“My Life Verse is Jeremiah 29:11…”

I stumbled on to this post by Mark Jr. at Hand Me A Scalpel on the frequent misuse of Jeremiah 29:11.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

“I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Amen! I have never been a huge fan of “life verses” in general, but Jer. 29:11 has always particularly aggravated me. As Mark Jr. explains, the context of this verse destroys its usefulness as a health, wealth and prosperity proof-text.

Interestingly, this verse is always quoted in the NIV. Notice the difference in the superior ESV translation:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Fluffy, yes, but not quite as feel-good as the NIV translation. I’ve always suspected that the word “prosper” in the NIV has a lot to do with this verse’s popularity.

Thanks, Mark, for venting a frustration I’ve been bottling up for far too long.

 

The Prosperity Gospel in the Dark Continent

Christianity Today has a very interesting (and disheartening) article on the influence of the so-called prosperity, or “health and wealth”, gospel in Africa. Apparently, Paul Crouch and Kenneth Copeland don’t believe the Dark Continent is dark enough.

I have a friend who is a missionary in Kenya. He has said that it is a very difficult and frustrating task explaining to those he meets there that Benny Hinn is not representative of American Christianity.

(John Piper recently wrote a brief, but excellent, critique of this movement/theology.)