What if Benny Hinn was Right?
My second article on TPSG
As I flipped through the channels late one Friday night, I stumbled into the broadcast of a crusade in which a well-groomed tele-evangelist preached with persuasive power. He promised physical healing and financial freedom to those who would sew the seed of faith by making a generous pledge to his ministry.
In our church tradition, we balk at these images on our screens and identify this man for what he is: a false teacher, a charlatan motivated by greed, preying on the desperate for personal gain. Yet, in our eagerness to reject the prosperity gospel in its entirety, I wonder if we have thrown out a principal that is both biblical and practical: God blesses materially those who are generous materially. Does this statement rub you the wrong way? I feel almost heretical just typing it, and yet my recent meditation on 2 Corinthians 8-9 led me to just that conclusion. Before you close this window in your browser, consider with me this passage penned by Paul.
In our church tradition, we balk at these images on our screens and identify this man for what he is: a false teacher, a charlatan motivated by greed, preying on the desperate for personal gain. Yet, in our eagerness to reject the prosperity gospel in its entirety, I wonder if we have thrown out a principal that is both biblical and practical: God blesses materially those who are generous materially. Does this statement rub you the wrong way? I feel almost heretical just typing it, and yet my recent meditation on 2 Corinthians 8-9 led me to just that conclusion. Before you close this window in your browser, consider with me this passage penned by Paul.
Here’s the context from which the apostle is writing: Believers in Jerusalem are suffering great financial hardship, and the Gentile saints in Macedonia rise to the challenge to help meet the physical needs of their Jewish brothers and sisters. Paul commends their generosity and beseeches the Corinthians to join them in their liberality.
Lest we miss the spiritual significance of the text, 2 Corinthians 8:10 helps us here: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” The primary and most important wealth we receive from Christ is his grace in the Gospel. Christ is our ultimate example of generosity, having given up the riches and glory of heaven to humble himself and become poor, taking on human flesh. Christ’s atoning work does not promise us health, wealth, and freedom from suffering. But our Saviour’s saving grace gained for us his abiding presence by his Spirit, his gifts, and the communion of the saints. And his saving grace is also the source from which our every righteous deed flows. However, a secondary principal emerges in the following verses. 2 Corinthians 9:6 states, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” The context is money, not prayers or acts of kindness.
This echoes the teachings of Christ in Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Returning to 2 Corinthians 9, verse 11 adds, “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
This verse shows us where we part ways with prosperity gospel teachers. The purpose for which Christ enriches his children who give is so that they will be even more generous! These false teachers are not channels of God’s generosity, but stagnant pools, accumulating wealth for themselves and their cronies at the expense of the poor who are desperate for a miracle.
We will do well to eschew the prosperity gospel and its slick methods. But let us not miss out on the powerful promise of Scripture and the opportunity it gives us to challenge the people of God to give sacrificially for the glory of God. Yes, our reward will be great in heaven (Matthew 6:20), but the Lord may surprise us with material blessings in the here in now. To what end? So that we have more to give away and so that he would receive thanks and praise.
Lest we miss the spiritual significance of the text, 2 Corinthians 8:10 helps us here: “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” The primary and most important wealth we receive from Christ is his grace in the Gospel. Christ is our ultimate example of generosity, having given up the riches and glory of heaven to humble himself and become poor, taking on human flesh. Christ’s atoning work does not promise us health, wealth, and freedom from suffering. But our Saviour’s saving grace gained for us his abiding presence by his Spirit, his gifts, and the communion of the saints. And his saving grace is also the source from which our every righteous deed flows. However, a secondary principal emerges in the following verses. 2 Corinthians 9:6 states, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.” The context is money, not prayers or acts of kindness.
This echoes the teachings of Christ in Luke 6:38 – “Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you.” Returning to 2 Corinthians 9, verse 11 adds, “You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.”
This verse shows us where we part ways with prosperity gospel teachers. The purpose for which Christ enriches his children who give is so that they will be even more generous! These false teachers are not channels of God’s generosity, but stagnant pools, accumulating wealth for themselves and their cronies at the expense of the poor who are desperate for a miracle.
We will do well to eschew the prosperity gospel and its slick methods. But let us not miss out on the powerful promise of Scripture and the opportunity it gives us to challenge the people of God to give sacrificially for the glory of God. Yes, our reward will be great in heaven (Matthew 6:20), but the Lord may surprise us with material blessings in the here in now. To what end? So that we have more to give away and so that he would receive thanks and praise.
I first published this article in French on the blog toutpoursagloire.com.
Bonjour Angie,
ReplyDeleteJe suis Elysée Isidor, je viens de lire cet article en français que Stéphane Kapitaniuk a eu la gentillesse de partager avec moi. Je suis d'accord avec toi sur tous les points. Car le risque est grand qu'en réfutant cet évangile de prospérité on rejette tous les enseignements de la Bible ayant rapport à l'argent. Or depuis l'Ancien Testament le principe de la semence et de la récolte est présent dans la Parole de Dieu; seulement comme Benny Hinn le confesse, lui et ses acolytes l'ont poussé trop loin, dans le sens que vous l'avez exprimé: pour leur propre enrichissement aux dépends des gens prêts à tout accepter sans discernement.
Un des exemples du principe de la semence, est la veuve de 1 Rois 17.8-16. Elle avait accepté d'investir le peu qu'elle avait selon la Parole du prophète Elie; le verset 16 rapporte les résultats: La farine qui était dans le pot ne manqua point, et l'huile qui était dans la cruche ne diminua, selon la parole que l'Éternel avait prononcée par Élie.
L'apôtre Paul, en plus du principe de la semence a énoncé un autre prince qui doit toujours accompagner chacune de nos actions, dans 1 Corinthiens 10.31: Soit que vous mangiez, soit que vous buviez, soit que vous fassiez quelque autre chose, faites tout pour la gloire de Dieu.
Alors quand on donne, il faut toujours le faire pour la gloire de Dieu, laissant à Dieu le soin de décider la manière dont Il va nous bénir en retour.
Merci pour cet article Angie; soyez bénie, vous et votre famille
Merci beaucoup pour ton message, Elysée! C'était vraiment bénissant!
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