Joyce Meyer
Joyce Meyer is one of the most popular and influential women's teachers (Pastors) of the day. She is popular among women, both young and old alike. She is a strong motivation speaker, much like her male equivalent Joel Osteen. However, being a powerful speaker, or being popular does not give Joyce Meyer the biblical right to be a teacher (pastor) or to take the authority of a teacher in the way she does. People often make the mistake of believing a person is “right” based on their popularity, this is the common logical fallacy of Appealing to Popularity. What makes an individual right is not how many people they can get to listen to them, or how successful a persons ministry is. Instead, it should be based on the preaching of correct, biblical theology and adhering to the Word of God, along with preaching the full council of God’s Word.
Do not take this critique of Joyce Meyer as a personal or Ad Hominid (against the man) attack. We hold nothing personal against Joyce Meyer. Joyce Meyer seems like an exceptionally warm, loving person, who cares enormously about the people she is ministering too. We are not even doubting her salvation here or saying that she is not a Christian. What we are addressing is simply the following points. First off is Joyce Meyer qualified to be a teacher (Pastor) of God’s Word? Secondly, is what Joyce Meyer’s teaching in line with biblical Christianity? The Apostle Paul called the Berean's noble for going back to the Word of God and checking what Paul, one of God's own disciples, was teaching. We must do the same as the Bereans of Paul’s time and check the teachers of today against the Scriptures and see how they compare.
In order to understand if Joyce Meyer is a qualified candidate to be a teacher we need to look at the Word of God, not personal opinions to make this determination. When looking at 1 Timothy 2:12-14 we can clearly see an outline of the positions women can hold within the church. 1 Timothy 2:12-14 states the following;
"But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression."
Paul in these verses is quick to point out that women are not to teach or have an authority over a man. Let’s make sure to clarify the who, when, where and why of the context in Paul’s statement. Paul is not saying that women can never hold any authority or teach ever anywhere, nor is he stating that women must never talk and just be 100% submissive to the men in their lives. What Paul is clearly stating here are the guidelines in which women are to conduct themselves in the setting of a church role. The above verses when put in the full context of 1 Timothy clearly point out that women are to take a non-authoritative role as Elders or Pastors. When we look throughout the bible, we see that women should be held in the highest regards and given many roles in which they are able to assert themselves within the body of the church.
Supporters of Joyce Meyer argue that she never calls herself a “Pastor” so, therefore, this verse does not apply to her. This argument holds little weight when held against the Word of God. While it may be true that she never uses the word “Pastor” for a title or calls herself by that name, she is still asserting the authority of a pastors or teacher in the role she is conducting. Regardless of Joyce Meyer using the title of pastor or not, it does not change the fact that she is fulfilling the role by teaching with the authority of a Pastor.
Many who argue in favor of allowing women to hold the office of pastor try to subvert the word of God by stating that Paul was applying this text to “a woman” or that this was just a cultural situation. If their statements are true, then why did not Paul state the particular “women’s” name in the biblical text? In the bible names have been used to point out particular people, why not here? Again this argument falls apart when we lot at the whole of Scripture.
When it comes to this verse applying to only the culture of Paul’s time this can easily be dismissed. Those who make this argument quickly show their lack of understanding of biblical textual referencing that Paul makes back to the Old Testament when he states; “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.” With attaching this clarifier to his statement, he is clearly making it known that this command has been since the time of Adam and Eve. Paul is showing us here the order Federal Headship in the bible. Paul is essentiality stating here that this is not a cultural matter, but instead a command for all times, not just Paul’s.
1 Timothy 2:12-14 is not the only verse in which we see the qualifications of a Pastor or teacher. In Titus 1:5-9 we see again who should be the leader within the church.
“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
As we read through the qualifications of an Elder or Pastor in the above verses we find that all references to gender are to the male. In the original Greek language we also find that the rendering of the verb tense to be in the male, not female form. In other words, this passage is describing the qualifications of a male for pastor, not a woman to be a pastor. Some people have tried to say that because Joyce Meyer sits under the leadership of her husband, Dave that it is okay for Joyce Meyer to preach. One again when we look at the above scriptures we see nothing stating an exemption for such a case.
From the above Scriptures, it can be clearly seen in the Word of God that women are not to hold the office of or title of teacher (Pastor.) People are constantly trying to subvert the Word of God with arguments that justify why women should be Pastors, but those arguments fall short when compared with Scripture.
