Chapter 12: Dake’s Influence on Modern Movements – The Poisoned River That Keeps Flowing

I’ll never forget the Sunday morning when everything clicked. I was visiting a large prosperity gospel church with a friend who had invited me to see her “life-changing” pastor. As we sat in the packed auditorium, surrounded by thousands of enthusiastic worshippers, the pastor held up his worn Bible and declared, “I want to read to you from my favorite study Bible—the one that opened my eyes to who we really are in Christ.”

My heart sank as I recognized the distinctive binding of the Dake Annotated Reference Bible. For the next hour, this pastor—who influenced millions through his television ministry—taught directly from Dake’s notes that believers are “little gods” who can command reality with their words. The congregation shouted “Amen!” and “That’s right!” as he promised them health, wealth, and supernatural power.

After the service, I watched as people lined up to buy their own copies of the Dake Bible from the church bookstore. Many were young believers, eager to dive deeper into God’s Word. They had no idea they were purchasing a theological poison that would distort their understanding of God, themselves, and the gospel for years to come.

This chapter will trace the poisoned river of Dake’s influence from its source through the various streams that water modern Christianity. We’ll see how his errors didn’t die with him in 1987 but instead multiplied and mutated through successive generations of teachers. We’ll identify specific modern movements and ministers who spread his theology, often without even knowing its source. And we’ll understand why this matters—not just for theological accuracy, but for the spiritual health and eternal destiny of millions of believers worldwide.

Part 1: The Word of Faith Movement – Dake’s Most Successful Student

If you want to understand how one man’s Bible notes could reshape global Christianity, look no further than the Word of Faith movement. This movement, which teaches that faith is a force that can be used to obtain health and wealth, draws heavily from Dake’s interpretations, though most of its followers don’t know this.

Kenneth Hagin: The Bridge Builder

Kenneth Hagin Sr. is often called the “father of the Word of Faith movement,” but he might better be called its midwife—he delivered into popular Christianity ideas that were conceived in Dake’s Bible notes. Hagin, who founded Rhema Bible Training Center and influenced countless ministers, regularly quoted from the Dake Bible and recommended it to his students.¹

Hagin took this shocking idea and developed it further. In his teachings, he declared: “You are as much the incarnation of God as Jesus Christ was. Every man who has been born again is an incarnation and Christianity is a miracle. The believer is as much an incarnation as was Jesus of Nazareth.”³

Think about what this means. If Dake was right and humans are “miniature gods,” and if Hagin was right that believers are “incarnations of God,” then Christianity isn’t about worshipping the one true God—it’s about recognizing that we ourselves are gods! This completely destroys the gospel. Why would gods need a Savior? Why would gods need to repent? Why would gods need grace?

Kenneth Copeland: Broadcasting the Blasphemy

Kenneth Copeland, perhaps the most visible prosperity preacher today, calls the Dake Bible one of his primary study tools. Through his television program that reaches millions globally, Copeland has spread Dake’s errors further than Dake himself ever could have imagined.⁴

Copeland infamously taught that God has a body that is about six feet tall and weighs around two hundred pounds. Where did he get such a bizarre idea? Let’s look at what Dake wrote:

Copeland didn’t stop with teaching that God has a body. Following Dake’s lead, he taught that believers are gods who can control reality with their words. He declared: “You don’t have a god in you, you are one.”⁶ This isn’t just a small error—it’s the same lie the serpent told Eve in the garden: “You will be like God” (Genesis 3:5).

Creflo Dollar: Taking It to Extremes

Creflo Dollar, pastor of World Changers Church International, demonstrates how Dake’s errors intensify with each generation. Dollar famously taught: “If horses get together, they produce what? Horses! If dogs get together, they produce what? Dogs! If cats get together, they produce what? Cats! So if the Godhead says, ‘Let us make man in our image,’ and everything produces after its own kind, then they produce what? Gods!”⁷

This teaching comes straight from Dake’s assertion that humans are in the “God class” of beings. But Dollar takes it even further, suggesting that God reproduces gods just like animals reproduce their own kind. This completely misunderstands what “image of God” means.

