Yes — people use the Word of God for personal gain because, like Balaam, they are motivated by covetousness and love of money.
Les Feldick points to the way of Balaam, where a false prophet is driven by money rather than truth. These teachers rationalize from the human side and run greedily after the error of Balaam. In modern terms, Les identifies the prosperity gospel as a version of this: preachers promise wealth if you send them money, which is not according to the Book. Les's own practice—never taking a penny or making merchandise of the Word—shows the intended contrast.
2 Peter 2:15 — Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness, directly identifying the financial motive behind using God's Word for personal gain.
2 Peter 2:3 — False teachers through covetousness make merchandise of believers, showing how the Word is exploited for profit.
Scripture directly answers this question in 2 Peter 2. Verse 3 says false teachers 'through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you' — they use the Word to profit off believers. Verse 13 says they 'feast with you' while sporting themselves with their own deceivings. Verse 14 describes them as having 'an heart they have exercised with covetous practices' and 'beguiling unstable souls.' Verse 15 then identifies their pattern as 'the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.' In other words, the Bible names covetousness and love of money as the root cause when spiritual teaching is turned to personal gain.
Les Feldick teaches that the problem goes back to the way of Balaam. In 2 Peter 2, he says, God warns that false teachers will appear in the last days, and they come 'in every hue and color,' leaving the average believer confused. Balaam, Les explains, was a false prophet who was after money — 'that's all that motivated him' — and the same is true of false teachers: their constant question is 'What's in it for old Balaam?' Les applies this to modern 'prosperity salvation,' where people are told that if they just get saved, God will pour out wealth; some ministries even guarantee that a gift will wipe out debt and make the giver rich, which Les says is 'not according to the book.'
Scripture describes Balaam as someone who 'loved the wages of unrighteousness' and followed the way of Balaam (2 Peter 2:15). Les Feldick says Balaam was a false prophet motivated by money — 'That's all that motivated him.' He connects this to false teachers who 'ran greedily after the error of Balaam' and rationalize from the human side, just as Cain did. Their question is always 'What's in it for old Balaam?'
Les says we are 'being deluged today with what I call prosperity salvation' — the idea that if you get saved, God will pour out wealth on you. He describes brochures that guarantee that if you send $50 or $100, your debt will be gone and you will become a half-millionaire. Les insists this is not according to the Book, even though preachers can 'scream it' and 'yell it.'
Les says he never takes a penny for what he does and does not do the ministry for monetary gain or fame. He copyrights his material only to protect it from being used for profit, and he gives full permission for others to copy it as long as they do not sell it. He trusts God to supply the needs without asking for money, because the Word has been given 'to reach out to hungry hearts.'
False Teachers Infiltrate Fellowship
Les shows that false teachers, like Balaam, come right in and feast with church people while practicing their deceits, so the misuse of the Word is not always obvious.
Prosperity Salvation Is Not in the Book
Les identifies the modern version of using the Word for personal gain as 'prosperity salvation,' where people are promised wealth in exchange for their salvation and their gifts.
Balaam Was Motivated by Money
Les says Balaam was a false prophet after money and that false teachers today ask, 'What's in it for old Balaam?' as they rationalize from the human side.
Making Merchandise of the Book
Les explains that he will not make merchandise of the Bible, and he is irritated by men who profit from the Word; it was given to reach hungry hearts.
What Does the Bible Really Say About Obeying Government?
Now I don't want to be like one man's pastor told him, that doesn't mean what it says. I'm never going to say that about Scripture. But I think we can better translate it by, do not defraud anyone. There's certainly nothing wrong with going to the bank and borrowing money to buy a home, or whatever else many times we have to do. That's not what the Scripture is saying.
Not for Monetary Gain or Fame
Les says he does not do his teaching for money or fame but to reach a multitude of people with the truth of God's Word.
Never Takes a Penny
Les says he never takes a penny for what he does; he teaches only because he loves the Lord and sees hungry people around the country.
Trusting God for Provision
Les says he never asks for money because he trusts God to supply all the ministry's needs through God's people.
2 Peter 2:3: And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
This verse shows that false teachers use the Word to make merchandise of believers because of covetousness.
2 Peter 2:13: And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
This verse describes false teachers who feast with church people even as they practice their deceptions.
2 Peter 2:14: Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
This verse identifies covetous practices as a defining trait of those who beguile unstable souls.
2 Peter 2:15: Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
This verse names Balaam's love of unrighteous wages as the pattern for those who misuse the Word for personal gain.
Jude 1:11: Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
This verse says the error of Balaam was followed 'for reward,' linking false teaching with financial greed.
Les says false teachers rationalize from the human side and run greedily after the error of Balaam. Balaam was a false prophet after money, and the same question applies today: 'What's in it for old Balaam?' They are motivated by personal financial gain, not by love for truth.
Les describes it as the teaching that getting saved causes God to pour out wealth on you. He cites brochures promising that if you send $50 or $100, your debt will be gone and you will soon be rich. Les says that is not according to the Book.
Les says he never takes a penny for what he does and does not want to make merchandise of the Bible. He copyrights material only to keep others from selling it for profit, gives permission to copy it freely, and trusts God to supply all the ministry's needs.
Watch the Teaching: The Way of Balaam — The Bible's Warning About False Teachers