Did Jesus Preach a Prosperity Gospel or a Poverty Gospel? – Live Q&A for September 12, 2024

Did Jesus Preach a Prosperity Gospel or a Poverty Gospel?

From Vishal…

David, what is your view on the prosperity gospel versus the poverty gospel? Some preach the prosperity gospel by point to Abraham, David, and Solomon. Some preach the poverty gospel pointing to Jesus and His apostles. Please give your view.

Let’s define some terms:

• Prosperity Gospel: Materially speaking, God wants all His people to be rich under His blessing, and the rich are more in God’s will and God’s favor than the poor are.
• Poverty Gospel: Materially speaking, God wants all His people to be poor, because if they have material wealth they should give it away, and the poor are more in God’s will and God’s favor than the rich are.

The Prosperity Gospel people point to the many rich and godly people in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Job, David, Solomon, Joseph of Arimathea, Lydia, and so forth.

The Poverty Gospel people point to the many, many places in the Bible where God expresses care and sympathy for the poor and rebukes the selfish and greedy among the rich. They point to where Jesus spoke to the rich young ruler and told him to sell all he had, give it to the poor, and then follow Jesus.

I think that both the Prosperity Gospel and the Poverty Gospel are right in part and are wrong in part. We need to understand both aspects.

First, God commanded that His people show no partiality between rich and poor.

Exodus 23:3

You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.

No partiality was to be shown to a poor man; the poor were not to be favored just because they were poor, any more than the rich should be favored because they are rich. The facts of a case and the principles of justice should decide a dispute, not the high or low standing or perceived victim status of those involved.

Leviticus 19:15

You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty. In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

1. You shall do no injustice in judgment: This was a command to judges and magistrates. Exodus 21-23 gives many principles to the judges of ancient Israel for making their legal decisions. Yet all was based on the fundamental responsibility to do no injustice in judgment.
2. Jesus repeated this foundational principle: Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. (John 7:24)
3. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: To give preference to a person just because they are poor, or just because they are mighty, is to do injustice in judgment. It should not be done.
4. This command speaks against any approach that divides humanity into two categories: those who are oppressors and those who are victims, with the judgment that all who are mighty are oppressors, and all who are poor are victims – and that judicial preference should always be given to the poor whom they understand to be victims. This goes against what God commands; this is to do injustice in judgment.
5. Certainly it is more common to honor the person of the mighty than it is to be partial to the poor. But they are both sins; they both are an injustice. Things should be judged according to truth and evidence of the truth, not according to class theories. As God says: In righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.

The bottom line is this:

• There are righteous rich people and righteous poor people.
• There are wicked rich people and wicked poor people.

Second, it’s true that riches are a real obstacle to the kingdom of God.

Luke 18:24

How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!

Riches are a problem because they tend to make us satisfied with this life, instead of longing for the age to come. As well, sometimes riches are sought at the expense of seeking God.

1. Clearly Jesus said that riches are an obstacle to the kingdom of God. We usually only think of poverty as a problem. Jesus told us that riches may present a much more serious problem.
2. We often excuse ourselves from what Jesus said here because we don’t consider ourselves rich. Yet very few among us would not be considered richer than this rich young ruler was.

Luke 18:22-23

So when Jesus heard these things, He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

1. When Jesus heard these things, He said to him: Jesus spoke the following to this one man, in light of who the man was and what he said. This was a specific word for a specific man, yet in principle it has application for all.
2. Mark’s account adds something here. Mark wrote: Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him (Mark 10:21). The response of Jesus to this man was said in love – no doubt, because Jesus perceived that he was misguided and empty. One might say that this man had climbed to the top of the ladder of success, only to find his ladder leaned against the wrong building.
3. In saying, “Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me,” Jesus challenged the man to love God more than money and material things. The man failed this challenge. Essentially, this man was an idolater: he loved money and material things more than God.
4. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me: The call to forsake everything and follow Jesus is a call to put God first in all things. It is full obedience to the first table of the law, which dealt with a man’s relation to God.
5. We may make two mistakes here. The one is to believe this applies to everyone, when Jesus never made this a general command to all who would follow Him, but especially to this one rich man whose riches were clearly an obstacle to his discipleship. Instead, many rich people can do more good in the world by continuing to make money and using those resources for the glory of God and the good of others. The second mistake is to believe this applies to no one, when there are clearly those today for whom the best thing they could do for themselves spiritually is to radically forsake the materialism that is ruining them. Francis of Assisi was a notable one who heard Jesus speak these words to him, and gave away all he had to follow Jesus.
6. Yet we notice that Jesus simply called this man to be His disciple, in saying, “Follow Me.” He used similar language in calling many of His disciples (Matthew 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; Mark 2:14). Jesus simply called this man to be His follower; but for this man it meant leaving behind the riches he had set his heart upon.

