Preface: The Prosperity Gospel: What It Believe, What It Teach, What It Practice

In my book, "The Prosperity Gospel: What It Believe, What It Teach, What It Practice" will examine the history, beliefs, and practice known as the prosperity-faith movement.  There are people who attend regularly "Word of Faith" service across this country that are not unaware of the particular doctrines and practice of this sub-Christian group that disguises itself as being apart of the Charismatic/Pentecostal circle by which it is a "metaphysical" wolf in sheep's clothing (Matt. 7:15ff).  The prosperity gospel and those who are advocates of this heretical movement utilize that of the language of the Bible, the church, and historic biblical Christianity by which it has systematically distort the truth of scripture.  For example: When it comes to the biblical concept of faith that many prosperity "theologians" resort to numerous biblical passages of scripture in support of their understanding of the doctrine of Faith (Heb. 11:1, 3, 6).  It is very much problematic when many Faith leaders ignore the plain meaning of scripture so as to isolate the passage of scripture to create their own novelties (2 Tim. 4:3-4).  Even at worst many prosperity "theologians" pour new meaning into biblical words by which it is "foreign" to the standard definition of the Bible.  There is also such "misreading" of the Bible perpetuated by many Faith leaders in reference to misquoting the scripture, misinterpretation of the text of scripture, and gross misapplication of the narratives of the stories of the Bible as it relates to life's circumstances. 

   In order to understand the history of the prosperity gospel it must be understood in light of the Bible, that of its predecessors of the movement in and of itself, that of its connection with New Thought (1 Jn. 4:1; Acts 17:11; Acts 5:35, 37; 20:29-30; 1 Tim. 6:20; Col. 2:18; 1 Jn. 2:18).  It is very much evident that both leadership and followers of the prosperity gospel are ignorant of church history and doctrine. Church history and doctrine is very much important to the student of the Bible in order to understand many rivalry of groups, sects, and cults that seek to undermine that of the integrity of the Bible, the theological presupposition and superstructure of evangelical Christianity (2 Tim. 2:17, 18).  The infiltration of Gnosticism have in fact sought to compete with that of the teachings of the Church ("divinity" of Christ) so as to appear plausible but whose underlining motive is to destroy that of its ethical and moral teachings.  Many "Christian" Gnostics are a threat and danger to the Church as a whole simply because of the fact that they seek to turn the ethical and moral compass of evangelical Christianity into such myths.  The myth taught by many "Christian" Gnostics in the professing church today is that of its revelatory knowledge of the Bible by which they explicitly deny the authority and inspiration of scripture (2 Pet. 1:19-21; 2 Tim. 3:16).  In so many words Gnostics within that of the professing church today believe in the "insufficiency" of the Bible as to be incomplete by which there is a necessity for additional revelations for scripture to be complete. The prosperity gospel understanding of the Bible is that God's Word is also "incomplete" without the Revelation Knowledge of its own leadership.  The "avenue" by which many Faith leaders receive such revelatory knowledge of the Bible is within a person's human spirit; not through the senses or Self-Rule Knowledge (Col. 2:18). 

  Whenever there is such gross misunderstanding of the Bible by which many prosperity "theologians" are ignorant of the truth of scripture it will adversely affect other areas of doctrine and theology.  It begins with many Faith leaders hermeneutical approach to scripture as to "how" they interpret the Bible by which they misinterpret the context of scripture by which it produce such "faulty" understanding.  Along with such "faulty" misinterpretation of the Bible will in fact spill over

into such areas of doctrine and theology. The essential of the Christian faith as it relates to the doctrine of God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Fall of Man, Sin, and Salvation will in fact be "tainted" by which its perpetuate false doctrine and heresies.  For example as a result of prosperity gospel biblical distortion of the theistic God of the Bible is its understanding of God as a "Faith" Being who needs faith in order to create the universe. Within the system of Faith theology is that God utilize "mere" words with the force of His faith to create the universe by which man lives.  The God of the Bible has in fact been "downgraded" to the level of mere Man; not the eternal preexistence God who spoke the universe into being based upon His eternal nature and divine power (Gen. 1).  For many prosperity "theologians" to treat that of the eternal God as some kind of cosmic "Faith" Being who had to utilize that of His force of faith to create the universe will in fact continue to go down a slippery slop of doctrinal skid road so as to produce "legions" or plethora of false doctrines and heresies (1 Tim. 6:20).  In so many words error produces errors by which there are a multitudes of errors that precedes from the original error.  There are errors of teaching in regards to the prosperity gospel even though there are "some" element of truth in what many of these "errant" teachers promote within many Charismatic and Pentecostal circles today.  The prosperity gospel appears to be innocent with it comes to teaching on the doctrine of Faith but at minute 15 of a "Faith" telecast will many discerning Christians jump out the chair by rocking them to their feet.  It is the small dip of cyanide lace with poison put in a glass of water by which the "inexperienced" and naive of believers are unaware the dangerous elements of the false teaching perpetuated by many Faith leaders who promote the prosperity theology.

