Prosperity Preaching: A Different Gospel
“All prosperity gospel preachers teach their hearers that God promises them wealth and
good physical health. To obtain the promises of God, believers must sow seed or give
money to people or churches which God directs them.”
“I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you … unto another gospel: which is
not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have
preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach
any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:6-9).
In May-June 2013, Alfred traveled to Cameroon with two major goals in mind: to teach at the
seminary, and to conduct seminars refuting the so-called prosperity gospel. Here are the
highlights of his presentation on the prosperity gospel. The complete material will be printed as a
booklet in Cameroon.
The Confusion Caused by Prosperity Preaching
Prosperity preaching appeals to man’s fleshly desires. It is so appealing that even true believers
are buying into it, and in many ways, they see nothing wrong with it. Many who do not attend
prosperity churches still adhere to its teaching through TV and other media. Thus, this has
resulted in great confusion among Christians and within churches, many of whom do not see any
contradiction between our biblically based doctrine and their overtly ‘Word of Faith’ and
prosperity gospel leanings. Prosperity gospel preachers take advantage of the prevailing biblical
illiteracy, and so God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hos. 6:4). Prosperity gospel
preachers make enormous financial demands on their followers, yet the people keep going after
them hoping for a financial “breakthrough.” When things do not go well financially for both
church and individual, the blame for not being prosperous is placed by the prosperity preachers
on the adherents.
What is the Prosperity Gospel?
“Prosperity gospel, also known as Word of Faith preaching, is a Christian theology whose
signature teaching is that God wants believers to be rich and enjoy good physical health. To
realize wealth and good health, believers need only believe in the promises of God and be
obedient to God’s word.” (Mumford, 1) “It is this unqualified hope and optimism that make the
prosperity gospel so appealing.” (Ibid, 10)
All prosperity gospel preachers teach their hearers that God promises them wealth and good
physical health. To obtain the promises of God, believers must sow seed or give money to people
or churches which God directs them. This phenomenon is widespread. I had firsthand encounters
during my trip to Cameroon in 2011. The question is, “What takes such falsehood to gain ground
or spread?” Falsehood spreads primarily because of ignorance! People choose to remain ignorant
and fail to examine what they hear (Acts 17:11).
Defining the Scope Problem
The so-called prosperity gospel has been growing like wildfire in the past 50 years, spreading in
poor countries such as India, S. America, and esp. Africa particularly Nigeria, where about 95%
of professing Christians accommodate some form of prosperity preaching. It has caused many to
see God as slot machine or Santa Claus, who must meet their needs. International apostles of
this false teaching include preachers like Benny Hinn and Creflo Dollar, who have done exploits
with their conferences in East Africa.
Overview of the Problem
What is at stake with the prosperity gospel (Gal. 1:6-10; 2 Cor. 11:1-4)? There is the danger of
falsehood and deception, and the danger of damnation. Jesus warned about deceivers and
hypocritical Pharisees in Matthew 23, who compass land and sea and make converts twice the
children of hell as they themselves. Just because of a large following, it does not imply that the
prosperity gospel is genuine. The apostles warned about end time scoffers. It is evident that
something has seriously gone wrong. The gospel once for all delivered to the saints is being
changed and perverted before our very eyes! The new gospel does not point to the cross of Jesus
for salvation:
“Instead of promising Christ, this gospel promises health and wealth, and offers advice such as:
declare to yourself that everything that you touch will prosper, for, in the words of a leading
prosperity preacher, ‘There is a miracle in your mouth.’ According to this new gospel, if
believers repeat positive confessions, focus their thoughts, and generate enough faith, God will
release blessings upon their lives. This new gospel claims that God desires and even promises
that believers will live a healthy and financially prosperous life.” (Jones & Woodbridge, 14-15)
Many see their relationship with God as a give-and-get transaction. They see God as a kind of a
sugar daddy who exists to make them healthy, wealthy, and happy on account of services
rendered. “While God certainly does provide and care for His followers, prosperity theology is a
corruption of His self-revelation, a distortion of His plan of redemption, and an idea that can
ultimately lead to a reckless view of the material world.” (Jones & Woodbridge, 8; emphasis
mine)
A Subtle Background: The GREAT LIE: “Ye shall be as gods!” (Gen. 3:1-7):
Man’s fall in the garden introduced one of the greatest usurpations of the rightful place of God.
