Does God want you to be rich?
David Van Biema AND Jeff Chu of Time Magazine write an engaging cover story on the resurgence of prosperity theology among evangelicals. The authors claim the (aberrant) teaching has spread beyond its Pentacostal base:
"In a Time poll, 17% of Christians surveyed said they considered themselves part of such a movement, while a full 61% believed that God wants people to be prosperous. And 31%—a far higher percentage than there are Pentecostals in America—agreed that if you give your money to God, God will bless you with more money."
The theory proposed is that Prosperity Theology fell upon hard times in the 1980s with the Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals. But it reemerged in a format specifically calibrated for the common man, with the heavy self-help emphasis of men like Joel Osteen--a "Prosperity Lite" teaching, some would claim.
"Gone are the divine profit-to-earnings ratios, the requests for offerings far above a normal 10% tithe (although many of the new breed continue to insist that congregants tithe on their pretax rather than their net income). What remains is a materialism framed in a kind of Tony Robbins positivism. No one exemplifies this better than Osteen, who ran his father's television-production department until John died in 1999. 'Joel has learned from his dad, but he has toned it back and tapped into basic, everyday folks' ways of talking,' says Ben Phillips, a theology professor at the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary."
The Time writers do a good job of showing how prosperity thinkers attempt to build their theology from passages such as Malachi 3:10: "Bring the full tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need."
The article talks a lot about Osteen but also mentions T.D. Jakes' Potter's House in south Dallas as well as Creflo Dollar's World Changers near Atlanta. Happily, I do not think Osteen is conveyed in a positive light. Toward the end of the article, they say: "And Osteen's version [of Prosperity Theology].....may strike some as self-centered rather than God centered."
As detractors of Prosperity Lite, Rick Warren, Ben Witherington, Ron Sider, and Michael Spencer are all mentioned if not quoted. The point is made that critics of prosperity thinking can be found among conservative and progressive evangelicals. But more space is devoted to pastors who advocate prosperity thinking, at least some degree, with details of their philanthropy also discussed. For example, Houston's Methodist megapastor Kirbyjon Caldwell, who gave the benediction at both of George W. Bush's Inaugurals, recently oversaw the building of Corinthian Pointe, a 452-unit affordable-housing project that he claims is the largest residential subdivision ever built by a nonprofit. Most of its inhabitants, he says, are not members of his church.
On a whole, I found the article fair and balanced, though I would have liked to see someone like a John Piper quoted. Piper has written eloquently on evangelicalism's capitulation to worldliness in loving God's gifts more than The Giver in God is the Gospel (among other works). Though the article left me feeling embarrassed, I am thankful for the sober reminder of the way many in our culture view evangelicals. Read the whole thing (only members can log in). If you don't subscribe to Time, here is a summary from CNN writers (who are under the same management as Time-Warner).
Update: Dr. Albert Mohler weighs in on the issue.
Comments
After reading the Time article Does God want you to be rich? I would like to say that the True Prosperity of John 10:10 is obtained the very instant a person submits to the drawing of the Holy Spirit and fully recognizes the need in their life for a Savior and comes to Jesus Christ in faith repenting of their sins (original and actual) and confessing with their mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and believe in their heart that God has raised Jesus from the dead.
At that very moment that person is supernaturally transformed from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of the Light of God and is saved from eternal damnation. This person has just received all the prosperity that a new creature in Christ Jesus needs. For this now translated person is a stranger, pilgrim passing through this earth learning, studying, understanding the scriptures and desiring a better country that is heavenly looking for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Now being fully persuaded to be a doer of the word of God by literally doing what Jesus said do.
Prosperity teaching heard from the Gospel pimps of this day is a proven money -maker for them to heap to themselves huge sums of money. In the guise of Jesus want you to be rich and prosperous they stir up the covet-ness desire in their listeners, which is idolatry.
Studies have shown that it is the poor and needy that gives most often to these gospel pimps. Why is this? Because these people often feel that only a financial "miracle" can save them. It is not uncommon for desperate Christians to give and give, well beyond their means, in the hope that God will rescue them. Some will even lose their homes. And the elderly and the sick often give sacrificially in the hope of some kind of improvement.
The gospel pimps deceive and make merchandise of many who believe the prosperity now, seed-faith, sow and reap, give to you hurt, 100-fold return message while they themselves hoard money and luxuries, and spend millions of dollars on buildings. And our dear Christian brothers and sisters in the mission fields, down the street, and throughout the world who have truly counted the cost of discipleship to follow Jesus and carry His true message to a dying hell-bound world go lacking in basic necessities. It should not be.
Now does God want His children bless? Yes. That is why He sent Jesus. We are truly blessed when we enter the kingdom of God and this is accomplished only through the Son.
Bondservant of the Lord Jesus Christ,
William Taylor Sr.
www.actioncross.net
Posted by: William Taylor Sr | September 12, 2006 08:44 PM
I posted on this as well a couple of days ago. I believe this is an issue of gospel understanding, in particular, the ultimate intent of the gospel. If in fact, you believe the intent of the gospel is to bring us to a reconciliation with God...and you treasure that reconciled relationship, you will not be given to the prosperity gospel, which in my humble opinion is not the gospel of the Bible. If you're interested in my post, check it out here -
http://everysquareinch.blogspot.com/2006/09/does-god-want-you-to-be-rich.html
Andre
Posted by: andre_y | September 15, 2006 11:49 PM
I do believe that the Lord does and wants to bless His people in every area. One only needs to read about Abraham, Job and Solomon. If fact, many of the Godly people of the Bible were weatlhy. However I do agree that the prosperity gospel has been overdone to the point where we have a new type of "Christian Consumerism" going around, e.g. 12 Twelves Steps to Weath. I do not think that every Christian needs to have a $1 million home and wear an Armani suit to prove the goodness of God in his/her life. My parents have a $120,000 home and are very happy. In the case of Benny Hinn, frankly, I do not know the man and will not pass judgement. That is God's job. I also feel that the secular media is hardly a reliable source in this case given it's antagonistic attitude towards Christianity in general.
Posted by: Vincenzo | January 30, 2007 02:34 PM