Oct 20

Friendship with God

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The Rubbery Gospel

Each generation of the church has to re-state Christ’s message in terms its generation understands. Many Christians fear any deviation from the gospel they received is heresy. Didn’t Paul say anyone who proclaimed a different gospel to the one he proclaimed is accursed (Galatians 1:8)? Churches issue statements of faith to define and fix doctrine. The church is a bastion for Christ’s teaching. Its message cannot change.

Preaching that focuses on human sinfulness and the need for God‘s forgiveness or else sinners will be deservedly destroyed in hell sounds threatening to today’s ears. The good news should be a joyful proclamation in every generation. It is flexible, not in its changeless essence, but in its expression. The gospel is rubbery, not like deceptive rubbery figures, but as the flexible vehicle conveying unchangeable truth. Scripture’s authors moulded the gospel to meet the sensitivities of their audience. They used contemporary stories and metaphors to explain God’s ways. Jesus, himself, preached a message distinct from that of other people in the Bible. Likewise, today’s church has the freedom to announce good news in fresh words.

The Gospel Proclaimed by Jesus

Jesus preached the gospel from the start of his public ministry. His teaching used parables and metaphors. Jesus referred to himself as the bread of life, the living water, the gate and the good shepherd. He proclaimed the kingdom of God (Matthew substitutes “kingdom of heaven” our of sensitivity to a Jewish readership): ‘From that time Jesus proclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”’ (Matt 4:17). And yet, Hebrew Scripture (our Old Testament) does not mention “the kingdom of God”. Jesus introduced the phrase, from his understanding of Scripture. In the Bible, the terms kingdom and nation are sometimes symbolic for God’s people. In God’s kingdom, God is the king. When Israel wanted a human king like the other nations, God took their rejection personally: ‘and the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.”’ (1 Sam 8:7, NRSV).

Jesus saw himself in Nathan’s prophecy to David about establishing a kingdom.

“12 When your [David’s] days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. 15 But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me; your throne shall be established forever.”
(2 Sam 7:12-16).

So, the gospel Jesus proclaimed using the kingdom of God metaphor derives from the promises of God found in the Old Testament. Did Jesus’ followers also feel free to announce the gospel in their own way?

The Gospel Proclaimed by Jesus’ Followers

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian church, gave a long list of things he “handed on” to them to believe (1 Cor 15:3-11). Jesus’ brother, James, saw true religion in the care of those in distress and in the purity of life (Jas 1:27). If we try to define the gospel too rigidly by such metaphors, we might miss the truth they express. What is the essence of this rubbery gospel?

Paul argued that the important thing for God was not your doing good works but your believing what you heard (Gal 3:2-5). This is not mere acceptance of information. Jesus preached about accepting the gospel as entering the Kingdom of God. Speaking out the gospel itself is an act of faith, not mere words for acceptance, but an impartation of one’s friendship with God to others.

To the Galatian church (Gal 3:8), Paul wrote that Scripture declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham. So, Paul identified God’s covenant with Abraham (another metaphor) with the gospel. He referred to the covenant as the promise of God (Gal 3:16-18, 29) and identified this with the gospel. Jesus, in proclaiming the kingdom of God, was referring to God’s covenant to lead his people. Likewise, Peter, in presenting the gospel, called Christians “a holy nation, God’s own people” (1 Pet 2:9). So, Scripture presents the Christian message in a variety of ways.

The Covenant of God

God used the metaphor of a covenant in revealing his intentions to Abraham.
Genesis 17:1-7 records God making this covenant with Abraham.

1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. 2 And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.” 3 Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, 4 “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 5 No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. 6 I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.” (Gen 17:1-7).

The covenant of God is summarised in the phrase “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (e.g. Jer 31:33). Scripture mentions this phrase over thirty times and refers to it many more times. It is a key concept in understanding Christianity.

The “Ark of the Covenant” was so-called because the Levites placed the book of the law beside it (Deut 31:26). God ordained to meet with Moses from the Ark’s top, called the mercy seat (Exod 25:22). Inside the Ark, which was essentially a box, were Arron’s rod, a pot of manna, and the ten commandments written on stone tablets (Heb 9:4-5). These were reminders of God’s presence with his people. By the time of Solomon’s Temple, the Ark only contained the ten commandments (1 Kings 8:9). But the Ark was precious to Israel because of the covenant and not as a housing for religious relics.

