In his letter to the Philippian church, the Apostle Paul wrote that he had learned how to live in poverty and in financial sufficiency, in times of hunger and in times of fullness. In the book of Acts, we see him face beatings, shipwreck, and other abuses. In one of the most famous passages of scripture, he describes a thorn in the flesh that he asked God to remove three times.
(We don’t know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, because the scripture doesn’t tell us. One common thought is that he was losing his eyesight, given that he uses the word “flesh,” referring to the body; he praises the Galatians for being willing, if it were possible, to give him their own eyes [Gal 4:13-15]; and he eventually began having others transcribe his letters for him. Whatever the affliction may have been, God has intentionally left it vague so we may draw application from it for any weakness.)
After saying that he prayed three times for this affliction to be removed, he writes,
2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
After receiving this answer, Paul realizes that he can rejoice in all affliction, because God uses it to make him strong. Not only that, but he says he takes pleasure in it! Whether it’s sickness (infirmities), scorn (reproach), physical lack (necessities), persecutions, or general distress, he rejoices in it. Why? Because he knows that Christ’s power is made manifest in his life during those experiences.
Paul was no stranger to hardship, and he embraced it fully. He knew that oppression and suffering were only opportunities to trust the Lord more and exercise Christlike character. He knew that Christians are actually appointed unto affliction (1Th 3:3-4). Of course, it isn’t the disease or the persecution or the poverty itself that makes someone holy. Paul points out in 2 Corinthians 12 that it comes from the power of Christ resting on us; in Philippians 4, he reminds us that it’s Christ who strengthens us and gives us the ability to face any season of life. We aren’t to seek out either being abased or abounding (Pro 30:8), but to meet each with contentment and trust in the grace of God.
However, there is a set of beliefs permeating modern Christianity and teaching something different. You’ve probably heard of notorious teachers like Kenneth Copeland, Joel Osteen, and Todd White and phrases associated with them—phrases like “name it and claim it,” Word of Faith, and, of course, the Prosperity Gospel.
The core belief of Prosperity Theology and the Word of Faith movement is this: poverty and disease are evil and God’s desire for every person is to relieve them from such afflictions. If you follow the laws of prosperity outlined in scripture, you will become rich, which is one of God’s core desires for those who are born again. If you are poor, it is because you are not pursuing holiness or obedience to the word of God; you’re also being oppressed by the spirit of poverty, because poverty is an evil spirit. If you are sick, it is because you are not in line with the true faith outlined in the word of God. Nevermind if you’re living a life bearing spiritual fruit—if you’re chronically ill, there is something wrong in your faith. [1]
To the casual observer, it may seem that these teachings are merely a result of misapplying scripture. That’s definitely a key element, but it goes deeper than that. Prosperity Theology actually has its roots in the New Thought movement of the 19th century, which itself is ultimately based on pagan belief systems.
New Thought’s primary teaching is that all affliction can be cured with the mind. It began with a man named Phineas Quimby, who was also a mesmerist and healer. He claimed that all illness was only a result of believing some erroneous thought, and that fixing that error would cure the illness. In the 1860s, a woman named Mary Baker Eddy began following Quimby’s teachings. While she found some efficacy in them, she thought there were some things lacking because she was never able to find lasting healing from her chronic illnesses. That missing key, she determined, was the teachings of the Bible. While Quimby’s New Thought was focused on an impersonal higher intelligence, Eddy determined that the God of the Bible was the true source of mind-healing.
The problem, however, is that Eddy did not actually turn to the God of the Bible. Rather, she wrested the entirety of scripture and redefined its terms to fit New Thought’s teachings. And thus, Christian Science (which happens to be neither) was born.
As I began writing this article, I wrote about four pages refuting just two of Eddy’s claims in her 715-page book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, but I quickly realized that was not going to work for this particular post. For now, I’ll simply inform you that nearly everything she writes in that book—and therefore nearly everything about Christian Science—is absolutely whack.
As mentioned above, New Thought and Christian Science have roots in pagan and occult practices. In 1908, Pundita Ramabai, a native of India, told pastor A.C. Dixon, “I recognized [Christian Science] as being the same philosophy that has been taught among my people for four thousand years. It has wrecked millions of lives and caused immeasurable suffering and sorrow in my land, for it is based on selfishness and knows no compassion or sympathy” [2].
According to Eddy and Christian Science, there is no such thing as sin, disease, or evil. Any notion of things of this nature are simply a result of a person’s lack of understanding of the spiritual. When someone attains true spiritual understanding, all these things will cease to affect them. [3] While this is a bit more metaphysical than the teachings of people like Kenneth Copeland and Joel Osteen, it’s easy to see the influence on Prosperity Theology, which teaches that suffering, disease, and sin can be overcome through “true” faith—or, as Eddy would put it, through the mind.
To see further similarity between Prosperity Theology and New Thought/Christian Science, let’s look to Kenneth Copeland’s 1974 book The Laws of Prosperity. In it he writes, “Faith is a spiritual force, a spiritual energy, a spiritual power. It is this force of faith which makes the laws of the spirit world function. When the force of faith is put to work, these laws of the spirit function according to the way God says they will” [4]. This sounds eerily similar to whan Mary Baker Eddy writes that the key to unlocking reality is by achieving spiritual enlightenment and one-ness with the Divine Spirit.
