The proponents of this view teach that blessings can be named, and claimed, in the authority of Jesus, and they advocate that if the person has enough faith they will receive the requested blessing. Riches and health are seen as evidence of God’s reward for a follower’s godliness, while poverty and ill health are considered to be either God’s rebuke for sin, or the devil’s attack on the believer.
The prosperity gospel focuses on material wealth rather than spiritual blessings, on earth rather than heaven, on time rather than eternity, on self rather than others, and on the body rather than the soul. It is what Paul calls “a different gospel” (Galatians 1:6-12 ESV) and should therefore be recognised as false.
The biblical gospel is primarily concerned with the salvation of the soul. While God can, and does, heal bodies, either through medical or miraculous means, the Lord Jesus said in Matthew 18:8 that “It is better for you to enter into life [heaven] lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire”. Therefore, the biblical gospel prioritises the wellbeing of the soul over the body.
While the prosperity gospel promotes material wealth here on earth, the biblical gospel focuses on future spiritual blessings in heaven. The biblical gospel offers us “every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), blessings we can enjoy now, as well as the assurance for the Christian that one day they will be in heaven, with the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, forever.
The Christian message also focuses on what we give to the poor instead of what we can gain for ourselves. In Matthew 19:21, Jesus instructed a rich young ruler seeking to have eternal life, to sell what he had, give it to the poor, and follow Him. There was no promise that, if he gave away his possessions, he would automatically become wealthier as a result. While the prosperity gospel advocates accumulating wealth on earth, the Lord Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, taught, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19,20 ESV). He went on to give a very important reason for this in verse 21, where He said, “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”. The Christian who is accumulating wealth on earth has a heart and mind preoccupied with this world, while those who have their eyes on spiritual treasure in heaven will have hearts focussed on and prioritising the things of heaven. The Ten Commandments state clearly that we must not covet what our neighbour has (Exodus 20:17) and, in the book of Hebrews chapter 13 verse 5, the Christians are instructed: “Let your conduct be without covetousness [the love of money]; be content with such things as you have.” The message of the prosperity gospel is entirely inconsistent with this plain teaching of the Bible.
While the prosperity gospel claims to offer a life free from disease and suffering (a blessing denied to all twelve disciples, not to mention the Lord Jesus himself), Jesus, in fact, stated that “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33 ESV). He invites us to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). The Apostle Paul, the writer of much of the New Testament section of the Bible, lost his status, his wealth, his reputation, his home, his health, his freedom, his clothes, his possessions (and, ultimately, his head!). When considering these significant losses he could say; “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8). One well-known prosperity preacher has a book entitled, “Your Best Life Now”. He has obviously never read the details of Paul’s life story, nor his theology of a future reward despite present circumstances, alluded to in Romans 8:18, where he says, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Prosperity preachers are often conspicuous by their extravagance, having personal trainers and owning private jets, Patek Phillipe watches, penthouse suites, etc. Having fleeced their faithful flock of their “financial seeds”, sown in the desperate hope of an earthly return, the only people who really seem to prosper are the prosperity preachers themselves. Meanwhile, many of their donors endure financial hardship because of their sadly misguided giving.
In contrast to these greedy false teachers, Christians are instructed to be content with what they have and are warned about the possibility that the love of money will become a destructive force in their lives, as Paul’s words to Timothy show:
Now godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
(1 Timothy 6:6-10)
