One of the most popular and prominent religious movements today is the prosperity gospel.
This movement almost seems to be taking Africa by storm. The names of high-profile pastors
or prophets
have become household words, and people are willing to travel across the continent to seek healing and other blessings promised by these men and women.
In every city there are many church leaders who take these international figures as their role models. Their churches are advertised with billboards that display the leader dressed in fancy clothes; miracles, healing, and wealth are promised. People flock to attend the services, hoping for their share of the prosperity.
Paul’s testimony here in 1 Thessalonians 2:5–9 provides us with much helpful insight for evaluating the practices of this movement. Notice how he writes, For we never came...with a pretext for greed...you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.
What does this have to say about our modern-day prophets
?
Visit the website of a famous televangelist and you are sure to find a prominent link or menu item called Give.
When you go to that webpage, you will invariably be told that giving is like planting a seed, and that by giving to the ministry of Prophet X, you are planting a seed which will multiply to bring you financial prosperity that you cannot contain. It may sound like the prophet is concerned for your prosperity, but we must ask the question: is this not a mask to cover greed?
A brief Internet enquiry into the lifestyles of these prophets will reveal that their wealth is often counted in the hundreds of millions of dollars. They have a love for private jets and luxurious mansions, and encourage their supporters to sow
money into the purchase of such assets. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jan/5/kenneth-copeland-jesse-duplantis-defend-private-je/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2015/03/17/televangelist-65m-buy-jet-now/24893113/ https://constative.com/celebrity/prophet-shepherd-bushiri-net-worth-biography-church-and-jets1
Can such practices really be squared with the example of Paul, Silas, and Timothy? What about the life and teaching of Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep?
The question comes to every pastor: which role model will I follow? And every Christian should answer the question: am I looking for teaching that is just a cover for greed—my own and that of my pastor—or do I desire to know the gospel of God?
Let us not forget that Paul’s integrity, love, and selflessness helped to assure the Thessalonians that the message they had heard truly was from God. Ministers who preach a deceptive message motivated by greed are likely to bring the gospel into disrepute, since they make it look like a hunter’s trap, carefully set to catch naïve and unthinking people. Unbelievers will scoff and say, How can you tell me that message is from God? It is just a clever money-making scheme!
8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.