In the last pages of the Bible, the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John alludes to the consummation of God’s covenant.

3  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; … 7  Those who conquer will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.” (Rev 21:3 & 7)

God’s promise to bless the faithful with his presence is at the heart of the gospel. It provides a frame of reference to understand Scripture. The covenant of God declares a gospel of relationship with God. The individual’s relationship with God is crucial, but not every relationship is positive. However, a relationship of friendship is positive and gives us a point of contact with postmodern culture.

Friends with God

Scripture describes our relationship with God as Him being our father, bridegroom, covenant partner, shepherd, king, and friend. The concept of friendship is particularly useful at engaging with people of today in a biblical and relevant way. In Scripture, we read that Moses spoke with God in the tent of meeting as friends.

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face-to-face, as one speaks to a friend. Then he would return to the camp; (Exod 33:11a).

Abraham “was called a friend of God” (Jas 2:23; 2 Chron 20:7). But a friendship with God is not only for Moses or Abraham but everyone included under God’s covenant.

The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them. (Psalm 25:14).

Jesus related to people of faith as friends. When the paralytic‘s friends couldn’t get him through the crowd to Jesus, they lowered him down through the roof of Jesus’ house. Their faith impressed Jesus.

When he saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven you.” (Luke 5:20)

Jesus healed the paralytic, but it is noteworthy that first he addressed him as “friend” and forgave his sins, which upset the religious leaders. To them, Jesus was “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt 11:19). Jesus even called Judas “Friend” when Judas was betraying him. Who we regard as a friend is important, as James pointed out.

Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4)

But Jesus regarded sinners as friends in need of saving from the world of sin.

Friendship or peace between humans and God, our Creator and Sustainer, is essential for our continued survival. Calling ourselves friends of God sounds pretentious. How can a creature be on first-name terms with its Creator? Being “saved sinners” is one thing, “attendants of God” and so on, but a chum of the Messiah, the Son of God, is surely going too far? But Jesus gave his life for his friends. Jesus, himself, said he did not want to call us servants, but friends. Who are we to argue with the Lord?

13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. (John 15:13-15)

Our friendships involve us in making changes. Men, often more so than women, are subject to prideful independence and it can be a challenge to befriend others. Women find friendship challenges them to be bold to support their friends. Nor does Christianity call for blind obedience to God. As Jesus said, Christians know what God is doing and join with God’s mission on earth. Christians are free from rules and obligations but it does not come without a cost. The cost is not a payment to get God’s approval, but having to withstand the backlash from the enemies of God. Just as Jesus paid with his life, Christians can expect opposition for their solidarity with God.

All creatures depend on God for their existence. But there is another reason for seeking a friend in God. It is at the heart of the problem of post-modern humanity. The secular worldview ignores the spirituality of humans. Secularism demands that God proves his existence on grounds that deny the spiritual realm. People have a spiritual nature. God is Spirit, and we relate to God by spiritual means, such as faith and friendship. Human spirituality is the reason people seek God for meaning and purpose, even though humanity uses the wrong methods as seen in the many religions of the world. The Christian church has an alternative message: humanity restored to dignity through friendship with God.

The Gospel of Friendship with God

In the Bible, the heart is synonymous with the human spirit. Christians speak of having Jesus in their hearts by faith, but this sounds strange to postmodern people. Many are unaware they have spirits because of secularism. Yet people connect with one another through their spirits, and not just through their minds and bodies. What binds us to our friends is more than a physical association or agreement of thinking.

Because God is a Spirit, our spirits relate to him in the same way we relate to other people. God’s desire to connect with people derives from his innate love. For people apart from God, it comes as a revelation to learn that God loves them. God holds all creation in his hands. Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:39). How could it? Even death is not a problem. God raises the dead to life and judgement every day. So, far from being an expression of arrogance, claiming friendship with one’s Creator is a confession of humility.

