I’m glad more pastors and teachers are speaking out against prosperity theology. One such voice is Costi Hinn, the nephew of faith healer Benny Hinn. Costi is right to point out that we should be careful to speak the truth boldly with grace, wisdom, and humility, and with the end goal of pointing people to the saving power of the true gospel.

I just finished reading Costi Hinn’s new book God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel: How Truth Overwhelms a Life Built on Lies, over a period of three days, including two late nights. I couldn’t put it down!

The prosperity gospel teaches that the more money you give away, the wealthier you will become. Following God through giving and other forms of obedience becomes a formula for abundant provision and the celebration of prosperous living. This is, in essence, a Christianized materialism.

Randy Alcorn spoke at his home church, Good Shepherd Community Church, on the topic of happiness. In this clip, Randy talks about our expectations for health and wealth and how that relates to happiness. For more information, check out Randy's Happiness book. 

The popular “name it and claim it” teaching—also called the health and wealth gospel—is not limited to certain congregations, but has worked its way into mainstream evangelical churches where it gets subtly woven into many Christians’ worldviews.

Randy Alcorn was a featured speaker at the 2013 Desiring God National Conference, where he spoke about C.S. Lewis on Heaven and the New Earth: God's Eternal Remedy to the Problem of Evil and Suffering. In this clip, Randy talks about C.S. Lewis and prosperity theology. Watch the full video here. 

Randy Alcorn spoke at the 2010 Desiring God Conference on evil and suffering and God's sovereignty. In this clip, Randy talks about the devastating effects of prosperity theology. 

In this 6 minute video, Randy Alcorn talks about the Apostle Paul and prosperity theology. See Randy Alcorn's Theology of Money DVD Class for more information.

Prosperity theology teaches that God will bless with material abundance and good health those who obey him and lay claim to his promises. “We don’t have to wait for God’s blessing in the life to come,” it promises. “He’ll send it to us here and now.”