Conclusion

• Jesus didn’t preach a prosperity gospel.
• Jesus didn’t preach a poverty gospel.
• Jesus preached a follow Me gospel – and there are followers of Jesus who are poor and who are rich.

Let me conclude with three principles regarding money from John Wesley:

• Gain all you can
• Save all you can
• Give all you can

1. He became very sorrowful, for he was very rich: The other gospels note that the man went away (Matthew 19:22, Mark 10:22). Luke noticed his expression, his emotional response: very sorrowful. When he heard Jesus’ radical call to discipleship he said, I can’t do that. I can’t make that sacrifice. I guess I’m going to hell.
2. Very sorrowful and very rich is a tragic combination, yet common enough in those who make an idol out of riches.
3. The principle remains: God may challenge and require an individual to give something up for the sake of His kingdom that He still allows to someone else. There are many who perish because they will not forsake what God tells them to.

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

1. Jesus lived His earthly life as a poor man. We should not exaggerate the poverty of Jesus; after all, He was not a destitute beggar.
2. Yet, He could say of Himself, Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head. (Matthew 8:20)

Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme that noble name by which you are called? (James 2:5-7)

Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom. Though it is easy for man to favor the rich, God doesn’t. There’s a sense in which God has chosen the poor of this world.

They are chosen to be rich in faith because the poor have more opportunities to trust God. They may be richer in faith than the rich man. There’s a sense in which the rich may trust God, but the poor must trust God.

They are chosen to be heirs of the kingdom because Jesus said that being rich made it harder to enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:24). The poor more readily respond to God in faith, having fewer obstacles to the kingdom.

God chose the poor when He added humanity to His deity and came to earth (2 Corinthians 8:9). Many people dread poverty and will do anything to escape it. The Son of God chose poverty. He chose to be born into a family and a life of humble resources.

James taught why Christians should not be biased against the poor: Do not the rich oppress you and drag you into the courts?James reminded his readers that the rich often sin against them because the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (1 Timothy 6:10). For this reason alone, the rich are not worthy of the favoritism often shown them.

Of course, God has not only chosen the poor. We may say that He has chosen the poor first in the sense Paul spoke of in 1 Corinthians 1:26: For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

We should remind ourselves that God also never calls for partiality against the rich. If one must judge in a dispute between a rich man and a poor man, they should let the law and the facts of the case decide the judgment, instead of the economic class of those in the dispute.

When we choose people by what we see on the surface – rich or poor – then we miss the mind of God. Judas appeared to be much better leadership material than Peter. If one is poor in this world, let them regard it as an opportunity to be rich in heaven (and improve their lot on earth).

If one is rich in this world, let them remember that this is no promise of riches in eternity, and they must handle what God gives them rightly.

What does it mean that God holds His word above His name (Psalm 138:2)?

Psalm 138:2 – I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above all Your name.

This is a stunning and remarkable statement. It shows us the incredible regard that God has for His own word. When it says that God magnifies His word above all His name, keep in mind that the name of a person in the ancient Near East was often held to be a representation of their character. So, this is not just referring to the name of God, but also associated with that idea in biblical thinking is the character of God. God says He’ll magnify His word above even His name and His character. God holds His word in greater esteem than His very character.

I don’t think these two things are opposed to each other at all. Think of a man guarding his name. I don’t want my name to be associated with foolishness or wickedness. A man guards his name yet, yet God says, “I’ll guard My word.I’ll honor My word. I’ll exalt My word.”

