Prosperity Theology and the Gospel: Good News or Bad News for the Poor?

By Salinas and J. Daniel

Prosperity theology—the belief that financial and physical well-being is God’s will for his followers—has become prevalent in modern-day Christianity. For Christians looking to better understand how it is affecting the life and growth of the church around the world, this book is an accessible and practical resource.

Evaluating the prosperity theology movement from a biblical and evangelical perspective, the authors encourage readers to think critically about the ways in which the theology we follow can lead toward or away from the kingdom of God. Prosperity Theology and the Gospel is in four parts: The first part turns our attention to God’s word and looks at what the Bible says about the issue of prosperity. Part 2 looks at the issue from different perspectives— be it historical, ethical, or sociological. Part 3 considers the impact of prosperity theology in different regions of the world through several case studies. Part 4 proposes how we might respond to some of the challenges we have identified and what could be a way forward for us all. Each chapter is followed by ideas for further thought and discussion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hendrickson Publishers
• Release date: Oct 8, 2018
• ISBN: 9781683072386

Book preview

Prosperity Theology and the Gospel: Good News or Bad News for the Poor? (eBook edition)

Hendrickson Publishers Marketing, LLC

P. O. Box 3473

Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473

www.hendrickson.com

eISBN 978-1-68307-238-6

Copyright © 2017 by The Lausanne Movement

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.™

Scripture quotations marked (NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are taken from the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV®), copyright © 2001, by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Due to technical issues, this eBook may not contain all of the images or diagrams in the original print edition of the work. In addition, adapting the print edition to the eBook format may require some other layout and feature changes to be made.

First eBook edition — October 2018

Contents

Copyright

About the Editor

Foreword

Introduction

PART ONE—GOD’S WORD: PROSPERITY THEOLOGY AND THE POOR IN THE BIBLE

1. The Prosperity Gospel and Poverty: An Overview and Assessment

2. Can the Rich Be Righteous? An Old Testament Perspective

3. Giving for a Return in the Prosperity Gospel and the New Testament

PART TWO—GOD’S WORLD: HISTORICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL AND ETHICAL APPROACHES

4. Historical Overview: Cape Town and Our Mission

5. Prosperity Theology: A (Largely) Sociological Assessment

6. A Biblical Ethical Assessment of Prosperity Teaching and the Blessing Movement

7. Ethical Dimensions: Holiness and False Idols

PART THREE—GOD’S WORLD: CASE STUDIES

8. Prosperity and Poverty in the Bible: Ghana’s Experience

9. Mainline Churches and Prosperity Theology in Latin America

10. The New Apostolic Reformation and the Theology of Prosperity in Peru

11. Asian Perspectives on Prosperity Theology, Simplicity and Poverty

12. Prosperity Theology in the UK

13. The Prosperity Gospel in North America

PART FOUR—THE WAY FORWARD

14. Can We Offer a Better Theology? Banking on the Kingdom

15. Statement from Atibaia

Conclusion

APPENDICES

Resources for Further Reading and Discussion

Akropong Statement, 2008−9

Calling the Church back to Humility, Integrity and Simplicity: Advance paper for the Third Lausanne Congress, followed by extract from Cape Town Commitment

Timeline of Lausanne Gatherings

About the Editor

J Daniel Salinas earned his Masters in Biblical Theology from Wheaton College Graduate School and his PhD in Historical Theology from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author of several books in English and Spanish—mostly on the history of evangelicals and evangelical theology in Latin America. Daniel serves as International Partnership Coordinator of the Theological Education Initiative, a programme of the United World Mission. He has previously served as a staff worker for IFES movements in Colombia, Bolivia, and Paraguay; and as a facilitator for Langham Preaching in Latin America. Daniel is married to Gayna and they have three children.

Editorial note

The use of the terms ‘prosperity gospel’ and ‘prosperity theology’ are, in this context, as defined by the Cape Town Commitment (II-E-5, opening paragraph):

‘We define prosperity gospel as the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confession of faith and the ‘sowing of seeds’ through financial or material gifts.’

In the same section, the Commitment acknowledges the biblical vision of human prospering. As this matter is different in kind, a further publication is planned to engage it.

