The History Of The Prosperity Gospel
A must read book. The source by which the prosperity gospel originated is from a Gnostic source: that of falsely so-called knowledge (1 Tim. 6:20). There are theories of knowledge that is related to Gnosticism especially that of "gnosis" that is attained through such intuitive knowledge "directly" from God (Deut. 29:29). The knowledge of mystics or theological mysticism is through that of "direct" divine influx whereby God reveals secretive, but intuitive knowledge at the exclusion of the Church as a whole (2 Pet. 1:20). For example many of the proponents (e.g. Oral Roberts) of the prosperity gospel claim to receive such prosperity message via Revelation Knowledge. The biblical defense of the prosperity gospel is that of 3 John 2: "Beloved, I pray above all things that thou mayest [prosper],,,be in health even as thou soul prospereth." Even though there are many passages of scripture that is in defense of the prosperity gospel, bu...