Scripture and Wealth: Biblical Attitudes Toward Riches in Selected Pentecostal Churches in Abuja

The relationship between biblical teaching on wealth and contemporary Pentecostal prosperity theology is a site of significant theological debate with practical consequences for how church members manage finances, relate to the poor, and understand God's purposes. This study examines how biblical attitudes toward wealth are taught and received in selected Pentecostal churches in Abuja, Federal Capital Territory. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with questionnaires administered to 200 adult church members from five Pentecostal churches in Abuja, assessing their understanding of key wealth-related passages, their theological positions on prosperity, and their giving and saving behaviours. Sermon content analysis of 25 recorded messages on wealth was also conducted. Results indicate that 61 percent of surveyed members hold primarily prosperity gospel-oriented wealth theology. Passages supporting contentment, generosity, and the dangers of wealth (1 Timothy 6:6-10, Luke 12:15) receive significantly less sermon attention than passages associated with abundance and blessing. Respondents with higher personal wealth levels show more nuanced biblical wealth theology than lower-income members. The study concludes that wealth theology in Abuja Pentecostal churches is skewed toward prosperity perspectives that inadequately engage the complexity of Scripture's teaching on riches and poverty. It recommends that pastors receive theological formation in the full canon of biblical economics as a foundational element of their ministerial development.

Keywords: biblical wealth, prosperity gospel, Pentecostal churches, Abuja, stewardship theology