Citations from the Lausanne Covenant and Cape Town Commitment

All citations to these documents are noted. For the full text of the Lau­sanne Covenant (1974) and Cape Town Commitment (2010), together with the Manila Manifesto (1989), see ed. J E M Cameron, The Lausanne Legacy: Landmarks in Global Mission (Lausanne Library/Hendrickson Publishers, 2016).

Foreword

Valdir Steuernagel

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of transformation and of hope wherever it is announced and lived out. This gospel is also missional; it wants to be, and needs to be, announced again and again, all over the world.

To announce it well and live it out in all its integrity, is a challenge that the church of Jesus Christ continually faces. New opportunities and challenges emerge in different forms; it is not always easy to understand the motives of those who embrace them, and some motives will be seen with clarity only by future generations.

During the last decades, so-called ‘prosperity theology’ has emerged with surprising strength, and has had a massive impact on the life and growth of the Church around the globe; whether in rural Brazil or sophisticated American suburbia.

The message comes as good news, a blessing from God envisaged in many forms: employment, promotion, a dream car. Its essence is that prosperity is to be commended; it is something promised by God in the Bible and, therefore, to be sought and even expected. Its proponents encourage churches in poorer areas to look to God for material provision; and lead those in a more comfortable context to go after ‘blessings’ never possible through a typical working wage.

Discerning the true nature of the prosperity gospel is a challenging task, since it comes in different tones and forms. It may be a simple message in a poor church that God wants to bless everyone and move people out of poverty; or a sophisticated preacher may arrive in an expensive car, wear clothes that few can afford, and challenge the congregation to give beyond their means in order for God to ‘pay them back’ according to the desires of their hearts. In the Cape Town Commitment—the outcome of the Third Lausanne Congress—the diagnosis is quite clear. It says that the ‘widespread preaching and teaching of the prosperity gospel around the world raises significant concerns.’ It continues:

We believe that the teachings of many who vigorously promote the prosperity gospel seriously distort the Bible; that their practices and lifestyle are often unethical and un-Christlike; that they commonly replace genuine evangelism with miracle-seeking, and replace the call to repentance with the call to give money to the preacher’s organization. We grieve that the impact of this teaching on many Churches is pastorally damaging and spiritually unhealthy. We gladly and strongly affirm every initiative in Christ’s name that seeks to bring healing to the sick, or lasting deliverance from poverty and suffering. The prosperity gospel offers no lasting solution to poverty, and can deflect people from the true message and means of eternal salvation. For these reasons it can be soberly described as a false gospel. We therefore reject the excesses of prosperity teaching as incompatible with balanced biblical Christianity.[1]

Some participants at the gathering had been influenced by aspects of prosperity theology. After the Commitment was published, it did not take long for the questions to emerge: Is it possible to define the prosperity theology movement in such clear, critical terms? Are there dimensions that are positive and even necessary, especially as we witness the arrival of the gospel in poor neighbourhoods? More study was needed, a consultation with minds from around the globe, to explore the issue more thoroughly. From here the Lausanne Consultation on ‘Prosperity, Poverty and the Gospel’ was shaped. It brought forty pastors, practitioners and theologians, drawn from all the continents, to Atibaia, São Paulo, Brazil in April 2014, to listen, pray and meditate on God’s word; the goal was to gain a better understanding of the growing influence and work of prosperity theology in our world today. Participants considered how prosperity theology relates to poverty, and how it affects the mission of the whole Church in taking the whole gospel to the whole world. In the words of the Atibaia Statement: ‘We came together, driven by our passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ and in obedience to the mandate to share the good news through words, deeds and character, because of a shared concern that [prosperity theology] offers a shallow gospel that actually undermines the fullness of the good news of Jesus.’

This book issues out of that Consultation—taking the best revised and updated contributions, and commissioning new material where necessary, so the final product is as useful as possible to a wide readership of thinking Christians. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the issue has been considered by a team of specialists from across the globe. The authors present a wide range of views and question each other’s conclusions, and the resulting contributions are both thoughtful and thought provoking. We extend an invitation to continue the conversation around the subject in the same manner that we tried to maintain, that is, with humility, integrity and simplicity, as the Third Lausanne Congress taught us to do.

