Prosperity Gospel
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." (1 TIMOTHY 6:10)
In many Churches today, it seems the sermon has shifted from preaching the word of God to preaching the prosperity of man. Where the Gospel message of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ was once the central focus, the message has increasingly become one centered around attaining financial wealth and material blessings.
This troubling trend has become known as the "prosperity gospel" - the belief that financial success and physical well-being are always the will of God for believers, and that faith can be used to obtain these material rewards. Proponents of the prosperity gospel teach that if you just have enough faith and give enough money to the church, God will bless you with riches, good health, and an abundance of earthly possessions.
But is this truly biblical? Does the Bible actually teach that the primary purpose of faith is to gain material wealth and comfort in this life? As we examine the Scriptures, we find a very different picture emerging - one that warns against the dangers of loving money and serves as a stark contrast to the prosperity gospel message.
THE LOVE OF MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL
In his first letter to his protégé Timothy, the apostle Paul gives a sobering warning about the dangers of the love of money:
"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." (1 Timothy 6:10)
Notice that Paul does not say that money itself is evil, but rather the "love of money" is the root cause of all kinds of wickedness. It is the inordinate desire for wealth and the craving to accumulate more and more possessions that leads people astray from their faith and into many sorrows.
Elsewhere, Jesus Himself gave stern warnings about the dangers of greed and materialism, reminding His followers:
"One's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (Luke 12:15)
He then went on to tell the parable of the rich fool, a man who devoted his life to building bigger barns to store his wealth, only to die that very night without ever being able to enjoy it (Luke 12:16-21). The clear implication is that an excessive focus on accumulating earthly treasures comes at the expense of one's eternal soul.
TRUE RICHES ARE SPIRITUAL, NOT MATERIAL
Rather than emphasize the pursuit of material wealth, the Bible repeatedly points us toward a different kind of treasure - the riches that are found in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. As the apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian church:
"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight." (Ephesians 1:7-8)
The true riches we are to seek are the spiritual blessings of salvation, forgiveness, wisdom, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. These are the treasures that will last for eternity, far surpassing any temporary earthly wealth.
Jesus Himself made this contrast clear when He said, "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. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19-21)
The Christian is called to store up eternal, spiritual riches rather than to be consumed with the pursuit of temporary, material riches. This is the path to true and lasting fulfillment.
In 3 JOHN 1:2 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." Note that the bible said even as our soul Prospereth, meaning that the importance of the soul is more important than our material prosperity. Infact our material prosperity should come after we have prospered in our soul.
GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN
The apostle Paul, who had experienced both poverty and abundance in his life, had this wisdom to share:
"But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content." (1 Timothy 6:6-8)
The secret to a life of "great gain" is not the accumulation of wealth and possessions, but rather the cultivation of godliness and contentment. As long as our basic needs are met, we are to be satisfied and thankful, not constantly striving for more and more.
The Bible warns that the desire for wealth often leads to harmful and destructive temptations:
"But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." (1 Timothy 6:9)
True spiritual maturity is marked not by how much we have, but by how content we are with what we have been given. The prosperity gospel message of using faith to obtain material blessing is in direct contradiction to this biblical principle.
GIVING MUST FLOW FROM A GENEROUS HEART, NOT COERCION
The prosperity gospel often goes hand-in-hand with an excessive emphasis on tithing and giving to the church. Preachers will frequently use fear-based tactics, claiming that if congregants do not give a certain percentage of their income, they are robbing God and will miss out on His financial blessings.
But the Bible paints a very different picture of giving. In 2 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul instructs the believers to "give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7)
Giving is to flow from a willing and joyful heart, not out of obligation or fear of missing out on God's material favor. The goal of giving is not to obtain prosperity, but to glorify God and support the work of His church and the advancement of the Gospel.
Jesus commended the poor widow who gave her last two small coins to the temple treasury, noting that she had given more than all the rich who gave out of their abundance (Mark 12:41-44). Her gift was valuable because it came from a heart of genuine devotion, not from a desire for earthly reward.
SUFFERING, NOT PROSPERITY, IS OFTEN THE PATH TO SPIRITUAL MATURITY
Perhaps most tellingly, the Bible is replete with examples of godly men and women who endured great suffering, hardship, and even martyrdom for their faith - hardly the picture of the prosperous, healthy, and wealthy lives promised by the prosperity gospel.
The writer of Hebrews recounts the stories of the faithful who "were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life" and who "suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment." (Hebrews 11:35-36)
The apostle Paul himself experienced extensive persecution, deprivation, and physical suffering for the sake of the Gospel, yet he could still declare, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." (Romans 8:18)
Far from being a path to material blessing, the Christian life is often marked by hardship, sacrifice, and the "dying to self" that Jesus calls His followers to embrace. It is through such trials that our faith is tested, strengthened, and proven genuine.
A CALL TO BIBLICAL FIDELITY
The prosperity gospel has gained a foothold in many churches today, luring people with the promise of health, wealth, and an easy life. But this message is a seductive distortion of true biblical Christianity.
As we have seen, the Scriptures paint a very different picture - one that warns against the love of money, calls us to seek eternal spiritual riches over temporary material gain, and upholds the value of godly contentment and sacrificial giving. The path of the Christian is often one of suffering and self-denial, not the pursuit of prosperity.
The prosperity gospel appeals to our fallen human nature, our selfish desires, and our craving for earthly comfort. But the true Gospel of Jesus Christ calls us to a much higher and holier way of living - a life of faith, obedience, and eternal focus.
May we, as the people of God, reject the allure of the prosperity message and instead hold fast to the timeless truths of Scripture. For only then will we experience the true and lasting riches that can never be taken away.
