True Prosperity

Myth I : Wealth is a sign of God's favor
Christians and non-Christians can be rich
Matthew 5:44-45 (NLT)

Wealth can be a trap for those who aren't righteous - hearts aren't right for the Lord.
James 5 : 1-6 (NLT)
James are talking to people in church, to people who has resources.

Wealth can tempt us to sin
People can sinned because of treating other people
can also sinned by discriminating coz others having something more

James 2 : 1 (NLT) - how can you claim?
James 2 : 2-4 (NLT)

Wealth can hide our true condition
Revelations 3:17 (NIV) - Spiritual issued are hidden and ignored because of wealth

Godliness is not a means to financial gain - and never should been!
I Tim 6:5-11 (NLT)
v.5 ... a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy...

Myth I
Wealth is a sign of God's favor
[B U S T E D]

Some verses are "myth-staken"-ly used to support prosperity gospel teaching

I. 3 John 2

3 John 2 is a greeting. This is a common way of opening a letter - standard way those days.
3 John is arguably the most personal letter, written to his "most beloved" friend Gaius.
It is common for one to wish someone to do well and to have good health - especially in such a personal letter. It would be hard to expect anything else.
Good health and to "go well" or "prosper" is indeed a good thing - and of course we can pray for these things.

But to say that we should be expecting these things is an entirely different thing. Definitely not something we can infer from a letter opening/greeting.

In fact, the greeting emphasis is not on physical health or physical "prosperity" but on Spiritual wellness.

Verses 3 and 4 are what John was really emphasizing - that people should walk/stay in truth.

An excerpt from a sermon I read :
"This in not what John is talking about in this passage. John is not saying that every Christian is going to be a fabulously wealthy, deliriously prosperous, and unendingly healthy. Those things would be indeed be a blessing - were the Lord to give us wealth or were the Lord to give us health - but these are not the things that are promised to every believer. The Lord Jesus Christ's own life bears witness of this. At any rate, John's point in this passage is to raise the issue of the spiritual health of Gaius which is described in the following verses. And we too should long to have that kind of spiritual maturity and growth manifested in our lives.."

So John was praying for good health and prosperity but what he was expecting was for people to walk in the truth. Not the other way around.

Not "Christians should be physically prosperous"
but "it would be nice for Christians to be prosperous, but what's important is that you stay in truth"

Hope this is of some help.

Soli deo Gloria,
Gray Sutanto

2. Matthew 6 :33
NLT
NIV ..these.. - foods and clothes

It is very unlikely that Jesus promised us abundant material life in Matthew 6:33. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Many people believe that this means that if they become a good Christian, do their prayers and devotions etc., pay their tithes. God would then be obliged to give them anything they ask for : money, spouse, power, fame, etc.

This verse is part of Matthew's account of Jesus teaching that were collected as the Sermon on the Mount. By examining the other financial teachings in this passage, it is clear that Jesus did not promise us a wealthy lifestyle in Matthew 6:33.

Matt 6:19
Matt 6:20

This passage clearly speaks of Jesus' focus on the things that have everlasting value instead of the things that will pass away. It is obvious that Jesus did not attach high value of financial possession, therefore it would not make sense if just a few verses later he'd change his mind and promise his students a wealthy lifestyle if they would only serve him first.

Matt 6:24

In this passage Jesus taught that God's people should not be slaves of greed. Keep God as our sole focus. In this passage, he did not only teach that material things have no value, he also warned that financial issues can take our focus away from serving God! Again, making it very unlikely that Jesus promises wealthy lifestyle in v.33

Finally, the immediate context of v.33, v. 25-34. shows us that the issue here is not about God providing us whatever we ask of Him but instead it is God's promise that He will provide for our basic needs. The whole passage is an explanation on the imperative : Do not worry, in v.25 where it says : "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" The context of the promise then is clear : food and clothing, the basic needs that are still difficult to meet even now in many parts of the globe. The passage then goes on talking that God provides food and clothing even to animals and plants. Therefore, remembering that the people whom Jesus addressed were barely living hand-to-mouth, it is very unlikely that Jesus promised them anything more than the basic needs of everyday life. Jesus promised them food and clothing, that is already abundance for these people.
-Mario Tahitoe.

3. John 10:10
KJV
NLT
The argue is, you're not just going to be living, but going to be rich.

John 9 : Jesus was talking to the Pharisees after healing a blind man on a Sabbath. The Pharisees, as usual, claimed that Jesus was a sinner because He broke the Sabbath Law. The previously blind man, his family, and all of Israel must not listen to him who taught false teachings and came from the devil. Jesus told them that they were blind and that their sins remain because of their unbelief. The context then of the John 10 passage is the issue of authority : whom should people follow - Jesus or the Pharisees?

In John 10, Jesus explained that his people would instinctively know whom they should follow, just like the sheep would follow the good Shepherd instead of the thieves. Using the good shepherd metaphor (it's not really parable), Jesus explained that the good shepherd would sacrifice himself to take care of his sheep (v.15) while the hired hand would only look after their own needs (v.12).
Therefore, it is only natural that the sheep would follow the one who always provide and protect them: the good shepherd.

Therefore, there are some strong reasons why v.10, The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly, cannot be used as proof text for a promise of a wealthy life :
1. The point of the passage was not abundant living or a wealthy lifestyle. Instead, judging by the aforementioned context John 9-10, in v.10 Jesus was contrasting his motivation and the Pharisees : Jesus came to provide and take care his people while the Pharisees were trying to exploit them for their own benefits.
2. Jesus did not give any explanation here of what "abundant life" means. The word perisso\n were more often translated as more, remaining, to the full. What does an abundant life, a more kinda life, a life to the full mean? We do not know, Jesus did not explain further because wealth was not the issue of this passage. However, it would be against Jesus' teaching on financial life to argue that Jesus was promoting a wealthy lifestyle. Jesus himself did not seek financial power, in fact if financial security proves to be stumbling block, Jesus would tell us to ditch it. It does not make sense then to argue that Jesus was promising his followers a wealthy lifestyle in John 10:10.
3. The Pharisees were rich and powerful and they lived the kind of life that the prosperity people want to live. It would be ironic that Jesus claimed that he offered something better, something different, and that the life turned out to be just a wealthy materialistic religious/financial lifestyle that the Pharisees lived and offered.

Mario Tahitoe.

MYTH 2 : Poverty is more spiritual - revival leads to poverty, not poverty leads to revival

There is nothing wrong with material possessions as long as they are not our treasures.

"We must never forget that the riches of this world, whether they are to be regarded as good or evil, are realities that do not just disappear if we abandon them, they will continue to exert their effects. Possessions and use of them will occur. Someone will control them, and the fact that we do not possess them does not mean that they will be better distributed. So to assume the responsibility for the right use and guidance of possessions through ownership is far more of a discipline of the spirit than poverty itself. Our possessions vastly extend the range over which God rules through our faith. Thus they make possible activities in God's power that are impossible without them." - Dallas Willard.

1 Tim 6:17-19 (NLT) - not been told to give wealth away, don't put trust in your wealth, enjoy the wealth, and generous to the ones in need.

2 Cor 9:10-11 (NLT) - God is taking care of all the process. God makes it more, so that you can be generous. He give wealth so you can be generous.

Rom 12:6-8 (NLT) There are many gift and of them is the gift of giving

Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV)
v.13 ..everything.. plenty - want, fed - hungry

1 Tim 6:6-8 godliness with contentment

Paul is thankful for what has been put to him He was in jail.
"I have been in both circumstances".
Paul was a prosperous person background, then he encountered Jesus and end up being poor. Paul can go through everything.

Barnabas, Simon Peter, Ananias - dropped dead.
Act 5:4 - money wasn't the issue. The problem was the lying.
Forbes doesn't come out with the more kindest people list.
Money is everything for the world.

Don't sinned because of money.

MYTH 2
Poverty is more spiritual [BUSTED]