It is our desire and our prayer that this book will help Christians to understand and evaluate the prosperity theology movement from a biblical and evangelical perspective; also, that it will help believers to build an informed picture of how prosperity theology is affecting the life and growth of the Church around the world. We hope that our assessment has been sensitive and fair, and we acknowledge our own need of confession in our own journey in the service of the kingdom of God. The following confession was outlined in the Atibaia Statement; it affirms what we want to stress right from the start:

We recognize that we have often denounced the excesses of [prosperity theology] while failing to denounce the ways a therapeutic or self-help gospel has replaced the supremacy of Christ in many of our churches.

We recognize that a consumerist understanding of the Christian life is pervasive in many churches. Such an understanding blinds us to the suffering, persecution, and oppression endured by many of our sisters and brothers around the world.

In this spirit, therefore, let us seek God’s mind and heart together.

Notes

---

[1]. ‘Calling the Church of Christ back to Humility, Integrity and Simplicity,’ Cape Town Commitment II-E-1–5. See Appendix 3.

Introduction

The book is in four parts. Part 1 turns our attention to God’s word and looks at what the Bible says about the issue of prosperity, while surveying aspects of the history of the prosperity theology movement.

Part 2 looks at the issue from different perspectives—be it historical, ethical or sociological. Here we are guided into a new way of viewing prosperity and its theological undergirding.

Part 3 considers the impact of prosperity theology in different regions of the world through several case studies.

Part 4 proposes how we might respond to some of the challenges we have identified; how we position ourselves in relation to the subject; and what could be a way forward for us all. Each chapter is followed by ideas for further thought and discussion.

As we look at the individual contributions we will see the riches presented to us, inviting the reader to dive deeply into each subject. Femi Adeleye describes the hallmarks of prosperity theology, its beginnings and growth—particularly in North America and in Africa. He offers a critique of how the Bible is used by its proponents, highlights some shortcomings and makes suggestions as to how we should respond to it. For those who are new to the topic, this is a very good place to start!

Christopher J H Wright asks whether the rich are always the ‘bad guys’ and explores the topic of the ‘righteous rich.’ He offers a ‘canonical’ survey of the theme from the major genres of Old Testament literature, followed by a brief thematic summary, pointing to ways in which it is possible to be both rich and righteous. David Downs focuses on the New Testament—especially Luke’s Gospel—and explores the connection between giving and reward, in particular, the topic of ‘interested giving.’ He presents a thought-provoking analysis on the validity of giving with the expectation of reward and asks whether prosperity theology has something to teach the Church.

In Part 2, Valdir Steuernagel and Maicon Steuernagel explore the foundational affirmations and historical trends as seen within the Lausanne Movement. This is vital for understanding the frame and the spirit in which current discussions are held, and an attempt to set the tone for ongoing debate. Paul Freston plays ‘Devil’s Advocate’ and provides a sociological assessment which asks for avenues through which the prosperity gospel should be understood and even find its place. With his experience of Christianity in India and Africa, Vinay K Samuel evaluates the teaching and practice of the prosperity gospel against Christian ethics, including the ‘Blessing movement.’ Joel Edwards analyzes further ethical dimensions of prosperity theology, focusing particularly on three areas—its links with evangelism, its attitude to holiness and the issue of idolatry. He asks if we should engage more seriously in dialogue with the adherents of prosperity theology.

In Part 3, case studies from different continents enable the reader to explore how prosperity theology is developing around the world. Building on Femi Adeleye’s description of the situation in North America and Africa, J Kwabena Asamoah-Gyadu calls for a ‘balanced’ view of prosperity and poverty in the Bible. Against the backdrop of contemporary Pentecostal prosperity theology in Ghana, he explores prosperity teachings (including the idea of ‘sowing and reaping’) and, from a biblical perspective, considers the implications for the poor and marginalized in society. This is followed by two contributions from South America. Daniel Salinas looks at ways in which the prosperity gospel is penetrating the theology and practice of mainline Latin American churches, while encouraging and challenging believers across the globe to focus on the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Martín Ocaña describes the situation in Peru, focusing on the teachings and practice of the ‘New Apostolic Reformation,’ pointing out the ways in which it digresses from the gospel handed down by the first-century apostles. Finally Joel Tejedo investigates the influence of prosperity theology on churches in Asia and offers the challenge of developing a biblical theology of prosperity that is both relevant to and helpful for Asian Christians.

