Nigeria’s wealthiest pastor, Bishop David Oyedepo is always
in the news – He was in the news in the United Kingdom. Sadly for
him, Britain is not Nigeria, where the corrupt courts absolved him of all wrong
doings, his abuses and violence against a young worshipper of his church at Winner Chapel – aka “Cananland” It was the video of his satanic
slap of a young girl, probably an uneducated parishioner, who didn't know how
best to express her love and witness for Jesus, that exposed the abuse and
muddled message that is being promulgated by the bishop to his gullible and
biblical ignorant followers. Since then, I have penned a couple of
articles calling on the federal government intervention to enact laws and
policies to checkmate abuses - physical, sexual, emotional, mental, and
moral abuses in places of worship in the nation in order to protect the
vulnerable. I'm not too concerned about the learned and intelligent
parishioners that sit under such blasphemous teachings every week. Hosea
4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” To earn a PhD
or have a lucrative job or business does not make one knowledgeable. However,
it still baffles me how an educated and intelligent person could sit under such
teachers and listen to the junks that some of them teach from their pulpit
every week. So, it behoves the government to protect the
weak and vulnerable especially from physical and sexual abuses in the name
of God.
Christianity is no Longer an Intellectual Exercise in an age
of Prosperity Gospel: The Rev. Dr. Jonathan L. Walton, the new Pusey
Minister of Harvard’s Memorial Church, and professor at Harvard Divinity
School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, in his first “morning prayers,” a
ritual of welcoming freshman move-in day to Harvard University at Cambridge,
said, “Religion (faith) is an intellectual as well as spiritual exercise. The Memorial Church, he declared, is a place to educate minds and expand hearts
- action that defines faith, belief that encourages discussion, and joyousness
that allows for the occasional bout of existential angst.” I agree with
Professor Walton. If theology, spirituality, faith, religion and the call
to teach the infallible Word of God, was not an intellectual exercise, I would
have quit being one long time ago. Training to become a
priest/pastor takes years of study and preparation. Sadly the “holy
office” is no-longer sacred and intellectually stimulating because con-men and
women, who have no business with the “holy calling”, have desecrated it in
order to dwindle and deceive the gullible and weak in the society. This
kind of unbalanced gospel messages that are being promulgated by the so-called
“men of God” and super pastors and preaches of our day around the world is
appalling and troublesome. Christianity has lost its moral mandate and
mission. Today, the gospel message, the good news of the kingdom is
perverted. What we have nowadays is another gospel, a false gospel, and a
religious syncretism. “The gospel teaching that subtly implies and
often overtly states that God wants you to be rich is a false gospel,” writes
Pastor Jim Bakker, a former prosperity preacher and proponent of “God wants you
rich theology,” who dwindled his parishioners millions of dollars and later
while serving term in prison, he diligently read and studied the Scripture and
God opened his understanding. That teaching he says, does not lineup with
the tenets of the Holy Scriptures. It is another gospel – another Jesus,
in fact, a gospel of Satan and message of hell fire - a prosperity-tinged
Pentecostalism.”
Christianity is in Crisis: Dr. Hank Hanegraaf,
president of Christian Research Institute in California, and one of the finest
and courageous Christian apologists of our time, in his book, “Christianity in
Crisis” prophetically and passionately argued that modern-day Christianity is
in crisis. He said that the Church is undergoing a major transformation and
that millions of Christians have embraced another gospel, another Jesus, a
gospel of false promises of prosperity, wealth, healing, signs and
wonders. He attributes the problem to lack of sound biblical training and
Seminary education. George Barna, the famous Church consultant, researcher
and writer, also supports Dr. Hanegraaf postulations that the Church is dying
due to lack of sound Bible teachers and strong Church leadership. There is
no doubt that the Christian faith has lost its value, respect and dignity. C.
S. Lewis, the famous Oxford apologist for the faith, wrote: “We must
return to Christianity in order to preserve the things we value. But we
cannot return to Christianity at all unless the thing we value above all else
is Christ... Otherwise, we are in effect, asking to save our idols for
us.” In his best-selling book, “Crisis in the Village,” Dr. Robert M.
Franklin, a theologian and public intellectual, wrote that the “Church has lost
her moral mission, call and commitment.” Today baby boomers and the new
“millennials” are flooding to churches and synagogues because of widespread
hunger for meaning and many bring aversion to such traditional teachings such
as sin, evil, forgiveness, commitment, even truth itself. As a result,
what we have today in many large churches is “designer gospel message”
and “religious syncretism” where the gospel are re-packaged to suit those who
want a faith to satisfy their “felt need,” the gospel message that “God wants
you to be rich.” “Send money as a step of faith and God will bless you
message.” “Give a $1,000 pledge and God will bless you.” Name it claims
it.” “Give to get rich message.” “100 fold return-blessing and even 1000
times return” is another gospel, a different gospel from what Jesus Christ
taught. Their tricks are working because many of those who profess faith
in Jesus Christ are biblically ignorant and gullible and that is why
‘god-want-you-rich theology’ is a booming business for their
proponents. It is true that Jesus taught on the subject of money and
finance more than any other subject in the Bible – but all His teachings on
money were in negative connotation.
