Prosperity

Kenneth Copeland's Shallow View of God

I’ve figured out the prosperity gospel. I recently suffered through a nearly 3-hour podcast featuring famed prosperity preacher Kenneth Copeland. The podcast is available here:

Copeland repeatedly called the Bible a book of covenants. Certainly, there are two major divisions in scripture, the Old Covenant and the New. There are other covenants, such as the Noachian, the Abrahamic, and the Davidic. Blessings and curses bind these covenants; the terms are outlined and recorded in scripture, especially in books like Genesis and Deuteronomy. In the Old Testament manner of thinking, God always keeps God’s part of the covenant, and if the faithful hold up their end of the bargain, they can expect God to deliver prescribed blessings.

Copeland’s idea of covenant follows strict Old Testament guidelines. He fails to account for developments in the New Testament. He doesn’t have a concept of progressive revelation. And yet his approach also resembles modern-day legal understandings of bilateral contracts. He reads Old Testament accounts through the lens of a legal transaction. In other words, if the faithful do their part, God is obligated by agreement to do God’s, which of course leads to a transactional relationship. A transactional view of God is essentially a “What’s in it for me” approach, where individuals view their relationship with God as a legal or economic exchange—good actions or faith are rewarded with blessings, while disobedience leads to punishment. Bing! The light went on. I get it now.

Copeland elevates the Bible to a troubling degree (see the video), speaking of it almost as if it were a fourth member of the Trinity—placed alongside Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In this framework, Scripture is treated as possessing a kind of creative power, where its promises obligate God to act on covenant terms. The dynamic resembles a courtroom exchange: presenting Scripture verses as legal evidence, building a case, and pressing for a favorable ruling. By quoting Scripture and fulfilling the outlined covenant responsibilities—tithing, sowing, faithfulness—believers are led into prosperity. In essence, this is the core logic of the prosperity gospel.

I’m very glad to be a part of a tradition that is discovering the story of scripture. The Bible is a book of transformation, not a ledger of transactions aimed at delivering material blessings. The “What ’s-in-it-for-me” approach of transactional faith is antithetical to the way of life displayed by Christ in the Bible, where obedience and self-denial may lead to the abandonment and divestment of earthly attachments. Scripture is meant to form us, drawing us into a living relationship that results in an unbreakable union with God. The idea of a covenant is better understood as a sacred partnership with God and not a contract. The “blood oath” is bound by love, loyalty, and shared destiny. Jesus fulfills the idea of “blood oath” in rescuing and redeeming humanity, thus forming the pillars of the new covenant, a new relational reality.

Copeland’s impoverished view of God and misguided understanding of Scripture leave much to be desired. Millions have been led astray by these teachings. If you have pastored for very long, you have no doubt run into some version of the prosperity gospel. Copeland continues the tradition of those who have gone before him. His mentor, Evangelist Oral Roberts (now deceased), became famous for his “die-or-donate” claim in 1987. Roberts claimed the Lord was going to call him home to heaven if he did not raise 8 million dollars. In this covenant God made with Roberts, he either raised the money or the Lord would call him home. The widely publicized episode revealed a view of God who makes covenants that must be kept, or dire consequences will prevail, even death.

Once again, we learn that one’s view of God shapes how one lives and operates in the realm of faith. If ever there was a time to deliver the “good news” of the gospel, it is now. Holiness is good news. The dark psychology of the prosperity gospel is not good news. In the New Covenant of grace, we embrace a God of love who renews the mind and transforms the heart. Thanks be to God, we have something much deeper than a legal transaction strictly enforced by a covenant agreement. We serve a God who embraces us and enters our lives.

If you would like to explore how one’s view of God determines the nature of their relationships, check out my book, Putting a New Face on God: How you see God shapes your life, available on Amazon.