The Blessed Anawim of God: Guard against the Heresies of “Prosperity Gospel”

.Unfortunately, a large number of Christians adhere to so-called “prosperity gospel” or “gospel of wealth and health” among Protestants, which has so many sects. They equate wealth and health with God’s blessing and see illness as a curse. Those who preach “prosperity gospel” tend to encourage their followers to share more of their wealth with them for even greater blessings to multiply their assets exponentially.

This is not Christian teaching. Rather, this is essentially nothing but a new age movement.

Neither Jesus nor any of his Apostle has taught such a thing.

Ask yourself, if Jesus has ever taught that poverty means a curse.

In his Sermon on the Plane, Jesus said:

Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours (Luke 6:20).

Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied (χορτασθήσεσθε/ chortasthesesthe) (Luke 6:21a).

In response to Peter’s inquiry if a man born blind was a cursed because either of his sin or of his parents’ (John 9:2), Jesus said:

Neither he nor his parents sinned; it is so that the works of God might be made visible through him (John 9:3).

God is always for וַעֲנָוִ֥ים/anawim, which is understood as the poor, the humble, and the afflicted, under God’s preferential care (e.g. Psalm 37:11; Isaiah 49:13; 66:2).

If “prosperity gospel” or “gospel of wealth and health” were legitimate and valid, then, we would not find verses like the above in the Bible.

The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is consistent with God’s preferential care for His anawim and Jesus’ teaching on them. This is known as the preferential option for the poor and the vulnerable in the Catholic moral theology. The Church calls all baptized Catholics to care for God’s anawim as God does.

St. Paul VI wrote:

In teaching us charity, the Gospel instructs us in the preferential respect due to the poor and the special situation they have in society: the more fortunate should renounce some of their rights so as to place their goods more generously at the service of others (Octogesima Adveniens, 23).

Pope Francis wrote:

When Saint Paul approached the apostles in Jerusalem to discern whether he was “running or had run in vain” (Gal 2:2), the key criterion of authenticity which they presented was that he should not forget the poor (cf. Gal 2:10). This important principle, namely that the Pauline communities should not succumb to the self-centred lifestyle of the pagans, remains timely today, when a new self-centred paganism is growing. We may not always be able to reflect adequately the beauty of the Gospel, but there is one sign which we should never lack: the option for those who are least, those whom society discards (Evangelii Guardium, 195).

And the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) describes the Church’s love for the anawim in 2443-2449.

It is obvious that teachings like “prosperity gospel” or “gospel of wealth and health” are heretical. Thus, those who are in pastoral authorities in the Christian Church, regardless of denomination, must guard their ministries against such heresies.

Paul reminds his successor, Timothy, that he must shield himself and his pastoral ministry against heretical teachings, such as what is known as “prosperity gospel” in 1 Timothy 6:2-12 (First Reading of Friday of the 24^th Week in Ordinary Time, Year I).

First, Paul tells Timothy that envy, rivalry, insults, evil suspicions, and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, emerge out of heresies, which are not consistent with the teaching of Christ (vv. 3-5). In fact, it is because an authentic religion from which people can gain teaches them αὐτάρκεια/autarkeia, intrinsic self-containment (v.6). Therefore, those who are in pastoral authorities must ensure that people of their faith communities are content with what they have (vv. 7-8).

Being content with what we have shall not be confused with being wealthy and healthy. Paul warns Timothy to be vigilant against those who are tempted to fall to heretical teachings like “prosperity gospel” or “gospel of wealth and health”, out of their desire to be rich, because they will stray from faith and suffer as a result (vv. 9-10).

Paul says that adherence to money is the root of all evils (v.10). In other words, Paul condemns idolatry of money. What we need to adhere is faith in Christ and Christ himself, as what we seek is not wealth but Christ and his Kingdom (i.e. Matthew 6:33; 13:44-46; 16:24). This may mean that you give up all your wealth and health to be content with God’s grace, as reflected in the suscipe prayer of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.

Contrary to the heresy of “prosperity gospel” or “gospel of wealth and health”, God may not necessarily bless you with wealth and health. Though you are blessed by God, you may become poor and ill, relative to others. This way, you can experience God’s grace in blessing even more and His glory may manifest through this, as you remain in faith, fending off temptation of “prosperity gospel” temptation.

Paul himself struggled with what he calls “a thorn in the flesh” that could not be taken away from him, thus, keeping him subjected to afflictions (2 Corinthians 12:7). And he even asked God to free him from it (2 Corinthians 12:8) but Christ said:

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

And Paul humbly became content with the grace he received, hoping that Christ may dwell in him (2 Corinthians 12:9b).

As Paul said to Timothy, we must pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness, as we fight well for the faith and lay hold of eternal life (vv. 11-12).

Whether Catholic, Protestant, or Orthodox, if you belong to a true Christian denomination, you are content with what you have, and your pastoral leaders’ teaching is consistent with the teaching of Jesus. And you are content inwardly because you find Christ dwelling in you. Then, you have no need to compete for greater wealth and health. You can protect yourself against heresies of “prosperity gospel” or “gospel of wealth and health”.

If your blessing includes relatively more wealth and health, then, you can reach out to those who are less, so that your act of charity becomes wealth of health of theirs. So, this is how we imitate God’s preferential care for His anawim, as Catholic moral theology of preferential option for the poor and the vulnerable.