Let me put this question to you: How did your new life begin? Was it by working your heads off to please God? Or was it by responding to God’s Message to you? Are you going to continue this craziness? For only crazy people would think they could complete by their own efforts what was begun by God. If you weren’t smart enough or strong enough to begin it, how do you suppose you could perfect it? Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up! Galatians 3:2-4 (The Message)
“PT [Prosperity Theology] has another gospel of salvation. The sin is to be poor, the sinner’s predicament separates them from God’s blessings, the way to God is by positive thinking and positive declarations of change, the only way to be saved is by “sowing” money at the church, salvation bears fruit when you receive manifold times in material tangible ways what you sowed, and Christian life is equated to being wealthy.
If you do not received such salvation, the problem could be you lack faith or you are not sowing enough. Together with wealth, salvation means to be healthy, happy, and in full enjoyment of this world’s amenities. Anything short of that needs to be spoken against by declaring victory loudly and in faith. Otherwise your salvation is not complete.
We could say as Paul: “You crazy Galatians! Did someone put a hex on you? Have you taken leave of your senses? Something crazy has happened, for it’s obvious that you no longer have the crucified Jesus in clear focus in your lives. His sacrifice on the cross was certainly set before you clearly enough.” (The Message).
The idea that we are sinners, separated from God, guilty and condemned to eternal damnation, that only through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection we are rescued from sin and its consequences, and that we are called to live in complete submission to God’s will following Jesus’ example, is totally foreign to PT.
Church matters. PT not only has given us a different Christ, but it has also redefined what church means. PT’s ecclesiastical model in Latin America is “church as a private company”. The successful and charismatic CEO’s (pastor’s) main goal is to increase profits and assets (tithes, offerings, radio and television stations, buildings, etc.) by enticing more costumers (members) to buy its product (message).
In this model the strategy to market religious services becomes superlative and people are secondary. We see the return of a highly clerical model with a few “anointed” who claim to have exclusive access to an endless source of power. They dispense some favors to the lay people who have fulfilled some religious rite (monetary in this case). All kinds of techniques are used to ensure compliance.”
José Daniel Salinas in “How is Prosperity Theology Penetrating the Theology and Practice of Mainline Churches?” in Lausanne Movement post dated 30 September 2015.
Eugene Peterson’s rendering of Galatians 3:2-4 in the Message reveals that the PT phenomenon is not a new problem. Since the days of the early church, people have pursued a gospel that links to good works. Sadly, this gospel forgets about Christ as the source of our salvation.
From there, Salinas rightly explains what happens to the church in his Latin American context. It becomes a private company with the goal of amassing assets, dispensing favors, and controlling people. At this point I challenge readers to look at their own church. See any PT there?
The assets of the early church were the people. The favors went to those society said were undeserving. People were not controlled but empowered to become part of the gospel story. It’s what happens when the gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed.