What is the Word of Faith teaching on "little gods"

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Psa 8:5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the [H430], and hast crowned him with glory and honour.

H430

אלהים

'ĕlôhı̂ym

el-o-heem'

Plural of H433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative: - angels, X exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X mighty.

Heb 2:7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:

2Co 4:3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

There are three main points to the little g gods idea. Adam's original place, the fallen man's place and our place in Christ.

Adam was created the first son of God made in the image of God not diety but he was the little g god of this world because God created a being in his same class as his children. This is somewhat confirmed by scripture Psa 8:5 as the word translated angels is actually the word for God himself. You can however agree with the New Testament version which in the greek does have the word angels. However that said satan did become the god little g of this world and as best we know that power was given to him through Adam's transgression. Such power is assumed to remain his until he is put underfoot when his supposed lease runs out.

Psa 82:6 I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High.

Joh 10:30 I and my Father are one.

...

Joh 10:33 The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God. Joh 10:34 Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?

Joh 8:44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

Now apart from those verses there are two witnesses Christ and David which call some gods lowercase g and children of the most High lowercase c. Its difficult to deny that Christ called even the children of the devil gods with a little g. Jesus used this scripture as a defense of his claim on being God in a its no big deal manner.

Hos 1:10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.

Finally being in Christ (while not being the head of the body of Christ but being in Christ) makes you a part of Christ. Christ's spirit lives in us and is joined to our spirit. We are new creations new spirits fully compatible with God's Spirit. While Christ is capable of severing us from Himself he chooses not to. This does not make us part of the divine Godhead but Christ body is of type god. In like similar manner like your hand is of type human but you could live without your hand Christ's hand is of type god but Christ could live without that part. We could not live without Christ.

Rom 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Mar 11:22 And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. Mar 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Mar 11:24 Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. Mar 11:25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Mar 11:26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.

In connection with being part of Christ we are taught to have the faith of God or to have faith in God and to speak believing that God will back the authority (which he has delegated to the Church on the Earth) with His power.

Also in connection with being a little g god for all men is the gift of speech and things like the random power of positive thinking.

For a better introduction to this topic you can see Kenneth E. Hagin's Reining in Life as Kings and The Authority of the Believer by John A. MacMillan and the primarily cited by Mark Hankins: Discovering the Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

It's important to note that while the Blood of Jesus, the word of God as interpreted by the word of God, Faith ie "confession and possession"/"believing and receiving", the moving of the Holy Spirit are all fundamental parts of the Word of Faith movement the little g gods is definitely tertiary at best not something important to scripture and not frequently taught. We have a corresponding doctrine for nearly every scripture sometimes multiple doctrines per verse as we go to church frequently. If you disagreed with this you would still be comfortable at a Word of Faith church as few actively teach it. It is something which people commonly use to poke fun at us hence its inclusion on wikipedia. It also predates Creflo Dollar.

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1st corinthians 15:42-49 (NIV)

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised up in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised up in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised up in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised up out the grave a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual one. It is even so written: "the first man Adam became a living soul." The last state of Adam became a life giving spirit. Never the less, the first is not that which is spiritual, but that which is physical, afterward that which is spiritual. The first man is out of the earth and made of dust; the second man is out of heaven. As the one made of dust is, so those made of dust are also; and as the heavenly one is, so those who heavenly are also. And just as we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall bear also the image of the heavenly one.

Romans 8:17 (NIV)

If, then, we are children, we are also heirs: heirs indeed of God, but joint heirs with Christ, provided we suffer this world together that we may also be glorified together.

1st corinthians 3:21-23 (NIV)

Hence let no one be boasting in men; for all things belong to you, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or things now here or things to come, all things belong to YOU; in turn YOU belong to Christ; Christ, in turn, belongs to God.

If you look at scripture you see the children of God being given glory and dominion. Logically speaking, if you were to take a man and give him perfection, glory, dominion and immortality he would technically be a "little god", especially being that man is made in the image of God. It seems that the believer will technically become a little god but still completely under the authority of Christ and God.

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