TV preachers have the kind of forceful personalities that make you believe that they are preaching the truth, and nothing but the truth. But during the December holidays I tuned in to listen to one of the African America preachers who is probably one of the most popular preachers in America and Africa for that matter for his prosperity message describes the way Americans live and the way Africans want to live: materially prosperous. In his effort to bring his kind of Gospel accross he makes some serious errors which have to be corrected if we are going to understand the truth about abundance and moderation.

Listen to this sermonAbundance and Moderation
Andre Pelser
2006/01/21

This statement sounds like a contradiction in terms: abundance seems to be on one end of the scale and moderation on the other: but in actual fact believers are called to live an abundant life in a moderate way.

Extreme faith teachers want to discard the moderation part and ultra conservative ministers are afraid of professing abundance. Abundant living seems so far out of reach of most people that they are scared to attempt to believe that it could be possible. Moderation sounds like the philosophy of a Killjoy, a spoil sport, who does not want us to enjoy life. Extreme faith teachers feel offended when moderation is demanded and their flashy, boastful, gaudy life styles cannot be expressed within their limited view of the moderation.
False humility on the other hand sees moderation as a way of curbing one’s desires and never allowing oneself to fully enjoy life. Any form of enjoyment is seen as sinful and therefore they conservative view abundance as a form of licentious exaggeration.

Both of these modes of thinking are erroneous and have to be corrected in our thinking. Understanding the truth about these opposing concepts will bring to balance our lives and allow us to enjoy the benefits of both prospects.
Jesus Christ offered abundance to all His followers and Paul the apostle advocated moderation in life style for all apostolic believers.

John 10:10
10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The King James Version

Abundant (ekpempo, Strong’s 1599) means to despatch or send away. In the Greek language the prefix ‘ek’ always means ‘out’ or away from. ‘Pempo’ means to send away from or to bestow upon. It refers to a point of departure from which something is being dispatched and describes an orderly motion.
On the other hand, per-is-syoo´-o; from ; to superabound (in quantity or quality), be in excess, be superfluous; also (tran.) to cause to superabound or excel:— (make, more) abound, (have, have more) abundance (be more) abundant, be the better, enough and to spare, exceed, excel, increase, be left, redound, remain (over and above).
It comes from . perissov' peárissoás, per-is-sos´; from  (in the sense of beyond); superabundant (in quantity) or superior (in quality); by impl. excessive; adv. (with ) violently; neut. (as noun) preeminence:— exceeding abundantly above, more abundantly, advantage, exceedingly, very highly, beyond measure, more, superfluous, vehement [-ly].

II Corinthians 9:1
Perissos – perissos (4053), “abundant, more than sufficient,” is translated “superfluous”

Vine’s Expositoty Dictionary of New Testament Words gives a complete list of how the word abundant is used throughout the New Testament:
1. hadrotes (100), which, in 2 Cor. 8:20, in reference to the gifts from the church at Corinth for poor saints in Judea, the RV renders “bounty” (KJV, “abundance”), is derived from hadros, “thick, fat, full-grown, rich” (in the Sept. it is used chiefly of rich and great men, e.g., Jer. 5:5). In regard, therefore, to the offering in 2 Cor. 8:20 the thought is that of bountiful giving, a fat offering, not mere “abundance”.
2. perisseia (4050), “an exceeding measure, something above the ordinary,” is used four times; Rom. 5:17, “of abundance of grace”; 2 Cor. 8:2, “of abundance of joy”; 2 Cor. 10:15, of the extension of the apostle’s sphere of service through the practical fellowship of the saints at Corinth; in Jas. 1:21 it is rendered, metaphorically, “overflowing,” KJV “superfluity,” with reference to wickedness. Some would render it “residuum,” or “what remains.” See No. 3.
3. perisseuma (4051) denotes “abundance” in a slightly more concrete form, 2 Cor. 8:13-14, where it stands for the gifts in kind supplied by the saints. In Matt. 12:34 and Luke 6:45 it is used of the “abundance” of the heart; in Mark 8:8, of the broken pieces left after feeding the multitude “that remained over” (KJV “that was left”). See REMAIN. In the Sept., Eccl. 2:15.
4. huperbole (5236), lit., “a throwing beyond” (huper, “over,” ballo, “to throw”), denotes “excellence, exceeding greatness,” of the power of God in His servants, 2 Cor. 4:7; of the revelations given to Paul, 12:7; with the preposition kata, the phrase signifies “exceeding,” Rom. 7:13; “still more excellent,” 1 Cor. 12:31; “exceedingly,” 2 Cor. 1:8; “beyond measure,” Gal. 1:13; and, in a more extended phrase, “more and more exceedingly,” 2 Cor. 4:17.

But in John 10:10 the Greek Word used by the Gospel writer is ‘ekpempo’ which means to dispatch, send away or bestow.

Prosperity preachers that only look for proof of their greedy Gospel never do their homework thoroughly. They only to the Amplified bible for references: for instance one of the renowned African American TV prosperity preachers is quoted as saying that abundant means, “ Abundant in John 10 in the Amplified version is described as: ‘to the full and to the overflow’ ”. That is all they are after, more Lord, more Lord! He persuades millions of viewers to believe that he is an authority on the subject and promotes his prosperity Gospel as the truth. The same preacher, (whose name I do not want to mention so as not to discredit him, for he still preaches Christ, no matter what his motive might be, but the error has to be corrected where apostolic ministry is mentioned), obviously sees moderation as something he does not want in his life because it does not fit his prosperity Gospel (i.e. preaching prosperity instead of the entire Gospel which includes suffering, hardships, tribulations for the sake of Christ and His Gospel). His contention is that moderation does not mean moderate, it means unselfish or considerate.

Philippians 4:5
. ejpieivkeia eápieáikeáia, ep-ee-i´-ki-ah; from ; suitableness, i.e. (by impl.) equity, mildness:— clemency, gentleness

ejpieikhv' eápieáikeµs, ep-ee-i-kace´; from  and ; appropriate, i.e. (by impl.) mild:— gentle, moderation, patient

The word ‘eiko’ in Greek speaks of ‘faintness’ in the sense of a copy and therefore suggests imitation of something or copying the apostolic life-style of Paul. Paul wrote the book of Philippians to instruct the disciples in godly living, not in getting as much as they can while they can! He told them how Jesus humbled Himself by becoming obedient unto death and how He became meek enough to empty Himself of all His privileges in order to become a servant! Paul encouraged the Philippians to let this mind of Christ be in them. He wanted them to understand that if they