The Messianic Psalms…

O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; For His lovingkindness endures forever…. Out of my distress I called on the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can [mere] man do to me? The Lord is on my side, He is among those who help me; Therefore I will look [in triumph] on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes….
I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me; And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior]. The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone. This is from the Lord and is His doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save now, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success!

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The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.

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I will give thanks to You, for You have heard and answered me; And You have become my salvation [my Rescuer, my Savior]… This is from the Lord and is His doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made….

But you will receive power and ability when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem [Trumbull] and in all Judea [Ct.], and Samaria [USA], and even to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8

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This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. O Lord, save now, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success!
O Lord, save now, we beseech You; O Lord, we beseech You, send now prosperity and give us success!

The Messianic Psalms…

Messianic: of or relating to the Messiah, His awaited deliverance of the Jews, or the new age of peace expected to follow this of or relating to Jesus Christ or the salvation believed to have been brought by Him.
There are a number of psalms which speak of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. They are called Messianic psalms obviously because they speak of the Messiah. The question may be asked: “How can we recognize a Messianic psalm?” The answer would be: where there is a reference to the Messiah in a psalm, and it is applied to Christ and expounded in the New Testament. Sometimes a whole psalm applies to Christ, e.g., Psalm 22. Sometimes a paragraph, e.g., Psalm 40:6-10. Sometimes several verses, e.g., Psalm 69:4, 9, 21. Sometimes a single verse, e.g., Psalm 41:9.
It is obvious that some of the psalms are occupied entirely with the Person and the thoughts and feelings of our Lord while others clearly refer to the experience of the psalmist, and then there is included an isolated reference to the Messiah. Psalm 69 is an example. When David exclaims: “O God, thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from Thee,” he obviously is referring to himself (v. 5). But when he says: “They gave me…gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink” (v. 21), and these words are applied to Christ in Matthew 27:34, 48, they are clearly Messianic. So we must be careful to distinguish between the spiritual experience of the writer of the psalm and the prophetic reference to Christ Himself.
We need to pay careful attention to the exhortation of Paul to Timothy: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
While keeping in mind this rule, that a quotation in the New Testament from a psalm, which applies it to the Lord Jesus, confirms it as Messianic, there are three psalms which are exceptions. They are obviously Messianic but are not quoted in the New Testament:
Psalm 24 speaks of the King of Glory.
Psalm 72 outlines the millennial reign of Christ.
Psalm 89 expounds the Davidic covenant fulfilled by David’s greater Son, the Messiah. We therefore include them in the list of Messianic psalms.
It is to be noticed that the references to the Messiah in the psalms do not follow in sequence or in chronological order. Psalm 2 is an introduction to the whole collection, giving a prophetic outline of the official glories of the Messiah. Psalm 40 refers to His incarnation; Psalm 22 to His crucifixion; Psalm 16 to His resurrection. In our exposition we shall follow the chronological order in the life of our Lord. There are sixteen Messianic psalms and we shall consider them in the following sequence: (1) Psalm 2: The Official Glory of the Eternal Son; (2) Psalm 40: The Incarnation; (3) Psalm 91: The Temptation; (4) Psalm 41: The Betrayal; (5) Psalm 22: The Crucifixion; (6) Psalm 69: The Trespass Offering; (7) Psalm 16: The Resurrection; (8) Psalm 68: The Ascension; (9) Psalm 45: The King-Bridegroom; (10) Psalm 24: The King of Glory; (11) Psalm 110: The Priest-King-Judge; (12) Psalm 8: The Last Adam; (13) Psalm 72: The Millennial Reign; (14) Psalm 89: The Davidic Covenant; (15) Psalm 102: The Unchangeable One; and (16) Psalm 118: The Headstone of the Corner.
It is our earnest prayer that our understandings may be opened to see the things concerning Him in these precious psalms, and that the Holy Spirit who inspired them will help us to interpret them, and apply them with power to our hearts.
The 118th Psalm is the final Messianic psalm. It sums up the teaching in all the others, outlining the history of anti-Semitic persecution throughout the ages, ending with the coming of the Messiah to set up His kingdom. The psalm begins and ends with the same words, an ascription of praise to God: “O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: for His mercy endureth for ever.”
It is also the final song of the Egyptian hallel, so called because it celebrates the deliverance from Egypt (Ps. 114:1). The hallel consists of six psalms, 113—118. David Baron, the Hebrew-Christian commentator, says they were sung at the three great feasts, the Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. At the Passover, Psalms 113 and 114 were sung before the drinking of the second cup, and the other four (115 - 118) after the drinking of the fourth cup, at the end of the ceremony. It is very likely that this was the hymn sung by our Lord and His disciples after the institution of the Lord’s Supper (Mt. 26:30).
It is the only time in the historical records in the Gospels where we find our Lord singing. In Matthew we find Him preaching and teaching; in Mark He is serving; and in Luke we see Him praying; but here only do we have Him singing. It is intensely interesting to study carefully the words and sentiments in the concluding paragraph of this psalm. It gives us an insight into the thoughts in the mind and heart of our Lord just before He went out of the lighted upper room to Gethsemane and the cross.
The psalm must have been very much in the mind of the Savior in the last week of His public ministry. It is referred to four times:
1. At His public presentation at the Temple. While He was rejected by the nation as a whole, the children sang, “Hosanna to the son of David” (Mt. 21:9; Zech. 9:9).
2. In the parable of the vineyard, He quotes verses 22-23 of the psalm, concerning the rejected stone (Mt. 21:42).
3. In His lament over Jerusalem, He cries: “Ye shall not see Me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” (Mt. 23:39).
4. Here, in the singing of the hymn at the Lord’s Supper, almost certainly the closing words of the hallel.
The psalm is also quoted by Peter in Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7; and by Paul in Ephesians 2:20, sealing our authority for calling it a Messianic psalm.