Now that, we have addressed Joyce Meyer and her lack of qualifications to teach, it is time to discuss the inconsistencies in her theology. Over the years, Joyce Meyer has said many unscriptural and unbiblical statements, which is common among many of the Word of Faith teachers. Joyce Meyer’s choice teaching manual is the Amplified bible, which is troublesome, to say the least. At first glance, this may seem for the benefit of her listeners, but when looking closer at the Amplified bible it can be seen it is for her benefit, to be able to twist scriptures to fit her agenda. The Amplified bible is a poorly translated version at best and at its worst is an outright attack on the Word of God. The proof can be seen in the text. For example, let’s take a look at Philippians 2:6 from the Amplified bible rendering:
“Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [b] possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God, did not [c] think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [d] or retained,”
In comparison let’s look at what an accurate translation of the same verse says from the King James version.
"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"
As one can see, it does not take much to understand the mistranslated text of the Amplified bible. The King James Bible clearly proclaims that Jesus Christ did NOT consider it robbery to be EQUAL with God, yet the Amplified version states that Jesus could not GRASP equality with God. This is not the only example in which the Amfilied bible mistranslations verses, there are way too many to include in this article.
One must ask the following question; If Joyce Meyer is using a faulty translation of the Word of God such as the Amplified bible, how can we trust that she is teaching correct doctrine? The simple answer to this question is, we cannot trust her.
If we take a look closer at Joyce Meyer, we can see from her own words that she is unable to teach sound biblical doctrine. Take a look at the following statements to confirm this.
“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’m righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time.” (Joyce Meyer, “What Happened from the Cross to The Throne?” audio)
“Now whether you like it or not, whether you want to admit it or not, whether you want to operate on it or not, you are made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Most people who go to denominational churches never ever hear that! They never hear it! Never! All I was ever taught to say was, ‘I’m a poor, miserable sinner.’ I am not poor, I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I was and if I still am then Jesus died in vain. Amen?” (Joyce Meyer, “What Happened from the Cross to The Throne?” audio)
What bible verse states that we are not sinners anymore? Once again we can Joyce Meyer’s mis use of scripture in these two statements. The way Joyce Meyer refers to this verse is not the correct context of the verse, the bible states the contrary we are unrighteous none seek after God, Romans 3:10-12.
This time let’s look at what Joyce Meyer’s says in her book The Name, The Word, The Blood on page 37 she states the following: “Words are containers for power.” Meyers seems to be quoting the teachings of Copeland/ Hagen Word of Faith jargon. This is not the first time Joyce Meyer has promoted this teaching. In Joyce Meyer’s audio series Is your mouth saved? Meyer states we all have the ability to speak life or death to not only other people but to ourselves as well “…Will help you to take inventory of what you have been saying and begin speaking faith filled words that will bring to pass God's good plan for your life.” Again does Joyce Meyer have a bible verse to support this used in its correct context?
Joyce Meyer has also stated the following in an interview with the Bible Answer Man in January 2003. “Words are containers, for power they carry creative or destructive power, positive or negative power, so we need to be speaking right things over our lives and about our futures if we expect to have good things happen because what you say then is what you probably end up having tomorrow.”
In conclusion, we can see that first Joyce Meyer is not biblically qualified to be a teacher, or teaching pastor on the grounds of her gender. The bible clearly states that the position that Joyce Meyer is trying to hold should be reserved for males, not women. Secondly, from the examples above we can see that Joyce Meyer does not meet the qualifications of a biblical teacher who can rightly divide the Word of God. If you or someone you know follows Joyce Meyer and her teaching, please take into consideration the above evidences and prayerfully reconsider following her as a teacher.
Do not take this critique of Joyce Meyer as a personal or Ad Hominid (against the man) attack. We hold nothing personal against Joyce Meyer. Joyce Meyer seems like an exceptionally warm, loving person, who cares enormously about the people she is ministering too. We are not even doubting her salvation here or saying that she is not a Christian. What we are addressing is simply the following points. First off is Joyce Meyer qualified to be a teacher (Pastor) of God’s Word? Secondly, is what Joyce Meyer’s teaching in line with biblical Christianity? The Apostle Paul called the Berean's noble for going back to the Word of God and checking what Paul, one of God's own disciples, was teaching. We must do the same as the Bereans of Paul’s time and check the teachers of today against the Scriptures and see how they compare.
In order to understand if Joyce Meyer is a qualified candidate to be a teacher we need to look at the Word of God, not personal opinions to make this determination. When looking at 1 Timothy 2:12-14 we can clearly see an outline of the positions women can hold within the church. 1 Timothy 2:12-14 states the following;
"But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being quite deceived, fell into transgression."
Paul in these verses is quick to point out that women are not to teach or have an authority over a man. Let’s make sure to clarify the who, when, where and why of the context in Paul’s statement. Paul is not saying that women can never hold any authority or teach ever anywhere, nor is he stating that women must never talk and just be 100% submissive to the men in their lives. What Paul is clearly stating here are the guidelines in which women are to conduct themselves in the setting of a church role. The above verses when put in the full context of 1 Timothy clearly point out that women are to take a non-authoritative role as Elders or Pastors. When we look throughout the bible, we see that women should be held in the highest regards and given many roles in which they are able to assert themselves within the body of the church.
