
5 Verses Every Prosperity Preacher Should Memorize
THEOLOGY BLOG
THINKING BIBLICALLY ABOUT GOD
THEOLOGY
THINKING BIBLICALLY ABOUT GOD
5 VERSES PROSPERITY PREACHERS HATE
PROSPERITY PREACHERS EXPOSED
5 VERSES PROSPERITY PREACHERS HATE
PROSPERITY PREACHERS EXPOSED
In this blog I want to give you five verses that every prosperity preachers hates. Prosperity preachers love to misuse and abuse the bible in order to con greedy and gullible people into giving them more and more money. They live in big houses, drive fancy cars and fly around in their own private jets and yet they insist that they need more and more money. They dangle the carrot of prosperity in front of greedy pew warmers and con them into giving them their very last dollar. These people perish in their foolishness because they lack any knowledge of God and his word. Let’s look at five verses that clearly condemn the prosperity gospel. First of all we see that church leaders are to be free from the love of money.
It is a trustworthy
statement : if any man aspires to the office of overseer , it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer , then , must be above reproach , the husband of one wife , temperate , self-controlled , respectable , hospitable , skillful in teaching , not overindulging in wine , not a bully , but gentle , not contentious , free from the love of money . 1 Timothy 3:1-3
Notice here that one of the qualifications for a church leader is that he is free from the love of money. Some people say well he doesn’t “love money” he is just blessed by God. But that kind of thinking is simply irrational. Not a single New Testament pastor, leader or apostle was rich, they were all dirt poor. Which leads me to my second passage where the apostle Paul uses sarcasm to mock the Corinthians believers for thinking that their prosperity and wealth were a sign of God’s blessing.
You are already
filled I do not write, you have already become rich , you have become kings without us; and indeed , I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you! For I think , God has exhibited us, the apostles , last of all as men condemned to death , because we have become a spectacle to the world , both to angels and to mankind . We are fools on account of Christ , but you are prudent in Christ ! We are weak , but you are strong ! You are distinguished , but we are without honor ! Up to this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty , and are poorly clothed and roughly treated and homeless ; and we labor , working with our own hands ; when we are verbally abused , we bless ; when we are persecuted , we endure it; when we are slandered , we reply as friends ; we have become as the scum of the world , the dregs of all things , even until now . these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children . For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ , yet you would not have many fathers , for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel . Therefore I urge you, be imitators of me. 1 Corinthians 4:8-16
If God intended all Christians to be financially wealthy and prosperous, then surely the apostles would have been set forth as the perfect example of what it means to be prosperous? Surely their prosperity would be self-evident. But when you read the New Testament you quickly realize that the Apostles were not rich as Kenneth Copeland would have you to believe. They were poor. In fact they were so poor that when a beggar asked Peter for money he said “silver and gold have I none”. Clearly, Peter and the apostles were poor.
In contrast to the biblical requirement that church pastors are to be free from the love of money, the bible also warns us that false teachers will come and make merchandise out of people in churches.
But false
prophets also appeared among the people , just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies , even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves . Many will follow their indecent behavior , and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned ; and in their greed they will exploit you with false words ; their judgment from long ago is not idle , and their destruction is not asleep . 2 Peter 2:1-3
Notice that Peter warns us that there will be false teachers who, in their greed, will try to exploit God’s people. Modern mega church pastors and TV preachers are a perfect example of what Peter and the apostles warned us about. Paul told us that these false teachers worshipped their own belly and would use smooth words and flatter people.
For many
walk , of whom I often told you, and now tell you even as I weep , that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ , whose end is destruction , whose god is their appetite (belly) , and whose glory is in their shame , who have their minds on earthly things . Philippians 3:18-19
Notice in this passage that the false teachers, who worship their own appetites’ and are enemies of the cross, set their mind on earthly things. They are not the type of people who would give up everything for Christ. No, they want to use the name of Christ to feed their own appetites and desires because their real god is their belly’s. True shepherds will give their lives for the sheep, but these wolves in sheep’s clothing take whatever they can get from the flock and live is extravagant luxury. This is not how the apostles lived, the apostles gave everything they had for Christ and the cause of the gospel. Paul the apostle warned us that pursuing money can destroy your faith.
If we have
food and [g]covering , with these we shall be content . But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap , and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction . 1 Timothy 6:8-9
God never promised us riches or prosperity in this life, what he does promise us is a cross to bear and eternal life. If that’s not something you want then you are not a Christian.