Benny Hinn: The Nine Persons of the Trinity

Perhaps the most shocking example of Dake’s influence came when Benny Hinn taught about the Trinity on his television program. Hinn declared: “God the Father, ladies and gentlemen, is a person with a body, with a soul, and with a spirit. Say it with me: ‘God the Father is a person with a body, with a soul, and with a spirit.’ God the Son is a person with a body, with a soul, and with a spirit. God the Holy Spirit is a person with a body, with a soul, and with a spirit. There’s nine of them!”⁸

This bizarre mathematics—turning the Trinity into nine persons—comes directly from Dake’s teaching:

While Hinn later took back this statement after widespread criticism, the fact that he could teach something so obviously wrong shows how deeply Dake’s errors have penetrated modern Christianity. When pastors don’t know basic Christian doctrine about the Trinity, they’re vulnerable to any error that sounds spiritual.

Joyce Meyer: Making It Mainstream

Joyce Meyer, one of the most popular female Bible teachers today, has also spread Dake-influenced theology. She once stated: “I was listening to a set of tapes by one man and he explained it like this… he said we are little gods. I thought, ‘That’s a good way to explain it.’ We better check our definition of who we are in Christ.”¹⁰

While Meyer has since distanced herself from the “little gods” teaching after criticism, the fact that she ever taught it shows Dake’s reach. His ideas have become so embedded in certain circles that even well-meaning teachers accept them without realizing their source or their danger.

Part 2: The Prosperity Gospel – Dake’s Promise of Health and Wealth

The prosperity gospel—the teaching that God guarantees health and wealth to all faithful believers—finds crucial support in Dake’s Bible notes. While prosperity teaching existed before Dake, his seemingly scholarly annotations gave it biblical credibility it never deserved.

The Foundation of Error

In his notes on 3 John 2, Dake wrote something that would reshape how millions read this verse:

This simple statement, printed in the margins of Scripture, has been used to justify elaborate prosperity theologies. But look at what 3 John 2 actually says: “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” This is John’s personal prayer for his friend Gaius, not a universal promise to all believers!

It’s like taking a birthday card that says “Hope all your dreams come true” and claiming it as a guarantee from God. Context matters! John was writing a personal letter to a specific person, expressing his personal wishes for his friend’s wellbeing.

The Hundredfold Deception

One of the most exploitative teachings in the prosperity gospel is the promise of a “hundredfold return” on financial giving. Televangelists promise that God will multiply any donation by one hundred, turning a $1,000 “seed” into a $100,000 harvest. Where does this teaching come from? Look at Dake’s interpretation of Mark 10:29-30:

But read Mark 10:29-30 in context. Jesus is talking about those who leave family and homes for the gospel receiving the family of God—fellow believers who become mothers, brothers, sisters to them. He’s talking about spiritual family, not financial multiplication! The “hundredfold” refers to the abundant spiritual family believers gain, not a mathematical formula for getting rich.

The Oral Roberts Connection

Oral Roberts, founder of Oral Roberts University and pioneering televangelist, helped mainstream prosperity theology using concepts that align with Dake’s teaching. His famous “Seed Faith” doctrine—that giving money to God guarantees financial return—mirrors Dake’s mechanistic view of faith as a force that produces automatic results.

Roberts taught that God wants believers to have “the best of everything,” transforming Christianity from a call to take up our cross into a promise of material success. His influence reached millions through television, and his university trained thousands of ministers in these principles.