Concerning this verse, James Montgomery Boyce wrote that it would be as if God was saying, “I value My integrity above everything else. Above everything else, I want to be believed.” This verse does not mean that God’s other qualities are moved to second place. God has given us His word, and He wants us to believe it. He magnifies His word above His very name. It’s a wonderful and radical statement showing us how much God regards the value of His word. Dear believer, if you consider yourself a follower of Jesus Christ and the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then you need to love and honor the word of God, because God loves and honors His word. God has such high esteem for His word that He says He’ll magnify His word above His very name. This is a beautiful and powerful statement of God.

How can a person remain hungry and zealous for spiritual things during depression, without losing interest in them?

This is a difficult question, because if a person is in a season of depression, they often lack sustained interest in just about anything. From that place, how can a person keep an interest in the Lord and in spiritual things?

I’ll give you one thing that can help. It’s just using a variety of things. Reading your Bible is very, very good. It’s something that is part of a foundation for a healthy Christian life. But if you feel like you’re in a funk, can’t get out of this mentality, and it’s very hard for you to read God’s word and give attention to it, here’s something you can do. Listen to God’s word. Go online or get one of these programs that reads the Bible to you. Listen to the Bible being read (for example, on the Bible app). Think about it as it’s being read to you. Let the Bible be like an audiobook for you. Read the Bible out loud. If you’re having trouble praying, go out for a walk and pray.

I’m just saying, find different ways to do the familiar practices of the Christian life. These familiar practices of the Christian life are very important: prayer, worship, reading our Bible, connecting with other believers. These things are basic foundations and provide a way for us to intentionally serve God. These are important foundations for a healthy Christian life. We just need to find ways to keep doing them as much as we can. I know that sometimes, because of certain life circumstances, people can’t do some or all of these things, but to whatever extent we can, I think God will bless us and help us to grow and thrive spiritually as we do them.

​​Is it okay for believers to read or use self-help books?

I’m not big on telling people not to read things. If somebody came to me waving a self-help book and said, “Hey, I want to read this. What do you think?” I’d probably say, “Read it, but use a lot of discernment. Read it but measure it against your Bible.” That’s my general take. Now, could there be some self-help books that I would tell you to not even bother reading, because it’s so wicked, so corrupt, so unbiblical, or so unhelpful. I could conceivably do that. But in general, I’d tell you to read it if you want, but learn how to read things with discernment.

Hebrews 5:14 – But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

In this verse, the author of Hebrews talks about having our senses trained for discernment by reason of use. In other words, our discernment is sort of like a muscle that gets stronger the more we use it. So, I would challenge believers out there that if you want to read something, read it, but use biblical discernment. Get to know your Bible well. If someone knows their Bible well and knows how to discerningly read, I don’t care what they read. In fact, to be very straightforward, I wouldn’t be afraid to read it. Maybe I’d come to think it’s a waste of time, but I wouldn’t be afraid to read it.

I’m not afraid to read literature by the Jehovah’s Witnesses or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I’m not afraid to read things from atheists. I’m not afraid to read things from skeptics. Just this morning, I was reading something from atheists who were railing against intelligence. I’m not afraid to read that stuff. But listen, I know my Bible and I hope that I know some discernment. If a person is very biblically ignorant and has no discernment, I might say, “Don’t read it. Spend more time with your Bible first.” But in general, we don’t have to fear reading things like self-help books if we are grounded in biblical discernment.

Who are “the elect”?

What a great question. In one sense, the elect are the ones whom God has chosen. When you see this idea of the elect or chosen in the Bible, you have to ask yourself the question, “Chosen for what?” Some people are chosen in the sense that God chose them to be His children in a unique sense, beyond the sense that all humanity are children of God. They’ve been chosen to be sons and daughters of God by adoption in a unique sense. So, you can say that some people are chosen to be the people of God in that sense. Some people are chosen in the sense that they’re going to be brought into right relationship with God through the person and work of Jesus Christ. They’re chosen for eternal life. They’re chosen for heaven. They’re chosen for their gifts and callings and God’s plan. All those things are aspects of being chosen.

But in the Bible, there are also those who are chosen for the purpose of having a role in God’s unfolding plan of the ages. I earnestly believe that the Jewish people, the covenant descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Jewish people, are a chosen people. This does not mean that they’re all chosen for salvation, no; although the Bible promises that salvation will eventually come to Israel. The Bible makes it very clear that the choosing God had for Israel was not a choosing primarily unto salvation, but it was a chosen role in His unfolding plan. I believe that that the Jewish people have a continuing role in the unfolding plan of God that will not be fulfilled until the glorious return of Jesus Christ and will carry on into His remarkable reign here on planet Earth.

