Prosperity gospels, which claim faith, positive thinking, and A LOT of donations lead to wealth and health, are considered heresy by many biblical scholars and theologians. Here’s why, based on Scripture:
-
Misrepresentation of God’s Will: The prosperity gospel says God guarantees prosperity and wealth if you obey him. However, Jesus taught that suffering is part of being a Christian (John 16:33, Matthew 5:10-12). Wealth is not a reliable sign of God’s favor (Luke 6:20-26).
-
Distortion of the Gospel: It does this by switching the focus from salvation through Christ’s atonement to earthly gains. Paul gives a dire warning against those who treat godliness as a profit motive (1 Timothy 6:5-10). The true gospel centers on eternal life, not earthly wealth (Galatians 1:6-9).
-
Idolatry of Wealth: The prosperity gospel focuses on money and health as the full promise of God, contradicting Jesus’ warning that man cannot serve two masters referring to God and money (Matthew 6:24). The love of money is a root of evil (1 Timothy 6:10), and believers are called to store treasures in heaven, not on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).
-
Exploitation of the Vulnerable: Prosperity preachers prey on the poor, urging and sometimes demanding them to give beyond their means with promises of divine repayment of earthly wealth and health. This contradicts the Bible which is clear that we should care for the poor not fleece them (Proverbs 19:17, James 2:15-16) and condemnation for those who exploit others rich or poor for gain (Micah 3:11, 2 Peter 2:3).
-
Selective Use of Scripture: Prosperity preachers cherry-pick verses (e.g., Malachi 3:10) while ignoring any passages that give context like James 4:3, which warns against asking with wrong motives. This misrepresentation of Scripture is strongly condemned (2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Peter 3:16).
-
False Assurance of Blessings: the prosperity gospel teaches that poverty or illness is a direct reflection of a person’s faith, yet Jesus and the apostles faced hardship (2 Corinthians 11:24-27).
The prosperity gospel is heretical because it distorts the gospel, promotes idolatry, exploits people, and contradicts the Bible’s teachings on suffering, wealth, and God’s sovereignty. The true Christian is called to follow Christ, even through trials and hardship, for an eternal reward (Philippians 3:8-11).
Heretical preachers and teachers will suffer God’s wrath. In “2 Peter 2:12” But these false teachers speak against things that they do not understand. They are like wild animals. Their minds cannot think properly. They only do what their nature causes them to do. Wild animals are born so that people can catch them and kill them. In the same way, God will destroy the false teachers.”
Until next time, courage.