Big Faith Equals Wealth $millions$: In the July 2007
edition of Christianity Today, it carried a survey conducted in 2006 by the PEW
forum on religion and public life. They found that 25% of Nigerian
Christians are renewalists - that is Pentecostals & Charismatic. The
same survey noted that 33% of South Africans and 50% of Kenyans were also
renewalists. Out of nearly 900 million Africans, which include
Christians, Muslims, pagans, Atheists and other religious persuasions, about
150 million Christians are now renewalists. Professor Paul Gifford of the
University of London, England, in his 2004 book: “New Christianity:
Pentecostalism in a Globalizing African Economy” writes, “African Christians
believe that success is determined by your faith.” Professor Gifford
notes that these renewalists have moved beyond traditional Pentecostal
practices of speaking in tongues, prophesying, and healing to the belief
that God will provide – money, cars, houses, and even spouses – in response to
the believer’s faith – if not immediately, then soon. In the same 2006 survey
by PEW forum, 92% Nigerian Christians, 90% South African and 85% of Kenyan
Christians agreed that “wealth and material blessings are based on one’s
faith.” What a tragedy and travesty!. This is how sad and drastic
prosperity gospel has become among Christians in Nigeria and most of
Africa. Prosperity message is destructive and has negative effects. This blind spirituality is not only destructive, damaging, and deceptive but
worse than slavery. It is bondage, abuse, deception, manipulation,
godlessness and satanic capitalism. Most Nigerian Christians are
only not enslaved spiritually, morally and financially but intellectually as
well. It is economic, moral, and intellectual slavery. Million of
Nigerian Christians are now victims of Satanic Churches and their false
prophets. The prosperity gospel is also destroying Nigerian society
–family, homes, causing a combination of disappointment, hurts, discouragement,
and anger toward God and sometimes causes people to turn away from God.
What we have nowadays is moral bankruptcy, biblical ignorance, a modern
day voodoo and satanic spiritual spiritualism. In a nutshell, what we
have today is 419 in the Church. What we have today is materialistic
Christianity and there is enormous danger in it.
Warning Against False Doctrine and False Prophets and
Teachers: Jesus Christ warned his disciples and followers about false
prophets who would rise up to lead many astray and to destruction (Matthew
24:11). In Oliver Discourse, Jesus warned, "Take heed that no one deceives
you. For many will come in my name. And will deceive many" (Matthew
24:4-5). Jesus said if you hold to my teaching, you are really my
disciples. Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free –
John 8:31-32. People remain in bondage when they are ignorant of what has
been provided for them through the life and death of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ. Unfortunately, today, too many Christians are more interested in this
present world materialism than in the balanced teachings of Jesus
Christ. The apostle Paul dedicated the entire epistle of Timothy to teach
against false prophets, false doctrines and godlessness in the last days.
He warns Timothy, his son in the ministry, to flee from such things. He
writes, “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number
of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their
ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths” – 2 Timothy 4:3-4. In 2
Timothy 3:1-5, Paul warns, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the
last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money,
boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful,
unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control,
brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure
rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power.
Have nothing to do with such people.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 say, “All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work. The Apostle Paul charges Timothy, “Preach the Word;
be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with
great patience and careful instruction.” As teachers and preachers of the
Word of God, we are reminded to do our best to study and show ourselves
approved to God, a workman who odes not need to be ashamed but who correctly
handles the Word of Truth (2 Timothy 2:15). There is no doubt that that
the Nigerian Pentecostal Church and certain bishops in the fold are emulating
and borrowing from the rich American Church and her superstar pastors, bishops
and televangelists like Pastor Benny Hinn, Bishop TD Jakes, Dr. Creflo Dollar,
Bishop Eddie Long, Bishop Dale Bronner, Pastor Joel Osten, Pastor Joyce Myer,
Pastor Paula White, and Pastor Darlene Bishop etc. These imitators and
imposters refused to understand that United States is a rich and capitalist
country. The American Church organizations are big businesses and they have
learned to tap into the wealth and prosperity of the nation without depending
on the meager tithes and offerings from their members. Today, the streets of
major cities in Nigeria are littered with all kinds of Churches promising
healing, wealth, prosperity and happiness and yet Nigeria and vast majority of
its citizens are among the poorest people in the world. Additionally, the
presence and practice of rituals, divination, astrology, sorcery, witchcraft,
voodoo, magic, envy, greed, jealousy, hatred, idolatry, hypocrisy, ungodliness,
wickedness, lust, immorality, adultery and corruption remain rampant and
alarming in the society. There is no sign of righteousness, love, peace and
hope, but injustice, unrighteousness, hate, anger, resentment, bitterness,
evil, wickedness, violence, killings, and hopelessness reign supreme in every
household, neighbourhood and city.
Modern-Day Designer Church is Perverted: I'm afraid
to say that what we have today is a perverted Church; a Church that is totally
misconstrued, misguided and misinformed where spiritual witchcraft and biblical
ignorance are in abundance. What we have today is a Church that is
bewitched, a Church that is preaching and teaching another gospel; another
Jesus and a message of “get rich and get healed theology,” a Church were the
so-called men of God are preaching eisegesis rather proper exegesis and sound
exposition of the Word of God, where they are using pragmatic psychological
philosophies for attaining success and for solving spiritual issues rather than
sound exposition of God’s Word, men who are using the Word of God for lucre and
for profit. The Church was called upon to uphold the honor, glory and
authority of Christ on planet earth. Instead of upholding this divine
mandate with dignity, the Church and her leaders have been deceived and
trampled upon by demons of antichrist and cultic and pharisaic associations
where the presence of God is completely absent and self and pride are
enthroned. What we have today are Church buildings where sin, wickedness,
witchcraft and all manners evil are practiced and people accept it so;
multimillion dollar buildings and temples where the spirit of Christ has been
thrown out and Satan himself is enthroned on the altar. No wonder atrocities
and exploitations of worshipers such as the ones we read in our newspapers and
watch on television are happening every day. The Church must pray for revival
and renewal. I agree with Rev. D. Peter C. Moore, who wrote that, “The
Church that God cherishes is one that is “Evangelical in Teaching, Catholic in
Sacrament, Reformed in Doctrine, Charismatic in Ministry Gifts, and Liberal in
Ethos and Global in Scope.” Anything else is just humanistic and designer
religion.