The Global Spread

Today, prosperity gospel teachings influenced by Dake’s interpretations have spread globally:

• Nigeria: David Oyedepo, founder of Winners’ Chapel, teaches that poverty is a curse from which Christ has redeemed us—using Dake’s interpretation of Galatians 3:13.
• South Korea: David Yonggi Cho built the world’s largest church partly on prosperity teachings that echo Dake’s promises of guaranteed blessing.
• Brazil: The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God spreads prosperity theology throughout Latin America, using many concepts that trace back to Dake.
• Australia: Hillsong Church, while avoiding extreme prosperity teaching, still emphasizes blessing and favor in ways that show prosperity gospel influence.

Part 3: The Authority Teaching – Believers as Little Gods

One of Dake’s most dangerous teachings—that believers have the same authority as God—has evolved into elaborate systems of “decreeing and declaring,” “binding and loosing,” and “commanding reality.” This teaching hasn’t just spread; it has mutated into increasingly extreme forms.

The Evolution of Error

Watch how this teaching has developed through generations:

Generation 1 – Dake (1949): “Every believer has the same power and authority over demons and diseases that Jesus gave to the twelve apostles.”¹³

Generation 2 – Hagin (1979): “You have the same ministry that Jesus had. You have the same authority.”¹⁴

Generation 3 – Capps (1987): “You have the same creative power in your tongue that God has in His.”¹⁵

Generation 4 – Bill Johnson (2005): “Jesus gave us an example to follow. He didn’t do anything we can’t do.”¹⁶

See how the error grows? What started as authority over demons became equality with Jesus, then creative power equal to God’s, then unlimited ability to do anything Jesus did. Each generation takes it further from biblical truth.

The “Decree and Declare” Movement

Walk into many charismatic churches today and you’ll hear believers “decreeing and declaring” everything from financial breakthrough to changes in government. Where does this come from? Trace it back, and you’ll find Dake’s teaching that believers can command reality like God does.

This isn’t biblical prayer—it’s magical thinking dressed in Christian language. Instead of humbly asking God and submitting to His will (“Your will be done,” as Jesus taught), believers are taught to command God to act, to decree changes into existence, to declare their will into reality.

Bill Johnson and Bethel Church

Bill Johnson, pastor of Bethel Church in Redding, California, represents how Dake’s authority teaching has influenced a new generation. Johnson teaches that believers can operate in the same anointing as Jesus Christ, performing all the same miracles.

Bethel’s School of Supernatural Ministry trains students to “activate” their supernatural authority, command healing, and exercise dominion over creation. Students practice “grave sucking”—lying on the graves of famous Christians to absorb their anointing. They attempt to raise the dead, command weather changes, and declare regional transformation.

While Johnson may not directly quote Dake, his theological framework—that believers have unlimited supernatural authority—flows from the same source. The idea that ordinary Christians can do everything Jesus did contradicts Jesus’s own uniqueness as the God-man.

The NAR Connection

The New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a movement claiming to restore apostolic authority to the modern church, draws heavily on authority concepts that trace back to Dake. Leaders like C. Peter Wagner, Cindy Jacobs, and Dutch Sheets teach that modern apostles and prophets have the same authority as biblical apostles.

They practice:

• Spiritual mapping: Identifying territorial demons over cities and regions
• Strategic-level spiritual warfare: Binding supposed high-ranking demons
• Apostolic decrees: Speaking changes into governments and nations
• Prophetic activation: Training all believers to prophesy and perform miracles

All of these practices assume believers have God-like authority over spiritual and natural realms—an assumption that comes from Dake’s redefinition of human nature and authority.

Part 4: The Television Revolution – How Dake Conquered the Airwaves

Christian television has been the single most powerful amplifier of Dake’s theology. Through networks like Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN), Daystar, and others, his errors reach millions daily—most of whom have never heard his name.

The TBN Empire

Paul Crouch, founder of TBN, demonstrated his acceptance of Dake’s theology when he declared on his own network: “I am a little god! Critics, be gone!”¹⁷ Under his leadership, TBN became the world’s largest Christian television network, broadcasting prosperity gospel and Word of Faith teaching 24/7 to every continent.

