The "Faith" of the Prosperity Gospel?
How is it possible to mix "faith" with prosperity? It is impossible for a "system" to create a "system" that are very much "inconsistent" with that of its own data. The fact of the matter any system of data has to be consistent with the data that are congruent with that of the system itself. Let's take for an example in order for a computer to function properly is that the proper application or software have to be "consistent" with the computer's type. We cannot install Window 98 into a 2017 Microsoft Chrome computer because it requires Windows 10 for it to function properly. When it comes to understanding the truth of God's Word everything has to fit properly in order to comprehend the whole of a given passage or biblical theme. The best interpretation of the Bible is the Bible itself (1 Cor. 2:13). Quite unfortunately those who claim to be God's messengers are guilty of making the Bible say what they want it to say without looking at the context as a whole. Instead of seeking to understand the plain meaning of the context of scripture many prosperity proponents have in fact "spiritualize" many of the biblical passage/s of scripture to fit within its own cultural framework (2 Cor. 4:1-4). As interpreters of God's Word we must allow the Bible to speak for itself simply because it is the very Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit (2 Tim. 3:15, 16).
The question remains the same as to whether the "faith" of the prosperity gospel can be connected with the doctrine of Faith? Once again the interpreter who interpret the Bible can say what the Bible does not actually teach. It is impossible to mix grace with works. For grace to be mixed with works is simply that of works-righteousness that have nothing to do with the righteousness of God through faith in the Person of Jesus Christ (Rom. 3:22-24). What biblical defense that many proponents of the prosperity gospel utilize to support the "faith" of the prosperity theology in connection with the doctrine of Faith? We will begin to look at several passages of scripture that proponents of the prosperity gospel utilize as a biblical proof-text in support of their diatribe teaching as to the "faith" of the prosperity gospel in congruent with the doctrine of Faith.
According to Romans 10:17 where the apostle Paul says, "So then faith comes by hearing; hearing by the word of God." In paraphrasing what the apostle Paul is saying, "In order that a person can come to faith in Jesus Christ is by hearing the word of truth the gospel of our salvation." (vss. 9-10) Where does what Paul says have anything to do with prosperity gospel connected to Faith. This is how many proponents of the prosperity gospel interpret Romans 10:17. The cultural context by which many prosperity teachers interpret Romans 10:17 is to act or build our faith based upon God's Word: that of faith in prosperity, activating one's faith based upon God's Word, or building one's faith based upon the promises of what God's Word says. In so many words it takes "faith" to move mountains whereby the "Faith" believer can claim prosperity and divine healing. What is so disturbing about many proponents of the Faith movement (e.g. "Fred Price") that of Faith confession based upon Romans 10:9. There is also no where in scripture based upon Romans 10:9 that teach such Positive Confession of Faith but to "confess" or to acknowledge that Jesus is Savior and Lord by which God's Son was raised from the dead. In order that people can be saved based upon God's Sovereign Will is to acknowledge all that God Is (Romans 10:9).
The progression of such doctrinal depravity as to connect Faith with prosperity is also another passage of scripture based upon 2 Corinthians 5:7 where the apostle Paul says, "We walk by faith and not by sight." The apostle Paul was referring to the fact that even though we go through what we go through in this life is that one day we are going to be in the presence of God in heaven. Our faith hinges upon looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith; not staking one's claim based upon many of the promises of what God's Word says. What we see is temporal but what is eternal in the heavens. Also many proponents of the prosperity gospel encourage their followers to not "allow" what they see to rob them of their prosperity and healing. They must not allow such faith-destroying words to come out of their mouths but to preserve in "faith" despite of their outward circumstances. What is so fatalistic about such "toxic" faith throughout many evangelical churches and "Faith" ministries is a belief that are foolish, presumptuous faith (Matt. 4:1-10). The outcome of such toxicity of faith is that it spiritually "damage" the lives of God's people whereby they are confused spiritually (2 Tim. 2:17-18). It further in turn distort their view of God and the world around them.
