Prosperity Gospel

Copyright © 2020 by the Biblical Research Committee West-Central Africa Division of Seventh-day Adventists

Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

Edited by Daniel Kwame Bediako Cover designed by Rutty Nyame

Printed in Ghana by Advent Press Accra

ISBN: 978-9964-962-21-0

Chapter 7

Prosperity, Faith, Power, and Miracles

Efe Ehioghae, Patrick Etoughe, and Jean Esso

Chapter 8

Prosperity Gospel and Biblical Stewardship

Daniel Dei, Robert Osei-Bonsu, and Paul Ikouba

Chapter 9

Prosperity Gospel and the Great Commission

Jacques Mbende

CHAPTER 5

PROSPERITY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Michael Onyedikachi Akpa

Introduction

The concept of prosperity generally evokes a state of physical and economic success and overall well-being. On the average, however, prosperity in contemporary Christianity is measured especially in economic and material terms. This has given rise to the high wave of “prosperity gospel” among some churches, teaching that God wants His people to prosper financially,1 and that poverty signifies lack of faith.2 Passages such as Matthew 6:33 and Philippians 4:19 have been interpreted in support of this teaching. Conversely, there is the temptation to purport that Jesus lived and taught that Christianity is incompatible with material prosperity, based on passages such as Matthew 5:3; 19:24; and 26:11. Does either of these positions correctly represent the biblical perspective? The preceding chapter described the OT perspective of prosperity, a perspective that does not support either of these extreme positions. Correct interpretation of Scripture is indispensable in establishing a strong basis for life and practice of faith in God. Therefore, the interpreter should “make certain that the consequent or implicit meaning that we attribute to a text is one that accurately reflects the fundamental truth or principle in the text, not a separate

1 B. A. Koch, “The Prosperity Gospel and Economic Prosperity: Race, Class, Giving, and Voting” (PhD Diss., Indiana University, 2009), 1.

2 B. A. Koch, “Who Are the Prosperity Gospel Adherents?” Journal of Ideology 36 (2014): 2.

and different one.”3 In the present chapter, we explore the concept of prosperity in the New Testament (NT), beginning with consideration of key terminologies of prosperity, investigating the concept of prosperity in the various blocks of the NT, and ending by drawing some conclusions.

Terminologies for Prosperity

The NT uses several terms to refer to riches and wealth, including ploutos, “riches, wealth” (2 Cor 8:2; Heb 11:26; Rev 5:12; 18:15, 17), chrēma “property, riches, money” (Mark 10:23; Luke 18:24), and mamōnas “wealth” (Luke 16:9, 11). However, in this lexical study we focus on the Greek words that are translated by the general term “prosperity” or “to prosper.”4 Among the major English versions, the New American Standard Bible uses the noun “prosperity” to translate two Greek words, euporia and perisseuō. On the other hand, most of the major English versions use the verb “to prosper” to translate two Greek words, euodoomai and hypsoō, as indicated in Table 1.

Table 1–The Distribution of the Usage of “Prosperity” and “to Prosper” in English Versions

English Version English Word Frequency Greek Word(s) Bible Text

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

King James Version (KJV)

“Prosperity” 2 euporia Acts 19:25 perisseuō Phil 4:12

“to Prosper” 1 euodoomai 3 John 2

New International Version (NIV) “to Prosper” 1 hypsoō Acts 13:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

“to Prosper” 2 euodoomai 1 Cor 16:2 3 John 2

3 W. C. Kaiser and M. Silva, Introduction to Biblical Hermeneutics: The Search for Meaning (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 43.

4 The usages of the Greek terms translated “prosperity” or “prosper” also cover the nuances of other terms used to express riches and wealth.

New American Standard Bible

English Standard Version (ESV)

Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)

“to Prosper” 2 euodoomai 1 Cor 16:2 3 John 2

“to Prosper” 1 euodoomai 1 Cor 16:2

“to Prosper” 1 euodoomai 1 Cor 16:2

“to Prosper” 1 euodoomai 3 John 2

Table 1 shows that a study of “prosperity” from a lexical perspective may focus on four Greek words as they appear in the following contexts: euporia (Acts 19:25), perisseuō (Phil 4:12), hypsoō (Acts 13:17), and euodoomai (3 John 2; 1 Cor 16:2).

