Watchman Series: What is False? (Part 2)
Word of Faith
The Word of Faith movement is a loose collection of people who put great emphasis on worldly success and the power of a Christian to control their own future through positive acts, including spoken words. This mindset has led to the Prosperity movement. In short, the Word of Faith movement is not only unbiblical, it is completely heretical. This doctrine stands opposed to concepts Christianity has taught throughout its history.
The core claims of this movement are that God's desire is for all Christians to live happy, healthy, and wealthy lives. Those who teach this often claim that God allows a person to "speak" their desires into existence, as though they had a creative power similar to that of God. Sickness, poverty, and other struggles are seen as evidence of a lack of faith, or at least a poor application of it.
In my time as a pastor, there are no other movements or cults that have created more “atheists” than the Word of Faith movement and Catholicism. These two avenues have led many people to discount God’s Holiness and righteousness because their experiences with either of these, have led to disappointment and subsequently a turning away from the true God of the Bible.
I was raised Catholic, and I came to faith in Christ in a Word of Faith church. So, I have some positive memories of both. I know that despite my apprehensions and issues with the entire Catholic church, my mother taught me much about Christ and His covenant, the Triunity of God and many other truths. And so my understanding of faith was birthed in the Catholic faith. I also know that Jesus Christ became my savior on that mid-summer day in 1988. If it wasn’t for that experience in that Word of Faith church, I would never have fallen in love initially with Jesus. So, my criticism of both comes from experience, not learning from others who are critical of it.
In this article, I will explain some things about the Word of Faith movement - both where it came from, and when it grew in popularity. Before we get going, allow me to tell you something that would seem to be obvious. To many, this doctrine has much fallacy. Though, before you think you have already understood this to be false and that people don’t actually believe this stuff, I will use this opportunity to remind you that billions of dollars were given to these wolves just last year alone.
Simple logic goes a long way to disproving the claims of Word of Faith / Prosperity teachers. The apostle Paul was one of Christianity's most devout, loyal, wise, and committed adherents, and yet he suffered poverty, persecution, and imprisonment (read 2 Corinthians 11:16–33). Paul actually asked God—more than once—to remove some affliction he was suffering, and God's response was "no" (2 Corinthians 12:7–9).
If there was any truth to the teachings of the Word of Faith movement, Paul would have been healthy and rich, not oppressed. He would have "spoken" his afflictions away. Clearly, this is not what happened. Likewise, there are other instances where Paul was unable to "speak" healing into others, despite his sincere desire (Philippians 2:25 - 30; 2 Timothy 4:20). Paul described those who think of God as a way to get rich as "depraved" and lacking in truth (1 Timothy 6:5). The verses following this condemnation are the antithesis to the entire Prosperity teaching: that we are to be content with what we have, and a desire for wealth is a dangerous temptation (1 Timothy 6:6–10).
Job, as well, shows how bankrupt Word of Faith / Prosperity teachings are. The Bible is explicitly clear that Job's calamities were not because of his own sin.
Job 1:8 – “And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?”
This is a teaching echoed by Jesus in John chapter 9, where He specifically says that the man born blind was not suffering because of his sin or that of his parents.
John 9:1–3 – “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Another key event is Jesus' temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1–11). This is the one and only place in the Bible where material wealth and prosperity is offered in return for worship (Matthew 4:8–10). However, this offer is not made by God. It's made by the Devil. In other words, it's perfectly accurate to say that the claim, "worship and you'll be wealthy" is literally a message from Satan. Said another way, there would be no reason for Satan to tempt Jesus with wealth and success, if those are the natural and expected results of faith in God. Jesus was the most perfect person who ever lived—there was no reason for Satan to tempt Him with something if He was guaranteed to get it already! Wealth and privilege are not, in any sense, guaranteed for the believer.
God does not equip Christians with the power to have anything we want, whenever we want it. God does grant requests which align with His Will when we pray. But our prayers still have to be offered in petition to Him. Biblically, we see clear evidence of this. Historically, we see this in the lives of the apostles, who clearly didn’t feel God was obligated to give them every whim they asked for. Logically, we see this in the hypocrisy and greed of those who promote the Word of Faith / Prosperity message.
Over the years, there are many well-meaning people who have been confused by words from the teachers of this movement. The most loving thing we can do for such people is to show those who believe it to be true, the overarching truth that is found in the biblical record, so they don't waste their efforts, lives, or resources on spiritual con artists.
Prosperity Gospel
Also known as the “health and wealth gospel,” the Prosperity Gospel is a perversion of the true gospel as it claims that God rewards increases in faith with increases in health and/or wealth. Nothing Jesus ever taught is corroborated with this and it has led many people to mock the true gospel because of it.
As Stephen Hunt explains, “In the forefront is the doctrine of the assurance of “divine” physical health and prosperity through faith. In short, this means that “health and wealth” are the automatic divine right of all Bible-believing Christians and may be procreated by faith as part of the package of salvation, since the Atonement of Christ includes not just the removal of sin, but also the removal of sickness and poverty.”
At one point in my life, I believed that I could add money to my bank account by simply “commanding” it to be there, and doing this in Jesus’ name. Now, I want to remind everyone, that God DOES INDEED ANSWER prayer. And this is where the rubber meets the road: We are to pray about our needs (not wants nor desires), and as Him to help provide a way through it. He will answer you, but not as simply as “poof” there it is, like a Jeanie in a bottle, granting a wish.