The Danger of Prosperity and Materialistic Message rather
than true Gospel: The danger of Pentecostal prosperity and materialistic
message is giving people false hope – that God will fulfill His promises based
on their twisted interpretation of Scripture. Biblical hope is more of a
simple wish; it entails certainty based on God’s demonstration of faithfulness
to people in the history of salivation recorded in the scriptures and as
experienced by promise of Christ’s return and the anticipation of resurrection
from the dead. That is the blessed hope in God. Most of these
prosperity preachers may have earned PhD’s in other fields of study but not in
theology, divinity or ministry. They should go back to school –
Seminary to study the Scriptures – and take course in exegesis, biblical
interpretation, hermeneutics, homiletics, and biblical languages
such as Hebrew w and Greek in order to be qualified to correctly teach the
Bible. Because what most of them are teaching today is another gospel, a
twisted and muddled gospel - a gospel of hell and that of Satan designed for
the coming of antichrist. Prosperity teachers are preaching arrogance,
foolishness, sin, and false doctrine – because what most of them are
propagating today is not true gospel but another gospel, a muddled
message. They should repent and confess their sins for contradicting and
twisting the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
PROSPERITY GOSPEL AND 419 IN THE CHURCH– PART 2
We have deliberately removed Bishop Oyedepo from the title of
this article for a couple of reasons: first, to let his followers and
supporters understand that the first part of my essay was not about their
bishop. Second, I hold nothing against Bishop Oyedepo. In fact, I admire
him as a businessman. He is a smart and astute industrialist. I do
not however, consider him a spiritual leader. Third, the prosperity gospel
being promulgated today is much bigger than Bishop David Oyedepo. So,
those of you who are followers, supporters and protégées of the bishop, please
stop making all sorts of hateful comments or even threatening me, because you
don’t know who I am. Do not threaten the voice of a true prophet of God
or touch His anointed one. Usually I try to stay away from reading
comments—especially negative ones; but when your hateful emails and negative
comments began arriving in my personal inbox and even those phone calls, I then
realized how truth hurts the hearers who are in error. However, I'm not
concerned about your empty threats and tantrums but your ignorance and
stupidity. In part 3 and final part of the essay, I will explore the
teachings of Jesus Christ on the subject of money, finances and material
prosperity, so that some of you who are biblical ignorant can learn from the
master teacher. Let me also make this point. I do not disagree that
your bishop is called of God. You must understand that the “Call of God”
is not always associated with shepherding a church or running a ministry. If you study the Holy Scriptures very carefully, you will notice that people
were called to perform various activities and carry-out different
assignments. Some were called to be leaders, kings, military warriors,
missionaries, judges, kingdom builders, revolutionaries and off-course to
be priests, prophets and teachers (study these names: Adam &
Eve, Noah, Abraham & Sarah, Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Jonah, Deborah, Gideon,
Samson, Ruth, Esther, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Jesus, Apostles,
Paul). They were all called of God. If you also study the political, social and economic systems
of biblical times, you will notice that none of those called to be priests,
prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, etc were rich or wealthy. In
fact, when the priests tried to extort the people, they were rebuked by the
true and courageous prophets of God. Also when food lacked in the homes
of the priests, God rebuked the people for failing to tithe their grains into
the house of the LORD (Malachi 3). Today, Malachi 3:10 is abused just
like Luke 6:38, John 10:10, 3 John 2, and other Scriptures that are falsely
used to teach prosperity gospel, which have nothing whatever to do with
money. In fact the context of Luke 6:38 was about judging others and
taking care of the needy and poor. We will explore those Scriptures and
others in part 3 of the essay.
Yes, Abraham was wealthy, but he was not a priest or
bishop. Isaac, his son was also rich, but he was not a priest or
prophet. Jacob was wealthy but, he was not a bishop. Joseph
controlled the riches and wealth of Egypt; he was not a pastor but a prime
minister. Because of his godly lifestyle and wisdom, he was appointed to
administer the wealth of Egypt. Daniel prayed three times daily and
refused to bow to the gods of king Nebuchadnezzar. The King noticed his
great faith and godly wisdom, and elevated him to be the wise counselor in the king’s
cabinet. Bishop James pleaded to the churches in Rome and Asia Minor
to send their offerings to support the poor stricken church in Jerusalem and to
carry out the work of the apostles. Apostle Paul was supported by the
wealthy women and rich merchants of the Corinthian church. As a
missionary and evangelist, he worked as a carpenter to supplement his living
expenses. Jesus Christ, even though had a treasurer in His ministry, who
kept the meager donations from the people, He had to borrow a white donkey to
ride into Jerusalem. He didn’t have money to buy one, although He could
have commanded money to do whatever He wanted to be done, but he didn’t.
On one occasion, he commanded money out the mouth of the fish to pay His taxes
to Caesar. He borrowed two small fish and five loaves of bread to feed
His congregants. His tomb was a borrowed tomb. On and on, you will notice that those who were rich and
wealthy in biblical times were common folks who simply worked hard to become
rich, but also folks who trusted the God that they served to bless them.
