Strange Gospel

18 Oct, 2026

"I must not have enough faith ... that must be why my little girl wasn't healed ..."

What kind of God does the prosperity and word of faith 'gospel' create?¹ And what kind of Christian?

God

Prosperity teachers often claim that all heavenly blessings are guaranteed to us in this life, before heaven. This includes health and wealth. They would claim that these things are obtainable by acts of faith. Our faith becomes the key, not God's sovereignty. In other words, Christians are in control of their health and wealth, not God.

Although their perspective on blessing is slightly different, this line of thinking is why word of faith proponents claim that humans are little 'gods'.

If health and wealth are transactional in this way, God may as well be described, not as a good Father, but as an almost heartless vending-machine of power and blessing.

More, the reality of suffering within this prosperity-sphere implies either that God doesn't care, or that He is cruel: for while faith-filled leaders live a life of health and luxury, little girls who simply love Jesus die of cancer.

In perfect reflection of its God, this is a calloused and cruel 'gospel'.

Christians

Now, when a Christian believes that their faith has God-like power that can bend matter according to their own will ... what kind of Christians do you think that will create? Certainly not Christians who draw near to Jesus in trouble, and who lay down their lives for the sake of the gospel. Instead, I believe these teachings have caused—and will cause—many to abandon Jesus, or to become so conceited and self-focused that there is little room for Jesus.

Here is the key point: I believe that under prosperity and word of faith teaching, the gospel morphs into something strange. You might see church vision or mission pages describing a gospel of 'destiny,' 'fulfilment', or 'finding one's power and potential', rather than Jesus.

Concluding Thoughts and Further Resources

So, to summarise our conclusions, I believe the prosperity and word of faith gospels will invariably create an impotent and impersonal God (even cruel), misguided or unnatural Christians, and a strange gospel.

For further reading, please consider the following passages and articles:

• Job
• Ecclesiastes
• The gospels (read while considering Jesus' statement: 'take up your cross and follow me')
• 2 Corinthians 12
• https://africastatement.org
• https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/why-i-abominate-the-prosperity-gospel--2

For the Good Shepherd, Michael C Johnson, 2026