The word euporia appears only once in the NT (Acts 19:25). Following the conversion of the sons of Sceva, Jewish exorcists (Acts 19:13-16), whose magic books worth fifty thousand pieces of silver were burned in public, both Jews and Gentiles at Ephesus began believing in Christ and exalting His name above every other god (Acts 19:17-22). Fearing that their business was at risk, Demetrius, the silversmith who made images of Artemis for sale, gathered the craftsmen and artisans in the city and staged a public riot to protect their business (Acts 19:20-41):

Men, you know that our prosperity depends upon this business. You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence (Acts 19:25-27, NASB).5

5 Emphasis mine.

Here, euporia, rendered as “prosperity” (NASB, NKJV), “wealth” (ESV, KJV, RSV, YLT) and “good income” (NIV) clearly refers to financial or material prosperity. For Demetrius and his fellows, Paul’s ministry must not put them out of their lucrative business. They were ready to protect their material and financial prosperity, choosing wealth over Christ and the truth.

The term perisseuō is used in Philippians 4:12. In this context, Paul expresses his gratitude to the Philippian congregation for extending hospitality to him while in prison. Paul’s gratitude does not stem from desperation or want (Phil 4:11a), because he had learned the virtue of contentment under extreme circumstances (Phil 4:11b). To drive the point home, he enumerated three pairs of extreme conditions which he is accustomed to living in with contentment: (a) with humble means and in prosperity, (b) being filled and going hungry, and (c) having abundance and suffering need (Phil 4:12).

The verb perisseuō occurs thirty-nine times with meanings including “to exceed, surpass” (Matt 5:20), “to have an abundance, surplus or more than enough” (Matt 13:12; 25:29; Mark 12:44; Luke 12:15; 15:17; 21:4; 2 Cor 1:5; Phil 4:12, 18), “to be satisfied” (Matt 14:20; 15:37; Luke 9:17; John 6:12, 13), “to increase” (Acts 16:5), “to abound” (Rom 3:7; 5:15; 15:13; 1 Cor 14:12; 15:58; 2 Cor 3:9; 4:15; 8:7; 9:8; Phil 1:9, 26; 1 Thess 3:12), “to be better than” (1 Cor 8:8); “to overflow” (2 Cor 8:2; 9:12; Col 2:7), “to lavish” (Eph 1:8), “to be in prosperity” (Phil 4:12), and “to excel” (1 Thess 4:1, 10). Thus, the term points to an all-round, total wellbeing of the believer in Christ. It is not restricted to financial and material prosperity.

The NIV renders the verb hypsoō with “to prosper” in Acts 13:17, where Paul states that God chose or elected their Israelite ancestors, made them to prosper during their sojourn in Egypt, and led them out of that country with a mighty hand. Apart from Acts 13:17 where it is rendered as “to prosper” and 2 Corinthians 11:7 where it means “to elevate,” the rest of its occurrences are rendered as “to be exalted” (Matt 11:23; 23:12; Luke 10:15; 14:11; 18:14; Acts 2:33; 5:31) and “to be lifted up” (Luke 1:52; John 3:14; 8:28; 12:32, 34; Jas 4:10; 1 Pet 5:6). Thus, hypsoō carries the idea that

Prosperity in the New Testament 123

prosperity in the NT also refers to God exalting, lifting up, and elevating His people and granting them special favours.

The verb euodoomai occurs four times in three verses (Rom 1:10; 1 Cor 16:2; 3 John 2). Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans in anticipation of visiting the church on his way to Spain (see Rom 1:13; 15:23-29).6 In Romans 1:10, he expresses his yearning and desire for God to grant him the opportunity to succeed (euodoomai) in making the trip to Rome. The idea of prosperity expressed by euodoomai is not material or financial but rather of reaching a desired goal or opportune moment.

In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Paul gives instructions concerning the collections which churches in Asia were making as relief to alleviate the suffering of the believers in Judea who were struck by famine (Acts 11:27-30).7 He praises the believers in Macedonia for giving liberally beyond their means. In spite of their obvious poverty, they begged Paul and his associates with every sense of urgency to be allowed to participate in contributing to this relief collection (2 Cor 8:1-24). Paul then encourages every believer at Corinth to set aside in the storehouse what he/she has to give for the relief collection, in accordance with how God has prospered (euodoomai) him/her (1 Cor 16:2). Here, the prosperity espoused by euodoomai relates to material or financial possessions, regardless of the amount or quantity. It does not denote abundance or overflow of possession.

