The prosperity gospel is a theology that asserts that God’s aim is to make believers healthy and wealthy in this life. This departure from the true, biblical gospel is common around the world today, and it shows up in both blatant and subtle forms.
The prosperity gospel is a theology that asserts that God’s aim is to make believers healthy and wealthy in this life.
In some cases, prosperity teaching may distort fundamental truths of the gospel to such an extent that the message being proclaimed is a false gospel. In other cases, prosperity teaching may subtly influence the way genuine, well-meaning Christians think and live out their faith. Either way, believers need to be alert to the dangers of the prosperity gospel.
Common Errors of Prosperity Teaching
Given the wide variety of beliefs and approaches among prosperity gospel advocates, there is not an official list of doctrines that define its theology. However, there are some common errors that characterize prosperity teaching. We’ll consider five ways the prosperity gospel distorts the true gospel as revealed in Scripture.
1. A Distorted View of God
Prosperity teaching often distorts a biblical view of God. For example, when it comes to the Trinity, Scripture teaches that there is one true God who exists eternally as three distinct, fully divine persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14). T.D. Jakes, a prominent prosperity gospel preacher, rejects this bedrock truth of the Christian faith.
Along with other Oneness Pentecostals, he does not believe the Father, Son, and Spirit are eternally distinct persons; they are merely manifestations of God. This error is a contemporary version of an ancient heresy known as modalism. (Note: not all Oneness Pentecostals embrace the prosperity gospel, nor do all proponents of the prosperity gospel hold to a heretical view of God.)
2. A Distorted View of Man
Some prosperity teachers, such as Joel Osteen, claim that man has spiritual power to manipulate the physical realm. This is essentially a re-packaging of the “power of positive thinking” ideology, wherein a person simply has to think or say something to make it so.
The result of this teaching is often that the world revolves around man’s wants, with self put at the center, which is the essence of sin. Instead of loving God and serving others, as Scripture emphasizes (Matthew 22:36–40), this distorted view of man can lead to the idea that others exist to serve you.
3. A Distorted Focus on Health and Wealth
The prosperity gospel offers promises of financial success and physical health to those who believe. The idea is that God will answer our prayers and grant our desires for health and wealth if only we have enough faith. Paula White and Kenneth Hagin are proponents of this kind of teaching.
God often works through suffering, sickness, and poverty for the sake of his own glory and the eternal good of his people.
While Scripture teaches us to pray in faith (Matthew 21:22; James 1:5–6), it does not guarantee that our prayers will always be answered in the way we prefer or in our own timing. God often works through suffering, sickness, and poverty for the sake of his own glory and the eternal good of his people (2 Corinthians 12:7–10).
4. A Distorted Understanding of Salvation
Does Jesus save us from sin and damnation in eternity, or does Jesus save us from sickness and poverty in this present age? The prosperity gospel constantly emphasizes the latter while downplaying the former. Scripture, on the other hand, emphasizes the reality that man’s greatest need is to be delivered from the consequences of his sin, the just and eternal wrath of God (Romans 5:9; 6:23). By focusing on temporal needs and desires, the prosperity gospel diverts our attention from the most important, eternal realities.
5. Distorted Interpretations of Scripture
Many who believe aspects of the prosperity gospel are not intentionally trying to ignore or reject Scripture. Many well-meaning Christians, including pastors, misinterpret particular passages of Scripture in ways that run contrary to the whole of Scripture. They rip passages out of context rather than reading them in their immediate and broader biblical context. This kind of interpretation can end up undercutting the gospel and many related biblical truths.
Avoiding Prosperity Teaching
The best way for Christians to avoid the errors of the prosperity gospel is to to grow in their understanding of the true, biblical gospel. We need to be grounded in Scripture’s teaching about God, man, sin, Christ, and salvation.
The best way for Christians to avoid the errors of the prosperity gospel is to grow in their understanding of the true, biblical gospel.
To be properly grounded in these truths, we need to be able to interpret Scripture rightly. Individual passages should be read in light of their surrounding context, and in light of Scripture as a whole. With the help of the Holy Spirit, Christians can understand Scripture rightly and gain a biblical perspective on health and wealth.
Finally, all Christians should be committed to a local church where they are held accountable and built up in the faith by brothers and sisters in Christ. Every follower of Christ needs to gather regularly to hear the faithful preaching and teaching of God’s Word by qualified leaders. Such leaders are one of the primary means God uses to guard his people from false teachers and false teaching (Acts 20:28–31), including the prosperity gospel.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