And that blessing was not just monetary, but peace, protection and ability to
work. When you a read the Bible, you will also come across
hundreds of stories of men and women—young and old, named and unnamed,
sometimes, it is a story of sadness, suffering, pain, poverty, disease,
sickness and death. But many times, it is the story of joy, of power,
influence, riches, wealth, love, charity, faith, and wisdom. Today,
especially in our society, such virtues are gone and no where to be seen.
Today’s Christians are obsessed with money and materialism—a mentality of “have
it all” in this life, “god-wants-you-rich theology.” The great virtues of
love, charity, faith, humility, courage, character, integrity, and prayer are
thrown out of the doors of modern-day churches.
Many churches today are designed for ecstatic and euphoric
worship style where man rather than Jesus Christ is glorified; where the
pastors and bishops are flying in private jets, and the majority of their
parishioners are wallowing in abject poverty and wretched mindset. With
exception of corrupt politicians, civil servants, business barons and the
419’ners, most of the people in our churches today are folks living in
abject poverty and yet, those who are suppose to be educating their minds
and empowering them are extorting from the little they have. Nigerian
Christians can’t think anymore on how to create and build wealth but how to
manipulate God to rain dollars on them. Today, the teaching in the church
that wealth and material blessings are based on one’s faith is a
travesty. It is the kind of teaching and preaching that keeps
people in bondage and spiritual blindness. Today’s church is spiritually
blind. To be spiritual is not to be stupid. Spirituality does not
equate to stupidity. And that’s where most Nigeria Christians are currently—in
spiritual bondage. Debra J. Mumford, PhD., MDiv., the Frank H. Caldwell
Associate professor of Homiletics at Louisville Presbyterian Theological
Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky, in her classic book: “Exploring Prosperity
Preaching – Biblical Health, Wealth, and Wisdom,” masterfully explores the core
teachings of prosperity gospel and their proponents in the American church and
offers constructive criticism of the prosperity message, its contributions to
Christianity as well as its consequences.
We reproduce here below the overview of “Exploring
Prosperity Preaching” by Professor Debra J. Mumford for your edification. Although the prosperity gospel is relatively new on the
religious landscape, she writes, its worldwide media presence has enabled the
dissemination of its message to people of all ages, ethnicities, races, and
religious and denominational affiliations. We will closely examine the
prosperity gospel to deconstruct its teachings. But first we need to understand
how prosperity preaching evolved and learn about the people responsible for its
existence.
Chapter 1 provides an overview of the history of prosperity preaching,
including people and movements that influenced its origins, such as E.W.
Kenyon, Kenneth E. Hagin, and Oral Roberts. The book surveys African American
preachers of New Thought, including Father Divine, Reverend Ike, and Johnnie
Rae Colemon, and introduce contemporary Word of Faith ministers as well. The
next ten chapters outline the core teachings of the prosperity gospel. Each
chapter bears a title that represents a frequently used phrase by prosperity
preachers. The theology that undergirds each phrase is explained, and
affirmations and critiques are included in a section titled “Sifting the Wheat
from the Chaff” in each chapter. Biblical texts that prosperity preachers use
to justify their teachings are included where applicable.
In Chapter 2, “The Word of God Means Exactly What It Says,”
explores the biblical assumptions on which the prosperity gospel is based. Word
of Faith preachers interpret the Bible using proof texting, typology, and
propositional revelation – basically the use of rationale of literal
interpretation and rejection of biblical exegesis. In the Sifting the Wheat
from the Chaff section, I describe the dangers of interpretation without
context. I present an alternative interpretive approach.
Chapter 3 looks at the prosperity gospel’s teaching that
declares, “The world’s economy is not your economy.” According to Word of Faith
theology, two economies exist in the world—the secular economy and God’s divine
economy. In the divine economy, believers become wealthy only by giving away
what they have. Adherents are advised to ignore the realities of the world’s
economy and to believe that God will supply not only their needs but also the
desires of their hearts. In Sifting the Wheat from the Chaff, I examine the
potential consequences of ignoring secular realities, using prosperity
preaching’s role (as reported in some news articles) in the 2008 housing crisis
as an example.
Chapter 4, “Poverty Is a Curse, and Jesus Was Not Poor,”
explores the Word of Faith contention that poverty is a curse. Since the
central figure of the gospel (Jesus) cannot be under a curse, they also argue
that Jesus was not poor. I use very familiar Scriptures to support Word of
Faith teachings about poverty, including how prosperity preachers offer
alternate interpretations of biblical texts that describe Jesus’ socioeconomic
status. In Sifting the Wheat from the Chaff, I differentiate between the poor
people as “cursed of God” and “poverty” as “a curse.” I also offer an African
American prophetic preaching perspective on Jesus’ social status.
In chapter 5, I consider the “God is your source” teaching.
While all preachers of Word of Faith theology contend that God is the source of
all blessings, including finances, some preachers are more specific about the
sources of wealth available for Christians. For example, some teach that “the
wealth of sinners is laid up for the righteous.” In order for the righteous to
receive stored money, they literally need to cry out for it. In Sifting the
Wheat from the Chaff, I offer an African American prophetic preaching
perspective. I also offer a basic approach to biblical exegesis.
