23 Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food,in cold and exposure. 28 And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.
Did you see all the things Paul describes in these verses? I wonder why he could never believe enough to get to a place of comfort and ease. What problems of faith Paul must have had!! He ultimately is beheaded in Rome and never experienced the message of the prosperity gospel. He must have never been able to figure out how to be positive enough to be free from trouble. Obviously, based on the life of Paul, the prosperity gospel is shattered.
We will never be free of trouble, and simply because it comes into our lives does not mean that some thing is wrong with us or that we do not have faith enough in God. So, the ultimate question comes, was Paul prosperous? I think he would say that he was, for to him knowing Christ was the ultimate experience and reality for him and everything else paled in comparison to that. That is what is truly prosperous.
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2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Great post Doak. If the Gospel is for prosperity, then it is just another get rich quick scheme. The truth found in Ecclesiastes will be the downfall of the of Prosperity Gospel religion. And it will be tradgic.
If the Gospel of Christ is proclaimed, the world looses its power, for when I am weak, I am strong; when I am poor, I am rich. When I fall, I shall rise (Micah 7:8) and death has lost its sting.
My friend put it this way... He said, "I think that God is a fan of Baylor football. They know they need a Savior. The Gospel is for loosers in this world."
May you preach the Gospel and may you be as 'unsuccessful' as Paul.
p.s. Sorry for the shot at your team, they will probably beat my Aggies this year!
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