Satan’s lure to Eve that “ye shall be gods” represents the greatest lie ever told and the greatest
deception to delude mankind over time hitherto. Incidentally, this lie is perpetrated within the
“Prosperity Gospel” circles. This usurpation was introduced by directly contradicting the very
words of God; “Did God really say?” Today, Man, just like Eve, is enticed with the idea of
becoming a god or being like the gods. It is the central teaching of many religions, including the
Occult and New Age (and surprisingly, some prosperity preaching) that man is divine, the spark
from within. The soul of man is seen as immortal and a spark of divinity from the upper world;
an emanation of God! This is the central teaching of Hinduism, which has spread to the occult
and the cults. Central to their belief system is Monism (all is one), pantheism (all is God), and
mysticism, the experience of oneness with the divine (Rhodes, 130). They agree that God
revealed himself in Jesus, but also in others like Buddha, Krishna, etc. Pantheism is the belief
that God is in all; “All reality is viewed as being infused with the divine” (Ibid, 132). Monism
and Pantheism ultimately lead to the deification of man: if all is one (monism) and all is God
(pantheism) then humans too are God. New Ager Beverly Galyean asserts, ‘Once we begin to
see that we are all God, that we all have the attributes of God, then I think the whole purpose of
life is to re-own the Godlikeness within us.’” (Ibid, 132) Prosperity preachers espouse the same
assertions, just differently. These heresies are promoted in Transcendental Meditation (TM),
Theosophy, Anthroposophy, The Arcane School, The “I Am” Movement, etc. Mormonism also
promotes the idea that its followers are progressing toward godhood.
There is evidence that the prosperity gospel contains teachings that are prevalent in the New Age
movement as well as the New Thought pagan philosophy of the 19th century. Jones and
Woodbridge state; “Few people realize that the prosperity gospel has its philosophical roots in
the nineteenth-century movement known as New Thought. This movement, in some ways, is a
forerunner to the modern New Age movement, as it rejects the orthodox teachings of Christianity
in favor of a self-generated type of mysticism.” (Jones & Woodbridge, 20) This solidifies the
link between the prosperity gospel, New Thought, and the New Age. New Thought played a big
influence on the early proponents of the prosperity gospel. Following this close connections to
these heretic movements, Jones and Woodbridge conclude that;
“The prosperity gospel is built upon a quasi-Christian heresy known as the New Thought
movement, … Although the New Thought movement is unknown by name to most contemporary
Christians, the prosperity gospel consists largely of the ideas of the New Thought movement
repackaged with new faces, new technology, new venues, and a slightly altered message.”
The reason we are examining these movements is to show that they form the basis or are the
source of the blasphemies and errors of the prosperity gospel.
Historical Development of the Word of Faith Movement (aka Prosperity Gospel)
False doctrine is as old as the church, but the historical background of the false gospel known as
“prosperity gospel” can be traced as far back to the works and teachings of a Christian mystic,
Emmanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). He was a scientist—mathematics, geology, cosmology,
and anatomy, before he turned theologian. He claimed that the Lord had appeared to him; that he
had dialogued with Paul, Moses, and Martin Luther. He was a clairvoyant, and rejected many
orthodox Christian beliefs, and his other heretical teachings include: belief in God as a mystical
force; that the human mind has the capacity to control the physical world; and that the
ultimate nature of reality is rooted in the nonphysical, the spiritual, or simply the mind.
Phineas P. Quimby (1802-1866) began the movement that, “… would become known as New
Thought metaphysics or, more simply, New Thought. The term metaphysics indicates a belief
that individuals can control the circumstances of their lives by controlling their thinking.”
(Mumford, 10) New Thought, also known as Mind-Cure and Mental Health promoted things
like: the practice of true philosophy and way of life and happiness; right thinking; the
advancement of intelligent and systemic treatment of disease by spiritual and mental
methods. (Jones & Woodbridge, 27) The New Thought movement “was marked by religious
beliefs not found in Scripture. Examples of such beliefs include that God is a force; spirit or
mind is ultimate reality; people are divine; disease originates in mind; and thoughts can
create/or change reality.” (Ibid, 27) Quimby claimed to have discovered the link between mind
and disease;
“Quimby felt that by discovering the connection between the mind and disease, he had
rediscovered the healing technique of Jesus … Over the years, proponents of New Thought
taught that changing one’s thinking could not only affect one’s health but every aspect of
one’s life, including financial well-being.”(Mumford, 11)
The following New Age groups and cults are a product of Quimby’s teachings: Christian Science
founded by Mary Baker Eddy; Unity School of Christianity by Charles and Myrtle Fillmore;
Divine Science by Malinda E. Cramer; Religious Science by Ernest Holmes. “The basis for
Quimby’s theory was the idea that the mind possesses the ability to create and influence …
Eventually, Quimby claimed to have developed his own clairvoyant powers and became a
successful hypnotist.” (Jones & Woodbridge, 29, 30) Quimby believed that;
“Disease is really mental and the cure is to correct false reasoning or error in the mind.
