Prosperity within its proper context - the whole counsel of God

Hello,

I thought I would like to share with you my understanding of 2Cor. 9:8-11 and how it fits with the whole counsel of God. I would be interested to hear your thoughts on my exposition. Do you agree? Disagree? Does it challenge your views, or do you radically disagree with my comments?

Where the Church is often divided on the subject of prosperity preaching, between the enthusiastic proponents of a "health and wealth" gospel and the more ascetic, anti-materialism of traditional evangelicalism, perhaps this perspective, centred around 2Cor. 9:8-11, offers a more balanced, "middle-of-the-way" position. What's your reaction?

2Corinthians 9:8-11

The Prosperity of the Righteous Sower

8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9As it is written: "He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever." 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Although the New Testament, with its characteristically unsettled discipleship of the road, gives less assurance of material prosperity than the Old, with its predominantly settled discipleship of the home and workplace, the matter is not entirely neglected. In this passage, the comfortably settled Corinthian community is promised that their contributions to Paul’s charitable work will be rewarded both spiritually and financially. Following in the footsteps of the wisdom writers in the book of Proverbs, Paul draws a clear connection between giving, righteousness and righteous prosperity; “you will be made rich in every way” (9:11), having a sufficiency (autarkeia) for yourself (9:8) and enough left over to give to others (9:8-10). Whilst the spiritual “fruits of righteousness” are clearly in view, any spiritualization of this passage that denudes it of its more material aspect does not do justice to its immediate context, which is clearly to do with finances (8:1-9:15). The Old Testament ideal of the righteous man who gives generously to the poor and is blessed with wealth (Ps. 112) is evidently what Paul has in mind – and he quotes it in the ninth verse. The connection certainly does not license a mechanical use of giving for selfish ends, but the Proverbial link between generous giving and God’s provision is clearly restated and interpreted quite literally.

Objections to an absolutistic interpretation of this text

However, several balancing observations militate against universalising this scripture into an absolute promise of constant abundance for all:

1. The writer himself certainly failed to enjoy abundance at all times. In the very same epistle, Paul testifies of having frequently suffered hunger, thirst and nakedness (11:27), not to mention his many other hardships. In his earlier letter, he spoke of being homeless and in great want (1Cor. 4:9-13). In his epistle to the Philippians, he admits to having put up with material lack (Php. 4:10-14). Far from blaming himself for such hardships, Paul recurrently offers these as evidence of his sincere faith (eg. 11:23-33).


2. Paul promises that “all who wish to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution”(2Tim. 3:12). The form that this persecution takes will vary from place to place depending upon a number of factors, but certainly many of the New Testament churches (including those Paul had a hand in) experienced it in the form of material hardships and deprivations. The Hebrew Christians had their property confiscated (Heb. 10:34). Many Christians in Jerusalem were poor and exploited (Jam. 2:6-7; 5:1-8). Again, the biblical writers never blame these Christians for their sufferings or insinuate that they are living below their privileges in Christ. Instead, they are exhorted to remain faithful to Christ, no matter what happens, good or bad.


3. Paul offers this economic assurance to the Corinthians, but not to any of the persecuted Churches. The city of Corinth was a wealthy trading centre, famous throughout the Roman world. The new Church that had been established there had many problems, but persecution was apparently not one of them, and little is said on the subject in Paul’s letters to the Corinthians. On the contrary, much is said about their worldly arrogance due to their comfortable situation (Paul says they seem to think they have ‘already become kings’; a clear case of ‘over-realised eschatology’! – 1Cor. 4:8). The Corinthians were forgetful of the fact that before the fullness of the kingdom must come the cross, in its various forms (Php. 1:29; 2Tim. 2:12); other Christians elsewhere, through no weakness or fault of their own, were not so comfortably situated in this life (8:1-2; Rev. 2:2). Paul’s reminder of his own condition at that time (4:9-13) was both a stern rebuke and a sobering pale of cold water in the face of their Laodicean-like triumphalism (cf. Rev. 3:17). There is no evidence that Paul believed either he or the intended Christian recipients of the Corinthians’ generosity would become independently prosperous through their own giving. Their situations might easily be improved, however, by the presence of Christian generosity in the Church (8:13-15; Php. 4:10-14). The different members of the body of Christ, with their different strengths and endowments, need one another and should help one another (cf. 1Cor. 12:21,26).


