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"Death and life are in the power of the tongue": wisdom, not a formula

Proverbs is talking about what our words do to people and to our lives, not about words that create reality. Creative power belongs to God.

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit" Proverbs 18:21.

This verse is often used to teach that our spoken words create reality: say healing and wealth out loud and they will come; say something negative and you will bring it on yourself. You may hear it as "name it and claim it," "positive confession," or "decree and declare."

What Proverbs means

The Hebrew says death and life are "in the hand of the tongue"; in Hebrew, the hand stands for power. The verse just before sets the theme: "A man's stomach shall be satisfied from the fruit of his mouth; From the produce of his lips he shall be filled" Proverbs 18:20. Proverbs is about what our words do to people and to our own lives. Rash words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing Proverbs 12:18; a gentle tongue is a tree of life Proverbs 15:4. Words can ruin a reputation, end a friendship, save a life in court or comfort someone who grieves. That is the power of the tongue.

James says the same thing: with the same tongue we bless God and curse people made in His likeness, and that should not be James 3:9-10. The warning is about harm done to others, not about speaking things into existence.

Who calls things into being?

Romans 4 is often quoted here: God "gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did" Romans 4:17. But Paul is describing God. Abraham's part was not to copy God's creative speech. He "did not waver at the promise of Elohim through unbelief," and was "fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform" Romans 4:20-21. His faith rested on God's promise, not on the power of his own words.

When Yeshua spoke of faith that moves mountains, He began by telling His disciples to have faith in Elohim Mark 11:22. Faith has an object, and that object is God. And James corrects confident talk about the future: "Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that'" James 4:15.

Where the teaching came from

The modern teaching of positive confession is usually traced to the evangelist E. W. Kenyon (1867–1948), whose writings strongly influenced Kenneth E. Hagin (1917–2003). Hagin did more than anyone to shape and spread what became known as the Word of Faith movement in the second half of the twentieth century. Historians debate where Kenyon's own ideas came from. Some trace them to the New Thought movement of his time, which taught that thoughts and words shape reality; others point to the Holiness and faith-healing movements of the 1800s. Wikipedia, "Word of Faith"

Where believers differ

Many sincere believers who hold this teaching love God and want to trust Him boldly. And words do matter: Yeshua said we will give account for every idle word, and by our words we will be justified or condemned Matthew 12:36-37. The disagreement is over whether our words have creative power of their own. Scripture gives that power to God alone.

What Scripture asks

Speak words that build others up and give grace to those who hear Ephesians 4:29. Speak humbly about tomorrow, leaving it in the Lord's will James 4:15. And put your faith in God, not in the power of your own words.

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