Part 4 asks how Christians should respond to the challenges outlined. Looking at Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, C Rosalee Velloso Ewell offers an alternative theology—a theology that focuses on the kingdom of God. In chapter 15, the recommendations from the Consultation at Atibaia point to some of the challenges facing the Church. In the words of the Atibaia Statement:

We call the Church back to life in the Kingdom—a life marked by service, humility, and integrity, where we speak the truth to those in power, denounce the false gods of our cultures, and live as followers of Christ in the multiplicity of our contexts.

Finally, in the conclusion, Femi Adeleye and Valdir Steuernagel draw the threads together. The debate will continue—indeed, it must continue. In the Appendices, there are resources to help us as we continue to pray, meditate, study and talk to each other about this issue, and about how we can best be identified as followers of Jesus Christ.

PART ONE

GOD’S WORD: PROSPERITY THEOLOGY AND THE POOR IN THE BIBLE

1. The Prosperity Gospel and Poverty: An Overview and Assessment

Femi Adeleye

The prosperity gospel, variously referred to as the ‘health and wealth gospel’ or the ‘name it, claim it gospel,’ is one of the fastest-growing emphases within the contemporary Church. Initially prominent in Pentecostal and charismatic churches, it has now spread across denominations and church traditions, and across the world. My task is to provide an introduction to the topic—particularly for those who are not familiar with its teachings and practices. While I have aimed to provide a dispassionate and fair summary, it will be clear from the outset that I have real and serious concerns about prosperity theology, particularly in areas of the world that face financial hardship.

The prosperity gospel focuses primarily on material possessions, physical wellbeing and success in this life: this mostly includes abundant financial resources, good health, clothes, housing, cars, promotion at work, success in business and in other endeavours of life. The Cape Town Commitment defines it as:

the teaching that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that they can obtain these blessings through positive confessions of faith and the ‘sowing of seeds’ through financial or material gifts.[1]

The extent of material acquisition and wellbeing is often equated with God’s approval. Although the Bible affirms that God cares enough to bless his people and provide for their needs—and although there are legitimate ways to work for such needs to be met—the prosperity gospel often makes the pursuit of material things and physical wellbeing ends in themselves. Scripture is always applied (and sometimes misinterpreted or manipulated) to promote its main emphasis.

Some early proponents of the emphasis

Before getting into the hermeneutics of this teaching, it helps to examine some of those who promoted its major emphasis. Its roots can be easily traced back to the United States.[2] Many positive things have originated from the US—including a rich Christian heritage dating back to the eighteenth-century revivals and its strong twentieth-century evangelical tradition. But it is largely American televangelists who gave prominence to the pursuit of materialism and upward mobility through the prosperity gospel. Many Americans see this gospel as nothing but the ‘good old American Dream’ re-clothed in biblical garments. According to Daniel McConnell, ‘the doctrine of prosperity is a gross example of the Church’s cultural accommodation to the worldly values of American materialism.’[3] Warren Wiersbe identifies the ‘success gospel’ as one that is perfectly suited to American society that ‘worships health, wealth and happiness.’[4] According to Gordon Fee:

American Christianity is rapidly being infected by an insidious disease, the so-called ‘wealth and health’ gospel—although it has a very little of the character of the gospel in it. In its more brazen forms . . . it simply says, ‘Serve God and get rich’ . . . in its more respectable—but pernicious—forms it builds fifteen million-dollar crystal Cathedrals to the glory of affluent suburban Christianity.[5]

In his book, Defeating the Dragons of the World, Stephen Eyre identifies this cultural trend that has invaded the Church as the ‘Dragon of Materialism.’ Concerning its effects, Eyre writes,