4. The book of proverbs reveals a system of wise living that, whilst affirming both the desirability and possibility of righteous prosperity, recognises the legitimacy and inevitability of some righteous poverty. Whilst the book of Proverbs states that scarcity is often self-inflicted through laziness (6:6-11), lack of discipline (23:21), and luxury (21:17), it also recognizes that poverty may be brought on by situations outside of the individual’s control, such as corrupt leadership (11:11; 14:34: 16:12; 28:2,12,15-16, 28; 29:2,4; 31:5,9), social injustice and exploitation (14:31; 17:15,23; 18:5,23; 21:13; 22:16,22; 28:27) - themes that are clearly carried through to the New Testament Church (especially in James’ epistle - Jam. 5:1-8). In severe cases, it may be necessary for the righteous simply to wait patiently “for the coming of the Lord” (Jam. 5:8), when these injustices will finally be corrected, once and for all. They are not to blame for their misfortunes, but can convert them instead into a powerful witness for Christ, whilst expecting to be exceedingly blessed in heaven (Mat. 5:10-11).

5. The righteous still live in a fallen world where poverty, sickness and death remain at large, and where physical prosperity cannot always be guaranteed. Following closely on the heels of the last observation, and explaining the basis for all of them, is the fact that believers in Christ still live in a fallen world and on enemy territory, where death (“the last enemy”) and its correlatives have yet to be done away with (1Cor. 15:26). And “no man is an island”. The New Testament, whilst confirming our new place in God’s kingdom, does not deny our continued participation in this temporal and decaying order in which the effects of a fallen world continue to impinge upon our lives (4:16; Rom. 8:18-25; cf. Gal. 4:13-15; Php. 2:26-27; 1Tim. 5:23; 2Tim. 4:20). Believers have not become so radically disconnected from their earthly environments that their present circumstances are now determined solely by what they put into them. Our ‘outer lives’ continue, unavoidably, to be affected by the sin and disorder around us, which is why we must “pray…for all who are in high places”, if we hope to obtain the ideal of “a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence” (1Tim. 2:2).

It is appropriate to conclude our list of observations with the words of St. Augustine, who astutely remarked that, "If you believe what you like in the gospel and reject what you don't like, it is not the gospel you believe, but yourself." If the Bible is not to be read with an eraser in both hands (and if Paul is not to be charged with hypocrisy!), this passage cannot be construed as a promise that all Christians will “at all times” have this abundance; there are clearly many good reasons not to apply this assurance to all believers irrespective of their social, political and economic situations. Many Christians will not taste all of the kingdom’s blessings in this fallen world, and we must allow that some Christians may actually be called out from prosperous employment to follow Christ along less comfortable roads, where the petitioned portion of “daily bread” will displace the more popular ideal of multiplied loaves. The picture of the ‘suffering servant’ remains the predominant motif in New Testament teaching, and it would be a horrid kind of Christianity which overlooked it.

A balanced, biblical application

However, Christians who, like the Corinthians, find themselves in economically favourable circumstances, free from serious persecution, should be encouraged by this exhortation to confidently entrust their resources into the kingdom of God, and expect God to replenish and increase their assets accordingly. To those who have been given much, much is expected; their abundance will supply what others lack, instead of feeding their own carnal appetites and multiplying worldly distractions (8:14). Rather than retreating from the world of business and finance, the Corinthians (and those of us in similar circumstances) are offered a means of redeeming our economic lives by giving generously, with full confidence in an abundant God who is willing to take care of our needs and reciprocally entrust us with more to give.

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Theophilus7

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Ps. 139:17)

Dear Theophilus:

I think your presentation above is very sound.

I just wanted to go ahead and add a few things.

Firstly, the entire chapter for reference:

2 Corinthians 9
1 For (1) it is superfluous for me to write to you about this (2) ministry to the saints;
2 for I know your readiness, of which I (3) boast about you to the (4) Macedonians, namely, that (5) Achaia has been prepared since (6) last year, and your zeal has stirred up most of them.
3 But I have sent the brethren, in order that our (7) boasting about you may not be made empty in this case, so that, (8) as I was saying, you may be prepared;
4 otherwise if any (9) Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we--not to speak of you--will be put to shame by this confidence.
5 So I thought it necessary to urge the (10) brethren that they would go on ahead to you and arrange beforehand your previously promised (11) bountiful gift, so that the same would be ready as a (12) bountiful gift and not (13) affected by covetousness.
6 Now this I say, (14) he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
7 Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not (15) grudgingly or under compulsion, for (16) God loves a cheerful giver.
8 And (17) God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;
9 as it is written,
"(18) HE SCATTERED ABROAD, HE GAVE TO THE POOR,
HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ENDURES FOREVER."
10 Now He who supplies (19) seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and (20) increase the harvest of your righteousness;
11 you will be (21) enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing (22) thanksgiving to God.
12 For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying (23) the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing (24) through many thanksgivings to God.
13 Because of the proof given by this (25) ministry, they will (26) glorify God for your obedience to your (27) confession of the (28) gospel of Christ and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,
14 while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.
15 (29) Thanks be to God for His indescribable (30) gift!