Faith is not a human invention but a spiritual faculty everyone possesses. Faith gives rise to the attitude of trust essential for relationships. When we hear the gospel, our spirit either receives it with joy or rejects it because we want to be independent of God. Salvation sounds too easy. But if salvation was difficult, it would not be fair for people of low intellectual capacity. Proud people want to rely on their own resources. But in establishing relationships we do not limit ourselves to reasoning in deciding whether to befriend someone or even marry them.

Just as the gospel is expressed in Scripture as God’s covenant and the kingdom of God, Jesus’ work of atonement includes restoring people to friendship with God. The famous John 3:16 verse follows a discussion between Nicodemus and Jesus about the need to be born again in the spirit. Faith in Jesus results in eternal life because friendship with the Son connects us to the source of life.

John 3:3-16
3 Jesus answered him, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that I said to you, ‘You must be born from above.’ 8 The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
9 Nicodemus said to him, “How can these things be?” 10 Jesus answered him, “Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?

11 “Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

Does it Bounce?

Will the rubbery gospel in the form of friendship with God bounce? Will it be effective in communicating the essential gospel? People like to name someone as their best friend. Why would anyone want to exclude God from their circle of friends?

Friendship with God means more than being on God’s approved list. Life’s purpose involves more than being saved. Friendship works in two directions. Jesus forgives sins and saves us, but what do we do in return? When friends are visiting my home, we make every effort to ensure the occasion is as pleasant as possible. We provide them appetising food and try to give them an enjoyable time. Likewise, being a friend of Jesus stirs an eagerness in us to please him. In the passage from John’s Gospel chapter 15 quoted above, Jesus said: “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” (vs 14). Being accepted as a friend only if you obey their commands sounds bizarre. Jesus said things like this to make us think. So, what did Jesus mean? How are we to interpret it?

Jesus knew his friends would want to please him. But Jesus is God in human form, and God lacks nothing that humans can supply. Jesus wants people to love one another. I omitted John 15:12 when I quoted John 15:13-15 above. Here it is:


John 15:12

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

The amazing thing about God is that he wants nothing from us for himself. God pours out his love on us, but responding by loving him back would be like trying to force water back up the spout. I have seen parodies of Christianity where God requires people to worship him because he is selfish and wants people in subjection to him. God’s love is alien to a sinful world and Christians need to be more considerate of their unbelieving companions in explaining the gospel to them. Try loving them. The “command” of Jesus to love others as he loves us is a challenge to us. Christ did not threaten people with hell or demand them to stop sinning. When we realise that Jesus befriends us unconditionally, we become open to receiving love from God. It is the Christian’s privilege to deputise for God in loving others. This is what Paul meant when he called Christians “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20).

So, does the rubbery gospel of friendship with God bounce? Will it fly? Does it put a spring in your step? In the words of Disney’s absent-minded professor: “Like flubber it does!” Or, as the Psalmist wrote:-

Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. (Psalm 85:11)

© 1961 “The Absent-Minded Professor” Walt Disney Productions

Permanent link to this article: https://www.5icm.org.au/blogs/2019/10/20/friendship-with-god/

Apr 15

The Darkness that Came Upon the Land

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This blog is from Derek Thompson’s free eBook, Achieving Atonement (download PDF or ePub). The devil tempted Jesus three times in the wilderness and these temptations were repeated in his final hours.

———————————————————————————

The devil’s third temptation, to gain the world in return for worshipping Satan (Matt 4:8-9), offered Jesus success in his mission of saving the lost and doing so without suffering or risk of failure. But for Jesus, good ends do not justify evil means. Besides, the devil is a liar and Christ put no credence in his offers.

With Jesus helplessly nailed to the cross, Satan demonstrated his power and caused darkness to come over the whole land: “From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.” (Matt 27:45). In the gospels, darkness is characteristic of the devil’s realm (e.g. Matt 4:16; 6:23; 8:12; 22:13; Luke 1:79; 11:34-36; 22:53; John 1:5; 3:19; 8:12; 12:35, 46). Conversely, John called Christ “the light of the world” (John 8:12). Of course, light and darkness are used metaphorically and the Old Testament even has God hidden in darkness and thick clouds (Ps 18:11). God is a spirit and his holiness makes him unapproachable by sinners, which can be expressed by light or darkness according to the context. The darkness at the crucifixion was not descriptive of God’s holiness but was a subterfuge of Satan to arouse fear and awe of his power and tempt Jesus to abandon his intended mission.