Chapter 6, “The Anointing Produces Victory,” examines how
the teachings of Kenneth E. Hagin, who believed in the power of the Holy Spirit
(the anointing) to empower believers for ministry, have been adopted by Word of
Faith preachers to teach that the anointing also empowers believers to prosper
financially. I investigate interpretations of Joel 2:18–4:17, including the
teachings of the Latter Rain movement. In Sifting the Wheat from the Chaff, I
examine the concept of anointing in the Old Testament and present an African
American prophetic preaching alternative.
In chapter 7, she explored the Word of Faith teaching in the
refrain “There is authority in the name of Jesus.” Word of Faith preachers
proclaim that believers should use that authority to create their own life
realities. Essentially, adherents are taught that their lives are direct
reflections of their verbal confessions. In Sifting the Wheat from the Chaff, I
look into the dangers of misusing the concept of “authority” and offer an
African American prophetic preaching perspective.
In chapter 8, “Claim Your Healing,” I probe the Word of
Faith assertion that believers need never be sick. Good physical health is a
right of all Christians, and so believers have only to claim their good health
in order to receive it. She highlights the Word of Faith interpretation of
Isaiah 53:4-5 as it relates to God’s promise of healing. In Sifting the Wheat
from the Chaff, I offer an alternative interpretation of the Isaiah text and
examine other healing texts. Using the testimony of Betty Price, wife of
prosperity preacher Fred Price, I encourage readers to broaden their thinking about
healing beyond the miraculous.
In chapter 9, “You Are the Righteousness of God,” we will
test the Word of Faith teaching that asserts that believers have been declared
righteous in God’s sight and therefore have at work in them the same unlimited
ability and wisdom of God as Christ had. She contrasts Word of Faith theology
of the righteousness of God and the favor of God of prosperity preachers with
that of Swiss reformer John Calvin. In Sifting the Wheat from the Chaff, I
dissuade readers from conceiving of God as their personal valet.
In chapter 10, “Race Doesn’t Matter,” Prof. Debra Mumford
examines the teachings of Word of Faith teacher Creflo Dollar Jr. on race.
Building on the promise of the elusive American Dream, his teaching asserts
that people no longer need to identify with their natural heritage (race) once
they are born again, because they have a new spiritual heritage with which to
identify. Identifying with a particular ethnic or racial group creates division
in the church. I contrast Word of Faith’s theology of race with the teachings
of evangelical and prophetic traditions. In Sifting the Wheat from the Chaff, I
argue that racism is not a personal problem but a systemic issue.
Chapter 11 examines Word of Faith’s belief that “living by
the word of God eliminates social ills.” Adherents say that all of society’s
issues of social injustice would be resolved if all people would convert to
Christianity. Word of Faith’s focus on individual conversion is indicative of
the individualistic nature of prosperity theology. Believers are taught to make
confessions (verbal claims to the promises of God) to God on behalf of
themselves and their families rather than on behalf of others. I highlight the
entitlement issues that result and compare and contrast these claims with those
of black prophetic preaching.
In chapter 12, “Affirmations, Denouncements, and
Reconstruction of Faith,” I delineate the gifts that prosperity theology brings
to Christendom, along with its shortcomings. She offers observations and
insights about the primary beneficiaries of prosperity theology, draw
conclusions about the value of and need for critical biblical interpretation
and holistic theological education, and suggest approaches to reconstructing
faith after rejecting the prosperity gospel. Finally, I appeal to all people of
God to work for the resurgence of the African American prophetic preaching
tradition.
PROSPERITY GOSPEL AND 419 IN THE CHURCH– PART 3
The apostle Paul writes,
“Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap” (1Timothy 3:1-7).
First Timothy 3:1-7 not only give the moral and spiritual
qualifications of those called to have pastoral oversight in the church, but
also encourages personal holiness. The focal point of the qualifications
falls on behavior that is persevered in godliness, godly wisdom, faithfulness
to God and His Word, loyalty and love for Christ and the gospel, purity in the
face of temptation and shun for earthly materialism. The bishop must have
godly leadership that is unblemished and faithfulness to the gospel of Christ. However, when you look into today’s churches especially in
Nigeria, where millions still live in abject poverty, one cannot but conclude
that the Nigerian Church is perverted and the gospel being propagated in many
Pentecostal churches and by her charlatans is horrifying. The prosperity
gospel that is being promulgated today is nothing more than a shameless fraud,
a scam, a phony scheme designed by false teachers for worldly, weak, poor and
gullible Christians to enrich themselves.
What is Prosperity? Six Kinds of Biblical Prosperity: Let us start by defining the biblical meaning of
prosperity. Joshua 1:6-9 reads, “Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the
land I swore to their ancestors to give them. “Be strong and very courageous.
Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it
to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep
this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that
you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous
and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever
you go.” Joshua, the successor of Moses, the great leader of the
Israelites was not a wealthy man in the sense of money and material possession
like King David or King Solomon. But the Bible said, he was a very
prosperous man. God prospered him in everything he did because he was a
man of great faith, vision, courage, loyalty, obedience, prayer, and dedication
to God and to the assignment that God called to do. Joshua was a resolute
leader. He respected and obeyed the Word of God, and as a result God prospered
him in all areas of his life. Joseph the eleventh son of Jacob was also
that kind man and leader. God prospered him in wisdom because of his
loyalty and obedience to God. Despite that he was well-built and handsome
and was in charge in Potiphar’s home, according to Genesis 39:6, he refused to
succumb to the temptation of Potiphar’s wife or do such a wicked thing and sin
against God (read Genesis 39-41). Because of that God showed him favor
and prospered him by making him the prime Minister of Egypt. Joshua 1:6-9 also contain the clearest promise of prosperity and successful
living. If you diligently study the Scriptures, you will notice that
there are over 2000 passages in the Bible that deal and speak on prosperity,
success, blessings, victory, favor, abundance, money, material blessings, as
well as spiritual prosperity, and 700 of those passages alone speak on
money. There are at-least six basic kinds of prosperity and blessing
taught in the Bible namely: Spiritual, Family, Mental, Physical, Social, and Financial
prosperity. True prosperity encompassed all these areas mentioned. And so, prosperity is not always associated with
materialism. Prosperity is more than money. In fact, biblical
prosperity is a spiritual blessing. Proverbs 13:21 says, “Prosperity is
the reward of the righteous.” Is your bishop the only righteous person in
your local congregation? Why is he the only one dressing fabulously, living
large, riding in Bentley and flying in private jets and his children
attending best schools in Europe and America and here you are barely scraping
by to survive and living in false hope. According to Strong’s Complete Concordance of the Bible,
prosperity is translated from the Hebrew word “Shalom.” Shalom in Hebrew
means completeness and soundness. It also means favor, peace, and
protection. In fact, the Greek word for prosperity includes mercy, grace,
joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness, goodwill, benefit,
bounty, reward, kindness, benevolence, opportunity, advancement, etc.
Prosperity like salvation is a compound word that includes spiritual, mental,
physical, social, health and financial wealth.
Financial Prosperity is the least kind of Biblical Blessing
and Prosperity. However, in today’s society, the quest for money tops humanity
priority more than any thing else. Why does someone want to have lots of
money when he or she is messed up mentally, emotionally, socially, and
healthy-wise? In our world today, we often hear or read about rich and
wealthy people committing suicide with drugs, alcohol or literally taken their
lives because of lack of genuine purpose and void in their lives despite their
riches and wealth, and material possessions. True prosperity teachers should be teaching their followers
how to prosper in their minds, in ideas, thinking, in their health,
relationships, mental, emotional, social, and physical health. They
should be teaching their followers how to live right, think straight, and find
better ways of doing things. The amount of money in our churches today
does not translate to any opportunities or advancement in our society at
all. It is a huge disconnect if only the bishops are rich and flying in
private jets and the majority of their congregation is living in abject poverty
financially, mentally, emotionally and health wise. There must be a
balance because only material prosperity wouldn’t make-up for the other areas
of blessing that’s lacking. We must be asking ourselves these questions–
are we prospering in our minds, health, and relationships? Are we
prospering in our thought processes, ideas, thinking, creativity, and ways to
live right and in peace and how to contribute and add value to society?
My friends, that’s what true and genuine prosperity is about. Let me also make it clear, the Bible does not condemn money,
riches, and material wealth. King Solomon was not only the wisest and but
the richest man that ever lived and will ever live. King Solomon was a
1000 more rich than Bill Gates of America. Noah was a wealthy man;
Abraham, Jacob, Isaac, Joseph, David, Solomon, etc., were all wealthy people.
God delights in the prosperity of His people. King David wrote in Psalm
35:25, “The LORD has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” God
rejoices when we are prospering financially. However, God is more pleased when
we prosper spiritually. Spiritual prosperity is the ultimate will
of God for us (see 3 John 2). Money is important and very useful to run our lives,
families, government, and yes as well as Church. It is so important that
the Bible calls it “master.” In Matthew 6:24, Jesus says, “No one
can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or
he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve
both God and mammon (money).” In Luke 16:13, Jesus reiterates the
point again and said it this way, “No servant can serve two masters.
Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the
one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” The
pursuit (greed) for money, riches and wealth should not be our main focus in
life. The Bible calls it idolatry. The demonic and selfish pursuit
for it to the point of almost using savage means to get money is demonic and
idolatrous. That’s why the Bible teaches in First Timothy 6:10, “For the
love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for
money have wandered from faith and pierced themselves with many
griefs.” The apostle Paul further warns us in Hebrew 13:5 to keep
our lives free from the love of money and be content with what we have, because
God has said, “Never will he leave you; never will I forsake you.” The love for
money and earthly treasures can divert attention from Jesus to worldliness and
Satan. Love for money and materialism can be a thief, a harlot, a false
lover in that it can steal attention and hearts way from God.
It is also a fact that we humans are more concerned and
worried about the physical and material needs of life – surely the basic
necessitates of life such as food, shelter and clothing than political, social
and even moral aspects of our lives. The global financial systems and housing
meltdown especially in the United States that led to severe worldwide economic
crisis, which caused millions to loose their jobs, homes and as a result many
are committing suicides rather than live. Although, the Bible
teaches sound principles and gives practical wisdom to help believers
navigate tough times with confidence and even show us how God’s children
and the church can thrive in times of economic crisis and financial woes, most
Christians still care more about economics than spiritual matters.
What Are Some of the Teachings of Jesus Christ on
Prosperity?: The teachings of Jesus on money and financial prosperity are very instructive.
Barely seven to eight weeks into His ministry, Jesus began a series of
teaching, which is popularly known as “Sermon on the Mount.” He began to teach
on series of topics such as the Beatitudes, Salt and Light, the Fulfilment of the Law, Murder, Adultery, Divorce, Oaths, An Eye for an Eye,
Love for Enemies, Giving to the Needy, Prayer, Fasting, Treasures in heaven ,
Do not Worry and suddenly to the astonishment of the disciples, Jesus
began to teach them in parables. All together Jesus taught His disciples
about forty parables to illustrate the secrets of the kingdom of God and
heaven as well as powerful truths about money, riches, wealth, and material
processions (Matthew 13:1-52). He used the language of business, the
principle of investing, property, bank, deposit, interest, money, wealth,
trade, risk-taking. He taught them in parable to reveal the power and
secret to overcome greed, idolatry, and financial worries. He told them, “But see first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” – Matt. 6:33.