Quimby asserts, ‘If I believe I am sick I am sick, for my feelings are my sickness, and
sickness is my belief, and my belief is my mind. Therefore all disease is in the mind or belief
… Like Swedenborg [LINK] Quimby believed that the mind creates and controls reality.
With this theory, Quimby helped establish the foundation for New Thought. (Ibid, 30)
New Thought was popularized by many writers, among them Ralph Waldo Trine. A prolific
writer, in his books he “incorporated New Thought ideas with the aim of helping people
achieve health and success.” (Ibid, 31) Along with other authors of kindred spirit, their writings
were such that, “one can discern some of the recurring elements of the prosperity gospel
[LINK]: speaking the right words, invoking a universal law of success with words, and
having faith in oneself.” (Ibid, 31) New thought was merged with Christianity by Norman
Vincent Peale. He is best known for his classic book, The Power of Positive Thinking, which
popularized New Thought in America.
Brief History of Word of Faith Movement
Essek William Kenyon (1867-1948) is considered the grandfather of Word of Faith Movement.
He had a flawed approach to biblical interpretation, rejecting the historic historical-sociogrammatical-contextual exegesis in favor of literalism, proof texting, and fanciful and unfounded
typology. He incorporated New Thought teachings into his theological system, for example,
by advocating positive confession, deficient view of atonement, elevation of human beings, and
explicit New Thought teachings on health and wealth. (Jones & Woodbridge, 51) Some have
recognized Kenyon as the primary source of the health and wealth gospel of the independent
Charismatic movement.
“Kenyon’s ideas influenced the prosperity gospel movement in several ways. First, his
approach to theology is the basis for one of the prosperity gospel’s most distinctive features—
that is, speaking the right words to bring about a new reality. Many even credit Kenyon
with coining the popular prosperity gospel phrase, ‘What I confess, I possess.’ Kenyon
believed that positive confession is the key to prosperous living.” (Ibid, 51, 52)
He taught that whatever you talk yourself into; that you will have—whether sickness, weakness,
failure, poverty or any negative thing; or wealth, health, prosperity, happiness, and success.
“Like those in the New Thought movement, Kenyon places people at the center of his system.
Religion’s purpose is not to honor God or to redeem humanity but to serve people and help them
get what they desire. Kenyon even teaches that people can make demands of God. He writes,
‘The value of an investment is its dividends. The value of Christianity is what we get out of it. …
We also demand that the God we serve and worship shall hear our petitions, protect us in danger,
[and] comfort us in sorrow.’ Clearly in Kenyon’s system, a relationship with God is a means for
a person to get what he or she wants. As with New Thought, then, the purpose of the divine
being is to ensure one’s own well-being and success.” (Ibid, 52, 53)
Jones and Woodbridge also confirm that, “Healing and prosperity belong to Kenyon’s teachings
as well. If one partners with God, he teaches, life will be good because God does not want
people to experience hardship or failure. ‘When we go into partnership with Him, and we
learn His ways of doing business, we cannot be failures. Failures are not God-made.’
Oral Reberts is the father of the Seed-Faith Theology. He propounded three core principles of
seed-faith doctrine: first, Christians should turn their lives completely over to God as source of
all their needs. Secondly, sowing and reaping: “Whatever [money, talents, etc.] the believer gives
freely to God becomes a seed for God to multiply back to the believer in the form of needs.”
Thirdly, expect a miracle immediately after the seed is planted. Have faith, believe, and God will
grant the miracle.