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What are the Hallel Psalms?
Psalms 113—118 are known as the Hallel Psalms, or simply the Hallel (Hallel means “praise”). While many psalms praise God, this set of psalms became associated with Passover due the mention of the deliverance from Egypt in Psalm 114. The focus on the exodus is the reason these psalms are also sometimes referred to as the Egyptian Hallel. These psalms were recited at Jewish feasts, especially Passover. Depending upon which tradition was being followed, one or two of the psalms were recited before the meal, and the rest after.
Here is a brief description of each of the Hallel Psalms:
Psalm 113 is a short psalm of praise without reference to any historical context. Verse 3 may be the best known from this psalm: “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised!” (ESV).
Psalm 114 is also a short psalm that poetically relates the Hebrews’ deliverance from Egypt: “The sea looked and fled… . The mountains skipped like rams… . [the Lord] turns the rock into a pool of water” (verses 3–4, 8).
Psalm 115 is slightly longer and contrasts those who trust in the Lord with those who trust in the idols of the surrounding nations. “Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them” (verses 4–8, ESV).
Psalm 116 is written from the perspective of an individual who has been delivered from a dire situation. “I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my pleas for mercy. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live” (verses 1–2, ESV).
Psalm 117 is both the shortest psalm and the shortest “chapter” in the Bible, with only 2 verses (although psalms are not technically chapters). This is the whole psalm: “Praise the Lord, all nations! Extol him, all peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord!” (ESV).
Psalm 118 is the longest of the Hallel Psalms. It admonishes both the nation and the individual to praise the Lord and expresses confidence that the Lord will save those who call on Him. It begins and ends with the well-known exhortation, “Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!” (ESV). Also well-known is verse 14: “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation” (ESV).
Taken as a group, the Hallel Psalms focus on deliverance, both nationally and individually. It is quite possible that, when Jesus finished the Last Supper and He and His disciples sang a hymn (Mark 14:26), the hymn that they sang was this group of Hallel Psalms. At the Last Supper, Jesus took the Passover meal and infused it with new meaning. The salvation that He promised was not deliverance from physical danger or human bondage but salvation from spiritual bondage and the grave danger of the penalty of sin.
In the conclusion to the great chapter on salvation, Paul in Romans 8:31 asks, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” This may be an allusion to one of the Hallel Psalms: “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).
The Hallel Psalms were a fitting passage to be included in Passover celebrations and fitting for today’s New Covenant believer to celebrate salvation from the power and the penalty of sin.