TBN’s programming lineup reads like a who’s who of Dake-influenced teachers:

• Kenneth Copeland
• Benny Hinn
• Creflo Dollar
• Joyce Meyer
• Joel Osteen
• Joseph Prince
• Jesse Duplantis
• Rod Parsley

Each of these teachers, whether directly or indirectly, spreads theological concepts that trace back to Dake’s Bible. The network’s influence is staggering—reaching over 100 million households in the United States alone.

The Production Power

Modern Christian television uses sophisticated production techniques that make false teaching seem credible:

Professional Sets: Elaborate stages that rival secular talk shows create an atmosphere of success and authority. When a preacher stands on a beautiful set in an expensive suit, viewers assume they must be teaching truth—after all, look how God has blessed them!

Emotional Manipulation: Cameras focus on crying faces during emotional altar calls. Music swells at key moments. Testimony segments show dramatic healings and financial breakthroughs. All of this creates an emotional response that bypasses critical thinking.

Celebrity Culture: Televangelists become celebrities whose lifestyle becomes the message. Their private jets, luxury cars, and mansions are presented as proof that their teaching works. If the prosperity gospel made them rich, surely it will work for viewers too!

The Financial Engine

Television ministry requires enormous funds, and Dake’s prosperity theology provides the perfect fundraising tool. Based on his teaching about hundredfold returns, televangelists can promise donors miraculous breakthroughs in exchange for “seed” offerings.

The cycle works like this:

1. Televangelist teaches Dake’s prosperity promises
2. Viewers send money expecting hundredfold return
3. Money funds more television time
4. More people hear the false promise
5. More money comes in
6. The cycle continues and expands

This isn’t ministry—it’s religious exploitation justified by Dake’s misinterpretation of Scripture.

Part 5: The Bible School Pipeline – Training the Next Generation in Error

One of the most troubling aspects of Dake’s influence is how it’s perpetuated through Bible schools. Many independent, unaccredited Bible colleges use the Dake Bible as a primary textbook, ensuring each new generation of pastors absorbs his errors.

The Curriculum Problem

At many Word of Faith Bible schools, the curriculum is built around Dake’s theology:

Systematic Theology: Taught directly from Dake’s notes, including his tritheistic view of God, his physical God doctrine, and his “little gods” teaching about humans.

Biblical Interpretation: Students learn Dake’s method of taking verses out of context, interpreting metaphors literally, and ignoring historical and cultural background.

Practical Ministry: Students practice “decreeing and declaring,” learn formulas for guaranteed healing, and develop fundraising techniques based on prosperity promises.

The Multiplication Effect

Consider the mathematics of error:

• One Bible school graduates 50 students per year
• Each graduate pastors a church averaging 200 members
• That’s 10,000 people per year exposed to Dake’s errors from just one school
• Over 20 years, that’s 200,000 people
• Multiply by dozens of such schools globally
• The impact reaches millions

Each graduate becomes a carrier of theological error, spreading it to their congregation, who spread it to their families and friends. The infection multiplies exponentially.

The Academic Immunity

These Bible schools often operate in isolation from mainstream evangelical scholarship. They:

Dismiss Academic Criticism: Scholarly refutation of Dake is labeled as “dead orthodoxy” or “religious tradition” that quenches the Spirit.

Avoid Accountability: Lacking accreditation, they answer to no academic body that might correct their errors.

Create Echo Chambers: Students read only materials that support Dake’s theology, never encountering orthodox alternatives.

Measure Success Wrong: Large churches and financial prosperity are seen as validating the theology, regardless of biblical accuracy.

Part 6: The Global Pandemic – How Dake Infected World Christianity

Dake’s influence isn’t limited to American Christianity. Through missionaries, media, and translated materials, his errors have spread globally, often taking root most strongly in areas where Christians lack theological education.