Supporters of Joyce Meyer argue that she never calls herself a “Pastor” so, therefore, this verse does not apply to her. This argument holds little weight when held against the Word of God. While it may be true that she never uses the word “Pastor” for a title or calls herself by that name, she is still asserting the authority of a pastors or teacher in the role she is conducting. Regardless of Joyce Meyer using the title of pastor or not, it does not change the fact that she is fulfilling the role by teaching with the authority of a Pastor.
Many who argue in favor of allowing women to hold the office of pastor try to subvert the word of God by stating that Paul was applying this text to “a woman” or that this was just a cultural situation. If their statements are true, then why did not Paul state the particular “women’s” name in the biblical text? In the bible names have been used to point out particular people, why not here? Again this argument falls apart when we lot at the whole of Scripture.
When it comes to this verse applying to only the culture of Paul’s time this can easily be dismissed. Those who make this argument quickly show their lack of understanding of biblical textual referencing that Paul makes back to the Old Testament when he states; “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve.” With attaching this clarifier to his statement, he is clearly making it known that this command has been since the time of Adam and Eve. Paul is showing us here the order Federal Headship in the bible. Paul is essentiality stating here that this is not a cultural matter, but instead a command for all times, not just Paul’s.
1 Timothy 2:12-14 is not the only verse in which we see the qualifications of a Pastor or teacher. In Titus 1:5-9 we see again who should be the leader within the church.
“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”
As we read through the qualifications of an Elder or Pastor in the above verses we find that all references to gender are to the male. In the original Greek language we also find that the rendering of the verb tense to be in the male, not female form. In other words, this passage is describing the qualifications of a male for pastor, not a woman to be a pastor. Some people have tried to say that because Joyce Meyer sits under the leadership of her husband, Dave that it is okay for Joyce Meyer to preach. One again when we look at the above scriptures we see nothing stating an exemption for such a case.
From the above Scriptures, it can be clearly seen in the Word of God that women are not to hold the office of or title of teacher (Pastor.) People are constantly trying to subvert the Word of God with arguments that justify why women should be Pastors, but those arguments fall short when compared with Scripture.
Now that, we have addressed Joyce Meyer and her lack of qualifications to teach, it is time to discuss the inconsistencies in her theology. Over the years, Joyce Meyer has said many unscriptural and unbiblical statements, which is common among many of the Word of Faith teachers. Joyce Meyer’s choice teaching manual is the Amplified bible, which is troublesome, to say the least. At first glance, this may seem for the benefit of her listeners, but when looking closer at the Amplified bible it can be seen it is for her benefit, to be able to twist scriptures to fit her agenda. The Amplified bible is a poorly translated version at best and at its worst is an outright attack on the Word of God. The proof can be seen in the text. For example, let’s take a look at Philippians 2:6 from the Amplified bible rendering:
“Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [b] possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God, did not [c] think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [d] or retained,”
In comparison let’s look at what an accurate translation of the same verse says from the King James version.
"Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:"
As one can see, it does not take much to understand the mistranslated text of the Amplified bible. The King James Bible clearly proclaims that Jesus Christ did NOT consider it robbery to be EQUAL with God, yet the Amplified version states that Jesus could not GRASP equality with God. This is not the only example in which the Amfilied bible mistranslations verses, there are way too many to include in this article.
One must ask the following question; If Joyce Meyer is using a faulty translation of the Word of God such as the Amplified bible, how can we trust that she is teaching correct doctrine? The simple answer to this question is, we cannot trust her.
If we take a look closer at Joyce Meyer, we can see from her own words that she is unable to teach sound biblical doctrine. Take a look at the following statements to confirm this.
“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’m righteous and I can’t be righteous and be a sinner at the same time.” (Joyce Meyer, “What Happened from the Cross to The Throne?” audio)
“Now whether you like it or not, whether you want to admit it or not, whether you want to operate on it or not, you are made the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ. Most people who go to denominational churches never ever hear that! They never hear it! Never! All I was ever taught to say was, ‘I’m a poor, miserable sinner.’ I am not poor, I am not miserable and I am not a sinner. That is a lie from the pit of hell. That is what I was and if I still am then Jesus died in vain. Amen?” (Joyce Meyer, “What Happened from the Cross to The Throne?” audio)
What bible verse states that we are not sinners anymore? Once again we can Joyce Meyer’s mis use of scripture in these two statements. The way Joyce Meyer refers to this verse is not the correct context of the verse, the bible states the contrary we are unrighteous none seek after God, Romans 3:10-12.