From New Thought to Word of Faith
Kenneth E. Hagin (1917-2003) grew up as a sickly child. He claimed miraculous healing after
reading Mark 5:34 about the woman with issue of blood. At 17 he became a Southern Baptist
pastor for about two decades. He then converted to Pentecostalism (Assemblies of God) to join
with those believing in divine healing. “In 1962, Hagin began preaching and teaching that
reality was ‘created in the minds and affirmed in the speech of believers.’ Though Hagin
claimed that these teachings were inspired by the Holy Spirit though, it is believed that
Hagin actually plagiarized [steal academic information from others without acknowledging, cf.
Jer. 23:25-32] his teachings from E. W. Kenyon, … Kenyon is believed to have adopted
many of his teachings from Christian Science and New Thought. (Mumford, 11-12; emphasis
mine) This marked the birth of Word of Faith Movement. And it is clear it originated from New
Thought! “In addition to his beliefs about healing and New Thought, Hagin integrated
Pentecostalism into the movement by teaching his followers about the power of the Holy Spirit
manifested through the gift of tongues and anointing (empowerment of believers for ministry).”
(Mumford, 12) Under his ministry, Hagin has trained thousands of likeminded preachers
worldwide.
Jones and Woodbridge state that Kenneth Hagin is considered the greatest evangelist of the
prosperity gospel as well as the father of the Word of Faith movement. He claimed he had
visions through which new revelation was given to him. “Note that a common feature of
prosperity teachers is their reliance upon extra-biblical revelation from God [Remember
Swedenborg?]. Many leaders in this movement claim to receive special messages from God and
this, in turn, give them greater authority in the eyes of their followers.” (Jones & Woodbridge,
54, 55) Hagin plagiarized Kenyon, mixing, “… Kenyon’s teachings with Scripture, thus making
his material palatable to the church and impervious to criticism since he sounded like a biblical
scholar and a mystical seer who had divine encounters with Jesus.” (Ibid, 55) Many adopted and
spread the prosperity gospel message and in 1973 the establishment of the Trinity Broadcast
Network (TBN) gave them a media platform for propagating their message. We will not that,
“While modern prosperity preachers would likely deny that their message is rooted in the pagan
philosophy and secular thinking of the New Thought movement, a study of their teachings
suggests otherwise.” There is therefore, conclusive evidence that the Word of Faith movement,
aka, prosperity gospel, is a derivative of the works of Swedenborg, Quimby, and Kenyon, made
available to the church by Kenneth Hagin and co. New Thought erroneous teachings have had a
great impact on the prosperity gospel.
Refuting the Prosperity Gospel
The prosperity gospel is very diverse with each proponent having their own twist to their
presentation. However, there are common elements in all the teachers. Prosperity preaching has
many negative trappings and ramifications that affect the church as a whole and mislead their
followers in particular. The Bible warns us of end time apostasy, deception, and false prophets
(Matt. 24; 2 Thess. 2; 2 Pet. 2). Though there is apparently some biblical truth in their message,
there is at the same time a lot of errors and wrong doctrine that is misleading. Nevertheless, the
prosperity gospel continues to grow both in America and abroad due to the self-centered bent of
its message. However, we must understand that: Truth + error = error! Clean Water + Dirty
Water = Dirty Water! The same tongue cannot bring forth good and evil at the same time (James
3:8-12). We must confront and refute the errors of these impostors.
Some Fundamental Errors of the Prosperity Gospel
The prosperity gospel has a skewed way of interpreting the Bible including selective
interpretation, and uses experience as basis of interpretation. Some of the critical errors include:
misrepresenting the gospel; wrong view of the atonement; faulty application of the Abrahamic
Covenant; wrong place to focus our thoughts; wrong attitude about prayer and faith; wrong
theology of giving; misuse and misinterpretation of the Scripture; etc. Additionally, they teach
that: The world’s economy is not your economy; Jesus was not poor; poverty is a curse; God is
your source; claim your healing; the Law of Positive Confession; Confessions of desires—name
it claim it!; believers are spiritual equals with Jesus having an identical nature with him and the
Father; and that believers are gods.
Prosperity Preachers are Private Empire Builder
Prosperity preachers are dangerously rich—most own expensive cars, houses, and some own
private jets. Most own their private kingdom and are accountable to no one but themselves; thus,
guilty of selfish ambition and greedy for money (1 Tim. 3:2-3). They corrupt the word of God
and think that godliness is a means to gain (2 Cor. 2:17; 1 Tim. 6:3ff). They follow the bad
example of Elisha’s servant, Gerhazi, who went after gain even against his master’s will. Like
the false prophets of old, they heal and teach for a price, and steal words from one another
purporting them to be coming from God (Jer. 20:25-36). Prosperity preachers serve the God of
the Stomach and are enemies of the cross (Phil. 3:17-19; Rom. 16:17-20).