Africa: The Prosperity Explosion

In Africa, where poverty and disease are widespread, Dake-influenced prosperity theology has exploded. Consider Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation:

David Oyedepo built Winners’ Chapel into one of the world’s largest churches by teaching that poverty is a curse and wealth is every believer’s right. His net worth is estimated at over $150 million while many of his members struggle to eat.

Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy teaches that believers are “gods” who can command reality. His television network spreads this message across Africa.

T.B. Joshua (before his death) claimed supernatural powers that drew millions of followers. His teachings about believers’ authority over sickness and circumstances echo Dake’s interpretations.

The damage in Africa is profound:

• Resources that could address real needs fund lavish churches and pastor lifestyles
• Young people abandon education believing faith alone brings success
• Sick people die refusing medical treatment, believing that shows lack of faith
• Families go hungry giving money they need for food as “seed” offerings

Latin America: The Authority Appeal

In Latin America, where Pentecostalism has grown explosively, Dake’s authority teachings have particular appeal. The G12 movement from Colombia, which spread throughout Latin America, incorporates many Dake-influenced concepts:

Spiritual Mapping: Identifying and binding territorial spirits over regions

Apostolic Authority: Modern leaders claiming the same power as biblical apostles

Prosperity Promises: Guaranteed wealth for faithful givers

Supernatural Power: Every believer operating in miraculous gifts

In Brazil, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) has built a massive empire on prosperity theology. Their practice of selling “blessed objects” for miraculous breakthroughs shows how Dake’s mechanistic faith has devolved into religious magic.

Asia: The Syncretistic Danger

In Asia, Dake’s errors often blend with existing religious concepts in dangerous ways:

South Korea: David Yonggi Cho built the world’s largest church partly on prosperity teachings and the idea that believers can command reality through visualization and positive confession. His “fourth dimension” theology—that the spiritual realm controls the physical—echoes Dake’s authority teachings while incorporating Buddhist and shamanistic concepts.

Philippines: The El Shaddai movement reaches millions with prosperity promises. Their emphasis on “seed faith” and miraculous breakthroughs through giving traces back to Dake’s interpretations.

Singapore and Malaysia: The prosperity gospel has taken strong root among Chinese churches, where it resonates with cultural values about success and family honor.

Part 7: The Digital Age Amplification – Dake Goes Viral

The internet has transformed how Dake’s influence spreads. No longer limited by physical books or television schedules, his errors now spread instantly across social media, YouTube, podcasts, and Bible apps.

The Free Download Problem

The Dake Bible is now available as a free PDF download on countless websites. This means:

• Anyone with internet access can get it
• No cost barrier prevents its spread
• Young believers download it thinking “more notes means better Bible”
• No one warns them about its errors

Bible software companies include Dake’s notes as a “respected commentary.” When someone searches a verse, Dake’s interpretation appears alongside legitimate commentaries, giving it false credibility.

The YouTube University

YouTube has become the primary theological education for millions. Channels teaching Dake-influenced theology get millions of views:

Prosperity Preachers: Upload daily messages promising wealth and healing

Faith Teachers: Offer “activation” videos to unlock supernatural power

Authority Ministers: Teach viewers to decree, declare, and command

Warfare Channels: Provide “prayer warfare” sessions against territorial spirits

The algorithm promotes what gets views, and sensational promises of power and prosperity get more views than biblical exposition. Error spreads faster than truth.

The Social Media Spread

Social media has democratized false teaching. Anyone can:

• Share Dake quotes without context
• Create memes with prosperity promises
• Start Facebook groups teaching his theology
• Build Instagram followings with daily “declarations”
• Go viral on TikTok with “prophetic words”

The younger generation, raised on social media, encounters Dake’s theology in bite-sized, shareable formats that seem inspirational but carry theological poison.

Part 8: Specific Modern Movements Influenced by Dake

Let’s examine specific contemporary movements and churches where Dake’s influence is evident, even when his name is never mentioned.