Also the progression of such ill-advised theology as to reach its tipping point is that of Mark 11:22 where Jesus says to His disciples, "Have faith in God." What does it mean to have "faith" in God? In order to have "faith" in Something or Someone is that of its Object? The "object" of the believer's faith must be "directed" towards God; not in some Faith-force or power of words to create one's own world. Proponents of the prosperity gospel teaches that the "Faith" believer must have "faith" in what they say through the vehicle his or her force of faith through the power of words. In so many words, "You created what you speak." Not only does God needs faith to create the universe but through His mind's eye created the Redeemer Jesus. If in fact God had to have faith in order to create the universe than Who Is God trusting? Is it "faith" in His own words? Or Is it in his own faith? If in fact God had to have faith to create the world that we live in that means that He cease to be God by which He is Man. Man needs faith in God; not God needing faith. God is God; Man is man.
The system of the prosperity gospel have in fact interpret Mark 11:22 as to teach that the "Faith" believer must have the God-kind-of-faith. To interpret Mark 11:22 in such theological fashion is what is subjective; not what is objective (Eph. 2:8). What is subjective as to "how" many proponents of the prosperity gospel interpret Mark 11:22 is that of, "Faith in faith"; not what is objective as to have faith in God. The rendering of having "faith in God" is translated as having "the faith of God." The rendering of the text in Mark 11:22 as having "the faith of God" is to have God as the "object" of one's faith. In so many words our faith must be "directed" towards God; not the "Faith" believer having "faith" in one's own words through the force of his or her faith. In such instance it is a "false" faith which cannot reach the ceiling of a house nor to penetrate the throne of God's heaven.
There are many other passage of scripture that I could have cited but it is needful for many of my readers to digest this a little bit. This is not the full scope of the issue that I address within this article but in the near future add more to this article that I have written. In conclusion it is (1) Impossible to mix faith with prosperity due to its manufactured theology created by the system of the prosperity gospel (2 Cor. 4:1-2). And (2) many of the passages of scripture that are cited by many proponents of the prosperity gospel have been shredded as to its biblical distortion and isolation (2 Pet. 3:16). Also (3) The consequences of such biblical distortion is that of a shipwrecked faith that adversely affect the faith of the Church and in ruining the moral lives of God's people (2 Tim. 2:17, 18).
I summon the Church as a whole to guard against the infiltration of false teachers and false doctrine that seek to infect that of its ranks which mixed biblical truth with such Gnostic tendencies that are in competition with that of true biblical Christianity and the historic Christian church (Acts 5:35, 37). It is my prayer that those who come across this article will see the light of the spirit of this message and to encourage others to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).
Rev. Darryl L. Miller is the president & Chairman of Darryl Miller International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia and travel extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is also the Podcast Host, "Ask Darryl" @ www.spreaker.com/user/bishopoflyons. He is the bestselling author of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation? As a apologist, conference speaker, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little" Baby.
According to Romans 10:17 where the apostle Paul says, "So then faith comes by hearing; hearing by the word of God." In paraphrasing what the apostle Paul is saying, "In order that a person can come to faith in Jesus Christ is by hearing the word of truth the gospel of our salvation." (vss. 9-10) Where does what Paul says have anything to do with prosperity gospel connected to Faith. This is how many proponents of the prosperity gospel interpret Romans 10:17. The cultural context by which many prosperity teachers interpret Romans 10:17 is to act or build our faith based upon God's Word: that of faith in prosperity, activating one's faith based upon God's Word, or building one's faith based upon the promises of what God's Word says. In so many words it takes "faith" to move mountains whereby the "Faith" believer can claim prosperity and divine healing. What is so disturbing about many proponents of the Faith movement (e.g. "Fred Price") that of Faith confession based upon Romans 10:9. There is also no where in scripture based upon Romans 10:9 that teach such Positive Confession of Faith but to "confess" or to acknowledge that Jesus is Savior and Lord by which God's Son was raised from the dead. In order that people can be saved based upon God's Sovereign Will is to acknowledge all that God Is (Romans 10:9).