He admonished the disciples to keep the kingdom of God and His righteousness
their number one priority. If this priority is kept usually everything
else will move into proper perspective. He taught them to serve only God
and to seek above all else His kingdom and His righteousness. The Greek
verb “seek” continually implies being continually absorbed in a search for
something or making a strenuous and diligent effort to obtain the rule and
reign of God in their lives. Jesus taught a lot more about money than salvation, love,
kingdom, heaven, etc. However, most of Jesus teaching about money,
riches, wealth, and material possessions were in negative
connotation. Jesus taught on greed Luke 12:13-21 and warned about
lack of generosity and selfishness. He told them not to be ravenous,
covetous, rapacious, gluttonous, insatiable, voracious, ostentatious,
self-indulgent, flamboyant, and shun priggishness, luxury, and lust.
Those things are what we see and have in our churches today. In the parable of
the Rich Fool, Jesus warns us to guard against all levels of greed. Jesus
taught that life does not consist in having many possessions and material
things. To explain this teaching, Jesus told a parable about a rich man
who continued to build bigger and bigger barns to store all his grain and
goods. His attitude was that he would have an easy life because he had
everything he could possibly want or need. God’s response in the parable
was that the man was foolish (You fool!) because when he died that night his
goods would do nothing for him. They would simply pass on to someone
else. Such a person is not rich toward God (1 Timothy 6:6-10; James
1:10).
Jesus went on in the same chapter to warn against worry,
anxiety and teaches us that life is more important than food, material things,
etc, consider the ravens: they do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or
barn; yet God feeds them (Luke 12:24). Consider how the lilies
grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon
in his entire splendor was dressed like one of these – Luke 12:27. But
seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well – Luke 12:31,
Mt. 6:33. The true significance of the Parable of the Rich Fool was to guard
against greed, to make earthly gain or riches the desire of one’s life is a
fatal error that leads to eternal loss (Luke 12: 20-21). Jesus spoke mostly about the dangers of money and earthly
riches. In Luke 15, the prodigal son didn’t even say, “Please give
me.” He simply demanded for his portion of his father’s wealth.
Before long, the young man ended in pigpen. The fastest route to the
pigpen begins with “Give me.” In Mark 4:19, we read that the cares of this
world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other possession chokes
the word and it becomes unfruitful. Deceitfulness of riches is the quest for
material possessions. The deceitfulness of riches and the desires for
possessions chokes the Word of God in the lives people families and society at
large. In Matthew 6:19-21, Jesus says,“Do not store up for you treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
In Matthew 6:24 and 31:33, Jesus gives us the priority of
life. ‘Do not worry saying, “what shall we eat” or what “what shall we
drink” or what shall we wear,” for the pagans run after all these things – But
seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.” The Kingdom of God is built on the cross not on bread
and butter – not on the need of the belly. In Luke 2:24, he said, “But
woes to you who are rich for you have already received your comfort.” In Luke
18:24-25, “Jesus looked at him (rich ruler) and said, “How hard it is for the
rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to g through
the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
Without doubt, one of the Lord’s shocking statement, but the fact is that Jesus
was still teaching on greed and warns against the pursuit of material wealth
with idolatry, which is demonic.
In Luke 19, we read Jesus visitation to Zacchaeus, the rich
tax collector, who earned his living by collecting more than he should from the
people. In fact Zacchaeus was called a sinner because he cheated the
people (Luke 19:7). And in those days, tax collectors were despised by
the people. Jesus off-course came to save that which is lost.
Jesus’ concern for Zacchaeus was to save his soul. We also noticed that
rather encouraging people to seek riches, Jesus actually elevates the status of
the poor. He loved the poor. In fact he came for the poor and he
preached to the poor in spirit Luke 21:3-4, “I tell you the truth; he said this
poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave
their gifts out of their wealth and abundance; but she out of her poverty put
in all she had to live by.”
Now, many Pentecostal and Word Faith movements Many
Christians who hold to a prosperity doctrine are quick to use few passages to
justify their prosperity message and God wants to bless you theology.
Look at all the rich saints in Old Testament Saints; they were all rich and
wealthy. Yes, the Old Testament saints were wealthy but not the
priests. They point to Jesus’ words in John 10:10, “I have come
that they may have life, and that they have it more abundantly.” It is
obvious that Jesus wants His people to prosper. He wants to give us a
good life, abundant quality and quantity. However, these bishops and
pastors twist the truth of John 10:10 and make it appear like the opposite if
true – to say that God doesn’t want your life to be rich, exciting, and full of
adventure is the greatest lie. They misinterpret the word ‘abundant’ that
Jesus uses here in verse ten to literally means to excel and super abound both
in quality and quantity. God wants you to super abound in every part of
your life. So, a quick glance of that verse could be interpreted to
imply that God wants us to enjoy material prosperity. However, that is
not what the passage means. The word for ‘life’ in this verse is ‘Zoë’, a
word indicating “life in the spirit and soul.” Another Greek word,
‘bios,’ from which we get the word ‘biology,’ also means “life”; but ‘bios’ is
the word used to refer to physical, material life. of the two words,
‘Zoë’ is usually considered the more noble, higher concept of life. Jesus
was saying this: “I want you to have an abundant life in the spirit,
which is my highest and best for you.” Actually, John 10:10 have
nothing to do with material prosperity. If abundant life meant having
expensive houses and cars, parties and entertainment, then it would be
legitimate to say that many non-Christians are experiencing abundant
life. By those criteria, members of the Mafia, Movie Stars, and Wall
Street financial Wizards would certainly be considered blessed. Another key passage the faith and prosperity preachers use
to bolster the prosperity message to defraud their clients is 3 John 2, which
says, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul prospers” (3 John 2 KJV). 3 John 2 is one of the
most misunderstood verses in the Bible. Almost every Pentecostal
prosperity preacher interprets that verse to mean financial and material
prosperity; in order words, to get rich and all the junks they teach to deceive
people and justify their “god-wants-you-rich theology.”
