A few years ago, I met a missionary to Africa who boasted of winning “thousands of new Christians” and planting “hundreds of churches.” Intrigued, I asked: “What is the gospel you preach?” His answer was deeply disheartening.
He shared about Jesus’s desire to bless and heal people. He minimized sin and elevated success. He had an obvious fascination with big numbers. He was, quite obviously, a prosperity gospel preacher.
Like every other false gospel, the prosperity gospel replaces God’s gracious work with our work. The specific work it promotes is more faith and more giving. God subsequently rewards such works with more health and more wealth.
This false gospel cherry-picks Scripture, which teaches its adherents to read their Bibles poorly. It then uses its bankrupt exegesis to diminish the greatness of God and elevate man. It creates a shrunken God whom people can manipulate.
This teaching isn’t just an annoying alternative or unfortunate compromise. It’s a damning false gospel. Paul’s stark words to the Galatians apply here. The prosperity gospel “distorts” the true gospel, rendering its preachers and disciples “accursed” (Gal. 1:6–9).
It may be
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