Joel Osteen and the Soft Prosperity Gospel

Joel Osteen, pastor of America’s largest church, represents a “softer” prosperity gospel that still shows Dake’s influence. While Osteen avoids the extreme “little gods” teaching, his theology reflects Dake’s principles:

Your Best Life Now: Osteen’s signature teaching that God wants everyone to live in victory, success, and prosperity echoes Dake’s interpretation that all biblical blessings apply to every believer today.

Positive Confession: His emphasis on speaking success into existence reflects Dake’s mechanistic view of faith as a force.

Favor Teaching: The idea that believers should expect special favor and advantage in every situation comes from Dake’s authority concepts.

While Osteen’s message seems less harmful than hardcore prosperity preachers, it still distorts the gospel. Christianity becomes about personal success rather than carrying our cross and following Jesus.

Hillsong and the Cool Christianity Movement

Hillsong Church, while not directly teaching Dake’s theology, shows its influence in subtle ways:

Emphasis on Blessing: Songs and sermons focus heavily on God’s blessings, favor, and benefits for believers

Success Culture: The presentation of Christianity as leading to success, influence, and cultural relevance

Minimal Cross Theology: Little emphasis on suffering, persecution, or the cost of discipleship

The result is a Christianity that looks successful and attractive but lacks the depth and sacrifice of biblical faith. Young believers are drawn to the music and community but aren’t prepared for when life gets hard.

Bethel Church and the Signs and Wonders Movement

We mentioned Bethel earlier, but it deserves deeper examination. Their influence through Bethel Music, Jesus Culture conferences, and the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry spreads Dake-influenced concepts to millions of young Christians:

Grave Sucking: Students literally lie on graves of famous Christians trying to absorb their anointing—a practice that assumes supernatural power can be transferred like Dake’s mechanistic view of spiritual authority.

Destiny Cards: Like Christian tarot cards, these assume believers can divine God’s will through mechanical means rather than Scripture and prayer.

Gold Dust and Feathers: Claims of supernatural manifestations of gold dust and angel feathers falling in services—focusing on sensational signs rather than the gospel.

Dead Raising Teams: Groups that go to morgues and funeral homes attempting to raise the dead, assuming they have the same power Jesus had.

The Passion Translation Deception

Brian Simmons’s “Passion Translation” isn’t really a translation but a paraphrase that inserts Word of Faith and NAR theology into Scripture. Many verses are changed to support ideas that trace back to Dake:

Divine Authority: Verses about God’s power are changed to emphasize believers’ power

Prosperity Promises: Verses are slanted toward material blessing

Supernatural Emphasis: Additions emphasize signs, wonders, and experiences

Young believers reading the Passion Translation think they’re reading the Bible but are actually reading theology influenced by Dake’s interpretations.

Part 9: The Real-World Damage – Counting the Cost

The influence of Dake’s errors isn’t just theological—it causes real harm to real people. Let’s count the cost of these false teachings.

Financial Exploitation

The prosperity gospel, justified by Dake’s interpretations, has led to massive financial exploitation:

The Numbers: The six largest prosperity gospel ministries in America have combined revenues exceeding $1 billion annually. Most of this comes from poor and desperate donors believing false promises.

The Methods:

• “Seed faith” offerings with promised returns
• “First fruits” offerings of entire paychecks
• “Breakthrough” offerings for specific miracles
• “Prophetic” offerings based on special numbers
• Selling “anointed” objects for blessing

The Victims: Elderly people on fixed incomes, single mothers, unemployed workers, sick people desperate for healing—the most vulnerable are the most exploited.

Medical Tragedies

Dake’s teaching that sickness is never God’s will and that medicine shows lack of faith has led to preventable deaths:

Insulin Rejection: Diabetics stop taking insulin, claiming healing

Cancer Treatment Refusal: Patients refuse chemotherapy, relying on faith alone

Mental Health Crisis: Depressed believers stop medication, told they have a “spirit of depression”

Childhood Deaths: Parents withhold medical care from sick children

Each tragedy represents not just a death, but a family destroyed, a faith community shaken, and a witness to the world damaged.

