The Prosperity Gospel is an Abuse of the Bible Teaching on Almsgiving

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

Mark 10: 28-30 is an absolute favorite text of the Prosperity Gospel preachers such as Kenneth Copeland, Benny Hinn, Jesse Duplantis, Creflo Dollar - and the list goes on. This is a very popular text with them and when they preach they stress that the key is - you just give your money to them and you get the hundredfold blessing.

Some people might hear the Biblical teaching about almsgiving and think that sounds a little bit like the Prosperity Gospel - give and be blessed.

We don't want to let the abuse of something turn us away from the proper use.

The Prosperity Gospel is an abuse of the Bible teaching on almsgiving.

The Bible does not teach that everybody that follows the Messiah will be wealthy and never get sick. But that's what the Prosperity Gospel teaches.

There are two key differences between the truth of the Bible and what the Prosperity Gospel teaches.

The first difference and it's a big one –

The prosperity gospel teaches you to give to the preacher, to the church, or to the religious group and it's always theirs.

A minister that lives off of full-time ministerial pay should not live a lavish Life style above the members of the Church and this is what happens so often in these churches. People in the congregation grow poorer and poorer because the preacher is telling them - just trust the process, keep giving. give till it hurts, it's got to be a sacrifice. They keep doing it and they grow poor and the preacher grows wealthy because he's saying come and give it in my pocket. Some say – I will give you a prophecy but you got to pay me some money for the prophecy. Some people are hurting and they don't know where else to turn and they figure well maybe I can buy my miracle, my prosperity, my blessing, my breakthrough, etc.

In stark contrast, what the bible teaches about storing up treasure in heaven has nothing to do with giving to a preacher, it has to do with giving to people who are in need. We are to find people that are genuinely in need, genuine widows, genuine orphans, genuine poor people and give to them.

The second difference is -

The prosperity gospel focuses everything on the here and now.

The bible teaches us that the primary focus is on the kingdom of heaven and that you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. Now your everyday needs will be met if you give to the poor but the primary focus is your reward at the resurrection when the kingdom will be set up on earth. If we, by giving to the poor now become wealthier or more blessed monetarily we should look at it as great. It simply means I've got more money to give back now to the poor, as Yahuwah commands, because I want great treasure in heaven.