The Wheel of Fortune

Financial prosperity to those in the Word Faith movement is more than just a blessing. It is an absolute right. New Testament professor, Gordon D. Fee, in his booklet titled "The Disease of the Health and Wealth Gospels" points out that the "bottom line" reaffirmation to which Word Faith believers always return is this:

God wills the financial prosperity of every one of His children, and therefore for a Christian to be in poverty is to be outside God's intended will; it is to be living a Satan defeated life. And usually tucked away in this affirmation is a second: Because we are God's children ... we should always go first-class--we should have the biggest and best, a Cadillac instead of a Volkswagen, because this alone brings glory to God.

In Kenneth Copeland's words, "Jesus bore the curse of the law on our behalf. He beat Satan and took away his power. Consequently, there is no reason for you to live under the curse of the law, no reason to live in poverty of any kind."

The Bible names countless individuals who, although they were righteous before God, were poor: Paul the Apostle (Phillipians 4:11-12); his companions (I Corinthians 4:9-13); the Old Testament faithful (Hebrews 11:37). Even the Lord Jesus lived in poverty (Matthew 8:20).

These facts, however, are vehemently denied by Word Faith teachers, especially John Avanzini, who assures everyone that "Jesus was handling big money." In fact, he claims, "Jesus had a nice house, a big house -- big enough to have company stay the night with him at the house." Frederick K.C. Price agrees:

The whole point is I am trying to get you to see -- to get you out of this malaise of thinking that Jesus and His disciples were poor and then relating that to you ... the Bible says that He has left us an example that we should follow His steps. That's the reason that I drive a Rolls Royce.

Scripture nowhere indicates that Jesus was wealthy. Instead, it clearly portrays Him as being poor: "For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor that ye through His poverty would be rich." (II Corinthians 8:9). Even though this is analogous, figurative language, pointing to the fact that the omnipotent God laid aside His divine primacy (riches) and submitted to human evil on the cross (poverty), it still affirms that neither poverty nor riches have any spiritual stigma attached to them. While a misinterpretation of this verse may tempt some to conclude that Jesus became poor materially so that we may become rich materially, that is not the point at all. Spiritual wealth or life comes to us sinners through the death of Christ. Christians are to be rich in spiritual things (James 2:5), including love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galations 5:22-23). Revelation 2:9 speaks of believers who, although poor by worldly standards, are still "rich" because of the spiritual wealth they possess.

Temporal riches are of much less value than spiritual riches. According to Paul, "But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows" (1 Timothy 6:9-10).

Jesus himself said, "Lay up not for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:19-21). (Walter Martin)