This time let’s look at what Joyce Meyer’s says in her book The Name, The Word, The Blood on page 37 she states the following: “Words are containers for power.” Meyers seems to be quoting the teachings of Copeland/ Hagen Word of Faith jargon. This is not the first time Joyce Meyer has promoted this teaching. In Joyce Meyer’s audio series Is your mouth saved? Meyer states we all have the ability to speak life or death to not only other people but to ourselves as well “…Will help you to take inventory of what you have been saying and begin speaking faith filled words that will bring to pass God's good plan for your life.” Again does Joyce Meyer have a bible verse to support this used in its correct context?
Joyce Meyer has also stated the following in an interview with the Bible Answer Man in January 2003. “Words are containers, for power they carry creative or destructive power, positive or negative power, so we need to be speaking right things over our lives and about our futures if we expect to have good things happen because what you say then is what you probably end up having tomorrow.”
In conclusion, we can see that first Joyce Meyer is not biblically qualified to be a teacher, or teaching pastor on the grounds of her gender. The bible clearly states that the position that Joyce Meyer is trying to hold should be reserved for males, not women. Secondly, from the examples above we can see that Joyce Meyer does not meet the qualifications of a biblical teacher who can rightly divide the Word of God. If you or someone you know follows Joyce Meyer and her teaching, please take into consideration the above evidences and prayerfully reconsider following her as a teacher.
Bio Information:
- Joyce was born Pauline Joyce Hutchison in south St. Louis in 1943.
- A graduate of O'Fallon Technical High School in St. Louis.
- Married twice, first marriage lasted five years, claims husband cheated on her. Remarried to Dave Meyer on January 7, 1967.
- Meyer was briefly a member of Our Savior's Lutheran Church in St. Louis, a congregation of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.
- In 1985, Meyer resigned as associate pastor and founded her own ministry, initially called "Life in the Word". She began airing her radio show on six other stations from Chicago to Kansas City.
- In 1993, her husband Dave suggested that they start a television ministry. Initially airing on superstation WGN-TV in Chicago and BET, her program, now called "Enjoying Everyday Life," is still on the air today.
- In 2004 St. Louis Christian television station KNLC, operated by the Rev. Larry Rice of New Life Evangelistic Center, dropped Meyer's programming. Rice had been a longstanding Meyer supporter, but claimed that her "excessive lifestyle" and teachings which often go "beyond Scripture" were the impetus for canceling her program.
- In 2009, Joyce Meyer Ministries received accreditation from the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). In an announcement on March 12, 2009, the ECFA said that Joyce Meyer Ministries and Oral Roberts University had met their requirements of "'responsible stewardship', which involves ministries' financial accountability, transparency, board governance and fund-raising practices."
Books
- Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind. 1993. ISBN 0-446-69109-7.
- Me and My Big Mouth: Your Answer is Right Under Your Nose. 2002. ISBN 0-446-69107-0.
- How to Hear from God: Learn to Know His Voice and Make Right Decisions. 2003. ISBN ISBN 0-446-53256-8.
- The Secret Power of Speaking God's Word. 2004. ISBN 0-446-57736-7.
- In Pursuit of Peace: 21 Ways to Conquer Anxiety, Fear, and Discontentment. 2004. ISBN 0-446-53195-2.
- Straight Talk: Overcoming Emotional Battles with the Power of God's Word. 2005. ISBN 0-446-57800-2.
- Approval Addiction: Overcoming Your Need to Please Everyone. 2005. ISBN 0-446-57772-3.
- Look Great Feel Great: Joyce shares twelve practical keys that will help you look and feel great. 2006.ISBN 0-446-57946-7.
- The Everyday Life Bible: The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living. 2006. ISBN 0-446-57827-4.
- The Confident Woman: Start Today Living Boldly and Without Fear. 2007. ISBN 0-446-53198-7.
- Woman to Woman: Candid Conversations from Me to You. 2007. ISBN 0-446-58180-1.
- I Dare You: Embrace Life With Passion. 2007. ISBN 0-446-53197-9.
- The Power of Simple Prayer: How to Talk with God about Everything. 2007. ISBN 0-446-53196-0.
- Top 10 Qualities of a Great Leader. 2007. ISBN 1-577-94913-7. (by Joyce Meyer and Phil Pringle)
- Conflict Free Living. 2008. ISBN 1-599-79062-9.
- Start Your New Life Today: An Exciting New Beginning with God. 2008. ISBN 0-446-50965-5.
- The Secret To True Happiness: Enjoy Today, Embrace Tomorrow. 2008. ISBN 0-446-53199-5.
- Never Give Up!: Relentless Determination to Overcome Life's Challenges. 2009. ISBN 0-446-58035-X.
- Eat the Cookie--Buy the Shoes: Giving Yourself Permission to Lighten Up. 2010. ISBN 0-446-53864-7.
- Power Thoughts: 12 Strategies to Win the Battle. 2010. ISBN 0-446-58036-8.
- Beauty for Ashes.
- The Penny.