In the context of 3 John 2, John the elder prays that Gaius “may prosper [euodoomai] in all things [peri pantōn] and be in good health.” John expresses this desire in specific terms for Gaius to prosper and enjoy good health. This raises the question as to what the syntactical function of the conjunction kai “and” is in the Greek text of 3 John 2. Two main options are plausible.8 In the

6 M. O. Akpa, “Contextualizing Paul’s Writings in Ministry: Proposed Guiding Principles,” Asia-Africa Journal of Mission and Ministry 3 (2011): 118-119.

7 In essence, the collection in 1 Corinthians 16:2 does not refer to regular collection of offerings during church services. Rather, it refers to organized collection of relief materials to alleviate the circumstances of those struck by famine.

8 See D. B. Wallace, Greek Grammar beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1996), 671, 673.

first option, the kai could be connective, connecting prosperity and good health as separate items in the list. In the second option, the kai could be explanatory, placing further emphasis and explanation on what constitutes prosperity, namely good health. If the connective function of kai is taken, then prosperity expressed by euodoomai becomes a separate component from good health, hence “to prosper and be in good health.” If the explanatory function of kai is taken, then prosperity is further explained in specific terms by good health, hence, “to prosper; namely to be in good health.” Whichever way we understand “and” (kai), the scope of the prayer, expressed by peri pantōn, “concerning all things” (3 John 2) suggests that the prosperity desired for Gaius is wholistic, touching every aspect of his life. This is also supported by the second part of the prayer: “even as your life or soul [psuchē] prospers” (3 John 2). In sum, the four Greek terms translated as “prosperity” or “to prosper” in the NT do not exclusively refer to material or financial wealth. The terms may denote well-being in general, which may include financial, social, physical and spiritual aspects of the person.

The Concept of Prosperity

The concept of prosperity is not limited to the four Greek terms studied above. The concept may be present even when these and other specific terms are not used. In order to describe the NT perspective of prosperity, we will trace the concept throughout each block of books, namely the Gospels and Acts, Pauline Epistles, General Epistles, and the Apocalypse.

Prosperity in the Gospels and Acts

The Gospels and the book of Acts present a robust picture of the intertwining nature of prosperity and poverty, within the purview of the Christian life and community. In view of the overlap of information that exists among the Synoptic Gospels, attempts are not made to present the synoptic parallel views on any issue or passage discussed. Where this is considered unavoidable, reference is made to the appropriate passage(s) in the synoptic parallels.

The power and significance of material and socio-economic prosperity in the cosmic conflict is heightened and highlighted by the fact that one of the temptations of Jesus Christ immediately after His baptism (Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13) had to do with Satan’s pledge to give Christ the kingdoms of the world and their glory, if only Christ would bow down and worship him (Matt 4:8-9; Luke 4:5-8). This clarifies the fact that at some point in the Christian life, the believer may be brought to the brink of making a decision regarding worshiping the Devil in exchange for material and socio-economic prosperity of this world. In such a situation, Jesus has already set the example for His followers: “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only’” (Matt 4:10; Luke 4:8, NIV). Moreover, by declaring that “man shall not live by bread alone” (Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4, KJV),9 Jesus underscored the fact that although physical bread is very important for human sustenance, it alone is not capable of sustaining humanity. The fact that humanity is sustained by a combination of physical bread and the words that proceed from the mouth of God (Matt 4:4; Luke 4:4) projects the place of the synergy of material and spiritual elements in human existence. In the beatitudes, Jesus pronounced blessings on those who are poor in spirit (Matt 5:3). “Jesus is not celebrating or promoting material poverty by any means in this instance. Since He is the lifegiver and sustainer, He does not imply that those who follow Him must be materially poor or deprived of the necessities of life.”10 On the contrary, Matthew 5:3 clearly points out that the reference is to spiritual poverty. The scenario here is further intensified in the face of another tough assertion by Jesus that it is impossible to serve God and mammon at the same time (Matt 6:24; Luke 16:13). Jesus does not condemn the rich or material prosperity. Rather,

What Jesus is cautioning against is the negative attachment and attitude of people to wealth and riches to the point that money becomes their god or stands between them and God

9 Emphasis mine.

10 M. O. Akpa, Going Beyond Borders: Living According to the Sermon on the Mount (Ibadan, Nigeria: Positive Press, 2013), 17.