I have underlined two parts above, because I think they are pertinent to the discussion as well. I'm sure most of us realize that Sha'ul was going to multiple 'churches' in order to request assistance for the believers in Jerusalem. This would then be dispensed to those in need.

The two parts above show:

1) that Sha'ul is reminding them of a promise they made.
2) showing them that their promise was made in a clean conscience.

There was no compulsion or guilt applied to the Corinthians to give. Sha'ul simply shows in Scripture (the verse in Psalms above and other inferences) that giving is a part of being a believer. This very much goes in line with the Sermon on the Mount.

Anyways... that's all I wanted to add. Other than that, well written post, T7.

Shalom,

m.d.

__________________
Judaism rests on three things: teshuva, tefillah and tzeddekah.

Teshuva is turning (or returning) to G-d. Tefillah is communing with G-d (much more than just prayer) and tzeddekah is doing good to others.

(i am having problems with the font size... if this looks to big, let me know and I will reduce it...)



As usual a very solid and well presented post by our friend T7!

Just a few thoughts looking at this in a practical light.
1. If you present people with a thousand reasons why they should believe God for something and one reason why they should not... they will invariably go with the one reason they should not... and assume it is the one that applies to them. This is in regards to anything that we can believe God for. That one reason becomes the basis for a "doubt"... and all it takes is one. This is also why faith teachers seem to go overboard trying to eliminate that one reason why we would not receive from God. All it takes is one reason. Faith is a chain... one broken link renders it useless.
We have presented many times the reality that faith is not made up of reason. Faith that is based on reason always falls because of this "just one doubt" syndrome. Suggest to people that there may be a good and valid reason they are in poverty(or sickness or even unsaved) and they will not be able to escape it. It will be the doubt that overthrew faith. But if you present the word of God to them and let it become faith in their heart rather than their head... then even that seemingly valid reason will fade away.
2. For every one Christian who believes God for prosperity (or healing or any other blessing) and actually experiences it, there are a thousand who live in poverty, cannot pay bills, remain sick, defeated, and oppressed. There is no lack of doing without within the body of Christ. The people of God are eat up with it. They do not need to be talked into poverty or receive justification for it... they need a reason to believe God out of it. I am not talking about driving Mercedes or living in a mansion. I am talking having your needs met and being healthy enough to get up and go to work/church. I am talking about putting shoes on your kids feet and paying the light bill.
3. The OT makes clear that the people who keep the word of God in their heart would eat the good of the land, be blessed in every way they could be blessed, and would live free of all curses. It is inconceivable that the gospel which is said to be "a better covenant established upon better promises" would somehow deliver inferior results.
4. The prosperity teaching of the last 20 years is a response to the poverty teaching that has prevailed for 20 centuries. It sticks out like a sore thumb in a world that equates being poor with being holy. For every one teacher that says you can believe God for prosperity there are a thousand that teach poverty is next to Godliness and that to be well off is actually sinful. If being poor and sick were somehow signs of holiness, then the church is complete and we must be in the millennium.


Regarding this:

1. The writer himself certainly failed to enjoy abundance at all times. ..

True.... but Paul also states that his is not the normal Christian life. He endured many hardships because of who he was and what he was called to do. This is true of all preachers who are called into difficult mission fields. It is enevitable that they will endure persecution and hardship. He also states that the reason he endured so much opposition from the enemy was due to his revelations and a problem with pride regarding those revelations. Again, this is not the normal Christian life. Very few believers reading this are going to have so many revelations that they will be prideful about it. But you do not need to have revelations to be proud. If pride opens the door to oppression at the hands of the enemy, then the thing to do would be to crucify the flesh ("pride of life") and overcome the enemy. This is basically what (I believe) the Lord was telling Paul when He said "my grace is sufficient for you". He was telling him to first get rid of the pride and second use the grace (synonymous with ministry gifts) to get rid of the enemy and the opposition. The implication is clear... if he had not been prone to being proud, he would not have been subject to the opposition. One thing that is stressed in most Bible colleges about Paul... he was a proud and arrogant soul.

