Old Testament Concepts of Blessing and Godliness in the Context of African Prosperity Gospel
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Date
2022-05-01
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Department of English, Faculty of Arts, University of Yaoundé 1, Cameroon
Abstract
Some contemporary preachers lay emphasis on material prosperity at the expense of some other important aspects of faith such as godliness, righteousness, holiness, and so on. Thus, this paper examines the relationship that exists between prosperity and godliness in the Old Testament. This is with a view of correcting some contemporary preachers and Christians that place great emphasis on material prosperity but do not consider godliness as a cardinal virtue of Christian living. This is because, material prosperity if not properly managed has the potential to hinder the spiritual welfare of a Christian and possibly displace God from Christian’s life. Consequently, chaos and godlessness will reign supreme in a society where emphasis is placed on material prosperity without proper biblical understanding of the concepts of prosperity and godliness. This paper looks at the relationship between prosperity and godliness in ancient Israel from three major angles which are: prosperity and godliness in Pentateuch tradition, godliness and prosperity in prophetic writings, and prosperity and godliness in wisdom tradition. Findings reveal that godliness is a cardinal virtue and every godly person is expected to build his prosperity on the foundation of hard work and godliness. More so, wealth is a gift and responsibility which supposed to lead to a spirit of generosity towards others and to a greater trust in divine providence. Thus, the rich are to share with others and be grateful to Yahweh.
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Keywords
Prosperity Gospel, Suffering, Old Testament, Godliness, Prosperity