Additionally, I would lay hands on people and pray that they would be healed. And then when they weren’t, I would chalk it up to me not having enough faith in the words that I prayed, or the person just having too much sin in their life.
The fact that I look back at some of what I was taught, believed and even practiced, makes me shake my head now in disgrace. At the same time, the experience taught me to trust in the Sovereign God of the universe, read His Scripture and pray to Him… rendering myself fully reliant upon God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit - and not the “power” of myself. This is where my turning point occurred. And this is where I began to see the fallacy of the heretical teachings as being discussed in the article.
Now, what makes the prosperity gospel a heretical gospel? Here is an outline of five errors of prosperity gospel teaching:
The Abrahamic covenant is a means to material entitlement.
Jesus’s atonement extends to the “sin” of material poverty.
Christians give in order to gain material compensation from God.
Faith is a self-generated spiritual force that leads to prosperity.
Prayer is a tool to force God to grant prosperity.
David W. Jones said, “In light of Scripture, the prosperity gospel is fundamentally flawed. At bottom, it is a false gospel because of its faulty view of the relationship between God and man. You see, if the prosperity gospel is true, grace is obsolete, God is irrelevant, and man is the measure of all things. Whether they’re talking about the Abrahamic covenant, the atonement, giving, faith, or prayer, prosperity teachers turn the relationship between God and man into a quid pro quo transaction.”
Origins…
The prosperity gospel originated as an offshoot of Pentecostalism in post-World War II America. While it started in local congregations and tent revivals, the movement gained a larger following through the use of radio and television, and became firmly entrenched in the 1980s with the rise of “televangelism.”
While not all prosperity gospel preachers are Pentecostal or charismatic (and most charismatic and Pentecostal Christians are not associated with the prosperity gospel), the movement is still largely connected to revivalist and charismatic churches. This has made it easier for the movement to gain traction in Africa, South America, and other areas of the world where Pentecostalism is rapidly expanding.
At the root of the Word of Faith movement was E.W. Kenyon. He developed his doctrine after learning the tricks of the trade within the movement of Mysticism of the late 19th century. After this, the man who could be considered the father of modern prosperity gospel teaching is Oral Roberts. The faith-healing evangelist became so influential that he started his own school, Oral Roberts University (ORU). At the height of his influence, Roberts oversaw a ministry that brought in $110 million in annual revenue.
Kenneth Copeland, a student at ORU who served as a pilot and chauffeur for Oral Roberts, also became one of the most notorious (and wealthiest) of prosperity preachers. These men paved the way for the televangelists who became famous in the 1980s, including Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, and Robert Tilton.
Today, some of the best-known prosperity teachers are Creflo Dollar, T. D. Jakes, Guillermo Maldonado, Joel Osteen, and Paula White.
How can we identify a prosperity gospel preacher?
In a 2014 sermon, John Piper outlined six keys to detecting the prosperity gospel:
The absence of a serious doctrine of the biblical necessity and normalcy of suffering, the absence of a doctrine of suffering.
The absence of a clear and prominent doctrine of self-denial is a tip off that something is amiss.
The absence of serious exposition of Scripture.
The absence of dealing with tensions in Scripture.
Church leaders who have exorbitant lifestyles.
A prominence of self and a marginalization of the greatness of God.
Who in America is attracted to the prosperity gospel?
In 2015, YouGov surveyed 1,000 American adults who describe themselves as either “born again” or as an evangelical Christian, and asked their views about particular preachers and whether wealth is a sign of God’s favor. On the question, “Do you believe that prayer can make you wealthier?” 15 percent of whites, 42 percent of blacks, and 25 percent of Hispanics answered “yes.” On the question, “Is wealth a sign of God’s favor?” 9 percent of white, 34 percent of blacks, and 24 percent of Hispanics said “definitely” or “probably.”
Additionally, one in four black and Hispanic evangelicals believe it is acceptable for religious leaders to become wealthy through their religious work compared to one in seven white evangelicals.
And this is where I want to pray that this article finds anyone and everyone who is either accepting of this dangerous doctrine, or fully repulsed by it. Because, after all, if you have prayed for something to come to fruition that did not, and you think – in any way, shape or form – that either your giving was “off”, or your faith was not “strong enough,” I want to tell you that you do not find this in the gospel… anywhere!
God is Sovereign and He will do whatever He pleases, whenever He desires to. He is God and we are not. However, we are urged to pray to Him and allow His Will to be done. And this dependence upon our Triune God (Father, Son and Spirit), allows Him to do what He has already planned to do, but His response is waiting on us to seek Him. Because without Him, we will never see just what He will do.
Mark 11:24 – “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”
Praise be to God!
As always, we want to make sure to approach those who are suckered into such dangerous doctrines like this one, with love (as commanded by loving our neighbor.) Additionally, the rule of Apologetics (giving a reason for the hope that is in us), comes with great charge from the Apostle Peter, when he tells us to defend our faith with great, “Gentleness and Respect.”
God wants us to be good to others. But we also much be forthright in our stance that something as ridiculous as the Word of Faith movement is, we have brothers and sisters involved in it that need to hear the truth of the gospel of Jesus.
Proceed with diligence… and caution.
Pastor Patrick D. Garlock
Contributions from Joe Carter, Stephen Hunt, John Piper and David W. Jones
