David Yonggi Cho (formerly known as Paul Yonggi Cho) was a South Korean pastor, founder of the Yoido Full Gospel Church in Seoul, which is considered the largest church in the world with millions of members. Cho is associated with the Word of Faith movement and has been a leading figure in the spread of Pentecostal and charismatic teachings in Asia. His teachings, however, diverge significantly from confessional Christianity, particularly in areas such as prosperity, faith, healing, and the nature of God.
Key Beliefs and How They Differ from Confessional Christianity
1. Beliefs about Faith and the “Fourth Dimension”:
- David Yonggi Cho's View: Cho is well-known for teaching the concept of the “fourth dimension,” which refers to a spiritual realm that transcends the physical world. He believes that through positive thinking, visualization, and the power of faith, Christians can tap into this fourth dimension to influence their circumstances. Cho emphasizes that believers can create their reality by speaking words of faith, visualizing their goals, and declaring them into existence.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that faith is not a force that creates reality but is a gift from God that trusts in His promises (Ephesians 2:8-9). It emphasizes that God is sovereign and that believers are to trust Him rather than attempting to manipulate circumstances through visualization or speaking things into existence. The Bible calls Christians to submit to God's will, recognizing that He alone has the power to bring about His purposes (James 4:13-15).
2. Prosperity Gospel and Health and Wealth Teaching:
- David Yonggi Cho's View: Cho’s teachings are closely aligned with the prosperity gospel, which asserts that God wants believers to be healthy, wealthy, and successful. He frequently taught that poverty and sickness are the result of a lack of faith or negative thinking and that by exercising faith and speaking positive confessions, believers can receive material blessings, physical healing, and financial prosperity. Cho’s church services often included testimonies of miraculous healings and financial breakthroughs, reinforcing this belief.
- Confessional Christianity: The Westminster Confession of Faith and Reformed theology reject the prosperity gospel as a distortion of biblical teaching. Scripture teaches that suffering, trials, and illness are part of the Christian experience and that God’s blessings are not always material or financial (2 Corinthians 12:7-10; 1 Timothy 6:6-10). While God can and does bless His people, confessional Christianity emphasizes that the ultimate blessing is spiritual union with Christ and the eternal hope found in Him (Ephesians 1:3).
3. View on Prayer and Visualization:
- David Yonggi Cho's View: Cho introduced the concept of "incubating" prayer, which involves visualizing and verbalizing one's desires as a means to bring them to reality. He taught that believers should “see” their prayers answered in their minds and continually speak them into existence until they manifest. This concept aligns with Word of Faith teaching, which emphasizes the power of positive confession and visualization.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that prayer is a means of communion with God, where believers submit their requests to His sovereign will (Philippians 4:6-7). It is not a tool for manipulating outcomes or manifesting desires but an act of dependence on God, trusting that He knows what is best (1 John 5:14-15). The emphasis is on aligning oneself with God’s purposes rather than attempting to impose one’s will through visualization or confession.
4. Teachings on the Nature of God and the Trinity:
- David Yonggi Cho's View: Cho’s teachings have been criticized for veering into unorthodox views of the Trinity. At times, he suggested that God operates according to principles that believers can harness, which reflects an impersonal, mechanistic view of God rather than a personal relationship. Cho’s emphasis on principles of faith and visualization sometimes overshadows the biblical emphasis on God’s sovereignty and personal nature.
- Confessional Christianity: The Westminster Confession of Faith upholds the doctrine of the Trinity, teaching that God is one in essence but exists eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). God is not bound by any principles or forces but is sovereign, self-sufficient, and acts according to His will and purposes. Reformed theology stresses that God is to be worshiped, trusted, and served, not manipulated through formulas or principles.
5. Church Growth and Numerical Success:
- David Yonggi Cho's View: Cho is often regarded as a pioneer of the modern megachurch movement, and his teachings emphasize numerical growth, church expansion, and success as evidence of God’s blessing. He often used techniques such as small groups, cell ministries, and marketing strategies to achieve rapid growth, viewing these as tools to expand God’s kingdom.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity values the growth of the church but emphasizes spiritual growth and faithfulness to biblical doctrine over numerical success. While church growth can be a sign of God’s blessing, confessional Christianity teaches that the true measure of a church’s health is its faithfulness to God’s Word, commitment to sound doctrine, and the spiritual maturity of its members (Ephesians 4:11-16). Growth is seen as a result of God’s work, not human strategies (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).
Summary of Differences
David Yonggi Cho's teachings reflect the core tenets of the Word of Faith movement, emphasizing the power of faith, visualization, and positive confession to achieve health, wealth, and success. His views on prayer, prosperity, and the nature of God align with the prosperity gospel and diverge significantly from the teachings of confessional Christianity.
Confessional Christianity emphasizes that faith is a gift from God, that prayer is an act of submission to God's sovereign will, and that suffering and trials are part of the Christian journey. It upholds the Bible’s teachings on God’s sovereignty, the nature of the Trinity, and the call to pursue spiritual riches over material gain. While Cho’s methods have led to remarkable church growth, his theology lacks the biblical grounding and doctrinal clarity central to Reformed and historic Christian orthodoxy.