Is the Prosperity Gospel Biblical?

Summary

Summary prepared by Acts 2:38 Life from the transcript below — the preacher’s words follow in full.

The frame: the promise texts and the prosperity gospel defined

• The frame reads the two promise texts the question turns on: the proverbs promise — if we honor the lord with our wealth through giving, our barns will be filled with plenty and our presses shall burst out with new wine; and the malachi promise — god promises his people that if they give their tithes and offerings, he will open up the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing there won't be room enough to receive it.
• Some have used these verses and others like them as proof that giving guarantees god's financial blessing in return, and that has developed into the prosperity gospel: it is god's will for the believer to be financially blessed and healthy in body and mind, achievable through faith, through speaking positive words, and through giving to the right causes. The question posed: does the bible actually teach this — is that what these verses mean; is the prosperity gospel biblical?

Scriptures: Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3

The verdict: an element of truth, distorted — and principles are not iron-clad rules

• There is an element of truth in that message, but it is a distorted message with misplaced priorities. It is interesting that this form arose in prosperous western culture: in the bible, over the centuries, and around the world today, many of the most faithful saints of god have lived in poverty or deprivation — maybe more spiritual than a lot of people who live in prosperity. The statements in scripture, in proverbs for example, are general principles — a wise way to live, how things are supposed to work in god's plan — and there can be many reasons god's people suffer adverse circumstances; you can't translate a general principle into an iron-clad rule that says if you're spiritual you're going to be rich, and therefore if you're not rich you're not spiritual.
• Jesus flipped that thinking on its head — it was prevalent even in the first century among the jews: if you're really living for god you'll be prosperous, and if you're not, something is wrong with you. He blew the disciples' minds: it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to go to heaven. They recoiled — we all want to be rich; we think being rich is the epitome of god's blessings — and he answered, with god all things are possible: possible, yes, but striving to be rich puts you in a very difficult position, with many distractions and temptations, though god's grace can overcome them. We might rather ask: can people who believe the prosperity gospel be saved — not, should we all believe it.

God's general will to bless — and the factors that limit it in this life

• God does, as a general principle, will our blessing: you see it in john's epistles — i want you to be in health and prosper even as your soul prospers. That is what we would say to friends, family, and fellow believers — i want you to be blessed — and it is true; it is the general will of god. But it can't be translated into a doctrine contrary to the word of god, because god's foremost blessings are spiritual, not necessarily material, and god doesn't promise material wealth.
• If we follow godly principles, we're much more likely to be successful in all aspects of life, including business and personal life — but there are so many other factors: the attack of the devil (yes, god can rebuke the devil), the circumstances of life, our culture, our nation, our family, and the particular events god doesn't intervene to dramatically overturn — a car accident, a house burning down, an earthquake, a tornado can destroy your life savings; it's not god's fault, not necessarily god's plan, but it's life, and not all of it is fixed immediately. It is like divine healing: yes, there's healing, but not all of it happens in this life; whatever we don't get down here, we'll get in heaven. Likewise: it is god's will for us to prosper, but due to various circumstances that prosperity may not be material in this life — and whatever we don't receive down here we will receive up there.

Scriptures: 3 John (book-only)

Giving: a divine principle, not a mechanism

• Giving is a divine principle — tithes and offerings: in second corinthians 8 and 9, god loves a cheerful giver, and if we give generously we'll reap generously; again, a general principle. It is a mistake, even a travesty (heard 'travis'), to say: if i give a thousand dollars i'm going to get five thousand back. First, our motive has to be to give to god's cause, not to see what we can get: we don't give to get. We do believe god will supply our needs, honor our faith, and bless us — but it is not a mechanical process where we punch buttons and get things back; we don't give to the church to get material possessions — that is the wrong motive.
• Second, all of god's richest blessings are not material: we may be greatly blessed without a new house, a new car, or a doubled income — it may be god's protection on our family, peace of mind, the satisfaction of knowing we invested in the kingdom of god and our investment will last for eternity, or the joy of knowing we've helped win souls through financial giving to missions or through our labor in the local church. The holistic approach: god does bless us and wants to; he supplies our needs — but not all the blessings are material, not all come in this life, and not all are a mechanical financial return. We are simply to be good stewards of everything god has given us. God will supply our needs but not necessarily all our wants — truly ninety percent of what's on our list is not a need: we might want a bigger house but could live in a two-room house; we might want a new car but could survive without one; and throughout most of history, and most of our united pentecostal believers today, people live in very humble circumstances — we can't say we're more spiritual than they; we just happen to live in a country that followed principles of economic prosperity, and god may have allowed and blessed that so we could give generously to missions and help those in need.

Scriptures: 2 Corinthians 8-9

Asking according to his will — and the conclusion

• First john also talks about it plainly: you can quote scriptures that whatever you ask in faith you will receive — that is true — but first john states the condition: according to god's will. And jesus himself said in john 14, if you ask anything in my name — which implies not a mechanical repetition of the word jesus to get something, but in the name of jesus meaning with him as lord, according to his purpose and will. God is not obligated to give us everything we want, and god may have a will different from what we want.
• So to teach the prosperity gospel as a mechanical reward system is a distortion of scripture. Yes, god wants to bless us; yes, we should have faith for financial needs, physical needs, all aspects of life. At the same time we must say with the apostle paul: in whatever state i find myself, there i will be content; i will trust that god will supply all of my needs according to his riches in glory. Our goal is to serve him, to be a good steward of whatever he gives us, to be content with what we have, and to trust him in all things — and most of all to understand that the greatest blessings are going to be spiritual, and the ultimate reward is going to be eternal.

Scriptures: 1 John (book-only); John 14

Scripture index: Proverbs 3:9-10; Malachi 3; 3 John (book-only); 2 Corinthians 8-9; 1 John (book-only); John 14.