Reveal Answer

The book of Psalms is a collection of inspired songs used in worship of God, and many of them foretell the coming of the Messiah and predict events that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus Christ. In total, twenty-five different psalms (one out of every six psalms) include at least one messianic prophecy. Messianic psalms are quoted in eleven New Testament books, especially the gospels and the book of Acts. Below are nearly seventy specific references to Christ in the Psalms fulfilled in the New Testament. Some scholars see additional allusions, but we’ve only included those with the clearest connections to Jesus. The following list provides the reference(s) in Psalms where each prophecy is found and the New Testament fulfillment:
Concerning the Messiah’s birth:
1. The Messiah will come from the lineage of David… (Psalm 89:3–4, 29–36; 132:11–17; Matthew 1:1).
2. The Messiah will come for all people..  (Psalm 18:49; Ephesians 3:4–6).
3. The Messiah will know His Father from childhood  (Psalm 22:9; Luke 2:40).
4. The Messiah will be called by God while still in the womb  (Psalm 22:10; Luke 1:30–33).
Concerning the Messiah’s nature and name:
5. The Messiah will be called King of the Jews  (Psalm 2:6; John 12:12–13; 18:32).
6. The Messiah will be the Son of God  (Psalm 2:7; Luke 1:31–35; Matthew 3:16–17; Hebrews 1:5–6).
7. The Messiah is God (Psalm 45:6–7b; Hebrews 1:8–9).
8. The Messiah will call God His Father (Psalm 89:26; Matthew 11:27).
9. The Messiah will be God’s only “begotten” Son  (Psalm 89:27; Mark 16:6; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5).
10. The Messiah will be eternal  (Psalm 102:25–27a; Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 1:10–12).
11. The Messiah is the creator of all things  (Psalm 102:25–27b; John 1:3; Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:10–12).
12. The Messiah will be Lord and King (Psalm 110:1a; Matthew 22:41–45).
13. The Messiah will be a Priest after the order of Melchizedek  (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 6:17–20).
14. The Messiah will be the “Stone” rejected by the builders  (Psalm 118:22; Matthew 21:42–43).
Concerning the Messiah’s ministry:
15. Infants will give praise to the Messiah (Psalm 8:2; Matthew 21:15–16).
16. The Messiah will reveal that the Hebrew Scriptures were written of Him  (Psalm 40:6–8b; Luke 24:44; John 5:39–40).
17. The Messiah will do God’s (His Father’s) will (Psalm 40:7–8; John 5:30).
18. The Messiah will not conceal His mission from believing people  (Psalm 40:9–10; Luke 4:16–21).
19. The Messiah will communicate a message of mercy  (Psalm 45:2; 55:12–14; Luke 4:22).
20. The Messiah will be angered by unethical practices by the Jews in the temple (Psalm 69:9a; John 2:13–17).
21. The Messiah will teach in parables (Psalm 78:2; Matthew 13:34–35).
22. The Messiah will calm the stormy sea (Psalm 107:28–29; Matthew 8:24–26).
23. The Messiah will act with righteousness (Psalm 45:6–7c; John 5:30).
24. The Messiah will come in the name of the Lord (Psalm 118:26; Matthew 21:9).
Concerning the Messiah’s betrayal and death:
25. Political/religious leaders will conspire against the Messiah  (Psalm 2:1–3; Matthew 26:3–4; Mark 3:6).
26. The Messiah will feel forsaken by God at His crucifixion  (Psalm 22:1b; Mark 15:34).
27. The Messiah will pray without ceasing before His death  (Psalm 22:2; Matthew 26:38–39).
28. The Messiah will be despised and rejected by His own  (Psalm 22:6; Luke 23:21–23).
29. The Messiah will be mocked (Psalm 22:7; 109:25; Matthew 27:39).
