 was used,
where Paul encouraged the Corinthian church who started
“this work” the previous year (referring to giving financially
to support the saints) to complete it,
so that the needs of the saints (suffering saints) can be supplied.
Christ was rich in heaven
(in glory, in love, in grace, in much much more),
but for our sakes, he came down to earth, becoming poor,
being subject to suffering, persecution, a human body,
all so that he could die for our sins and reconcile us to him,
allowing us to also experience the richness he has in heaven.
In Philippians 4:11-12 and 2 Corinthians 6:4-10,
Paul talks about being in hunger, having hardships, afflictions,
being in need, being brought low.
How does he deal with that?
By praying for prosperity and finances?
2 Corinthians 6:6 and Philippians 4:11 and Philippians 4:13 explains it.
Now, let’s look at the claim of faith being the hand that takes from God.
Matthew 6:30-33 in summary talks about God the Father
knowing all our earthly needs,
but if we seek his kingdom and his righteousness,
he will give us whatever he (as sovereign God) sees that we need.
Try replacing “O you of little faith?” in verse 30
with “why do you take so little from me?”
and see if it fits the summary above.
What are we trying to take from God exactly?
Do we know more than God about what we truly need?
Matthew 8:18 and then Matthew 8:23-28
also gives us another example of where Jesus used the phrase
“O you of little faith”.
To give a summarised context,
Jesus gave orders (commanded)
to go over to the other side (Matthew 8:18).
In Matthew 8:23, he got into the boat, and in Matthew 8:28,
it says that he came to the other side.
I would infer that Jesus commanded (or declared)
to go to the other side of the sea.
Whilst at sea, Jesus slept in the midst of a great storm.
Being afraid, the disciples woke him and Jesus calmed the storm,
and then admonished them with that
“O you of little faith” phrase.
If we say that faith is the hand that takes,
what are we trying to take from God here?
A miracle?
Can I assert that faith here is not the hand that takes,
but it is us completely trusting and submitting to Jesus, our Lord?
Isn’t Jesus ‘Lord’ over us anyway?
Jesus already gave orders (or commanded, or declared)
to go over to the other side.
The disciples did not trust Jesus’ word
that they would indeed go over to the other side
in the midst of the great storm,
for they feared drowning in the sea.
That was why Jesus had to admonish them.
Last example of this is in Matthew 14:28-31.
Famous story.
Jesus walks on water, and Peter also walks on water
but saw the wind, was afraid, and started to sink.
Jesus lifted him up and said that phrase
“O you of little faith” to Peter.
In Matthew 14:28-29,
Peter asked Jesus to command him (Peter)
to come towards him (Jesus).
Jesus responded with one word of command, “Come”.
Similar to the previous story,
Peter did not trust Jesus’ command,
looking at the wind, and started to sink.
Isn’t this another instance of faith being a complete trust,
submission, reliance on our Lord and God?
If we say that faith is the hand that takes,
what are we taking from Jesus here?
Through all these examples,
I hope you can better understand
how faith isn’t the hand that takes.
Besides, as mentioned above,
what are we trying to take from God exactly?
Do we know more than God about what we need?
Do we command God to take what we want from him?
As mentioned in an earlier section,
Ephesians 1:11 says that God works all things
according to the counsel of his will.
Not our will, but he works everything according to his own will.
That is also why in Matthew 6:10, in the Lord’s Prayer,
Jesus himself in his model of how to pray,
he said, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
Even in Luke 22:42,
Jesus himself submitted to the Father’s will, instead of his will.
If Jesus had not submitted to the Father’s will to go to the cross,
we would all be lost in darkness, enemies of God!
Lastly, let us still be thankful that God knows exactly what we need
and has instructed us not to be anxious about our earthly lives (Matthew 6:25-34).
Let’s hold fast to Him and fully trust
and submit our whole lives to Him (as like in Romans 12:1-2).
Philippians 4:4-7 also encourages us to always rejoice in the Lord,
to not be anxious about anything, but continue in prayer to God.
We can also learn, just like Paul,
to be content in all sorts of situations
– when being brought low, when abounding,
or when facing hunger, or plenty, or in need or abundance.
Remember also the words in Philippians 3:8,
“Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
7. Other teachings and practices
Since this testimony/article has gone on for long,
I shall make some quick statements
and point out other teachings and practices
done in New Creation Church
that I believe do not really accord with Scripture.
a. Sinner’s Prayer
At the end of every sermon, there will be a call for unbelievers
to pray what is known (in Christianity) as the “Sinner’s Prayer”.
It is the prevailing belief by more or less
the church pastors in New Creation Church
that once an unbeliever prays the Sinner’s Prayer,
he/she is considered a child of God (i.e. saved, justified).
In youth services, sometimes the call for the Sinner’s Prayer
is paired with an altar call,
where unbelieving youths will go to the front of the auditorium to pray,
and to be prayed for.
I will not deny that God can indeed use the Sinner’s Prayer
to cause someone to genuinely and truly believe
and be born again.
However, I can’t find any Scriptural evidence
for the use of the Sinner’s Prayer at all.
A good number of preachers have also mentioned this before.
Can we confirm with full authority that an unbeliever is saved
just by praying the Sinner’s Prayer?
What if he/she just recited it just because everyone else is doing it?
Does that make the unbeliever a child of God immediately?
Acts 2:38 shows us an example of conversion (after Jesus’ resurrection!)
where Peter said,
“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
John 16:7-10 has Jesus also outlining the role of the Holy Spirit
in convicting the world (unbelievers) of sin, righteousness, and judgment.
