Andrew Wommack changes Pauls suffering to our "winning"!

“Such a good reminder to stay the course; don’t quit hoping and believing. God will always be faithful to you (2 Timothy 2:13). Encourage a friend today by sharing this post with them. 

This post, accompanying the attached picture with Andrew Wommack's quote, “If you don’t quit, you’ll eventually win,” was posted to the Charis Bible College Facebook page. Charis is the Bible College run by false teacher Andrew Wommack.

Once again, we see Andrew Wommack twisting scripture by taking verses out of context to make people believe the Bible teaches that they will eventually get what they want. The implication is that if they keep 'hoping and believing,' then God will be faithful and they will win-i.e., they will get that promotion, that thing they want, that bill paid, etc. 

To make this blatant greed seem biblical, the Bible College attaches a verse: 2 Timothy 2:13. However, is that what 2 Timothy 2:13 teaches? Does this verse teach you'll eventually "win" if you don’t quit? Does to "win" mean to get what you're hoping and believing for? Of course not. Let's look at why. 

So that we don’t rip this verse out of its context, go back and read 2 Timothy 2:1-13. In context, Paul is encouraging Timothy and his church, which are under intense persecution and suffering, for the sake of the Gospel. This is Paul’s final letter before his execution at the hands of the Romans, and he is writing from a prison cell in Rome.

Paul encourages Timothy to “be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus” (v.1) and to “share in the suffering as a good soldier” (v.3). He employs the example of a soldier, an athlete, and a farmer. All three are hard-working and faithful in the pursuit of their goal. 

And what is Paul’s goal in his being faithful through his suffering, and by extension, our goal in our suffering? It is the gospel. Paul says in verse 8, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal.” 

Most New Testament scholars believe that what follows in verses 11-13 is an ancient and very early Christian hymn. However, the Holy Spirit includes this in scripture through the writing of the Apostle Paul; therefore, it is part of God’s word. Paul is using this hymn to illustrate that God remains faithful to us in our death (v.11), our endurance in this life (v.12), and even in our faithlessness (v.13). 

This whole section refers to the Christian suffering in this life and the fact that God will be faithful no matter what suffering we endure in this life. He will carry us to the end and raise us to glory. (Romans 8:30) Jesus himself tells us that we can expect suffering in this life (John 16:33).  

This is absolutely not saying that if we “hope and believe” then we will win! This is a terrifically bad twisting of this scripture to promote his abusive theology that Christians will “win” in this life if only we “hope and believe” and rely on out of context verses. I would like to see Andrew Wommack preach this kind of theological distortion to the millions of African believers who suffer and die every day. Or to the persecuted church in China and various Muslim countries who are beaten and imprisoned for the gospel. 

Beloved fellow believers, this life will bring many sufferings and tribulations for the gospel's sake. However, as the example of Paul's life clearly shows, we are to remain faithful and run the race. If we are truly regenerate, then we will not fall entirely away. We can rest in the tremendous promise of our Lord that he will raise us up to glory, and then, and only then, will our pain and sorrow cease for good. 

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4

This life is but a fleeting moment; please do not follow wolves such as Andrew Wommack, who give you false hope for a “better life now” and to somehow “win” here and now by getting what your greedy heart desires. The better life is to come in glory with our God! That will all be for his glory, not ours. It is God who will "win." Not us. 

Soli Deo Gloria