The Prosperity Gospel
This week’s topic is just that; the prosperity gospel. In my opinion, this is one of the most obvious oxymorons ever spoken or written, for that matter. These two words do not belong together. The word prosperity is defined at Dictionary.com as, “a successful, flourishing, or thriving condition, especially in financial respects; good fortune.” And the word Gospel is defined, on this same site as, “the teachings of Jesus and the apostles; the Christian revelation.” These words appear to have absolutely nothing in common. The Christian, however, knows that there is prosperity within the gospel of Jesus Christ. This prosperity is spiritual and not material. The prosperity that is within the gospel is salvation. Salvation in and of itself does not promise prosperity the way the world sees prosperity, or the way prosperity is taught in the cultish prosperity gospel church.
Thegospelcoalition.org defines the prosperity gospel this way. “The prosperity gospel (also known as the “health and wealth gospel” or by its most popular brand, the “Word of Faith” movement) is a perversion of the gospel of Jesus that claims that God rewards increases in faith with increases in health and/or wealth.” This type of theology takes the truths and the lessons of Scripture and contorts and perverts it in a way that is tantamount to heresy. The prosperity gospel is not biblical. If anything, it is exactly opposite of the teachings of Jesus.
One instance in Scripture that I am reminded of that teaches what following Jesus really looks like is in the book of Matthew chapter 8. In this instance a scribe, who appears to be enamored with Jesus and His teaching, tells Jesus “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” This is at the end of verse 19 of Matthew chapter 8. Verse 20 literally busts the bubble of the young scribe. Jesus tells the young man in verse 19; “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”[1] If being homeless with nowhere to sleep sounds like prosperity, then this may be a prosperity gospel, but we know that does not fit the definition.
Jesus goes on to have an interaction with one of His disciples as this section continues. Verses 21 and 22 go on to say; “21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”[2] If we cut to the chase here, following Jesus means putting Him first always and forever. Nothing can ever be more important than following Him. The only way the followers of the prosperity gospel can be convinced that this teaching is valid, is if they are ignorant to the true teachings of Christ in Scripture.
I want to end with a passage of Scripture that I learned to embrace when I had a very difficult supervisor in my vocational career. This passage comes from the book of James and it should be all the proof that being a follower of Christ does not necessarily bring earthly prosperity. James 1:2-8 says this;
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.[3]
James says that joy for the Christian comes from trials not wealth. This passage says that Jesus will provide wisdom for us when we ask in faith, but health and wealth are perversions of The Word of God. Wealth is not a sin, nor is health. Wealth, if it glorifies God and does not promote a love for it, is perfectly fine, but not promised in Scripture.
We should not feel guilty for having either if our one and only love is Jesus Christ. I look forward to your comments as we think about this prosperity gospel this week.
In Christ,
James
[1] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 8:20.
[2] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Mt 8:21–22.
[3] The New King James Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982), Jas 1:2–8.