What is the prosperity gospel?

The prosperity gospel teaches that God guarantees health, wealth, and success to believers through faith and financial giving. This teaching distorts the biblical gospel and misrepresents the nature of Christian suffering and discipleship.

Why is the Word of Faith movement controversial?

The Word of Faith movement is controversial because it often teaches false doctrines about healing, wealth, faith, and divine revelation while elevating charismatic personalities above biblical authority.

What does the Bible say about false teachers?

Scripture repeatedly warns Christians about false teachers who distort the gospel for personal gain and deceive people with unbiblical doctrine. Passages such as Galatians 1:6–9 and 2 Peter 2 address these dangers directly.

The Prosperity Gospel Exposed

⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 2 min read

The Prosperity Gospel Exposed

Author: Justin Peters

Show: Sound Theology and Discernment with Justin Peters

Date: May 25, 2026

Show Summary

In this episode of Sound Theology and Discernment with Justin Peters, Justin Peters responds to prosperity gospel preacher Jonathan Shuttlesworth and examines the dangers of Word of Faith theology through the lens of Scripture.

Addressing wealth, healing, celebrity Christianity, and false authority, Justin contrasts prosperity theology with the biblical gospel proclaimed by Christ and the apostles. Drawing from passages such as 2 Corinthians 11, this episode calls Christians back to biblical discernment, sound doctrine, and the sufficiency of God’s Word.

Listen or Watch

Audio:

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Key Scriptures

2 Corinthians 11:23–28
1 Timothy 6:5
Galatians 1:6–9
2 Peter 2:1–3

Episode Highlights

The dangers of prosperity gospel theology
Why false teaching brings reproach upon Christ
The biblical pattern of suffering and faithfulness
Testing celebrity preachers by Scripture
The sufficiency of the true gospel

Call to Action

Subscribe to Sound Theology and Discernment with Justin Peters on YouTube, SermonAudio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and your favorite podcast platform.

For more biblical resources, articles, podcasts, and sound theological teaching, visit Servants of Grace.

This video first appeared at Justin’s YouTube and is posted here with his permission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?si=4xXb11bjaz4R9f0d&v=6naiJpuIVU0&feature=youtu.be

Justin Peters

Born and reared in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Justin earned his undergraduate at Mississippi State University (1995) and then a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology (2000, 2002) from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.Justin met his bride, Kathy, at an evangelism conference near Los Angeles, California, in 2009. They were married in August of 2010. From 2014 until 2019, they lived in Sandpoint, Idaho, and were members of Kootenai Community Church.They now reside outside of Billings, Montana, along with their little dog, Mia. They are members of Laurel Bible Church, where Justin currently serves as an elder.

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