The Real Danger of the Prosperity Gospel
The real danger of prosperity gospel is a matter of life and death, of heaven and hell. Riches
tend to be a hindrance to the gospel as in the case of rich young ruler, who turned away from
Christ disappointed because he was asked to sell all he had and give to the poor (Luke 18:22-25;
cf. Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23). Nevertheless, the rich can go into heaven if the put their riches in proper
perspective (Luke 19:1-10). Also, the prosperity gospel is misleading people about their
state—whether poor or sick, thus not seeing God in their condition of poverty, trials and
suffering. Many who are misled end up in disappointment when the false promises don’t come
true, yet they are blamed for their lack of faith, or not sowing enough seed. Mankind’s major
problem is not poverty or sickness, but sin. So above all, what man needs is salvation from
sin, though alleviating poverty and healing are also good. Another danger is that of
misunderstanding the gospel entirely—seeing it as a means to an end. Jesus is seen as a product,
a lucky charm, a slot machine, that exists to satisfy our insatiable desires. If financial benefit or
prosperity is your drive, how do you differ from the pagan world (Matt. 6:25ff)?
Second Peter chapter two talks of false prophets who make merchandise and gain of the
naïve: they follow the error of Balaam (Rev. 2:14), and they glory in their shame and
shamelessly speak of things they don’t know. These false prophets and false Christs pervert the
gospel. They come in secretly like wolves in sheep’s clothing, introducing destructive heresies
(Matt. 7:15; 24:4-5, 23-25). Kenneth Hagin in his booklet, How God Taught Me About
Prosperity, claimed revelations from God about prosperity, but as we have seen, most of his
teaching on the subject was plagiarized from New Thought writers like Kenyon. He blatantly
states; “The Lord Himself taught me about prosperity. I never read it in a book. I got it directly
from Heaven.” (Hagin, 1) Deception of riches misled the Laodicean church unlike the church of
Philadelphia, which was word-centered (Rev. 3:7-13 and 14ff).
Prosperity gospel preachers sanctify greed and covetousness. Human nature, even with the
redeemed (Rom. 7), is drawn toward sin, particularly fleshly evil desires, and to sanction those
desires with Scripture is dangerous at worst and deceptive at best (cf. Matt. 6:25ff). When greed
if sanctified; when covetousness is sanctified—it is a real danger to the believer and unbeliever
alike. We are warned to dissociate from the covetous (1 Cor. 5:9-11; Col. 3:5-8). Prosperity
preachers are using the cloak of covetousness to defraud others in the name of the gospel (1
Thess. 2:3-5; 2 Tim. 3:1-9). Covetousness, which is idolatry, appears in most vice lists (Rom.
1:28-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; Ex. 20:17; Luke 12:13-15), and is a sin which leads to condemnation.
Contending for the Gospel
Jude 3 exhorts us to earnestly contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints, because
some men have secretly come into the church of Christ with false doctrines and blasphemies.
The Prosperity Gospel is one of such false doctrines. To contend means we are called to warfare,
a battle for truth and the purity of the gospel. The war against false doctrine and false gospel is as
old as the church and has intensified in these last days as predicted in Scripture. Believers must
stand their ground and hold firmly to what they believe. They must watch their life and doctrine
to save themselves and those who hear them (1 Tim. 4:1-16). Much is at stake and it is a matter
of life and death. Prosperity preaching misleads and can very well lead astray some who are
genuinely seeking to be saved.
Growth in the Word is very essential: Proverbs 23:23 instruct us to buy truth and not sell it.
Truth is synonymous with the word of God and Jesus Christ himself (John 8:32; 14:6; 17:17).
Satan is the antithesis of truth, the father of lies and all who follow him. Prosperity preaching has
veered off from the truth, and hence, is promoting Satan’s lies. Believers must stand for truth,
defend truth, and contend for the truth of the gospel in the face of such distortions (2 Cor. 13:8).
Ephesians 4:11-16 tells us that Christ has gifted the church with apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the church may be
built up in the knowledge of Christ. This is the goal of every group of believers—growth in faith
and knowledge of Jesus Christ (cf. Phil. 1:9-11; Col. 1:9-12) and attaining maturity, the whole
measure of the fullness of Christ. Verse 15 gives us the purpose for growth and maturity—to
avoid deception; “That ye henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive.”