The progression of such doctrinal depravity as to connect Faith with prosperity is also another passage of scripture based upon 2 Corinthians 5:7 where the apostle Paul says, "We walk by faith and not by sight." The apostle Paul was referring to the fact that even though we go through what we go through in this life is that one day we are going to be in the presence of God in heaven. Our faith hinges upon looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith; not staking one's claim based upon many of the promises of what God's Word says. What we see is temporal but what is eternal in the heavens. Also many proponents of the prosperity gospel encourage their followers to not "allow" what they see to rob them of their prosperity and healing. They must not allow such faith-destroying words to come out of their mouths but to preserve in "faith" despite of their outward circumstances. What is so fatalistic about such "toxic" faith throughout many evangelical churches and "Faith" ministries is a belief that are foolish, presumptuous faith (Matt. 4:1-10). The outcome of such toxicity of faith is that it spiritually "damage" the lives of God's people whereby they are confused spiritually (2 Tim. 2:17-18). It further in turn distort their view of God and the world around them.
Also the progression of such ill-advised theology as to reach its tipping point is that of Mark 11:22 where Jesus says to His disciples, "Have faith in God." What does it mean to have "faith" in God? In order to have "faith" in Something or Someone is that of its Object? The "object" of the believer's faith must be "directed" towards God; not in some Faith-force or power of words to create one's own world. Proponents of the prosperity gospel teaches that the "Faith" believer must have "faith" in what they say through the vehicle his or her force of faith through the power of words. In so many words, "You created what you speak." Not only does God needs faith to create the universe but through His mind's eye created the Redeemer Jesus. If in fact God had to have faith in order to create the universe than Who Is God trusting? Is it "faith" in His own words? Or Is it in his own faith? If in fact God had to have faith to create the world that we live in that means that He cease to be God by which He is Man. Man needs faith in God; not God needing faith. God is God; Man is man.
The system of the prosperity gospel have in fact interpret Mark 11:22 as to teach that the "Faith" believer must have the God-kind-of-faith. To interpret Mark 11:22 in such theological fashion is what is subjective; not what is objective (Eph. 2:8). What is subjective as to "how" many proponents of the prosperity gospel interpret Mark 11:22 is that of, "Faith in faith"; not what is objective as to have faith in God. The rendering of having "faith in God" is translated as having "the faith of God." The rendering of the text in Mark 11:22 as having "the faith of God" is to have God as the "object" of one's faith. In so many words our faith must be "directed" towards God; not the "Faith" believer having "faith" in one's own words through the force of his or her faith. In such instance it is a "false" faith which cannot reach the ceiling of a house nor to penetrate the throne of God's heaven.
There are many other passage of scripture that I could have cited but it is needful for many of my readers to digest this a little bit. This is not the full scope of the issue that I address within this article but in the near future add more to this article that I have written. In conclusion it is (1) Impossible to mix faith with prosperity due to its manufactured theology created by the system of the prosperity gospel (2 Cor. 4:1-2). And (2) many of the passages of scripture that are cited by many proponents of the prosperity gospel have been shredded as to its biblical distortion and isolation (2 Pet. 3:16). Also (3) The consequences of such biblical distortion is that of a shipwrecked faith that adversely affect the faith of the Church and in ruining the moral lives of God's people (2 Tim. 2:17, 18).
I summon the Church as a whole to guard against the infiltration of false teachers and false doctrine that seek to infect that of its ranks which mixed biblical truth with such Gnostic tendencies that are in competition with that of true biblical Christianity and the historic Christian church (Acts 5:35, 37). It is my prayer that those who come across this article will see the light of the spirit of this message and to encourage others to contend earnestly for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).
Rev. Darryl L. Miller is the president & Chairman of Darryl Miller International Ministries in Atlanta, Georgia and travel extensively throughout the United States and continents. Darryl is also the Podcast Host, "Ask Darryl" @ www.spreaker.com/user/bishopoflyons. He is the bestselling author of his book, "The Prosperity Gospel: Where Did It Come From? Gnostic Source? Or Spiritual Revelation? As a apologist, conference speaker, and lecturer he is in great demand both in the United States and around the world. Darryl lives with his wife Vivian outside metro Atlanta with their puppy "Little" Baby.
Comments
Post a Comment