30. Unbelievers will say to the Messiah, “He trusted in God, let Him now deliver Him” (Psalm 22:8; Matthew 27:41–43).
31. The Messiah will be abandoned by His disciples  (Psalm 22:11; 69:20; Mark 14:50).
32. The Messiah will be encompassed by wicked beings  (Psalm 22:12–13; Colossians 2:15).
33. From the Messiah’s body will flow blood and water  (Psalm 22:14a; John 19:34).
34. The Messiah will be crucified (Psalm 22:14b; Matthew 27:35).
35. The Messiah will thirst while dying (Psalm 22:15; 69:21; John 19:28).
36. The Messiah will be observed by Gentiles at His crucifixion  (Psalm 22:16a; Luke 23:36).
37. The Messiah will be observed by Jews at His crucifixion  (Psalm 22:16b; Matthew 27:41–43).
38. The Messiah’s hands and feet will be pierced (Psalm 22:16c; Matthew 27:38; John 20:25).
39. The Messiah’s garments will be parted among the soldiers through the casting of lots (Psalm 22:18; John 19:23–24).
40. The Messiah will be accused by false witnesses  (Psalm 27:12; 35:11; 109:2; Matthew 26:59–61).
41. The Messiah will cry out to God, “Into thy hands I commend my spirit”  (Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:46).
42. There will be many attempts to kill the Messiah (Psalm 31:13; Matthew 27:1).
43. The Messiah will have no bones broken (Psalm 34:20; John 19:32–33).
44. The Messiah will be hated without cause (Psalm 35:19; John 18:19–23; 15:24–25).
45. The Messiah will be silent as a lamb before His accusers  (Psalm 38:13–14; Matthew 26:62–63).
46. The Messiah will be God’s sacrificial lamb for redemption of all mankind (Psalm 40:6–8a; Hebrews 10:10–13).
47. The Messiah will be betrayed by one of His own disciples  (Psalm 41:9; Mark 14:17–18).
48. The Messiah will be hated and rejected without cause  (Psalm 69:4; Luke 23:13–22; John 15:24–25).
49. The Messiah will be condemned for God’s sake  (Psalm 69:7, 9; Matthew 26:65–67; Romans 15:3).
50. The Messiah will be rejected by the Jews (Psalm 69:8a; John 1:11).
51. The Messiah’s very own brothers will reject Him (Psalm 69:8b; John 7:3–5).
52. The Messiah’s heart will be broken (Psalm 69:20a; John 19:34).
53. The Messiah will be offered gall mingled with vinegar while dying  (Psalm 69:21a; Matthew 27:34).
54. The Messiah will offer up prayer for His enemies (Psalm 109:4; Luke 23:34).
55. The Messiah’s betrayer will have a short life  (Psalm 109:8a; Acts 1:16–18; John 17:12).
56. The Messiah’s betrayer will be replaced by a more faithful man  (Psalm 109:8b; Acts 1:20–26).
Concerning the Messiah’s resurrection and exaltation:
57. The Messiah will be resurrected  (Psalm 16:8–10a; Matthew 28:6; Acts 2:25–32).
58. The Messiah’s body will not see corruption (natural decay)  (Psalm 16:8–10b; Acts 13:35–37).
59. The Messiah will be glorified into the presence of God  (Psalm 16:11; Acts 2:25–33).
60. The Messiah will ask God for His inheritance  (Psalm 2:8a; John 17:4–24).
61. The Messiah will have complete authority over all things  (Psalm 2:8b–9; 8:6; Matthew 28:18; Hebrews 1:1–2).
62. The Messiah will destroy those who do not honor Him  (Psalm 2:12; John 3:36).
63. The Messiah will bring many people into the family of God  (Psalm 22:22; Hebrews 2:10–12; Matthew 12:50; John 20:14).
64. The Messiah’s enemies will stumble and fall (Psalm 27:2; John 18:3–6).
65. The Messiah’s throne will be eternal  (Psalm 45:6–7a; Luke 1:31–33; Hebrews 1:8–9).
66. The Messiah will ascend back into heaven  (Psalm 68:18a; Luke 24:51; Ephesians 4:8).
67. The Messiah will give good gifts unto believing men  (Psalm 68:18b; Matthew 10:1; Ephesians 4:7–11).
68. The Messiah will be exalted to the right hand of God  (Psalm 80:17; 110:1, 5; Acts 5:31).

