This article will be comparing the God of scriptures to Yonggi Cho’s false view of god. We will be majoring on God’s omnipotence and omniscience in Cho’s book “The Fourth Dimension”. The reason why we think it is worth quoting from his earlier works is simply because he still flogs this teaching to this day.
Here are the definitions we will be working with to understand the difference between the Christian religion and Yonggi Cho’s religion.
Omnipotence: infinite power or all powerful
Omniscience: infinite knowledge or all knowing
By the end of this article, people should rightly be questioning the authority of Yonggi Cho’s teachings in light of the interaction he has with the “Holy Spirit”.
A NON-OMNIPOTENT LORD
Yonggi Cho’s states,
“In 1978 I wrote the first volume of The Fourth Dimension.”
Source: David Yong-gi Cho, Introduction, The Fourth Dimension (Vol 2), Published: US, Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1983. Pg vii.
The book ‘The Fourth Dimension” (volume one) opens up with Yong-gi Cho’s conversion story. He presents to the reader how he was powerfully converted to Christianity and saved from a “very unusual” form of tuberculosis. He was told he had three months to live by the doctor.
On the last pages of the introduction, he presents the reader with Christ and the gospel of salvation. He ends the introduction with this:
“Christ wants to bear your burdens. Jesus can forgive and heal you. He can cast out Satan, and give you confidence, faith and peace.
Christ wants to give you life eternal and be a present part of your daily living. While thieves come to kill and destroy, Jesus comes to give you life, life full and free.
Through the presence of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is with you right now. Christ desires to heal you, and to deliver you from death. He is your living Lord. Put your faith in Jesus Christ, and expect a miracle today.”
Source: David Yong-gi Cho, Preface, The Fourth Dimension (Vol 1), Published: US, Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1979. Pg xvii.
Straight away from confessing Jesus “is your living Lord”, Cho states in the first sentence of chapter 1,
“God will never bring about any of His great works without coming through your own personal faith.”
Source: David Yong-gi Cho, Preface, The Fourth Dimension (Vol 1), Published: US, Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1979. Pg 1.
Living Lord? The book at it’s beginning clearly has a false concept of the Christian God. What he is teaching is Word of Faith heresy, where man’s faith is exalted above God’s lordship. Yonggi Cho’s teaching on faith is refuted by God in Romans:
“What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar…” Romans 3:3-4
Our “faithlessness” does not “nullify the faithfulness of God” as the scriptures say. This teaching of Cho already is a direct attack against God’s omnipotence (all powerful nature).
A NON-OMNISCIENT LORD
David Yonggi Cho claims that the Holy Spirit spoke to Him. After waiting six months to receive a “humble desk and chair to sit on, and a humble bicycle to ride on” (pg 2) from God, he grew disappointed and cried out to God. Hear what Cho says about this experience [and make sure you add this book to your bible since Cho is now revealing new teachings of the Holy Spirit]:
“Then I sat down and began to cry. Suddenly I felt a serenity, and a feeling of tranquility come into my soul. Whenever I have that feeling, a sense of the presence of God, He always speaks; so I waited. Then that still, small voice welled up in my soul, and the Spirit said, “My son, I heard your prayer a long time ago.”
Right away I blurted out, “Then where are my desk, chair and bicycle?”
The Spirit then said, “Yes, that is the trouble with you, and with all my children. They beg me, demanding every kind of request, but they ask in such vague terms that I can’t answer. Don’t you know that there are dozens of kinds of desks, chairs and bicycles? But you’ve simply asked me for a desk, chair and bicycle. You never ordered a specific desk, chair or bicycle.”
That was a turning point in my life. No professor in Bible college ever taught me along these lines.”
Source: David Yong-gi Cho, Preface, The Fourth Dimension (Vol 1), Published: US, Bridge-Logos Publishers, 1979. Pg 3-4.
And no professor in bible college should ever teach what Cho just said. Apparently, God “can’t answer” the prayer requests of people if their prayers are “vague”. What kind of god is this? Is this really the Holy Spirit? As the scriptures reveal, God is omniscient and knows all the secrets of our hearts and minds:
“If you say, “Behold, we did not know this,” does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who keeps watch over your soul know it, and will he not repay man according to his work?” Proverbs 24:12
“If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart.” Psalms 44:20-21
“… for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything.” 1 John 3:20
“… know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought.” 1 Chronicles 28:9
“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them…” Acts 15:8
“You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God…” Luke 16:15
Romans 8 highlights the fact that the Spirit Himself “intercedes for us through wordless groans”. And who hears the “vague” groanings of the Spirit?
“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” Romans 8:26-27
At the beginning of his book, David Yonggi Cho is trying to convince his readers that he speaks with a divine authority. Who can argue with Cho if he claims that God gave him this new revelation knowledge?
So who do you believe? The spirit that spoke to Prophet David Yonggi Cho or the Holy Spirit who inspired the Holy scriptures?
Do you pray to a deity that cannot answer your prayers because you aren’t specific enough in your requests?
Or do you pray to God who the scriptures say is all knowing and all powerful?
Categories: Yoido Full Gospel Church
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