No, there is nothing biblical about the prosperity gospel being peddled in many churches today. The church was not as chaotic as it is today. There was a time when believers gathered and worshiped the Lord without struggling with guilt for not having a “seed” for the man of God. Then came Norman Vincent Peale, T.L. Osborn, E.W. Kenyon, Kenneth Hagin, A.A. Allen, and Oral Roberts. They preached the power of positive thinking and how believers could tithe their way to financial prosperity.
What Is the Prosperity Gospel?
The prosperity gospel is premised on the idea that giving your tithes and sowing your money as a seed to God (through your pastor) guarantees financial prosperity and good health. The prosperity gospel started in the 1950s, thanks to Oral Roberts and others. Today, the prosperity gospel is preached by nearly all renowned pastors, including Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen, Kenneth Copeland, and Benny. Creflo Dollar has also been vocal about this type of gospel but changed his position recently. Dollar corrected his earlier position on tithing, stating that he no longer believed that Christians should be compelled to tithe.
Is prosperity gospel a scam?
Yes, the prosperity gospel, as presented today, is a scam that only benefits the preacher. Typical prosperity gospel preachers lie that God will somehow multiply your money when you give it to them. They teach that tithing or sowing seeds will guarantee business increase, good health, and many other benefits. In reality, the only person who wins in this “game of greed” is the pastor.