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9 Things You Should Know About the Prosperity Gospel
By: Joe Carter
A recent survey finds an increasing number of churchgoers in the United States subscribe to beliefs associated with the prosperity gospel. “In the last five years, far more churchgoers are reflecting prosperity gospel teachings,” says Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, “including the heretical belief that material blessings are earned from God.” The problem, as McConnell points out, is not with the idea that God provides material blessings (all good things provided to God’s children come from him [Rom. 8:32]) but with the false teaching that we do anything to earn such favor.
Here are the nine things you should know about the prosperity gospel.
1. The prosperity gospel goes by many names and brands.
The prosperity gospel is an umbrella term for the “health and wealth gospel” or “name it and claim it” theology. Many people will recognize its most popular brand, the “Word of Faith” movement. It’s a contemporary Christian movement that has garnered both a massive following and considerable controversy.
This doctrine teaches that God wills the financial prosperity and physical well-being of his people and that faith, positive speech, and donations to select Christian ministries can increase one’s material wealth and health. As Stephen Hunt explains,
The doctrine of the assurance of divine physical health and prosperity through faith is at the forefront of this expression of Christian faith. It means that “health and wealth” are the automatic divine right of all Bible-believing Christians and may be procreated by faith as part of the package of salvation, since the atonement of Christ includes not just the removal of sin, but also the removal of sickness and poverty.
2. The prosperity gospel has its roots in the occult movement known as New Thought.
The New Thought movement is a spiritual philosophy that originated in the United States in the late 19th century. While not explicitly Christian, it was influenced by Christian ideas, as well as by Eastern philosophies, metaphysical traditions, and the emerging fields of psychology and self-help.
The movement focuses on the power of positive thinking (the belief that positive thoughts manifest positive outcomes, while negative thoughts bring about negative circumstances), the law of attraction (the idea that since “like attracts like,” visualizing and focusing on desired outcomes will attract those circumstances into one’s life), and the belief that the mind has the power to heal the body and attract prosperity.
New Thought incorporates elements of Christian mysticism and Scripture but interprets them in a metaphysical context. Phrases from the Bible like “Ask, and it will be given to you” (Matt. 7:7) are often interpreted as affirmations of the law of attraction. However, New Thought also incorporates ideas from Hinduism, Buddhism, and other Eastern philosophies, making it a syncretic spiritual framework.
3. The ‘father of the prosperity gospel’ was a faith-healing preacher from Oklahoma.
The man who could be considered the father of modern prosperity gospel teaching is Oral Roberts. Born in 1918 in Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, Roberts rose to prominence in the mid-20th century and played a significant role in shaping modern Pentecostalism and charismatic Christianity. He grew up in poverty and struggled with tuberculosis as a teenager. He claims he decided to dedicate his life to Christian ministry after being miraculously healed during a revival meeting.
His ministry was one of the first to realize the potential of television as a medium for spreading the gospel, and his programs reached millions of viewers. The faith-healing evangelist became so influential that he started his own school, Oral Roberts University. At the height of his influence, Roberts oversaw a ministry that brought in $110 million in annual revenue.
4. The Word of Faith movement helped spread the prosperity gospel.
While Roberts was one of the first to combine New Thought principles with faith healing, the most prominent evangelist of the prosperity gospel—and the father of the Word of Faith movement—was Kenneth E. Hagin (1917–2003). In 1962, Hagin founded Kenneth Hagin Ministries to spread his teachings, which emphasize speaking words of faith as a way to manifest health, wealth, and other blessings.
One of his most influential ideas was his distinguishing between the logos (the written Word of God) and the rhema (the spoken or revealed Word). He argued that rhema is the means by which believers activate God’s promises. As Russell S. Woodbridge says, “More than any other factor, the Word of Faith movement was the vehicle responsible for spreading prosperity teaching across the United States in the late 20th century.”
5. The concept of seed-faith is a cornerstone of the movement.