Spiritual Shipwreck

Perhaps the most common damage is spiritual shipwreck when the promises fail:

The Pattern:

1. Believer fully embraces prosperity/healing/authority teaching
2. They “do everything right”—give, declare, believe
3. The promises don’t materialize
4. They’re told they lack faith or have hidden sin
5. They try harder, give more, declare louder
6. Still nothing happens
7. Their faith collapses entirely
8. Many leave Christianity completely

Atheist forums are full of former Christians who left faith after prosperity gospel disappointment. They were taught a false gospel, and when it failed, they concluded all Christianity must be false.

Church Division

Dake’s influence has split countless churches:

Doctrinal Division: Churches split over prosperity teaching, spiritual warfare practices, and authority doctrines

Generational Division: Younger members embrace charismatic practices while older members resist

Cultural Division: Immigrant churches bring prosperity theology from home countries

Leadership Division: Pastors influenced by Dake clash with orthodox elders

Each split weakens the church’s witness and scatters believers who need community.

Mission Field Confusion

Missionaries report that Dake-influenced theology often arrives before or alongside the true gospel, creating confusion:

Syncretism: Dake’s teachings mix with local religions

Dependency: New believers expect miraculous provision rather than working

Distortion: The gospel becomes about earthly blessing rather than eternal salvation

Disillusionment: When prosperity doesn’t come, entire villages reject Christianity

Part 10: Recognizing Dake’s Influence – Warning Signs

How can you recognize when a church, teacher, or ministry has been influenced by Dake’s theology? Here are the warning signs:

Language Red Flags

Listen for these phrases that often indicate Dake influence:

• “You are a little god”
• “Speak it into existence”
• “Decree and declare”
• “Activate your authority”
• “Hundredfold return”
• “Seed faith offering”
• “Binding and loosing” (used about anything except church discipline)
• “Territorial spirits”
• “Generational curses” (for Christians)
• “Your words create reality”
• “God cannot act without our permission”
• “The same power that raised Christ lives in you” (meaning miracle power, not resurrection)

Teaching Red Flags

Watch for these theological errors:

About God:

• God has a physical body
• God is limited in knowledge or power
• Three separate Gods united in purpose
• God needs our faith to act

About Humans:

• Believers are gods or divine
• We have the same nature as God
• We can command angels and demons
• Our words control reality

About Salvation:

• Different ways of salvation in different ages
• Salvation includes guaranteed health and wealth
• The gospel is about earthly success
• Suffering means lack of faith

Practice Red Flags

Beware of these ministry practices:

• Emphasis on special offerings for breakthrough
• Selling anointed objects
• Prophetic manipulation (“God told me to tell you to give…”)
• Success stories without failure testimonies
• Leader lifestyles that don’t match their congregation
• Discouraging questions or doubt
• Using the Dake Bible as primary reference
• More emphasis on experiences than Scripture

Part 11: The Resistance – Fighting Back Against Error

Not everyone has been passive in the face of Dake’s influence. Many Christians and organizations have recognized and resisted these errors.

Academic Response

Christian scholars have consistently critiqued Dake-influenced theology:

Gordon Fee wrote “The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels,” showing how prosperity teaching distorts Scripture.

D.R. McConnell in “A Different Gospel” traced the historical development of Word of Faith errors.

Hank Hanegraaff in “Christianity in Crisis” exposed the heretical nature of “little gods” theology.

Michael Horton in “Christless Christianity” showed how prosperity gospel removes Christ from the center.

These academic responses provide thorough biblical refutation, but they often don’t reach the people most influenced by television preachers.

Denominational Statements

Major denominations have issued statements against Dake-influenced teachings:

Assemblies of God: Despite being Pentecostal, they’ve published position papers rejecting prosperity gospel and “little gods” doctrine.

