The False Promise of Prosperity Preachers
The Bible doesn't say that being a faithful Christian will lead to material wealth, says the Rev. Billy Graham who responded to a question about the teachings of prosperity gospel preachers by noting that Jesus and His disciples were never rich.
In a question-and-answer column published on the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association website on Wednesday, Graham was asked whether God wants people to be wealthy.
"Does God want everyone to be rich? I heard someone on TV claim that this is what the Bible teaches, but I wonder if it's true," the reader asked Graham. "We struggle every month just to pay our bills, and yet my husband and I have always tried to put God first."
Graham responded by saying, "the Bible doesn't promise that everyone who follows Jesus will become wealthy," as Jesus Himself was not a rich man.
"After all, Jesus wasn't rich, nor were His first disciples — not at all. In fact, the only disciple who really cared about money was Judas, whose greed and unbelief caused him to betray Jesus for 30 pieces of silver," wrote Graham.