The doctrine of seed-faith posits that financial giving—particularly to ministries that promote prosperity gospel preachers—can be likened to planting a seed that will eventually yield a harvest of blessings. You sow a financial “seed” into a ministry as an act of faith and, in turn, God will multiply that seed in the form of various blessings, which could be financial prosperity, physical healing, or other forms of favor. Essentially, it represents a transactional relationship between the believer and God, facilitated through a financial gift.
Roberts articulated the seed-faith concept using a threefold model: (1) plant a seed: give something valuable (usually money) as your seed to a ministry; (2) expect a miracle: have faith your act of giving will trigger divine intervention; (3) harvest the miracle: receive the divine blessings in a manifold manner, often expected to be in material or financial forms.
6. Television was the primary tool that helped to spread prosperity gospel teachings.
Televangelism—the practice of using television to broadcast religious services and programs—began to flourish in the 1970s and 1980s with the deregulation of broadcasting and the expansion of cable television. Many of the most famous televangelists were associated with the prosperity gospel movement and its teachings.
Roberts was one of the first to use the medium to attract large audiences. His pilot and chauffeur, Kenneth Copeland, also became one of the most notorious (and wealthy) prosperity preachers. Roberts and Copeland paved the way for the televangelists who became famous in the 1980s, including Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Benny Hinn, Pat Robertson, Robert Tilton, and Fred Price. In the 21st century, the most prominent prosperity gospel leaders got their start before a televised audience, including Joel Osteen, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, T. D. Jakes, and Paula White.
7. The prosperity gospel discounts what the Bible teaches—especially about wealth and suffering.
Many Christian scholars and ethicists argue the prosperity gospel’s focus on material prosperity undermines the teachings of Jesus, who emphasized humility, compassion, and the normalcy of suffering.
“I don’t know what you feel about the prosperity gospel—the health, wealth and prosperity gospel—but I’ll tell you what I feel about it,” pastor John Piper told a gathering of more than 1,000 college students in November 2005. “Hatred.”
In 2014, Piper outlined six keys to detecting the prosperity gospel:
absence of a serious doctrine of the biblical necessity and normalcy of suffering
absence of a clear and prominent doctrine of self-denial
absence of serious exposition of Scripture
failure to deal with tensions in Scripture
church leaders who have exorbitant lifestyles
prominence of self and marginalization of the greatness of God
8. Prosperity gospel beliefs are common among American churchgoers.
A 2023 study from Lifeway Research finds more than half (52 percent) of American Protestant churchgoers say their church teaches that God will bless them if they give more money to their church and charities, with one in four (24 percent) strongly agreeing with this teaching. In a 2017 study, only 38 percent of churchgoers made that same claim.
Churchgoers are more likely today than in 2017 to believe God wants them to prosper financially (76 percent vs. 69 percent) and that they have to do something for God in order to receive material blessings from him (45 percent vs. 26 percent). Today, three in four churchgoers (76 percent) believe God wants them to prosper financially, including 43 percent who strongly agree. Fewer (45 percent) believe they have to do something for him in order to receive material blessings from God, with 21 percent strongly agreeing.
9. The prosperity gospel is a false gospel.
In a 2015 article for The Gospel Coalition, the Christian ethicist David W. Jones explained five theological errors of prosperity gospel teaching:
The Abrahamic covenant is a means to material entitlement.
Jesus’s atonement extends to the “sin” of material poverty.
Christians give in order to gain material compensation from God.
Faith is a self-generated spiritual force that leads to prosperity.
Prayer is a tool to force God to grant prosperity.
“In light of Scripture, the prosperity gospel is fundamentally flawed,” Jones said. “At bottom, it is a false gospel because of its faulty view of the relationship between God and man. Simply put, if the prosperity gospel is true, grace is obsolete, God is irrelevant, and man is the measure of all things. Whether they’re talking about the Abrahamic covenant, the atonement, giving, faith, or prayer, prosperity teachers turn the relationship between God and man into a quid pro quo transaction.”
Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, the editor of the NIV Lifehacks Bible, and coauthor of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History’s Greatest Communicator. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Virginia.