Traditional atonement theories assume the darkness that came over the land signified God turning away from his Son because he bore humanity’s sin. Whether a solar eclipse caused the daytime blackout is immaterial. Integral to the penal substitution theory is the teaching that atonement could only be achieved if Jesus was rejected by God on the cross. The theory presumes darkness implies God’s judgement. Even the feminist theologian Kathryn Tanner (2004, p. 36) who was critical of the traditional theories said, “The cross is the final act of divine humiliation, or the inter-Trinitarian act whereby the second person of the Trinity is abandoned by the first.”

Scripture does not say the darkness implied God rejected his son. The surrounding text in Luke’s Gospel offers no explanation (Luke 23:44). Matthew and Mark follow the mention of the darkness by the cry of Jesus, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” But even this provides no conclusive proof of a break in fellowship between Jesus and God.

No doubt Satan used the darkness to make Jesus think God had turned against him. This deception added strength to the devil’s temptation for Jesus to take up his offer. Hence, Jesus response of quoting the first line of Psalm 22, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Ps 22:1; Matt 27:46; Mark 5:34) is a reference to the whole of Psalm 22. It is inconceivable that Christ would ask God such a question. Moreover, he addressed God as “Father” when he prayed, so here Jesus is not praying but declaring Ps 22 back at Satan.

Ps 22 expresses faith in defiance of suffering and death: “To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him” (Ps 22:29). This is because “… dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations” (Ps 22:28). The psalm is a denial of the penal substitution theory’s contention that God turned his face away from his Son. Psalm 22:24 says “For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.” Scripture says of God, “he will not fail you or forsake you” (Deut 31:6b & 8b; similarly 1 Kgs 6:13; Isa 41:17; 42:16; Neh 9:31), so Jesus would expect his followers to take his quotation in that light.

Furthermore, if God would forsake his Son, Christians could not be certain God would not forsake them. The argument that God forsook Jesus to save humanity is not sufficient. If God’s nature is such that he could forsake the Son of God for any reason, he might forsake humanity for some other reason.

Christ rejected the devil’s offer. The Son of God did not come to save Satan’s kingdom.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.5icm.org.au/blogs/2019/04/15/the-darkness-that-came-upon-the-land/

Feb 19

The “I Am” Statements in John’s Gospel.

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I keep hearing that there are 7 “I am” statements of Jesus recorded in John’s gospel. I know a lot of Christians have a fondness for the number 7, but there are a lot more than 7 “I am” statements.

Here are the “I am” statements spoken by Jesus in John’s Gospel:

  1. I am … the Messiah (John 4:25-26)
  2. I am the bread of life which came down from heaven (6:35 & 41);
  3. I am the living bread (6:51);
  4. I am the light of the world (8:12 and 9:5);
  5. I am from above … I am not of this world (8:23)
  6. I am … the Son of Man (8:28);
  7. “before Abraham was, I am.” (8:58)
  8. I am the gate for the sheep (10:7 & 9);
  9. I am the good shepherd (10:11 & 14);
  10. I am God’s Son (10:36)
  11. I am in the Father (10:38 and 14:10-11 & 20 and 17:21)
  12. I am … Teacher and Lord (13:13)
  13. I am the way, and the truth, and the Life (14:6)
  14. I am the resurrection and the life (11:25);
  15. I am the true vine (15:1, 5).
  16. I am King of the Jews (18:37; 19:21)

And why stop at the “I am” statements to find out who Jesus is? John had a lot more to say about Jesus in his Gospel.

  1. The Word (John 1:1, 14)
  2. Lamb of God (1:29, 36)
  3. Glorious / zealous (2:11, 17)
  4. Son of man / God (3:13-16)
  5. Son of God (5:19-23)
  6. King of the Jews (12:13,15; 19:19)
  7. Sent by God (16:5)
  8. Source of peace (16:33)
  9. Preexistence (17:24)
  10. God (1:1; 10:30)
  11. Friend (15:13-15)
  12. Lord and God (20:28).