who is their Creator. After all, Jesus kept company of some wealthy people. Examples include Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimatheas (John 3:1-21; 19:38-40). Moreover, poverty does not make people immune to Mammon, covetousness, greed, avarice, and discontentment.11

A balanced attitude to material prosperity is key to navigating one’s walk with Christ. As has been observed, “Salvation comes not to the rich, powerful, and influential but to those who humble themselves before God.”12 Thus, maintaining a balanced attitude to material prosperity will help believers to be judicious and faithful in using material wealth to the glory of God and benefit of humanity. It will also help them to know when to back off like Christ from such material offers that seek to compromise one’s faith and draw one away from a living relationship with God. This explains why Jesus cautioned against pursuing earthly material treasures, possessions and prosperity at the expense of seeking and finding the kingdom of God (Matt 6:19-34; Luke 12:21-34).13 Nonetheless, as demonstrated in the parable of the talents, hard work and investment are essential elements of stewardship (Matt 25:14-30).

Juxtaposing two accounts of the attitude of rich people to eternal life, Jesus taught great lessons about material and socioeconomic prosperity. In the first account in Matthew 19:16-24, Jesus showcased the dangers of attaching more value to material prosperity than eternal life (see also Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:1827). The rich young ruler in this story loved his wealth to the point that he was reluctant and unwilling to sell all he had, give to the poor and follow Christ. Rather, he went away from Christ sorrowfully because he chose his great wealth over eternal life which he earnestly desired to have (Matt 19:16; Mark 10:17; Luke 18:18). The argument, that the stringent demand which Jesus made on the

11 Ibid., 104-105.

12 M. L. Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), 286.

13 It is argued that it is a Christian “with a halfhearted, compromising faith that seeks to have the best of both this world and the next” (D. A. Carson, Douglas J. Moo, and Leon Morris, An Introduction to the New Testament [Manila, Philippines: OMF, 1992], 418).

rich young ruler regarding material wealth and possession should not be generalized to every believer,14 is persuasive and instructive. In the second account, Jesus affirmed that “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15, NIV). In order to clarify this assertion, He told a parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:16-21. The problem of the rich fool in the parable was not that he had a bountiful harvest or that he tore down his barns and built larger ones. His problem was two-fold: (1) he was selfish and thought all about himself; how to enjoy his wealth all alone (Luke 12:19); and (2) he was not rich toward God (Luke 12:21).

In the Lord’s Prayer (when Jesus said, “Give us this day our daily bread” [Matt 6:11; Luke 11:3 KJV]) as well as the narratives of the feeding of the 5,000 (Matt 14:13-21; Mark 6:34-44; John 6:1-14) and the 4,000 (Matt 15:29-38; Mark 8:1-9), Jesus established some principles regarding material prosperity. First, in the Lord’s Prayer, He stressed our need of and dependence on God for daily sustenance as opposed to madly rushing after providing our needs by our own efforts as the Gentiles do. Second, in the miraculous feeding of the thousands with a boy’s lunch pack of “five barley loaves and two fish” (John 6:9-11, NASB), He demonstrated that God needs just what we have, regardless of the quantity as a springboard to bless us and meet our daily needs. Third, in the miraculous feeding of the thousands, Jesus denounced wastefulness of resources by asking the disciples to gather up the fragments of left-over bread and fish after the crowd had eaten and were satisfied (Matt 14:20; 15:37; Mark 6:43; 8:8; John 6:12-13).

A prominent statement of Jesus that lends itself to the possibility of being misinterpreted is Matthew 6:33: “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you” (Matt 6:33 KJV). 15 It is common to hear preachers rephrase this passage to infer that once the believer seeks and finds the kingdom of God and His righteousness, “all other things” shall be added.16 This has led to the conclusion that those

14 C. L. Blomberg, Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey, 2nd ed. (Nashville, TN: B & H, 2009), 361.

15 Emphasis mine.

16 Emphasis mine.

who believe in Christ will have whatever they desire from God. However, the text reveals that Jesus does not promise “all other things” to believers. Instead, it reads “all these things shall be added unto you.” In context, “all these things” refer to the very things that the believers should not worry about but which the pagans run after, namely, food, drink, and clothing (Matt 6:25, 31). As argued elsewhere,

Jesus does not imply that we should not express concern about the life issues of today or issues concerning tomorrow. Rather, He insists that we should not become anxious and apprehensive about the life issues of today and tomorrow as if God is not able to meet our needs. The solution is simple. If you seek (and find) the kingdom of God and His righteousness, by allowing Him to rule in your life and doing what is right in His sight, God guarantees that the minimum you and your obedient descendants will get from him is food, drink, and clothing. In essence then, every child of God is sure of his or her daily food, drink, and clothing. That is the barest minimum we can expect from God. This indicates that there is no limit to what God can give to those who seek and find His kingdom and His righteousness.

