Nearly 1930 years ago, Paul wrote pastor-teacher Timothy with regard to this very subject -- the Christian and material possessions:
... men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. (1 Tim 6:5-11)This is a clear refutation to the popular, ear-tickling "Prosperity Message," and therefore, a very important passage for our day, as it was in Timothy's. Please note the following three observations from that passage:
Nowhere in the Holy Scriptures is the temporal and material elevated in importance! Instead, souls are to be our goal! Hence, evangelism is exemplified, especially in Acts. As "soldiers" in God's army, we should be willing to suffer lack, be persecuted and even die for this cause, as Stephen did (Acts 7:59, 60). Paul said, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory," 2 Tim. 2:10. "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some" (1 Cor. 9:22b). "For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved" (1 Cor. 10:33b). This was the goal and purpose of the man God used to write half of the New Testament books. Shouldn't this also be our goal and purpose in this life? Certainly, there is a major difference between the Prosperity teachers of our day and Paul who taught, "If we have food and clothing we [Christians] will be content with that." I've never heard the Prosperity Gospel teachers preach a sermon from that verse! The gospel of greed breeds sin and a terrible distortion from the holy image of a Christian.
"were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute [extremely poor], persecuted and mistreated -- the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground. These were all commended for their faith ..." (Heb. 11:37-39).Please note: The Greek meaning of this word translated "destitute" is "lack, suffer need, (be in) want" [Strong's Exhaustive Concordance -- Greek Dictionary, p.75, no. 5302]. (See also Heb. 13:5; Col. 3:1,2 and Prov. 30:7-9). NOTE: Job was the godliest man on the planet in his day! He was not a faith failure, as he has been presented.
Certainly, the "Prosperity Gospel" or gospel of greed has distorted who the real heroes of the Christian faith are, not to mention, even more seriously, promoting the spiritually deadly sin of GREED. Reader, please know: If you are greedy, you need to repent and get saved (1 Cor. 6:9,10; Eph. 5:5,6; Col. 3:5 cf. Rev. 21:8). Flee from the greed form of idolatry! And beware of false teachers.
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Anathemas: The True and The False
Evangelical Outreach Alphabetical Map