Church leaders must know what the prosperity gospel is, why people may buy into it, and how to protect the church from this false teaching.
By Marissa Postell Sullivan
Although few pastors hold or teach prosperity gospel beliefs, these beliefs are more prevalent among churchgoers. According to studies from Lifeway Research, not only are churchgoers more likely than pastors to hold prosperity gospel beliefs, but they are also more likely to hold these beliefs today than they were five years ago.
With the growth of prosperity gospel beliefs within the church, pastors and church leaders must know what it is, why their church members may be susceptible to it, and how they can protect their church members against this false teaching.
Where did the prosperity gospel come from?
The modern prosperity gospel movement began in the 1950s, most notably through the ministry of Oral Roberts, who made waves in modern Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity with his ministry claiming to offer healing and financial prosperity.
Kenneth E. Hagin, who became known as the father of the Word of Faith movement, emphasized spoken words of faith as the way to achieve health, wealth, and general blessing and prosperity. Other teachers such as Kenneth Copeland, Frederick Price, and Benny Hinn launched their own ministries, bringing the prosperity gospel to fame in the late 80s.
What are prosperity gospel beliefs?
At the root of the prosperity gospel is the doctrine of seed-faith. According to this concept, in order to receive blessings, you must first “sow a seed” (usually financial giving). Essentially, this is the “give to get” mentality.
The belief is that giving to the church or ministry is the way to get rich and gain prosperity. Furthermore, the belief insinuates that the more you give, the more you can expect in return. Roberts taught three keys for seeing seed-faith work: look to God, give first, and expect a miracle. Follow this formula, and the prosperity gospel teaches you will reap the health, wealth, and blessings you desire.
The Word of Faith movement teaches healing and prosperity come through our spoken prayers. According to this belief, having enough faith will rescue you from sickness and poverty. If healing and wealth do not come as a result of your prayers, the teaching goes, you must not have enough faith.
Some other hallmarks of these beliefs include the idea Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection were for the purpose of providing people with wealth and healing. According to this belief, Jesus’s death on the cross paid for complete physical healing to people in this life, asserting Jesus died to take away sickness in this life and pay for the “sin” of financial poverty.
Additionally, prosperity gospel theology teaches that suffering is never God’s will, that financial success is proof of God’s blessing and favor, and that giving to certain ministries quickens Christ’s return.
One way prosperity gospel teachers associate this message with Scripture is by pointing to the Abrahamic covenant to say God promises believers a material and financial blessing in this life—great possessions and tangible blessings to anyone who believes in Jesus.
How do you identify the prosperity gospel?
Prosperity gospel proponents manipulate Scripture to support their teaching. Someone who hears this teaching without having a framework for rightly interpreting Scripture may be deceived into believing it’s true.
The prosperity gospel worldview slyly borrows from the Christian worldview, leading (or misleading) people to believe it isn’t that far off from the true gospel. But even small perversions of the gospel of Christ introduce a different gospel—one that does not save.
“The prosperity gospel worldview slyly borrows from the Christian worldview, leading (or misleading) people to believe it isn’t that far off from the true gospel.” — @MarissaPSulliv Share on XSome prosperity gospel teachings are blatantly obvious, but some appear more subtle. So, how do we identify prosperity gospel teaching and equip our church members to recognize it as well?
John Piper suggests six keys to detecting this false gospel.
- There is no room for suffering. If a teaching asserts suffering is not normal or necessary, it may be a prosperity gospel.
- There is no self-sacrifice. If a teaching claims you should get whatever you want, that there is no need to deny yourself, it may be a prosperity gospel.
- Preaching is not deeply rooted in Scripture. If a teacher cites Scripture verses at random without opening the Word of God and explaining the context and meaning of a passage, it may be a prosperity gospel.
- There is no room for questions. If a teaching ignores or glosses over tensions in the Bible, it may be a prosperity gospel.
- Church leaders flaunt exorbitant lifestyles. If the preacher is living a lifestyle exceptionally elevated above those in the congregation, it may be a prosperity gospel.
- The gospel is about you. If a teaching makes “self” bigger than God, it may be a prosperity gospel.
What does the Bible say about prosperity?
As it turns out, the Bible has a lot to say about prosperity and suffering.
In Luke 12:15, Jesus warns the crowd to guard against greed “because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions” (CSB).
Rather than being a mark of God’s absence, Jesus taught suffering was a mark of blessing. Consider Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs” (CSB) or 1 Peter 3:14: “But even if you should suffer for righteousness, you are blessed” (CSB).
Paul’s experience indicates the Christian should not be surprised by either suffering or prosperity. Both are possible for the believer. “I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot” (Philippians 4:12, CSB).
In Psalm 62, the psalmist calls for trust in God alone. “If wealth increases, don’t set your heart on it” (v. 10b, CSB).
Similarly, Paul warned Timothy against trusting in wealth. “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy” (1 Timothy 6:17, CSB).
The goal of the prosperity gospel is for this life only: health, wealth, and prosperity. The goal of the gospel of Christ is much grander: forgiveness of sins and restored relationship with God that comes despite suffering because Jesus has “conquered the world” (John 16:33, CSB). Although those who are in Christ aren’t promised health and wealth in this world, the gospel of Christ says Jesus “has blessed us with every spiritual blessing” (Ephesians 1:3, CSB).
“Whereas the goal of the prosperity gospel is for this life only, the goal of the gospel of Christ is much grander.” — @MarissaPSulliv Share on XThe call for pastors
As Lifeway Research found, most Protestant pastors don’t believe and aren’t teaching prosperity gospel beliefs. Still, prosperity gospel beliefs are on the rise among Protestant churchgoers, with 76% believing God wants them to prosper financially and 45% believing they have to do something for God to receive material blessings from Him.
So, should pastors directly refute the prosperity gospel from the pulpit each week? Maybe not. Yet, pastors and church leaders should not be silent on these issues. Your church needs your guidance as you are “correctly teaching the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15, CSB).
As you faithfully proclaim and clearly articulate the true gospel of Christ, you equip your people with an understanding of the gospel so they can be quick to recognize the counterfeit gospels they hear in the culture around them. When they have faithfully heard and received the gospel of Christ, they will be prepared to identify the prosperity gospel for what it is—a false gospel—and reject its claims.
As you “equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Ephesians 4:12, CSB), equip them with tools to apply biblical hermeneutics to messages they hear so they may not be easily swayed by a verse quoted out of context or a Scripture misapplied. Your commitment to proclaim the gospel of Christ serves as a line of defense against the prosperity gospel’s appeal to today’s culture.
For permission to republish this article, contact Marissa Postell Sullivan.