Here’s another way you could define chosen. If a person is chosen by God for salvation, for heaven, for eternal life, then they’ll believe. You could say that the elect are believers, and you can say that believers are elect. When I say believers, I don’t mean people who just believe that Jesus lived, or that Jesus existed, even that Jesus died on a cross. I am talking about those who trust in, rely on, and cling to the person and work of Jesus Christ, especially who He is and what He did, as seen through His work on the cross and in His glorious resurrection.

So I’m referring to true believers, and everything that it really means to be a believer. Believers are the elect. Believers are chosen. The chosen are believers. You might ask, “Well, which is it? Are they believers or the chosen?” The answer that question is “Yes.”

The term elect can be used in a broader sense than just the special, heaven-bound people of God who are bound for heaven because they are in right relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ. But the key is that believers are elect, and the elect are believers. You won’t find any of God’s elect who don’t believe. You won’t find any believers who aren’t among God’s elect. You could use them interchangeably in some sense.

When Paul speaks of the day of the coming of Jesus in 2 Thessalonians, is he speaking of Jesus being revealed to the individual?

2 Thessalonians 2:1-2 – Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.

Is Paul speaking of Jesus being revealed to the individual? No, not really. The context of 2 Thessalonians 2 is the demonstrated return of Jesus Christ. It’s kind of interesting how he phrased it. Is this the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our gathering together with Him? There’s debate in Christian circles. I would hold those to be two different aspects of the same event. Both of them are connected to the idea of the coming of Jesus. But there are two different aspects. One is that Jesus is coming for His people and gathering them together for Him, and the other is the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. There is some dispute concerning interpretations of these events, but I’m answering the question here, so I would say they are different aspects of the same grand event.

So, it’s really not referring to a private revelation or communication of God to a person. This is the very direct way in which God deals with His people, by gathering them together, and then by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s not that God is being revealed in an individualistic sense, or that Jesus is revealing Himself to a person in some kind of secret or unknown way that other people couldn’t notice.

Is it wrong for successful Christians to enjoy luxury?

As Christians, ​are we allowed luxury, or do we need to maintain a “reasonable” or plain standard living to be able to give more to the poor? Some accuse successful Christians that they are too rich.

Good question. I don’t think that being a faithful, generous Christian means depriving oneself of any comfort or luxury in life. As with anything we do, it just has to be honoring to God. I don’t think I know anybody who has a private jet. Maybe I do, and don’t know about it. I live in a place where there are some well-to-do people. But let’s say somebody has a private jet, and people look at it and think, “How wasteful, how ungodly.” Well, you may not have any awareness of how generous they may be with what they have. I don’t know how any of these things are priced, so I’m just speaking freely. But let’s say they have a private jet that’s worth a million dollars, but they give away ten million every year. In light of how generous they are with other things, I don’t think I would begrudge them having that luxury, especially because there’s probably some legitimate use for it. I do think that the more people have, the more responsibility they have to be generous. If a person has much more than they need, they should give even more than ten percent; they should just be generous.

But when a person is generous, I don’t think that they need to deprive themselves of comforts or luxuries of life. Sure, that can be excessive in some cases. It requires living a life led by the Spirit and being sensitive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit.

Here’s an interesting principle that I’ve heard attributed to rabbis. It does not come from Scripture, so it’s not on the level of Scripture. Here’s the statement: “God will hold us accountable for every legitimate pleasure that we did not enjoy.” God has filled this world with blessings and good things. It’s not inherently ungodly to enjoy those blessings and good things. Could it be? Yes, it could be. I could paint all kinds of scenarios where it’s wrong and ungodly. But in and of themselves, it’s not wrong to enjoy the good things that God has placed in this world. If you can do so responsibly, while being plenty generous with other things, go to some wonderful place in the world where you can see wonderful things and see a beautiful, tropical sunset, or whatever it might be. I don’t think there’s something wrong with that. It’s something to think about: “God will hold us to account for every legitimate pleasure and comfort that He gave to this world that we do not enjoy.”