   There are particular beliefs and practice regarding that of the prosperity gospel by which it is "buried" under the rubble of "The Grace Empowerment" or "The Grace Revolution" movement which promote of the idea of positive confession and positive Self image by which it has nothing to do nor reflect the character and nature of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16).  The gospel of Christ is in the business of changing people's lives from the inside out; the positive confession and self image of the prosperity is in the business of "renovating" people's minds but fall short of true conversion in Jesus Christ (Jn. 15:1-2ff).  Positive confession and positive self-image is a form of narcissism by which envision themselves as being prosperous.  Such narcissistic attitude of many Faith leaders creates a built-in demagogue by which they also elevate themselves upon "ordinary" people simply because they are spirit-beings. Asceticism and libertinism is at the heart of the prosperity theology (Col. 2:20-24).  Also many prosperity "theologians" take pride in the superiority of knowledge or "gnosis" that is revealed to them supernaturally outside the boundaries of God's Word (Col. 2:18, 19). Such knowledge or "gnosis" is reserved exclusively for the spiritually "enlighten"; not the spiritually immature those who does not possess such "higher" knowledge.  The "knowledge by which the spiritually immature or "unenlightened" are those who have such senses or Self-Rule Knowledge as oppose to the spiritually "elite" who possess that of such "mere" knowledge. Such revelatory knowledge runs within the system of the prosperity gospel. The knowledge or "gnosis" by which many Faith leaders possess is "fleshly" knowledge; the Church as a whole possess such true spiritual knowledge according to Colossians 1:9, 10.  The fount and the wisdom of the knowledge of God is in the Person of Jesus Christ (v. 10).

   Many of the doctrines taught within the prosperity gospel movement are "cultic" in nature as to its "metaphysical" understanding of the Bible, God, Jesus, The Fall of Man, and Salvation.  It is very rare that many Faith leaders address the doctrine of sin simply because of the fact they have a "weak" view of sin in regards to the sinfulness of humanity.  Sin is understood in terms of Adam and his descendants "infuse" with the nature of Satan by which the First Parents in the Garden of Eden lost that of their "godhood" or divinity as "gods."  What happened in the Fall of Man is that of Adam's sin and disobedience that brought about the ruin of the human race (Gen. 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-24).  Man is a sinner by nature by which sinful man are prone to sinning.  In order that people can have a relationship with God is through the Person of Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:36).

   Also when it comes to the doctrine of Faith by prosperity faith movement is that, "Faith is belief; not trust in the God of the Bible." Many Faith leaders will attempt to make a difference between "belief and trust." Once again many prosperity "theologians" confuse the issue of "belief and trust" as it relates to the core beliefs of the prosperity gospel: that of following such "formulas" of faith by which it guarantees the "Faith" believer experiencing "total" life prosperity (Mk. 11:22-24).  When it comes to the issue of  "belief and trust" are interchangeable when it comes to the doctrine of salvation (Rom. 10:9-10).  The system of the prosperity gospel "redirect" people trust and belief in Jesus Christ by which men are to be saved but further "isolate" many of its victims to have belief in the "principle" of faith and prosperity by which both prosperity and faith are not bedfellows.

   In conclusion in order to look squarely at the prosperity gospel movement for what it truly is to be understood in light of history, in light of the Bible, and in light of its beliefs and practice (Acts 20:28-30; 1 Jn. 2:18; 2 Tim. 6:5-6; Gal. 1:8-9; 1 Tim. 6:20; Col. 2:18-19; Mk. 16:17-18). 

   It is my prayer that God will shed light in the minds and hearts of His people especially those who are ensnared by the prosperity gospel movement will be encourage to look at it for what it truly is and by God's grace they will also have the courage to embrace the truth of the Gospel in place of worldly riches and pleasure by which it does not fulfill the yearning of people's hearts (2 Cor. 4:1-2, 3-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26).

Rev. Darryl L. Miller

President & Chairman, Darryl Miller International Ministries

Atlanta, Georgia