'Prosperity a part of the atonement': An interpretation of 2 Corinthians 8:9

Abiola Mbamalu

doi:10.4102/ve.v36i1.1418

Abstract

This article investigates the claim made by some Pentecostal preachers that prosperity is part of the atonement. The biblical basis that such preachers present for their claims is a specific understanding of 2 Corinthians 8:9. The phrase, δια υμας, is sometimes translated �for your sakes� or �because of you�, and the verse is understood by these preachers as indicative of the vicarious nature of the poverty of Jesus. A reading of the Greek text of 2 Corinthians 8:9, however, does not lend itself to this interpretation. Furthermore, Paul�s act of soliciting for funds to help the poor saints in Jerusalem makes the claim that prosperity is part of the atonement quite unwarranted by the text.Intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary implications: The contextual perspective this work is challenging is the Neo-Pentecostal interpretation of 2 Corinthians 8:9, that prosperity is part of the atonement. This research discountenances such understanding and affirms the traditional view that the scope of the atonement of Christ does not imply financial abundance. The atonement of Christ, however, does have financial implications, for it has brought about a new community that cares for its members.

Highlights

Germane to the discussion of the extent of the atonement is the question: What did Jesus atone for? Scholars and believers are unanimous in their view that Jesus atoned for sins, for atonement is generally understood to refer to the ‘work of Jesus in putting right the human situation in relation to God’ (Tuckett 1992:518)
The article found that a literary reading of the text shows the intention of Paul to present Jesus as a model for the Corinthians to emulate with regard to his sacrificial giving of himself
The fact that Paul used the terms riches and poverty in the bid to promote giving, seems deliberate and strategic for it was perhaps meant to elicit in the Corinthians an impression that they were rich enough to contribute to the needs of others

Summary

Introduction

AtonementDiscourses on atonement in literature have often revolved around the issues of the various theories of atonement. It seems reasonable to expect that the riches of the Corinthians and the poverty of Christ must converge at some point since both of them lived in the same terrestrial context. Paul was focusing on the riches bestowed on the Corinthians by virtue of the poverty of Jesus.

Results

Conclusion