Here is a very telling look at the ungodly influence of men like Roberts and their prosperity gospel, by John MacArthur.
Oral Roberts died this week and the obituaries have been abuzz with analyses of his life and legacy. The USA Today headline summed up his contributions this way: “Oral Roberts brought health-and-wealth Gospel mainstream.” The Los Angeles Times gave a similar snapshot of the man: “Oral Roberts dies at 91; televangelist was pioneering preacher of the ‘prosperity gospel’”
But Christianity Today’s lead blogger, Ted Olsen, disagreed. He responded with a post titled “Why the Oral Roberts Obituaries Are Wrong.” The long subtitle at the head of Olsen’s post explained: “The ‘faith-healer’ (who hated the term) may have done much to mainstream Pentecostalism, but he was no architect of the Prosperity Gospel.”
Olsen’s argument, essentially, is that the real founder and mastermind of prosperity doctrine was not Oral Roberts but Kenneth Hagin, “who is far more widely recognized as the man who joined Pentecostalism with the Faith Movement (also called ‘Word-Faith,’ or derogatively, the Prosperity Gospel or ‘Health and Wealth’ gospel).”
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MacArthur is spot on. Oral and all the other “Prosperity” teachers are indeed declaring another gospel, another jesus (cap left off on purpose as their “jesus” does not deserve the honor afforded to the real Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords), another spirit.
Any connection between what they teach and orthodox Christianity is purely coincidental. Personally, I fear for heir souls.
Oral Roberts was a false teacher and a false prophet and John MacArthur is correct in his assessment.
The Christian world is not a better place because of Mr Roberts.
MacArthur has a way of telling things as it is