The so-called "Prosperity Gospel" is an abuse of the Scriptures
Much has been written about "Prosperity" - many, especially in my tribe, the Charismatic wing of the Church. Much has been written to defend the so-called "Prosperity Gospel" and much has been written to challenge it as a distorted message. The Apostle Paul himself in one passage of 1 Corinthians should be enough to debunk the absolute claims of the proponents. I'll get to that passage in a moment. I must first say that one of the main problems with those who advocate some form of the "Prosperity Gospel" is that it misuses the Old Testament and in particular the Sinai Covenant that God made with Israel. The basic conditions were that if Israel obeyed God they would be blessed (Deuteronomy 28:1-14) with all the material blessings promised in the Covenant. Of course, the curses listed in Deuteronomy 28 (v. 15-68) were also promised for disobedience (the prosperity teachers don't ever "claim" these promises!) The Sinai Covenant DOES NOT appl