So if you are doing a sermon series or Bible Study series on who is Jesus from the Gospel of John, please don’t stop at 7. I hope my lists help.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.5icm.org.au/blogs/2019/02/19/the-i-am-statements-in-johns-gospel/

Feb 15

Escape from the Transactional Gospel

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Evangelist: “This is the deal: You place your faith in Jesus and God will save you. All you have to do is say the prayer, repent and give yourself to Jesus, make him Lord of your life, which means obey him, tell someone about your decision, find a good church, and Jesus will forgive your sins. How good a deal is that?”

Lost Soul: “But you said it’s free, that I didn’t have to do anything.”

Google “transactional gospel” and you will find hundreds of blogs criticising the “if I do this, then God will do that” formula. The prosperity gospel is a subset. But the Covenant of God is not a contract we enter with God.

Google “how to become a Christian” and you get millions of websites giving you the transactional steps you need to take to gain God’s approval. The Reformers, concerned to avoid a transactional gospel, came up with the “regeneration precedes faith” doctrine to ensure salvation is solely God’s work. But this understanding of the sovereignty of God goes too far. It makes God responsible for everything and does not allow God the freedom to create humans with free will. Can we escape this impasse? I think so.

Faith is the key. It is significant that God uses faith in salvation, and not hope or love. We are not responsible for producing the gospel that we receive by faith. The object of faith is not of our making. If we think of faith as what we believe about Christ, we cannot avoid responsibility for having those beliefs. God would decide whether to save us by checking our brains for the doctrines we hold as true to. It would be like having a doctrinal exam to get into heaven. If we jettison this understanding of faith, how would we decide who are Christians? But we are not supposed to. Jesus said “Do not to judge” one another (Luke 6:37a). If people in another denomination say they are Christians, rejoice and treat them accordingly. Disunity in the church is worse than doctrinal errors.

Instead, we might think of faith as a gift from God (Eph 2:8) in much the same way that our faculty of sight is a gift from God. As such, everyone has faith, and the difference is in what they receive through faith. Jesus applied the image of the eye of the body (faith) making us full of light or full of darkness (Matt 6:22-23). To use a more contemporary metaphor, faith is like a radio receiver. We turn the radio on and tune to a particular station. But the receiver does not save us, nor does tuning in to God’s Word, but God’s Word saves us. Jesus came to save the entire world. God broadcasts the message of salvation to everyone, but not everyone wants to receive it. Unlike a radio station, God knows who are listening, that is, those who receive Jesus by faith. The gospel proclamation is powerful to make alive the human spirit (1 Cor 1:18). With this understanding of faith, we may replace the Reformers’ proposition with “regeneration operates through faith.” Human free will and responsibility remain intact and salvation is a free gift from God.

So, there is no transaction, nor is it needed. People cannot gain salvation by anything they do. There is no deal. God intends the gospel message for everyone. People have an entirely passive role in salvation, but an active role in hearing the gospel. As Jesus said, the Kingdom of God is near “and everyone tries to enter it by force” (Luke 16:16b). As for salvation, we trust that Jesus will save us. Salvation and ultimate freedom from sin is the eager hope of everyone living by faith in God’s Kingdom (Gal 5:5).

Things such as saying “the sinner’s prayer”, confessing sins, being baptised, going to church, etc., play no role in a person’s salvation. These are things the born-again believer does in God’s Kingdom. Just as loving others is a fruit of the Spirit and evidences his presence with us, such things also evidence our salvation, but do not cause God to save us. We cannot, and do not need to, negotiate our salvation.

Proclaiming the gospel this way frees us of the cringe factor of feeling we are manipulating someone to change his or her mind so we can make the sale. The Parable of the Sower shows that the Word of God will produce a harvest of righteousness in fertile soil (Matt 13:1-23; Mark 4:1-20; Luke 8:4-15). As Jesus explained of those who refuse to receive the gospel, “You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look but never perceive.” (Matt 13:14) while to people of faith, Jesus said, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear.” (Matt 13:16). Faith as a faculty allows us to escape the transactional gospel.