17

There are statements affirming that the poor and the rich shall continue to coexist, even within the covenant community. For example, during the anointing of Jesus by a woman at Bethany (Matt 26:6-13), the disciples complained about the expensive cost of the perfume used which in their estimation could have been sold and used to take care of the poor (Matt 26:8-9). Jesus then makes the statement, “The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me” (Matt 26:11, NIV).18 This recalls Deuteronomy 15:11 which states that there will always be poor persons in Israel. The poor are to be cared for, and God gives the responsibility to the well-to-do to provide for the needs of the poor (see Matt 5:42; 6:3-4; 25:34-40; Luke 3:10; 6:38; 12:32-34; 14:13-14; Acts

17 Akpa, Going Beyond Borders, 107. Emphasis mine.

18 Emphasis mine.

Prosperity in the New Testament 129

20:5). Jesus’ statement also underscores the responsibility of the new covenant community to support the less privileged (see also Matt 18:21-35; 24:42-51). Again, in the days of the apostles, Agabus prophesied that there would be a severe famine throughout the entire Roman world (Acts 11:27-30). Ultimately, this prophecy was fulfilled and there was widespread famine during the reign of Emperor Claudius (Acts 11:28). Because Judea was worst-hit, the apostles, led by Paul and Barnabas, carried out a wide campaign for the collection of relief for the believers in Judea (Acts 11:2930; 1 Cor 16:1-4, etc). These examples (Matt 26:11; Acts 11:2730) contradict the teaching that poverty is a sign of displeasure from God or that poverty results from lack of faith. As indicated in the previous chapter, material prosperity or lack of it is not indicative of the individual’s faith. In fact, the wicked or non-believers mostly prosper in material terms.

Prosperity in Pauline Epistles

The Pauline epistles express a balanced view on wealth, material and socio-economic prosperity in tandem with the Gospels and Acts. Paul’s teachings on prosperity cover physical, socioeconomic and spiritual dimensions.

Paul urges believers in Christ to work hard and earn their living (Eph 4:28; 2 Thess 3:6-12). But while the believers must do their honest part to labor, God is the One who makes their labors to be fruitful and prosperous (1 Cor 3:6-7). There should therefore be no rivalry among believers concerning the prosperity of their labors.19 He also affirms that God, through Christ, supplies all the needs of the believers (Phil 4:19). God blesses the believer, and the blessing may include material prosperity. But observe that here Paul says God supplies the needs of the believers, not their wants. Furthermore, Paul indicates that the momentary tribulations that confront the believer in Christ are actually working out eternal glory that outweighs the tribulations (2 Cor 4:17-18). This highlights the need for the believer to focus on eternal things that guarantee

19 S. O. Abogunrin, The First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians (Ibadan, Nigeria: Daystar, 1991), 55.

spiritual prosperity more than on the temporal things that fade away. Concerning the welfare of those who are actively engaged in the work of the gospel ministry, Paul confirms that God has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live by and find their sustenance through the gospel (1 Cor 9:14). In essence, God has arranged the gospel ministry in such a manner that those engaged in it would not lack but be taken care of through it (1 Cor 9:1-14), even though Paul himself declined demanding support from the congregations (1 Cor 9:15).

In his treatise to Timothy, Paul presents the power of contentment as the ultimate goal for the believer in Christ as well as the minister of the gospel. Contentment is an antidote to the unbridled quest for material and financial prosperity (1 Tim 6:6-10). It is in this context that the apostle makes the famous statement that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim 6:10, NKJV). Consequently, Paul instructs Timothy to give the following charge to the rich and wealthy in the community of faith:

Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life (1 Tim 6:17-19, NIV).20

As in the Gospels and Acts, Paul maintains the balance by recognizing that the rich and wealthy will continue to co-exist with the poor in the community of faith. Thus, God requires that the rich should share with the poor (see also Rom 12:13; 2 Cor 9:6-7; Gal 2:10; Eph 4:28).

