First, let’s get a clear understanding what the Prosperity Gospel is.  From the Internet, I got this definition: “The prosperity gospel is a controversial theological belief that teaches that faith, positive declarations, and donations to the church can lead to financial success and physical well-being.

The prosperity gospel, also known as the ‘health and wealth gospel’ or ‘name it and claim it,’ is a movement within Protestant Christianity that asserts that God wants believers to be financially prosperous and physically healthy. Adherents believe that through faith, positive thinking, and generous giving, they can receive material blessings and healing.”  This seems to agree with my understanding of what this teaching is.  My only exposure to this teaching is from what I’ve read and what I’ve seen on the Internet.  Is this teaching scriptural?

One verse that is often used by the Prosperity Gospel preachers is Luke 6:38, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  In using this verse, these preachers will guarantee their audiences that if they give money to them, the Lord will bless them with more money.  Is that true?  Indeed, it will happen as the Lord sees fit to bless us, not so much for what we give, but for what we give to honor and obey Him.  We should give, neither out of mere human generosity, nor out of self-interest, but for the sake of God and according to His leading.  So, that which is done and given solely for the glory of God, the Lord will bless. 

2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is very instructive.  That says, “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.”  The one who is stingy, the one who values and loves his money more than he loves the Lord will receive from the Lord very sparingly.

What is so important to understand is that “the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7).  He desires generosity from those who truly love Him and want to give obediently as the Lord leads.  In the Prosperity Gospel, people are encouraged to give in order to get more in return.  The motivation is greed, not faithfulness.  We are warned in 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”  The desire for more money can be ruinous.  It can cause us to stray from the truth. 

These Prosperity Gospel preachers tend to whip their audiences into a frenzy and then seek to get them to give so they might increase in their own finances.  What a dishonor to the Lord!  2 Corinthians 9:7 tells us that, “…God loveth a cheerful giver.”  The Lord loves those who are happy to give, expecting nothing in return…just the joy of honoring the Lord with their substance.  Many of these so-called preachers prey on the poor and desperate.  They will often take their grocery or rent money with the empty promise that they will prosper if they give. 

The Lord does not need our money.  After all, He is God.  But the Lord blesses us with the opportunity to give to help further His work, or to help those in need…and He will reward us accordingly.  In the scriptures, we have many true servants of the Lord, yet we do not see these men asking for money.  They depended upon the Lord to meet their needs.  They did not stoop to soliciting money from others and they certainly did not try to entice people into giving by promising them that God would increase their wealth. This teaches us that the act of giving should be genuine and not for personal gain.   (CC)  (730.6)