Living the Dream: Prosperity

Simply put, the term “prosperity gospel”, also referred to as “name it and claim it” or “health and wealth” theology, is based on the idea that believers should expect the Lord to give them a lot of money, perfect health, and freedom from struggle/hardship. It is also often grounded in exhortations to change our lives for the better simply through positive thinking and increased self-esteem.

Biblical texts that are used to justify this type of teaching often come from Old Testament passages which highlight how the Lord brought material accumulation to his people, such as we see in Jacob’s household after they move to Egypt (cf. Genesis 47:27). Taken out of context, this verse could be used by a prosperity gospel teacher to demonstrate how God desires to bring material and financial accumulation to his people. But there is far more going on than meets the eye!

First, the presence of Abraham’s descendants in a foreign land was foretold by the Lord to the Abraham back in Genesis 15. The reason for it is that the Lord would use their sufferings in a foreign land to make them into a people for himself. God’s ultimate goal in all of creation is to have for himself a people, and his people are intended to be “priests” (cf. Exodus 19:6). The role of a priest is to help others experience the Lord, and this is still a role of God’s people today (cf. 1 Peter 2:9).

Why does God materially prosper his people at times in the Old Testament? In order to carry out his larger plan of forming for himself a people who know him and experience the fullness of his love and forgiveness. Ultimate prosperity is not health, wealth, and freedom from problems in this life. It is being forgiven and receiving new life through the death and resurrection of Christ, so that we can be adopted into the family of God and become part of his people, which is something we begin to experience in this life but will experience to the full in the next life.