2. Paul promises that “all who wish to live godly in Christ will suffer persecution”

Again, very true... when it applies.

How many believers reading this thread have failed to pay a bill because of persecution for their faith? I seriously doubt there are any. If an unrighteous government takes over tomorrow and we are all stripped of our belongings.. then we have no choice but endure that in the name of Jesus. But that is simply not the case in most countries today.

Well I'm not going to rag all your stuff bro. Like I said, you always present good material and thanks for that. Keep us thinking and thanks for the continued good work.


Dids

Thank you md. The fact that the Corinthians were not under compulsion to give to this particular charitable effort is certainly important. Are you applying this observation as a corrective to the unfortunate habit of some Christian ministries (by no means limited to prosperity teachers) to put people under pressure to give, or are you making some particular deduction from it that affects my endorsement of connection between giving and God's blessing (without making that connection an absolute)?

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Theophilus7

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Ps. 139:17)

Dear Theophilus:

To be honest with you, when I first wrote what I did I simply wrote what was moved in my heart.

Thinking back upon it now, it seems as though I was lead to present those two particular points to further address what you are bringing to light.

What I am gathering from all this is the fact that Sha'ul traveled the country-side and people were moved to put forth a particular amount of 'assistance' for the believers in Jerusalem. This was a one shot deal, but he (Sha'ul) wanted them to know that their giving was G-dly and particularly meaningful in this instance.

I'm trying to keep my 'history' with the 'organized church' out of my answer and thoughts so that we can let Scripture speak upon itself.

I just think when it comes to money that G-d will move peoples' hearts to support the need. There needn't be a dog-and-pony show or any particular grounds for guilt-trips or compulsion. Just as in the Tanakh when the 'community-at-large' was moved to provide more than enough for the construction of the Temple. All that was done by those in charge was to initiate the invitation; other than that it was a move of G-d.

To answer your point more directly, I will say this: I find no Scriptural support whatsoever for a present-day tithe. I support offerings and dues (such as a synagogue). I further support laity in positions of authority. I truly respect the ideal of Sha'ul as a 'tent-maker'. I don't mean to offend people who have a paycheck from such work, but in a way it's difficult to support that. How can someone truly 'preach' an objective and G-d led Word if their paycheck depends on how the message is received? Therefore, I think it is best that there be a separation.

As far as how I am thinking when it comes to your OP, I think you are very much right on. Probably even more so than I have ventured to think or consider. Without excuse, I am mentally exhausted as of late and it's hard for me to truly concentrate. However, what I can glean (as I do with most of your posts, if not all) is a sufficient presentation of thoughts. You think out what you say and you rarely will come at an argument from the side. Your straight up approach is pleasing and refreshing. In this light, I think you have done very well. For me personally though, it's hard to delve into this topic full boar. I have been BURNT alive in this topic of money, church and personal living. And I have seen others smoldered by it. Therefore, it's hard to give an absolute 100% ringing endorsement of anything in a completely objective manner, because of my past. However, I do not deny that G-d will bless what is sown. I just don't look for it. I leave it up to Him. He guides me when He wants me to give and when He doesn't. Other than that, I just can't 'afford' (no pun intended) to worry about it.

Sorry for the run-on and the potential ambiguity. Did I answer anything that you posed of me?

Shalom,

m.d.

__________________
Judaism rests on three things: teshuva, tefillah and tzeddekah.

Teshuva is turning (or returning) to G-d. Tefillah is communing with G-d (much more than just prayer) and tzeddekah is doing good to others.

Thanks for the lengthy reply, didaskalos (with some good points)! Here's my first bit of a response:



You do have a point - and one which I am, at times, painfully aware of. In seeking a "balanced theology" it is all too easy to leave people in a sort of limbo. Tell them they can all be healed of anything before Christ's return, and we may remove some obstacles to their faith. But we may also leave them disappointed and confused when the promises we have made fail to materialise. On the other hand, tell them that they might be healed, and our negative conditioning (particularly in this day and age) replies, "you might be then, but I surely won't be!". So I find myself treading a careful balance: we need a theology that empowers, but one that avoids absolutising the will of God and pinning believers "on the horn of a cruel dilemma" where failure to be healed or failure to be prosperous boils down to a failure to work the "system", whether that system runs on faith, good works, or any other human input. You see, I don't believe it's just "down to us" whether or not we're healthy and prosperous (I would call that view 'Charismatic humanism'). Certainly we have a part to play. And whilst it's not just up to God either (I would label that view 'divine determinism'), I do believe that there are factors outside of our control. I have tried to offer some of those factors in my exposition of the above scripture.

