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Was visiting GodFocus Community when the Administrator of the website, Josh, posed this very interesting question about "The Prosperity Gospel". Being a recipient of God's goodness and providence in a lot of things (in other words, I prospered under God's provisions), I think a response is needed. Here goes:
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Hi Josh,
I understand where you are coming from though I would want you to ponder the opposite effect if Jesus has given us Poverty instead of prosperity, sickness instead of health, foolishness instead of wisdom etc etc.
So did Jesus come to give sickness or to heal the sick? Did Jesus give bad things or good things to us who believes in Him, then and now?
Jesus taught us a lot of parables that told us of a God that goes out to bless. Let us consider these parables and accounts in the Gospels
- The Parable of the Talents
- The Parable of the Lost son
- The Rich Ruler (Matthew 19:16-30)
This is my stand: Wealth has its place in the live of a believer because it is part of a manifestation of the Lord's blessings upon us so as to give us a sense of well-being (or else how can we NOT worry?).
Any extreme teachings, that wealth is a Christian right and being poor is a blessing are both in error.
Consider this verse:
(GNB) For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows. 1 Titus 6:10
And also consider these verses:
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
(Rom 10:15)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
(Joh 14:27)
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
(Eze 34:25)
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
(Isa 54:10)
Now the word 'peace' here according to Strong's concordance is the word "eirene" in Greek (used in Romans 10:15 and John 14:27) and "salom" (Eze 34:25 and Isaiah 54:10)
I would say most people would understand the promises made in Isaiah 54 is the promises of things to come from Christ after the sacrifice on the cross as described in Isaiah 53.
Therefore it is important to note the meaning of eirene and salom in their context:
eirene: peace, harmony,tranquility; safety, welfare, health; often with an emphasis on lack of strife or reconciliation in a relation (to God, in our case).
salom: peace, safety, prosperity, well-being; intactness, wholeness; peace can have a focus of security, safety which can bring feelings of satisfaction, well-being and contentment.
For those that need to define the word "welfare" and "Well-being",
From Princeton University's Wordnet:
wellbeing: a contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
I think it is pretty clear here. Jesus meant the word Peace to include welfare and wholeness...that is health and wealth. We can be very sure that Jesus has healed the people in need then and has done so now at this very present moment. But if promise of salom is taken in its full context, wealth is also the promise being given by God.
With the above in view, then the letter to Titus by Paul said it very very well on how we should treat money: It is the LOVE of money that cause one to wandered away from the faith. Money itself, being inanimate, cannot cause us to do anything evil. It is how we react to money that bring about good or evil actions.
And also, going by the definition of the word salom is the word "contentment"!
Again the definition of the word contentment: happiness with one's situation in life.
Therefore with the above verses as with numerous verses that espouses salom or eirene peace in both old and new testament, I can conclude that health and wealth and thus wholeness is the domain of a believing Christian given by the Grace ((Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God) of God. And the wealth given should be received in the attitude of contentment and thus we can never fall foul into the love for money: GREED.
So back to the main topic. Is prosperity a curse or a bad thing? I can replace the word 'prosperity' with 'money' since the intention is to say that having money is the basis of the prosperity gospel.
I would reply that money is NOT a curse or a bad thing. It is how we treat money that will bring about a rise in our faith in Jesus or to turn away from Jesus. I think I have to make this very very clear. Greed, and not wealth, is the culprit here for espousing the Prosperity Gospel.
It is important for us to know the difference because we, who are of and in God and God in us, is given Salom and Eirene PEACE through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross given by the Grace of God. To reject Salom in its fullness is the same as rejecting the gift of God in its fullness. If one wants health, then the promise of God will cover it, along with health is also wealth and wholeness and well-being.
For the recognition of the goodness of God, is the basis for our worship of God.
May the Lord...
Jehovah bless you and keep you; Jehovah cause His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; Jehovah lift up His face to you, and give you peace (salom: strong number 7965).