In a 2017 Vox article, Tara Burton writes that New Thought “was the quintessentially American idea that the individual was responsible for his or her own happiness, health, and situation in life, and that applying mental energy in the appropriate direction was sufficient to cure any ills” [5]. Though the Prosperity preacher would say that God is responsible for any of this, they are in truth still putting the burden on the individual. If you have the right faith—the right mental energy—then you will face no hardship. If you face hardship, you have not cleansed your mind of error, or rather have not achieved true faith.
It’s also important to note that Christian Science denies the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as the sufficiency of Christ’s once-and-for-all sacrifice, teaching that mankind must continuously atone for themselves. [3] While Prosperity Thelogists wouldn’t generally agree with that, the origins of their beliefs are nevertheless rooted in doctrines of devils (1Ti 4:1).
In her article, Burton explains how three elements combined in the early 20th century to create the Prosperity Gospel movement in America: New Thought and Christian Science; a growing work ethic among Protestants which equated material success with inward virtue; and the spread of charismatic Pentecostal churches. [5]
Burton mentions how a core element of the Prosperity movement is the idea that if a person gives money to the church, God will multiply their funds. This is, of course, a biblical principle. However, the Bible is also clear that the purpose of giving is to multiply the mission of preaching the gospel (of salvation, not of prosperity) and making disciples (Mat 6:19-21). It’s also a biblical principle that diligent work results in financial and physical provision (Pro 6:6-11, 2Th 3:10-12). But Prosperity Theology twists these doctrines into something more self-serving.
Of course, proponents of this doctrine would probably say otherwise, that they are not making personal prosperity their god. But Jesus said that we will know a tree by his fruits.
In the 1974 The Laws of Prosperity, Kenneth Copeland wrote,
“The absolute priority in studying prosperity is that you should never think of it from a carnal viewpoint, from the world’s attitude. You must train yourself to think in line with God’s Word. If you’re not careful, when you think of the laws of prosperity, all you will see is money—only a very small part of prosperity. True prosperity is God manifesting Himself to us in His Word.” [4]
I wonder if the Kenneth Copeland of today maintains that same attitude. I can’t know his heart, but I can see the fruit of his $760 million net worth and 18,000SF tax-free mansion and make some deductions.
Though Prosperity preachers claim to want the best for their hearers, they in truth prey on the vulnerable, offering hope to the desperate only to consume their funds upon their own lusts. Despite all their emphasis on the spiritual realm and the power of faith, they seem to be consumed with the physical world, with “things on the earth” as Paul would say (Col 3:2). They create cults of personality which draw the focus away from the person and true message of Christ. They preach a false gospel that declares promises God never made. They are spiritual snake oil salesmen, selling doctrines of devils to the poor and needy.
Ezekiel 13:6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word. 7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken? 8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
It is not a sin to be wealthy, but it is also not a mark of unholiness to have little, so long as you’re stewarding what you have well (Luke 16:9-12, 2Co 8:1-5). The same is true of disease, weakness, and any other affliction. If we are living in obedience to the clear commands to the born-again Christian, we can rest knowing that God’s grace is sufficient for it all. We can learn to be content in whatsoever state we find ourselves. For richer or poorer, in sickness and health, Jesus is our all-sufficient bridegroom and will give us the strength to accomplish his mission of investing the word of God into the souls of men—the true gold, silver, and precious stones we should store up for ourselves.
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References:
[1] Copeland, Kenneth. Prosperity: The Choice Is Yours. Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1985.
[2] Dixon, A.C. “The Truth About ‘Christian Science.’” Moody Church Media (blog), 1908. https://www.moodymedia.org/articles/truth-about-christian-science/.
[3] Eddy, Mary Baker. Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. Boston: The Christian Science Board of Directors, 1875. https://christiansciencemedia.org/files/2010/03/Science-and-Health-with-Key-to-the-Scriptures.pdf.
[4] Copeland, Kenneth. The Laws of Prosperity. Fort Worth, TX: Kenneth Copeland Publications, 1974.
[5] Burton, Tara Isabella. “The Prosperity Gospel, Explained: Why Joel Osteen Believes That Prayer Can Make You Rich.” Vox, September 1, 2017. https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/9/1/15951874/prosperity-gospel-explained-why-joel-osteen-believes-prayer-can-make-you-rich-trump.
Other Resources:
The Postscript Episode 54: The Prosperity Gospel, New Thought & The Word of Faith Movement
Kaufman, Whitley. “Evil as Illusion: The American Mind-Cure Movement,” 2010. https://faculty.uml.edu//whitley_kaufman/problem%20of%20evil/evil_as_illusion.htm.
Kimber, Brandon. American Gospel: Christ Alone. Documentary. Transition Studios, 2018.
Melissa Wharton is a member at Midtown Baptist Temple in Kansas City, MO and the chief editor for Living Faith Books.