At the end of the day, though, theology cannot do everything. I cannot say everyone who lives in a country free from serious persecution and has good economic opportunities will definitely prosper if they do A + B + C + D. And I cannot say that everyone who lives in a poor country with a corrupt leadership imposing powerful redistributive structures upon the nation's wealth will definitely not prosper.

As Jack Deere concluded in Surprised by the Voice of God, I do not believe that the Bible is "sufficient" for fully revealing God's will and God's plan for our individual lives. The Bible cannot tell me whether to buy a house in America or a cottage in Scotland. God cares about that. The Bible cannot tell me whether there'll be gales on Tuesday or sunshine on Wednesday. That may be important. In fact, all of these particulars may be significant at some point or other in God's will for our lives. I suggest that it is the Holy Spirit and the prophetic word which comes to our aid here. "He will show you things to come", Jesus promised. "He will guide you into all truth". If you will permit me to use a popular theological construct; the Holy Spirit can apply the general logos of God's word into a rhema for my life. He can tell me whether it's a "season of prosperity" or a "season of trials" on the horizon. He can tell me whether to pray for a miraculous healing or to send Mr. Smith to the Doctor. He can disclose God's plan for my life. As it happens, I believe the Holy Spirit is saying to me, personally, at this time, "you are coming into a place of prosperity". My faith is (or should be) working up to a pitch. The appropriate promises of God are out on the table.

Rather than attempt to work into stone a theology of prosperity and healing which can tell each individual in the world whether or not they will receive a miraculous healing or material abundance, we must teach people to establish a relationship with a person who can, through the prophetic word, tell me where to direct my faith and expectancy and unveil His plan one step at a time. From what I have read in the Bible, I do not believe that scripture on it's own can give us anything more than a general assurance of God's will for our physical wellbeing (and that's wonderful, but it often isn't enough). Transporting that logos into the living, breathing space-time continuum and applying it fresh and direct is surely the work of the blessed Holy Spirit.

These are my thoughts on that score, didaskalos - imperfectly expressed and doubtless open to much abuse and misinterpretation. But give the matter some thought.

All for now,

T7

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Theophilus7

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Ps. 139:17)

That's just fine, m.d. I wanted to make sure I wasn't being dense and missing something between the lines.

I agree with you about the ideal of preaching and teaching without pay: "Do not make the Torah a spade to dig with", the old Rabbis tell us. Unfortunately, it's one of those ideals which is hard (in most cases, surely, impossible) to fit into the strangling straightjacket of our secular culture. Perhaps God will grant a renewal of the culture. Since we are, I believe, in the very last of the last days, I doubt it. But we cannot totally dismiss the possibility.

God bless you,

T7

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Theophilus7

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!" (Ps. 139:17)

Originally Posted by Theophilus7

...

These are my thoughts on that score, didaskalos - imperfectly expressed and doubtless open to much abuse and misinterpretation. But give the matter some thought.

All for now,

T7

God help me if I abuse brother in the lord!
My intention is only to try a discover a way to apply the truth that we discuss in a practical and fruitful manner. I will certainly spend some time reading what you have to say. I am not sure I will reply. I know it seems I constantly hound you and brother Jim. If I were you I would likely get tired of that.
But your posts always challege me and if I response in a short manner, know that I am responding more to myself than to you.
Blessings
Dids

Without becoming divergent in the wonderful post that you started, I just wanted to make this one comment that I think is quite true.

The ideal of having a separation between preaching and teaching comes from the understanding of delegation and sharing. I believe that most ministers/pastors/reverends/bishops/whatever have no idea what it means to delegate and share. Please note: I said most. Anyways... I still prefer a laity-led situation, but that is just me.

Shalom,

m.d.

__________________
Judaism rests on three things: teshuva, tefillah and tzeddekah.

Teshuva is turning (or returning) to G-d. Tefillah is communing with G-d (much more than just prayer) and tzeddekah is doing good to others.

But I do think that part of the WoF "problem" is that we do try and remove every doubt. This is where some bad teaching comes from.