In the end, an unbeliever’s conversion is the work of the Spirit.
All true Christians have the Holy Spirit in them,
and Galatians 5:16-26 outlines the fruit a Christian will produce through the Spirit,
as confirmatory evidence that the person is a Christian.
Jesus also likens Christians as branches in him (the vine) in John 15:1-11.
Whoever abides in him (verse 5) will bear fruit.
These are Christians.
Whoever doesn’t abide in Jesus (verse 6), does not bear fruit (verse 4),
and thus will be taken away (verses 2 and 6).
These refer to professing Christians, but not genuine, true Christians.
b. Using the Anointing Oil on examination papers
Having been in New Creation Church’s youth ministry
for a good part of my New Creation Church life,
this is something still quite prevalent.
It is also taught to the younger kids.
We’re encouraged to bring a small bottle of anointing oil (olive oil)
for our exam papers in school.
I recall bringing one for every single exam paper I had,
especially during my tertiary education days.
My exam paper would pretty much have a nice olive oil scent
that I’m sure singled out my paper from all the rest.
Anointing the exam paper is usually a precursory action
to praying over it, usually for good marks
or that the Lord would give us favour with our examiners.
I have no particular issue with praying,
or even if using the anointing oil was a good reminder for us to pray,
but my concerns would be whether we are (sub)consciously
putting our trust in the oil, rather than in God himself.
Besides, it should be God’s will that is done,
and if it is his will for us not to get great marks for our exam papers,
then who are we to dispute that with him?
Of course, I say that, but even now,
I still get sinfully frustrated when things don’t go the way we want,
but that’s beside the point.
Instead of having to use the anointing oil as a precursor for prayer,
why not just remind students, and everybody in fact,
to pray and bring our requests to God (Philippians 4:6),
and then pray that his will ultimately be done?
c. Association with other prosperity gospel preachers and word of faith preachers
It has been known throughout New Creation Church
(especially those who have been around pre-COVID),
that Joseph Prince has strong partnerships and affiliations
with preachers such as Joel Osteen.
Other than that, Steven Furtick was also one of the speakers
for the annual youth conference
hosted by New Creation Church (Zone X)
in one of its first instances.
Steven Furtick has at multiple points,
proven to be preaching quite a me-centered gospel,
and has even on one occasion,
said, “I am God Almighty!”
(you may refer to this short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHzpXG6MPYI&pp=ygUsc3RldmVuIGZ1cnRpY2sgaSBhbSBnb2QgYWxtaWdodHkgZnVsbCBzZXJtb24%3D).
You can also see from his sermon here: https://youtu.be/Z6uLxXDu3rk?si=mV5rap4aoAwE7QRc&t=958
that he arguably contradicts himself
when he said that chapter headings are not inspired by God (which is true),
but goes on to spend part of his sermon talking about it and changing it.
Michael Todd was also a preacher who was known amongst the youths.
He has been heavily critiqued on his theology,
but I suppose as a striking point,
I would like you to watch this video about his church’s Easter Service in 2023:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQbMHE3rpZs.
Even though Michael Todd has not been called
to speak at New Creation Church before,
why are New Creation Church youths
supporting him and his church?
From what I found out from Rev. George Ong’s website,
it seems that Joseph Prince is also partnered with Kenneth Copeland
(you can search on YouTube for his appearance on Kenneth Copeland’s podcast or show, where Joseph Prince affirmed his partnership with Kenneth Copeland).
I won’t go into much detail, but more or less,
all of these preachers/speakers mentioned here
that Joseph Prince associates with
have been called out as false teachers,
and more importantly, false teachers
because they preach the prosperity gospel and word of faith.
Conclusion
It is my prayer that my testimony
and the refutations presented against Joseph Prince’s teachings,
have at least shed some light
or got you to read the Word for yourself
to prove a preacher’s teachings
(just like the Bereans did in Acts 17:11).
I pray that your faith or belief in the teachings of Joseph Prince
have been shaken, or brought to question.
After all that, I do stand by my affirmation
that Joseph Prince is indeed a false teacher,
teaching a false doctrine that is riddled with many stark errors.
I will admit that I’m no theologian, that I’m no Paul or Jesus,
just an ordinary human being like you,
and thus even my own interpretations can be wrong.
Please scrutinise and correct my interpretations as well!
I would like to reiterate
that calling out false teachers and false doctrine
is not something that I, or anyone
(who follows the Word of God) does lightly.
We know for a fact
that we will be inviting persecution to our doorsteps,
and scorn amongst people.
While not all persecution is necessary
(we could be persecuted for something really foolish),
it is nevertheless still promised for all true Christians.
Still, we do it in love (1 Timothy 1:5),
so that many can be aware of this,
and then make the decision
on whether to leave the church, or to stay.
I pray also that this testimony may be used by God
to spur more people to be upfront
with calling out false teachers and false doctrines like this,
especially those who have since left New Creation Church.
Finally, I would also like to take the time
to thank Rev. George Ong for waging the good warfare,
as was the charge entrusted by Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:18,
to charge and contend against preachers of false doctrine.
He has sacrificed quite a lot to take charge of this.
I also thank my current church,
The Crossing Church for boldly and unashamedly
calling out Joseph Prince directly for his false doctrines
and being good examples to follow as well.
Daniel Chong
Attending The Crossing Church, Singapore