Deceptive Truth

There was a video produced in 2018 called American Gospel, which talks about preachers that press a gospel of health and wealth for believers. It is a useful and accurate documentary that speaks against deceptive doctrines and truth.  In a sermon message on Youtube this past July, one of the prosperity preachers, named  Todd White, “repented for failing to preach the whole Gospel and criticized the American Church for refusing to address sin and repentance to a watching world.”

It is great news when  an influencer mends their ways. I don’t agree that the American church at large ‘refuses to address sin and repentance’.  Many churches still have the message right — but we all have to test what is spoken. I remain skeptical about Todd’s transformation. Time will tell if he has become a true gospel believer. His August 9 message appeared mostly authentic since his repentance sermon in July (2020).  To move beyond skeptical, we need scriptural counsel on how to accept him. For this we can look at 1 Timothy 6. Paul tells Timothy about false doctrine, and how to handle it. At the beginning of chapter 6, he discusses the prosperity gospel.

^2b  These are the things you are to teach and insist on. ³ If anyone teaches otherwise and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, ⁴ they are conceited and understand nothing. They have an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions ⁵ and constant friction between people of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

Tests for Truth

The bullet points are:

• • true gospel preachers do not preach about themselves (not conceited)
    
  • true gospel preachers include repentance in their message
  • true gospel teaching does not seek financial gain.
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• There is yet one more thing that Todd needs to show that comes out of Romans 9:
•  ¹⁵ For he says to Moses,“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” ¹⁶ It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
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  • Prosperity gospel includes a deceptive truth that says ‘name it and claim it’.  There is a conceitedness here that Paul encourages us to avoid. We should not depend on our own desires to get anything from God. If we want anything from God, we need to align ourselves with the needs of the Holy Spirit, and let the Holy Spirit intercede. 

How to respond

• The end of 1 Timothy 6 is a final entreaty against following false doctrine: ²⁰ Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, ²¹ which some have professed and in so doing have departed from the faith.
  • • Paul  is not recommending that we should confront these guys. He is saying Avoid them. We should make a conscious decision not to think about false doctrines, and do not be involved with them.
    • Paul describes it as godless chatter. These preachers might sound systematic and sincere, but in regard to the true gospel, godless chatter is nothing more than profane nonsense (it consists of argument, speculation, and inconsistent behavior).
    • ‘falsely called knowledge’  refers to gnosis (secret knowledge).  False doctrine / false knowledge will always be destructive. What we ‘know’ does not determine our spiritual status. Our status is determined by WHO we know, and who knows us –the  saving power of Christ through the Holy Spirit.

In order for a true believer to accept Todd White, he needs to show he is not pursuing a health/wealth/ prosperity gosspel. He needs to move away from ‘name it and claim it’ preaching.  He needs to turn away from followers of false doctrine.

• • He still has a highly compensated job based on his previous teachings.
  • His church polity and statement of faith need to be revised such that he is not the sole spiritual authority. Otherwise, he needs to leave the church he has been leading.

Paul’s Concern

Paul’s concern  was for the church’s mission and for the salvation of people.  Cults make any use of the Bible and inevitably twist its message.  Christians who are not well grounded in the faith can be taken in by an atmosphere of  friendship or promises that give meaning to life. The victim can wander off course into uncharted waters. It is a warning to all of God’s servants, and a motivation to Christian leaders to pursue more urgent service.

For more on the Word of Faith Movement, check out this discussion on Youtube by Apologia Studios. For more on discerning truth, see my June article  Truth Amidst Chaos.