The problem is that some not all of these pastors have never
studied the words in original language or consulted a learned theologian.
Also part of the problem is that the King James translation of the Bible
obscures the true meaning of the verse. First, the phrase “above all
things” creates confusion for many Christians. The words make it sound as
though our prosperity is at the top of God’s priority list for us. But
wait a minute- “Above all?” Does that mean even above our
salvation? Of course not! In fact, when one fellow asked Jesus what
he thought was number one on God’s top list; Jesus’ answer included no
reference to material prosperity at all. And Jesus answered him, the first of
all the Commandments is, “Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: And
thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these (Mark
12:29-31). Jesus was saying that our number once concern is to love God
supremely; after that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Jesus did
not even hint that material prosperity has anything to do with His priorities
for our lives. Why, then, would the apostle John say that “above all” we
should have prosperity? He didn’t.
Conclusion – Materialistic Gospel Message is a Ponzi Scheme: In conclusion, first, let me say that the aim of my articles on prosperity
gospel and preachers is not to denigrate Pentecostal, Charismatic, and Word of
Faith churches. There is no doubt that since the Pentecostalism and
Charismatic began in the early 20th century, the movement, without question has
added value to the Christian faith. Unlike the Protestants and
Evangelicals, the Pentecostal and Charismatic churches have been a missionary
minded denomination; due in part to the fact that the first Pentecostals taught
that one central purpose of baptism in the Spirit was to endow the believer
with power for evangelism. In his book, “A Church to Believe In,” Rev.
Dr. Peter C. Moore, writes, “Our Church does need to be Catholic in worship,
Evangelical in experience, Reformed in doctrine, Pentecostal in Spirit,
Charismatic in ministry, Liberal in ethos, and Global in scope [emphasis
added]. Second, the aim is not to judge the prosperity preachers or
even the parishioners. You can take a horse to the river but you cannot
force her to drink the water. However, the prosperity gospel being
peddled by many Televangelists today is a heresy, a false message and it is
designed by false teachers to exploit the sick, poor and biblical illiterate
Christians. Most of the prosperity teachers are driven by the love
for money not love for God, Christ, people or the gospel. Their teachings
are so toxic and demonic and it is corrupting and destroying lives. Jesus
rebuked false teachers and even called them thieves. The apostle Paul
calls it a “different,” “another,” and a “perverted gospel” (1 Corinthians
11:3-4, Galatians 1:6-9) and warned against the insatiable greed of false
teachers and prophets. One of the reasons for false teachings and doctrines is
because the verses and passages of Scripture are taken out-of-context and
promulgators refuse to learn the principles of biblical interpretation such as
hermeneutics, exegesis, homiletics, and use of bible resources such as
bible dictionary, encyclopedia– and other bible references to study to show
themselves study and show ourselves approved to God, a workman who does not
need to be ashamed but who correctly handles the Word of Truth” (2 Timothy
2:15).
Prosperity gospel is a satanic scheme. It does not
offer eternal life or heaven or the fruit of the Spirit such as love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
But rather, it offers Satan, hell and acts of the sinful nature such as sexual
immorality, impurity, and debauchery, idolatry, and witchcraft, hatred,
discord, jealously, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, and envy,
drunkenness, orgies and the like (Galatians 5:19-22). Prosperity gospel
is a ponzi scheme and a colossal fraud. It is worse than Wall-Street
scandal Bernie Madoff ponzi scheme. Mr. Madoff defrauded rich people and
greedy investors. Prosperity preachers are defrauding the poor, sick and the
gullible. Materialistic gospel message is the worst kind of materialism and
deception ever conceived by Satan and its cohorts. The truth gospel message is–about the cross, about the
sinful condition of mankind and that God has provided remedy through the life
and death of Christ. It is about the cross, repentance, redemption,
confession of our sins and to love God and your neighbour. Jesus taught
us– to love God, love our neighbour, do not sin, etc. The true gospel
involves sacrifice, suffering, and self-denial. In Mathew 16:24, Jesus
said to his disciples, “If any one would come after me, he must deny himself
and take up his cross and follow me.” In Matthew 4:4 as well as in Deuteronomy
8:3 says, it is written, “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of God.” What we have today as prosperity
message is a muddled and schismatic gospel, Satan’s gospel, a 419 scheme, a
toxic and deadly scam designed for the sick, poor, gullible and biblical illiterate.
Rev. C. K. Ekeke, M.Div., Ph.D., is a theologian,
author, consultant and leadership scholar; he is the president of Leadership
Wisdom Institute, USA
Prof. Debra J. Mumford, PhD., MDiv., is the Frank H.
Caldwell Associate professor of Homiletics and Associate Dean of Students
Academic Affairs at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Louisville,
Kentucky, USA
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