20 Emphasis mine.

Prosperity in the General Epistles

Among the writers of the General Epistles, the apostles James and Peter are, perhaps, the most vehement regarding the issue of prosperity. James unequivocally reminds the rich that because they and their wealth will not last forever, they should strive to live a life of humility, in spite of their wealth (Jas 1:10-11). True religion includes care for the poor and afflicted (Jas 1:27; also 1 John 3:17). The community of believers must not show deference to the rich and highly placed people among them. He paints a picture of what usually happens at their gatherings: the rich are usually given a place of honour to sit while the poor either stand up or sit on the floor. James warns that such favouritism and deference should not be practised among believers (Jas 2:1-9).

Calling attention to the uncertainty of life, James warns the believers of the danger of boasting about their business plans and how to make themselves rich and increase their material possessions (Jas 4:13-14). He recommends that instead of boasting, they should surrender their plans to God who is able to make their plans succeed (Jas 4:15-16).

James raises a lament for the rich and their wealth. In clear terms, he elucidates what would become of the wealth they have hoarded: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days” (Jas 5:1-3 NIV). James does not lament for the rich just because they have acquired wealth; acquiring wealth is not their offence. Rather, he enumerates certain practices of the rich that constitute wickedness. They hoard their wealth (Jas 5:3) so that it does not benefit themselves or the poor. Contrary to God’s injunction in Deuteronomy 24:1415, the rich withhold the wages of those who work for them (Jas 5:4) while they live in luxury and self-indulgence and make themselves fat (Jas 5:5). They condemn and kill innocent people who do not even oppose them (Jas 5:6). In sum, wealth or material prosperity are not in themselves the problem; rather, the problem is the attitude of people toward prosperity.

Peter touches on the eschatological dimension: the present heavens and the earth are “reserved for fire” (2 Pet 3:7). In other words, the earth and everything done in it, including all material possessions, will be burned up in the day of the Lord (2 Pet 3:10). Therefore, believers in Christ must live in awareness of the ultimate destruction of the earth and consequently strive to live holy and godly lives and speed up the coming of the day of God (2 Pet 3:11-12). If believers focus their attention on proclaiming the gospel, they will live, whether in wealth or in poverty, to serve the Lord with their possessions, material or spiritual, in view of eternity. Earthly possessions would be neither their focus nor their hindrance.

Prosperity in the Apocalypse

Being apocalyptic in nature, the book of Revelation employs imageries of wealth and socio-economic prosperity in its presentation of the cosmic conflict between good and evil, Christ and Satan. Two instances of such use of imageries stand out and deserve attention. First, in His message to the Church at Laodicea (Rev 3:14-22), Jesus rebukes the Church for holding a high view of her prosperity. In clear and graphic terms, He gives a contrasting assessment of the Church: “You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked” (Rev 3:17, NIV).21 Although the context of the passage indicates that this is a spiritual assessment of the Church, historical evidence points to a corresponding relationship between the economic status of the city of Laodicea and the material wealth which the Church may have enjoyed which gave her the impetus to glorify in her wealth to the point of claiming to lack nothing. It is recorded that “Laodicea was a great center of banking and finance . . . . It was one of the wealthiest cities of the ancient world! When Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake in A.D. 60, they refused aid from the Roman empire and rebuilt the city from their own wealth.”22

21 Emphasis mine.

22 D. Padfield, Colosse, Hierapolis and Laodicea (2015), 6, http://www.padfield. com/acrobat/history/laodicea.pdf (accessed September 6, 2017).

Obviously, “The commercial, financial, and industrial prosperity and success filled the wealthy citizens of Laodicea with a spirit of pride, which evidently also pervaded the church . . . .”23 Consequently, the spiritual undertone of the recommendations of Christ to the Church is further heightened by the fact that the city of Laodicea had everything Christ recommended or counseled the Church at Laodicea to buy from Him (Rev 3:18) in such abundance that would make a literal interpretation of these very ridiculous and absurd.24 What is clear from history and the text is that there is no corresponding relationship between the material prosperity of the Church at Laodicea and her spiritual condition. While the city and the Church were materially prosperous, the Church was spiritually poor. This calls attention to the fact that among God’s people, material prosperity is not and should not be taken as an index of spiritual prosperity and well-being.

