The Problems with the Prosperity Gospel

Can a true Christian become rich? Maybe. Is becoming a Christian a path to prosperity? Possibly, but we need to be very, very careful with this one. There are Biblical promises of prosperity, but there are also many admonitions against greed. To be wealthy and Christian is to be judged by higher standards. And the path to prosperity of even the Old Testament wealthy saints was usually difficult.

Nevertheless, the Bible does contain a significant amount of financial wisdom. There is a “Bible Money Code” and I point some of it out in the chapters that follow – free of charge. If you are poor or simply want more prosperity, I highly recommend making use of it. It helps offset the restrictions on money-making activities also found in the Bible. But I’ll warn you now: the true Bible money code is not a particular prayer or anything resembling magic. It is far less magical than technical analysis, macroeconomics, or Greek philosophy. And it is definitely not a Christian flavored variant of the Law of Attraction. See the quote from St. James above as well as these from Proverbs:

So much for visualizing success and believing you already have it.

Now let us take a closer look at the Biblical promises of prosperity.

Many of the Promises are Group Promises

In the latter chapters of Deuteronomy, Moses gives a long list of promises of good things in return for obeying God’s commandments, and curses for straying. However, most of those promises apply to the nation of Israel as a whole. Individual Israelites benefit from the general tide, as even the poor in the United States today enjoy a higher income than the average income for many of the world’s nations.

The same applies to Malachi’s promise of prosperity in return for farmers getting with the program with their tithing. Rain is an area of effect phenomenon. He talked of the land becoming delightful. An isolated farmer paying up isn’t going to do the job.

If a nation or a church practices the economic and moral principles found in the Bible, good things happen – even without divine intervention. Imagine living in a community where there is trust, honesty, and generosity. Imagine not having to deal with fraud, robbery, rent-seeking, or burdensome government. Imagine a society where you pay it forward after you prosper vs. struggling most of your career paying back student loans or a mortgage to buy a farm.

Look at the Amish. They’re doing pretty well without the benefits of modern technology or higher education. Their prosperity is clearly a group effect. A single family practicing an Amish lifestyle would fare far less well.

Writing a check to a televangelist does not make you part of such a group.

Divine Providence is not a Winning Lottery Ticket

Malachi promised rain and disease-free crops in return for tithes. To cash in on these benefits still required plowing, planting, pruning and harvesting.

Jacob did indeed have a magic touch when it came to raising livestock. His animals were healthy. When he needed dark colored sheep and spotted goats, he got black sheep.

But he still did the work of a shepherd. Hard work.

Indeed, at the end of his life, Jacob complained that his life was a hard one, despite the blessings he inherited. See the quote which begins this section.

Look also at the stories of Joseph and Daniel. After undergoing grueling tests of faith they were granted high offices in Egypt and Babylon respectively. These offices undoubtedly came with significant perks in terms of luxury and power – but they also came with duties. They did not receive early retirement at a pleasant beachfront villa.

The Promises are Often Mundane

Miracles happen. This is oft recorded. But much of the “magic” of following God’s laws is not miraculous at all; it is mundane economics. The miracle is that the Bible contains a Cliff Notes survey of some profound economics principles which the learned struggle to grasp to this day.

• How do you feed the poor without creating a lazy welfare class? The answer is in the Bible.
• How do you allow the clever and diligent to build wealth without creating a parasitic aristocracy? The answer is in the Bible.
• How do you have the benefits of private property and capitalism while minimizing wage slavery? The answer is in the Bible.
• How can you enjoy the benefits of anarchy without endless blood feuds that last for generations? The Bible has an answer for that too.

See God’s Welfare System and The Law of Liberty for details.

The Bible even has medical wisdom which modern science only caught up with in the 1800s. The AIDS epidemic persists because many still fail to appreciate the wisdom handed down by Moses millennia ago.

The Price of Divine Providence

Yes, there are individual promises of prosperity, and I do believe that there is a miraculous component. Many of these promises can be found in the Book of Proverbs. But this very same book has passages such as these:

So don’t expect to pay some money to a televangelist and then expect to win the lottery or otherwise be showered by unearned wealth. Expect opportunities which require mixing in labor for the most part – though there may be exceptions, of course. There are also promises of protection from various evils—but not all, so exercise prudence.

And keep in mind that the miraculous promises themselves specify effort. It takes money (or the equivalent) to give offerings. And offerings by themselves do not suffice!

The principle can be found scattered throughout the Bible. It may well go all the way back to early chapters of Genesis. Why was Cain’s sacrifice rejected? Was it merely because it was a grain offering? Grain offerings are mandated elsewhere in the Bible. Perhaps Cain had wicked intent in his heart when he made his offering. He definitely had it afterwards.

So, expect little benefit from making offerings unless you are also making effort to avoid sin as well.

And there is another requirement:

You are also expected to be generous in order to be blessed. This has a price. And, of course, Jesus put a heavy emphasis on generosity, so don’t rely on any change in dispensation to get out of this requirement! Indeed, it may be the other way around. Maybe, some of the old requirements to make animal sacrifices and tithes to a large priesthood have been superseded by additional requirements for charity. See The New Levites series for more.

Conclusion

Prospering the Biblical way takes work, wisdom, and help from others. And once you get there you have fresh responsibilities.

If this strikes you as unpleasant, then stay poor and be humble. Jesus promised many blessings for you should you do so while obeying God’s laws.

Still, you might want to take a peek at Solomon’s financial wisdom. It can come in handy even if you aren’t aspiring to riches.