Prosperity Gospel: Is it heresy or religion?

By Dr. Josue Okoth

Prosperity theology is built on a quasi-Christian heresy of the late 19th and 20th centuries but started in the 1990s and 2000s by influential leaders in the Pentecostal Movement in the United States.

The founders equated poverty with sin arguing that anyone could be rich through hard work. Prosperity churches teach to live without limits and cultivate optism about their lives.

In the 1960s, prosperity  gospel advocates embraced televangelism and became dominant in the United States - thus becoming the most watched religious Television, spreading to the whole world. The ideology gained greater acceptance within the charismatic Christians worldwide by 2006.

Many of them are non-Denominational and independents though some have formed networks. They will call any big church building a Cathedral without understanding what the term means.

Prosperity Churches put a strong emphasis on the importance of giving, referring to tithing mentioned in Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this, ‘says the Lord Almighty, and see if I will not throw open the flood-gates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it".

This was God speaking about His house. Tithe is for the God's house not to make individuals rich. They preach that if you give so much to God, he will return as much - material goods and physical health - as if by a formula.  Another scripture they quote is John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full".

Many people fall into the trap of not differentiating between material and spiritual matters. Remember Jesus is Spirit. When Jesus talks about riches, he refers to spiritual riches; ‘have life and have it to the full', refers to spiritual life. I strongly encourage Christians to read Jesus' sermon on the mountside commonly known as the "Beatitudes" (Mt 5: 1-12; Luke 6:20-26); note verse 24, "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort".

Christ as we know comes to complete the revelation of the Father. The Father is craving to be fully understood by us in as much as humans can understand Him.

The Father sent prophets in the past - each of whom tried to do their best, but all imperfectly. They too, were locked like everybody of their time into certain knowledge of God that was not necessarily the complete one. And so finally He sends His own Son to spell out loud and clear and, definitely:   Who and What the Father was. His words are final.

The strongest weapon Satan has against us is our ignorance. Jesus said in John 8: 31-32 "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free".

Jesus came into the world in a humiliating manner and he died without any property, even his clothing was shared by soldiers who crucified him (Jn 19:23-24). Let us not forget the simplicity of Jesus' life and his commending those who embrace voluntary poverty for the sake of God's Kingdom.

He preached against idolatry of money and warned not to be anxious about life, what we shall eat or drink. Mt 6: 24 says "No one can serve two masters….You cannot serve both God and Money". In the young rich man's story of Matthew 19:16-30 who asked Jesus what he must do to ‘get eternal life', and Jesus answered him that to be perfect, he should sell his possession, give to the poor and then follow him. When the young man heard this, "he went away sad, because he had great wealth".

I consider this to be a challenge to the Prosperity church pastors to do what Jesus has told the young rich man. In Luke 9:1-9, while teaching his disciples, he gave them power and authority over demons and to cure diseases and send them out to preach the Kingdom of God. He instructed them to take nothing for the journey, not even extra tunic.

This should be the life of the Missionaries in the Christian Church. In another occasion (Luke 18:24-30) Jesus was talking about how it is easier for a camel to enter the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter heaven. Then Simon Peter asked "how about us who have left all to follow you". Jesus replied that "no one who have left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much..."

A pastor should give up more for the sake of the kingdom of God. Christianity is all about sacrifices for others, just like Jesus did.

The mainstream evangelicalism Churches oppose property theology as heresy. Heresy is evil. It is a disgrace to call yourself ‘Christian' when you don't' follow Christ's life. Philippians 2: 5 says, ‘Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus'. I have watched many times televangelism - I see less prayer, but more preaching, more appeals for tithe and "miracles".

With all due respect, "miracles" are used as catch word, but they do not prove God's will because even the demons do the same.  Pastors of prosperity Churches have desire to be successful and financially secure. They want to achieve their dream to own property and increase wealth. This is an American dream. But this is not Christian and has damaged the image of born-again and identity of Christianity.

The writer is a concerned Christian

okothjosue@yahoo.com