Permanent link to this article: https://www.5icm.org.au/blogs/2019/02/15/escape-from-the-transactional-gospel/

Feb 05

Was Jesus Rich?

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2 Corinthians 8:9 (NRSV)
“For you know the generous act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty you might become rich.”

The promoters of prosperity theology teach that Jesus was rich. Doesn’t 2 Cor 8:9 say as much? Phil Pringle re-worded the verse to say, “Jesus became poor regarding the wealth of this world on the cross, that those who receive Him may become rich with the wealth of this world.” [Phil Pringle, Dead for Nothing?: What the Cross Has Done for You (Tulsa, OK: Harrison House, 2007), 58]. Ken Copeland in his Believer’s Voice of Victory magazine, Oct 2018 issue, listed his reasons.

  1. Jesus’ father was a businessman wealthy enough to pay taxes;
  2. the presents of gold, frankincense and myrrh given by the wise men were very valuable;
  3. Jesus’ ministry had a treasurer, which indicates they had a large amount of money;
  4. Jesus financed his ministry team and gave to the poor;
  5. Creflo Dollar and Jerry Savelle add that Jesus wore expensive clothing as noted by the Roman guards at Jesus’ crucifixion.

This teaching allows the prosperity teachers to vindicate their affluent lifestyles as blessings from God. But to do so, they twist scriptural teaching. First, they take 2 Cor 8:9 out of context to assure their “partners” that if they give to their ministries, God will reward them financially.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth telling them of the Macedonians who despite their poverty gave to the collection for the saints as they were able (2 Cor 8:2). Apparently, God did not bless the Macedonians for their generosity because they remained poor. Neither did God deliver the saints in Jerusalem from the curse of poverty. Far from assuring the Corinthians of financial blessing, Paul says the saints in Judea may one-day be helping them (2 Cor 8:14).

My replies to the arguments for Jesus being wealthy are as follows.

  1. Joseph was a carpenter, not a wealth businessman. When Jesus’ parents brought him to the temple for Mary’s purification, they could only afford “a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons”, the offering of the poor (Luke 2:24).
  2. The gifts from the wise men would have been useful in funding his family’s escape to Egypt but would have been spent long before Jesus started a public ministry.
  3. Having a treasurer does not mean that an organisation has abundant wealth. I am the treasurer of a small charity which needs to manage its meagre funds carefully. Besides, Scripture does not call Judas a treasurer but the keeper of the common purse which he stole from (John 12:6; 13:29).
  4. As Paul said, the poverty-stricken Macedonians followed Jesus’ example and gave generously to the poor as they were able. Jesus’ disciples knew he gave to the poor (John 13:29). But, you do not need to be rich to give to the poor.
  5. Jesus’ seamless robe worn to the Passover, arrest and crucifixion does not mean he was rich. It was probably given to him by his supporters since he claimed not to wear fine clothing (Luke 7:25). It is only noteworthy because the soldiers cast lots for the garment in fulfilment of prophecy.

Although Jesus at one stage lived in a house at Capernaum (Mark 2:1), later he said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Matt 8:20b. He probably was neither rich nor poor. So, if Jesus was not rich what does 2 Cor 8:9 mean?

Christ becoming poor refers primarily to the incarnation (see Phil 2:7; John 17:5), not to the circumstances of Jesus’ life or his crucifixion which follow from the Son of God’s gracious act of taking on human form. Jesus’ wealth on earth is not the point. Paul refers to the riches of Jesus’ followers as their salvation in Christ. Paul urged them to give of whatever wealth they have in service of righteousness: “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness.” (2 Cor 9:10). The Macedonians were eager to give out of their poverty because of their joy at receiving the mercy of Christ. Likewise, God would bless the Corinthians in their giving.

Worldly wealth in God’s Kingdom is a means to the greater end of loving and serving others. Amassing wealth can only be vindicated by spending it in delivering justice for the poor (Prov 16:8). Giving to the poor does not mean you are not poor yourself. But for the rich to part with their money is, for many, too difficult (Matt 10:22).

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