Product Description

Does God will that the true believer in Christ be in good physical health? Is a Christian promised good financial health by virtue of his or her faith in Christ? If the Christian does not experience these blessings, must we assume that he or she is outside the will of God? Gordon Fee provides a provocative discussion and a direct challenge to all who struggle with these issues. Perhaps no other issues more directly affect the lives of professing Christians as do the issues of health and wealth and their relationship to the will of God. In Disease of the Health & Wealth Gospels, Dr. Gordon Fee looks at the treatment of these two themes as frequently found in popular Christian teaching. Based on solid exegesis of the Scriptures, looking at each theme separately, this books suggests that there may be yet a "more excellent way" in viewing these emotionally charged issues. Gordon D. Fee is Professor Emeritus of New Testament Studies at Regent College, Vancouver, British Columbia, and an ordained minister of the Assemblies of God. Considered to be one of the foremost experts in textual criticism of the New Testament of the Bible, Dr. Fee was a member of the editorial board that composed both the New International Version (NIV) and Today's New International Version (TNIV) translations of the Bible. He is also the author of numerous commentaries and books on biblical interpretation, including the popular introductory work How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth (co-authored with Douglas Stuart).

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #36051 in Books
• Published on: 1985-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 31 pages

Customer Reviews

An excellent, biblical analysis
This is a tremendous little book. Gordon Fee is a world-class New Testament scholar and a Pentecostal. He discusses the "theology" of the health and wealth teachers and preachers and how they take Scripture out of context. With all the imbalances and biblical distortions going on in the Pentecostal/charismatic scene today, Dr. Fee's book is refreshing and much-needed.

Don't miss this one!

A Taste of 'Fried Ice' [See Review & Booklet for Details]
This is a review of the 2006 45-page Regent College Publishing edition. I've read many of the critiques of the so-called "Word of Faith" movement, but only recently read Fee's informative booklet on the topic which is comprised of three articles (not chapters): The 'Gospel' of Prosperity, The 'Gospel' of Perfect Health, and the New Testament View of Wealth and Possessions. I wish I read it sooner since it considers the broader biblical context for the topics of health and prosperity that is lacking in some longer critiques. For the record, Fee doesn't use the phrase "Word of Faith" to describe what he calls the "perfect health" and "wealth" or "prosperity" gospel(s), although most of the names he briefly refers to (Oral Roberts, Kenneth & Gloria Copeland, Kenneth Hagin [misspelled 'Hagen']), and the examples of biblical eisegesis he gives, fall within the Word of Faith movement. Fee mentions Robert Schuller in his first article on prosperity, but Schuller more appropriately falls within, or on the fringes of, the broader New Thought movement as does his mentor, Norman Vincent Peale. This movement along with Christian Science - which some conservative Christians call "mind science cults" - also have a health and wealth emphasis but vary widely in their understandings of the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, and salvation. Much of what Fee says also applies to them.

Since Fee is a Pentecostal, Assemblies of God minister who believes in the miraculous gifts of healing for today, he is careful when combating the distorted understanding of the topic. He also refers to the A/G's position paper on healing when discussing the doctrine that healing is available through Christ's atonement. Although I think he has many valuable, and correct, things to say regarding healing, I think he fails to solidly address the underlying concern of many Christians regarding healing as it relates to God's goodness and love for all. He ends his article on The 'Gospel' of Perfect Health by asserting that "the first sentence of a sound biblical theology may well be, God must do nothing" because "He is sovereign in all things and is simply not under our control." But this doesn't negate the belief that God MUST be and do only good. In some sensitive minds this translates - rightly or wrongly - to some healing (physical and spiritual) being available through faith to all who know the truth this side of death because "God is no respecter of persons".

Regarding prosperity and "selfishness", I think Fee could have balanced some of what he says with some of the teachings of John Piper. In his article on The 'Gospel' of Prosperity Fee quotes Gustav Aulen who, in part, asserted: "Every attempt to transform Christian faith into a religion of satisfaction and enjoyment is thereby doomed to failure. Egocentricity masquerading in the robes of religion is excluded." But, according to Piper's Christian 'hedonism', "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." God is glorified in satisfying human needs! Also, in his third article on the New Testament View of Wealth and Possessions, Fee rightly and scripturally points out the dangers of wealth and the value of contentment whatever the circumstances, but this doesn't negate the concept of prosperity as a contented, liberated mindset that can, through financial intelligence, produce wealth for the purpose of meeting physical needs and even funding Christian ministries and socially beneficial organizations. Having said all that, I want to again emphasize the value of this booklet and recommend it highly.

Regarding the title of my review, see the second article where Fee notes that Paul confronted the false theology among the Corinthians who "rejected Paul and his theology of the cross (with its ongoing suffering in the present age)" preferring a 'glorious' Jesus to Paul's 'crucified Messiah'. Fee says: "For the Corinthians that's like saying 'fried ice.' Messiah means power, glory, miracles; crucifixion means weakness, shame, suffering." See the article for more details. In my opinion, and I think Fee would agree, what the contemporary church lacks is a biblical, Christ-centered and liberating theology of suffering (I recommend, for starters, reading Piper's chapter on Suffering: The Sacrifice of Christian Hedonism in his 2003 edition of Desiring God).

Great Resource
This book gives a brief look at the Health and Wealth Gospel along with presenting a scriptural lens in which one can see the right approach to a Christians experience in healings and finance. It is insightful along with being short and easy to read.