The Dragon of Materialism leads us to become preoccupied with the material side of life. All our time, energy and thoughts are focused in the physical aspects of life. We became practical materialists. We know that there is more to life, but the way we live shows that we have adopted the creed of the Dragon of Materialism, ‘Matter is all that matters.’[6]

Whereas the average American, in all fairness, earns his prosperity through the sweat of hard work, televangelists want to offer instant wealth. Some would call their offer ‘manipulation’—others would claim that it is simply teaching God’s will. The prosperity gospel, emerging out of its cultural context and empowered by the medium of television, is no more than materialism that has become a dragon, and an idol that has enslaved its makers. Jim Bakker, founder of PTL ministry (Praise The Lord) and Heritage USA—whose massive empire collapsed in 1987 when he was tried for his fundraising activities—implied as much in an interview with Charisma in 1997.[7] He admitted that PTL had become ‘a tower of Babel.’ Furthermore, according to him, ‘I allowed the PTL ministry to grow in such a way that the buildings at Heritage USA became almost more important than the message of Jesus Christ. My vision was so important that I worked day and night to keep this monster alive.’ From roots such as this, the prosperity gospel has today spread to virtually all parts of the world.

One prominent American ministry led by a father and son, whose prosperity gospel has influenced the Church in Africa, talked of a ‘seed-faith’ gospel. Another, led by a winsome husband and wife, of a ‘hundredfold return’ teaching. Then there is the proponent who markets a super-rich Jesus, and another who claims the reason he rides in a Rolls Royce is because he is following in Jesus’ steps.[8] Then there are those of the televangelist tradition, who have done great damage to viewers by distorting their grasp of God.

The ‘seed-faith’ principle

The ‘seed-faith’ principle has held huge sway in Nigeria. This is based on teaching that began in the early 1950s, expanding on the idea that ‘whatever you can conceive, and believe, you can do.’ Its first teacher describes it this way:

I could feel my inner man begin to stir. I could feel myself standing up on the inside. I became excited as I began to see the meaning of the idea that God brought into my mind, whatever you can conceive, and believe, you can do! I saw God had first conceived the world and man. I saw He had believed. And what faith it was! God had believed in man enough to create him with the power to choose good and evil, to live positively or negatively, to believe or to doubt, to respond to God or to denounce Him.[9]

From this very beginning, two things were missed. First, the teacher failed to see that he was not God and, therefore, it was not his right to conceive ‘whatever.’ Second, biblical faith is not about ‘conceiving whatever’; it is about confidence in God. However, it was ‘conceiving whatever’ that convinced him that ‘everything God does starts with a seed planted.’ So he became persuaded that ‘Only what you give can God multiply back. If you give nothing, and even if God were to multiply it, it would still be nothing.’[10] Our tithes or offerings to God are therefore ‘seed-faith.’ A doctrine of seed-faith was built on this shaky foundation, framed by the passage that reads, ‘While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest and cold and heat, and summer and winter and day and night shall not cease’ (Gen 8:22 KJV).[11] According to this seed-faith theology, we are to receive back from God only as much as we have sown as seeds. Seed-faith is seed giving; our seed giving is multiplied and given back to us so that we have ‘meat’ in our houses—or more than enough for our personal needs. From this is developed the ‘Expect a Miracle’ principle, which stresses that, through seed giving, all insurmountable problems can be solved. God essentially becomes an insurance agent with whom one invests with expectations of returns.

Radio and television were used to attract people to give money to the ministry that began to teach these ideas. Through the ‘Expect a Miracle’ programme, the seed-faith principle was marketed—special handkerchiefs were produced as ‘prayer cloths’ and as a ‘point of contact’ for miracles. Those in need of them, of course, had to send a donation. According to Peter Elvy in Buying Time, there was also a special edition of the Bible published, with a 259-page commentary.

It is not for sale. God impressed me to send it as a gift to everyone who makes a seed-faith commitment of $120 for the ongoing work at the city of Faith Medical and Research Centre where medicine and prayer are combined for the healing of millions.[12]

In her book, Ashes to God, a former member of the family expounding ‘seed-faith’ likened their tactics to those of a German Dominican friar, Johann Tetzel, in his selling of indulgences.[13] Tetzel offered salvation in exchange for money; here the appeal was to