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I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.--Revelation 2:2

For about two years now the Lord has been dealing with me about reexamining the things that I had accepted as true concerning the "faith message." As you can probably tell by our recent articles, my investigation of both what has widely been taught and comparing it with the Word of God has brought me to some rather startling conclusions. I have prayed about these things for these two years and I now feel that I should really get serious with you about what I have found out. Many of the things I am going to say will shock some of you, but if you have not already completely closed your mind to correction from the Word of God as so many seem to have done, I believe these things will benefit you. I also trust that these things will encourage those who have known that "something isn’t right" to examine what you hear taught and compare it, as I have done, to the Scriptures.

To those who will think that I am simply being critical and will resent the things I will say, I want to direct your attention to our text. Jesus commended the church at Ephesus for trying or testing "them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars." We are warned many times in the New Testament not to accept everything we hear without comparing it with the Scriptures, especially the words of Christ Himself and his apostles. This has become even more necessary in the light of the warnings about false prophets in the last days in Matthew 24 and in the books of Jude and 2 Peter.

Any time we reach the point where we are unwilling to examine what we believe and teach and compare it with the Word of God we have unknowingly come to a type of apostasy. In talking with other "faith" pastors, I have found that every single one without exception admit that there are some big problems in the movement. Most of them think the problems are a matter of correcting "imbalance" or that the excesses are the fault of a few "flakes" here and there that are giving "faith" a bad name. However, I have never found my colleagues willing or even open to examining the message itself.

Of course it is difficult to examine the message itself because although in the movement there is much agreement from mutual borrowing of ideas, phrases, titles, and illustrations, there is also individualized diversity. So the "faith message" itself is ill-defined as far as identifying exactly what it is because what one may teach another may not.

Terrance Kelshaw, professor at Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, put it so aptly in his excellent book Send This Message To My Church (Nelson, 1984, p. 11):

The church of God is called to guard against any teaching that contains enough of the truth to be plausible (at least for the gullible), but contains enough private interpretation to be dangerous to the faith. It is called heresy. It is against that we are to guard, even if it’s proponents appear to be spiritual people with intentions of the highest order. This is, in fact, what makes heresy so difficult to combat. If preaching Christ and His glory is really the intention of errant teachers, they will listen to biblical defense and be thankful for any correction suggested, reexamining both their thinking and their teaching in the light of those corrections. If it is only their own egos they desire to fulfill, then like Jezebel of Thyatira they will continue using the name of Jesus simply as the device to draw people after themselves and will be uninterested in any correction. In that case, we are dealing with a power complex; and that is why I said it can be found not only among strong leaders in the congregation, but also among many ministers.

It is this stout refusal to "examine the message" among "faith" people and pastors that bothers me greatly. This denominationalized attitude and recognition of a group of teachers as one’s primary source of authority disturbs me.

I want to begin with the area where the problems are most apparent and that is in the teaching on "prosperity." Let’s start with 1 Timothy 6:3-11:

(3) If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (4) He is proud knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, (5) Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. (6) But godliness with contentment is great gain.

(7) For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. (8) And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. (9) But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. (10) For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. (11) But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

I find that this passage as well as many others in the New Testament stand in stark contrast to the crass materialism exhibited in the teaching and lifestyles of almost all, if not all of those who teach "prosperity" (including those outside the faith movement). They are always quick to point out that this passage does not conflict with their "eat the best, wear the best, drive the best in abundance" philosophy. "Now he didn’t say money was the root of all evil, he said the love of money was the root of all evil," they say. And thus Paul’s most solemn warning about covetousness, a sin so often rebuked by the Lord Jesus Himself, is conveniently laid aside so that we may proceed with instructions in how to get wealth, free from the "tradition" that we aren’t supposed to have anything.

It is characteristic in "prosperity" teaching and in all areas of faith teaching to set up the most ridiculous opposing viewpoint (which practically no one espouses anyhow) and scorn it as "stupid" in an effort to establish the credibility of one’s own view. I call this intellectual dishonesty.

For instance, practically no one will say that it is not God’s will for us to have anything or for Him to supply our needs, or that poverty is a blessing—yet these are offered as the only alternative to "riches God’s way."

I want to direct your attention to verse 8—"And having food and raiment let us be therewith content." I boldly declare that there is no way Paul (by the Holy Spirit and as a result is God’s Word) could have made this statement if he had the modern-day revelation of "affluence for all through Jesus Christ." He told us to be satisfied with food and covering (literally, so that shelter is included, thank God). Instead of being content and teaching others to be content if they have food and covering, however, millions of believers are hearing tapes and teaching, studying and making daily confessions on getting more. "Supposing that godliness is a means of acquisition, of getting more." No, says Paul, godliness with contentment that we are clothed and fed, is great gain or prosperity.

I challenge you to go through the New Testament on the subject of our relationship to material things (as I have done). Write down every Scripture. I will give you my list later. You will find that Paul’s statement about food and shelter—that God will supply our basic needs—is not an isolated idea, but one that is held consistently throughout the New Testament form Matthew through Revelation.

I have found from my study of the New Testament Scriptures on the subject, comparing it with current teachings by the most popular exponents (not a few flakes) of "rich religion" that their teachings almost without exception are a blend of "Christianized" pantheism (laws, forces, and principles), blatant twisting of the Scriptures, and using Scriptures that have no application or only possibly a secondary one for material prosperity. "Expositions" on the rich young ruler, the "hundred-fold return," "your heavenly bank account," and sending angels out for your money are outright distortions of Truth or fancy-dancing around the warnings of Jesus and the Apostles about covetousness.

I wish I could continue, but space does not permit me. I want to quote Dr. Gaius Glenn Atkins (which I use, as with Terrance Kelshaw’s quote, not because I think he impresses you but because he says so much better what I wish to say): The vast majority if not all of current "prosperity" teaching "fits easily into the dominant temper of our times" and is a desperate attempt "to reconcile that serving of two masters, God and Getting On ["mammon"], which a lonely teacher long ago thought quite impossible."

Leon Stump, Pastor of Victory Christian Center

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