(Num 6:24-26)
Wilson Wong
http://wilzworkz.blogspot.com
ps. I firmly believe that the principle of tithing (not law but principle) is the solution to be freed of our slavery to the love of money.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Josh,
I understand where you are coming from though I would want you to ponder the opposite effect if Jesus has given us Poverty instead of prosperity, sickness instead of health, foolishness instead of wisdom etc etc.
So did Jesus come to give sickness or to heal the sick? Did Jesus give bad things or good things to us who believes in Him, then and now?
Jesus taught us a lot of parables that told us of a God that goes out to bless. Let us consider these parables and accounts in the Gospels
- The Parable of the Talents
- The Parable of the Lost son
- The Rich Ruler (Matthew 19:16-30)
This is my stand: Wealth has its place in the live of a believer because it is part of a manifestation of the Lord's blessings upon us so as to give us a sense of well-being (or else how can we NOT worry?).
Any extreme teachings, that wealth is a Christian right and being poor is a blessing are both in error.
Consider this verse:
(GNB) For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows. 1 Titus 6:10
And also consider these verses:
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
(Rom 10:15)
Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
(Joh 14:27)
And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.
(Eze 34:25)
For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.
(Isa 54:10)
Now the word 'peace' here according to Strong's concordance is the word "eirene" in Greek (used in Romans 10:15 and John 14:27) and "salom" (Eze 34:25 and Isaiah 54:10)
I would say most people would understand the promises made in Isaiah 54 is the promises of things to come from Christ after the sacrifice on the cross as described in Isaiah 53.
Therefore it is important to note the meaning of eirene and salom in their context:
eirene: peace, harmony,tranquility; safety, welfare, health; often with an emphasis on lack of strife or reconciliation in a relation (to God, in our case).
salom: peace, safety, prosperity, well-being; intactness, wholeness; peace can have a focus of security, safety which can bring feelings of satisfaction, well-being and contentment.
For those that need to define the word "welfare" and "Well-being",
From Princeton University's Wordnet:
wellbeing: a contented state of being happy and healthy and prosperous
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
I think it is pretty clear here. Jesus meant the word Peace to include welfare and wholeness...that is health and wealth. We can be very sure that Jesus has healed the people in need then and has done so now at this very present moment. But if promise of salom is taken in its full context, wealth is also the promise being given by God.
With the above in view, then the letter to Titus by Paul said it very very well on how we should treat money: It is the LOVE of money that cause one to wandered away from the faith. Money itself, being inanimate, cannot cause us to do anything evil. It is how we react to money that bring about good or evil actions.
And also, going by the definition of the word salom is the word "contentment"!
Again the definition of the word contentment: happiness with one's situation in life.
Therefore with the above verses as with numerous verses that espouses salom or eirene peace in both old and new testament, I can conclude that health and wealth and thus wholeness is the domain of a believing Christian given by the Grace ((Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God) of God. And the wealth given should be received in the attitude of contentment and thus we can never fall foul into the love for money: GREED.
So back to the main topic. Is prosperity a curse or a bad thing? I can replace the word 'prosperity' with 'money' since the intention is to say that having money is the basis of the prosperity gospel.
I would reply that money is NOT a curse or a bad thing. It is how we treat money that will bring about a rise in our faith in Jesus or to turn away from Jesus. I think I have to make this very very clear. Greed, and not wealth, is the culprit here for espousing the Prosperity Gospel.
It is important for us to know the difference because we, who are of and in God and God in us, is given Salom and Eirene PEACE through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross given by the Grace of God. To reject Salom in its fullness is the same as rejecting the gift of God in its fullness. If one wants health, then the promise of God will cover it, along with health is also wealth and wholeness and well-being.
For the recognition of the goodness of God, is the basis for our worship of God.
May the Lord...
Jehovah bless you and keep you; Jehovah cause His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; Jehovah lift up His face to you, and give you peace (salom: strong number 7965).
(Num 6:24-26)
Wilson Wong
http://wilzworkz.blogspot.com
ps. I firmly believe that the principle of tithing (not law but principle) is the solution to be freed of our slavery to the love of money.
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