Second, in the discourse on the divine punishment meted out to apocalyptic Babylon the great (Rev 17:1-19:4), the dirge that celebrates the fall of the city highlights the collapse and ruin of her wealth, material and economic prosperity. The merchants lament the wastage of her goods which no one buys again (Rev 18:11-16). The sea captains and sailors who used to ply the route of “Babylon” stand afar off, throw dust on their heads, weep and mourn over the destruction that has overtaken the once wealthy and prosperous commercial city (Rev 18:17-19). Even though scholarly opinion is divided on the identity of “Babylon,” a contextual and comparative study of Revelation 13 and 18 gives strong indication that here Rome has something to do with “Babylon. ”25 Geographically, Rome is strategically located in the Mediterranean Sea that it was a lucrative commercial epicenter in the Mediterranean region in ancient times due to extensive travels by sea. Therefore, drawing from such prosperous maritime and business stance of

23 R. Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ: Commentary on the Book of Revelation (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2002), 144.

24 Padfield, Colosse, Hierapolis and Laodicea, 6-7; E. C. Blake and A. G. Edmonds, Biblical Sites in Turkey (Istanbul: Sekizinci Basim, 1997), 139-140.

25 G. R. Osborne, Revelation, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002), 538, 608, 612-613.

Rome in describing the apocalyptic “Babylon” is admissibly appropriate.26

It is worthy of note that finally, at the end of the cosmic conflict, God will restore to humanity everything it had lost in the course of the conflict (compare Gen 1:1-2:25 with Rev 21:122:21). This brings to the fore the hallmark of restoration of wholistic prosperity to humanity. Face-to-face communication that was lost in Eden (Gen 3:8-11) will be restored (Rev 22:4). Death, pain, suffering and all negative experiences will be removed (Rev 21:4). God will make everything new (Rev 21:5). No one will lack anything again (Rev 22:1-17).

Conclusion

The survey of the concept of prosperity in the New Testament has presented multiplex, comprehensive but harmonious and consistent perspectives. The following conclusions are drawn based on the study:

1. The NT presents a balanced view on prosperity. In both general and specific terms, prosperity refers to the wholistic wellbeing of an individual, covering financial, social, physical and spiritual aspects. Prosperity also includes favor and elevation granted to an individual as well as success, upward and positive development of an individual.

2. All through the NT, it is obvious that although God desires to give the best to His children and thus make them prosperous, He has not promised to bless every believer with material wealth. What God has promised, especially as in Matthew 6:33, is that He will provide the necessities of life (food, drink, clothing) for all who follow Him, as a minimum benchmark, and in addition, empower them to succeed in their life’s endeavors according their varied abilities (Matt 25:14-45).

3. While encouraging hard work (e.g., Eph 4:28; 2 Thess 3:612), the NT teaches that God is the One who makes people’s labors to be fruitful and prosperous; it is not solely by people’s efforts (e.g., 1 Cor 3:6-7). This starkly debunks the notion that wealth is a

26 Stefanovic, Revelation of Jesus Christ, 530-536.

sign of blessing from God while poverty is a sign of divine disfavor. Rather, God has permitted the co-existence of the rich and the poor both in the society and the Church (e.g., Matt 26:11).

4. The NT consistently teaches that the believer in Christ is required to use prosperity in all its forms for the benefit of himself/herself, the church, and others around him/her. Sharing with the poor and needy is a Christian virtue and responsibility (e.g., Matt 25:34-40; 2 Cor 9:6-12; 1 John 3:17).

5. The rich and wealthy are called upon to serve God and help the poor with their wealth (e.g., 1 Tim 6:17-19). They are not to oppress or take advantage of the poor and vulnerable. They are not to worship their wealth or live in ostentatious luxury and selfindulgence. Chasing after material prosperity at the expense of one’s spirituality, relationship with God and salvation comes with grave eternal consequences.

6. Believers, whether rich or poor, are called to proclaim the gospel and live according to their call (Matt 18:19-20). It is this mandate that must be their primary focus. God may bless some persons with material wealth to specially support the work of the gospel. Believers must be content with whatever they have, whether much or little. Contentment and hospitality are antidotes for greed and unwholesome attitude toward material prosperity (e.g., 1 Tim 6:6-10).

7. At the end of the cosmic conflict that gave rise to disparities in the status of human beings on earth as a result of the effect of sin and the Fall (Gen 3), God will make all things new (Rev 21:5) and restore all that humanity has lost. It is only in the restored order of life that humanity will have equal access to God’s provision of prosperity in all its dimensions.