White House Faith Office?
I was in a pretty good mood when I heard that President Trump had established a White House Faith Office. After all, as the executive order states:
Faith-based entities, community organizations, and houses of worship have tremendous ability to serve individuals, families, and communities through means that are different from those of government and with capacity and effectiveness that often exceeds that of government. These organizations lift people up, keep families strong, and solve problems at the local level.
But when I heard who had been selected for this post, my good mood flew out the window. He picked Paula White.
As Wikipedia describes her, White is:
…an American televangelist, apostolic leader in the Independent Charismatic movement, and a proponent of prosperity theology.
Which is three strikes against her right away. In short:
Televangelist — Whenever you see this, you should assume they are a fraud. Indeed, Paula White is one: for example, she is currently soliciting donations in preparation for a “Passover” celebration where she strongly implies that a bigger gift will secure a bigger blessing.
Televangelists take advantage of the most vulnerable, hurting people by promising them blessings and encouraging them to make donations that exceed their financial ability in the name of “sacrificial giving.”
On the other hand, in God’s Word, Jesus teaches us: “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” (Luke 12:15)
Independent Charismatic movement — Essentially the neo-Pentecostalism of the 1960s and 1970s. She would separate baptism into “water baptism” and “Holy Spirit baptism” (a set of categories foreign to the Bible) and emphasize that “speaking in tongues” and the manifestation of other spiritual gifts are necessary signs of conversion.
We Lutherans would confess with St. Paul: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4-6, emphasis added)
Furthermore, there is no particular gift that one must have to be a real Christian. St. Paul continues in the same chapter: “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:11-13, emphasis added)
Prosperity Theology — This is “name it and claim it” theology, also known as “Word of Faith” theology. These folks believe that God gives you the power to “declare blessings” into reality.
This false teaching contradicts the Word of God, by which we learn that God is the only one who calls things into being by speaking. Faith is a gift God gives us, not a tool we can use to manipulate the universe. It’s also a terrible slander against the saints and martyrs, who received suffering, not material prosperity, in this life.
If you’re interested in reading more about a Biblical response to the false Prosperity Gospel, this article from GotQuestions is pretty good.
Finally, as Christians, how should we respond to false teachers? St. Paul speaks to this directly:
I urge you, brothers and sisters, to keep an eye on those who cause dissensions and offenses, in opposition to the teaching that you have learned; avoid them. For such people do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded. (Romans 16:17-18)
So while I commend the formation of this new White House Faith Office in general, I strongly urge all of you to watch out for and avoid this false teacher and others like her. Her theology is not just incorrect, but it is spiritual cancer that will destroy your faith in Christ.