Avoiding End Time Deception: Jesus warned that just before his return, many will be deceived
by false prophets and false christs, who will perform great signs and wonders (Matt. 24:4-5, 2326). Paul gave a similar warning that the coming of the antichrist or the Wicked One would be
preceded by great signs and wonders and counterfeit miracles of Satan by which those do not
love the truth will be deceived (2 Thess. 2:9-12). God has indeed sent a strong delusion, and
those who chase after signs and wonders have believed a lie (cf. Deut. 18:20-22; Deut. 13:1-5; 611). Paul warns again of dangerous times when people will be self-lovers, pleasure lovers,
covetous, boastful, proud, blasphemous, unthankful, unholy and high minded. They care about
their pleasures—material prosperity, here and now, than love of God and his word—truth (2
Tim. 3:1-9). People “…shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines
of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their consciences seared with a hot iron; …” (2 Tim.
4:1-4). Prosperity gospel falls within these descriptions in these passages.
Miracles Do Not Always Point to Christ’s Presence: Matthew 24 and Second Thessalonians 2
are clear proofs that miracles do not always imply the presence of Christ or a confirmation of a
ministry. False christs and false prophets WILL PERFORM GREAT SIGNS AND WONDERS.
In Luke 11:19, we see that not all power is of God. Many people use other powers to perform
miracles and cast out demons (cf. Egyptians magicians in Exodus 7:8-12). There are many who
will prophesy and some who will cast out demons and perform great miracles, but will be
rejected by Christ (Matt. 7:13-23). Miracles were intended to point to Jesus as the Messiah, and
were always linked to the salvation message; Jesus said, “Take heart, son, your sins are forgiven”
(Matt. 9:1-7)
The Necessity of Discernment: In light of the forgoing, Scripture instructs us to test every
spirit. “BELOVED, BELIEVE not every spirit, but try the spirits…” (1 John 4:1). Scripture also
exhorts us to examine every teaching; to proof all things; to hold fast that which is good, and
abstain from all evil (Acts 17:11; 1 Thess. 5:19-22).
What is at Stake? The danger here as already said, is of damnation and hell (Gal. 1:8-9)! Jesus
warned the Pharisees about their deception and hypocrisies, who crossed land and sea and made
converts twice the subjects of hell as they themselves (Matt. 23:15). A misrepresentation of the
gospel can lead to drastic consequences—ending up in hell. Paul reserves very harsh words for
anyone who distorts the gospel. In Philippians 3:2, he called them dogs, men who do evil, and
mutilators of the flesh. Paul warned of false apostles, who transform into angels of light like their
master, Satan (2 Cor. 11:3-15); ravenous wolves, who would not spare the flock (Acts. 20:2535).
Conclusion: Therefore, we stand firm and contend for the gospel. We see all around us the
predictions of false Christs and false prophets being fulfilled. It is a war call. Paul saw the need
for this war, and whether in or out of prison, he defended and confirmed the gospel (Phil. 1:7).
He called on all believers to do likewise (cf. vv27-28). We must stand against everything that
exalts itself above the knowledge of God (2 Cor. 10:3-6). We must renounce every secret and
shameful ways; every form of deception; and set for the truth of the gospel plainly in the sight of
all men and God (2 Cor. 4:2-3). This war is not for the faint at heart or the lazy or those seeking
to please men or men’s approval. It’s a war that you must take a side! The prosperity gospel is a
different gospel, and prosperity preachers and prophets are false prophets, and we must contend
and refute them. From what we have discussed so far, this is sufficient evidence to conclude that
the prosperity gospel is a false gospel.
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Major Works cited/consulted
Blomberg, Craig L. Neither Poverty nor Riches. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1999.
Copeland, Kenneth. Blessed To Be A Blessing. Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1997.
Hagin, Kenneth. How God Taught Me About Prosperity. Tulsa, OK: Faith library Publications, 1985.
Jones, David W. and Russell S. Woodbridge. Health, Wealth & Happiness. Grand Rapids: Kregel
Publications, 2011.
MacArthur, John F. Charismatic Chaos. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.
Mumford, Debra J. Exploring Prosperity Preaching. Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2012
Rhodes, Ron. The Challenge Of The Cults and New Religions. Grand rapids: Zondervan, 2001.