Southern Baptist Convention: Resolutions warning against Word of Faith theology and its dangers.

Presbyterian Church in America: Clear statements on the sufficiency of Christ and dangers of prosperity teaching.

However, independent churches—where Dake’s influence is strongest—often ignore denominational statements.

Grassroots Resistance

The most effective resistance often comes from ordinary believers:

Former Members Speaking Out: Those who escaped prosperity churches share their testimonies online

Discernment Ministries: Websites and YouTube channels exposing false teaching

Reformed Charismatics: Believers who embrace spiritual gifts while rejecting prosperity theology

Bible Study Groups: Christians studying Scripture together and recognizing errors

Part 12: Hope for Recovery – The Way Forward

Despite the extensive damage from Dake’s influence, there is hope. God’s truth is more powerful than human error, and many are finding their way back to biblical Christianity.

Individual Recovery

If you’ve been influenced by Dake’s theology, recovery is possible:

Step 1: Recognize the Error

• Admit you’ve believed false teaching
• Don’t be embarrassed—many have been deceived
• Thank God for opening your eyes

Step 2: Return to Scripture

• Read the Bible without Dake’s notes
• Use reliable translations (ESV, NASB, NIV, NKJV)
• Study whole books in context
• Compare Scripture with Scripture

Step 3: Find Sound Teaching

• Look for churches that preach expository sermons
• Listen to trusted Bible teachers
• Read classic Christian books
• Avoid sensational promises

Step 4: Rebuild Properly

• Focus on knowing God, not getting from God
• Embrace the whole gospel, including suffering
• Develop biblical prayer, not demands
• Pursue holiness, not prosperity

Church Recovery

Churches influenced by Dake can also recover:

Leadership Repentance: Pastors must publicly acknowledge and renounce false teaching

Biblical Education: Systematic teaching through Scripture to correct errors

Remove Resources: Take Dake Bibles and related materials out of libraries

Patient Restoration: Gently help members understand and abandon error

Preventive Measures

To prevent future infection by false teaching:

Theological Education: Churches should teach basic doctrine to all members

Historical Awareness: Understanding church history helps recognize recycled heresies

Berean Attitude: Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search Scriptures daily

Community Accountability: Study and discuss theology together

Conclusion: Breaking the Chain

Finis Jennings Dake died in 1987, but his theological errors live on through countless teachers, churches, and movements. Like a genetic mutation passed through spiritual DNA, his false teachings about God, humanity, and salvation continue to damage the body of Christ worldwide.

But understanding the source helps us recognize the error. When we see teachers promising that believers are “little gods,” we can trace it back to Dake. When prosperity preachers guarantee wealth, we can identify the false interpretation. When believers claim authority to command reality, we know where it originated.

More importantly, we can break the chain. Each person who recognizes and rejects these errors stops their spread. Each church that returns to biblical truth becomes a lighthouse of hope. Each generation that learns to test teaching against Scripture builds immunity to future deception.

The apostle Paul warned: “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).

We are living in that time. Millions have turned from truth to fables, largely through the influence of one man’s annotated Bible. But Paul also gave the solution: “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2).

This is our task: to know the truth, speak the truth, and live the truth. To rescue those deceived by error. To protect the vulnerable from false teaching. To preserve the gospel for future generations.

Dake’s influence is vast, but not invincible. Truth is more powerful than error. Light drives out darkness. The genuine gospel will ultimately triumph over its counterfeits.

The question is: Will you be part of the solution? Will you learn to recognize these errors? Will you help others escape their influence? Will you stand for truth even when error is more popular?

The health of the church, the integrity of the gospel, and the eternal destiny of souls hang in the balance. The influence of Finis Dake must be exposed, opposed, and overcome. This is not about attacking a man who died decades ago—it’s about defending the truth that gives eternal life.

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Sources and References

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