Where in the Bible does it say greed for money is the root of all evil?
A popular current text, the King James Version shows 1 Timothy 6:10 to be: For the love of money is the root of all of evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
Money Is Not Evil
Paul clarified that it was the love of money that is the root of evil, not money itself. The two important words Paul used in Greek were philarguria (fondness for silver or money) and oregomenoi (craving).
- 1 Timothy 6:6–10. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. ...
- Hebrews 13:5. ...
- Luke 12:13–21. ...
- Proverbs 11:24. ...
- Ecclesiastes 5:10–13. ...
- James 5:1–3. ...
- 1 Corinthians 5:11. ...
- 1 Timothy 6:17–19.
Judas driven by greed, betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Ananias and Sapphira harbored greed in their hearts, secretly withholding from God's work part of the money they had received from a sale of land. In every instance, envy and greed proved to be destructive…
In other words, the point is not that all sin is always the result of material greed. Rather, it is that a love of money can lead a person to virtually any other sin. Greed can enhance, inspire, and amplify the temptation of any other sin, and lead us to disaster.
All wrongdoing can be traced to an excessive attachment to material wealth. This saying comes from the writings of the Apostle Paul. It is sometimes shortened to “Money is the root of all evil.”
Ecclesiastes 10:19 in Other Translations
19 A feast is made for laughter, and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things. 19 Bread is made for laughter, and wine gladdens life, and money answers everything.
GREED. A desire for inordinate amounts of possessions or status…or in this case, money. Greed uses others for personal gain, with little regard for the harm our manipulation may cause them.
Greed is the excessive desire for material possessions and wealth. Although greed does not cause physical addiction, it does cause a psychological obsession that leads to an insatiable desire for more.
Danger one: the desire to get rich (I Timothy 6:10). Danger two: worry about money (Matthew 6:25-34). Danger three: trusting in wealth rather than God (Luke 12:16-21). Danger four: loving money as your god, when no man can actually serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).
What is the root of greed?
Fear is a significant factor that can drive a person to become greedy. A fear of financial struggle or loss can manifest itself as a need to accumulate more money and resources. This fear can also contribute to a lack of generosity and sharing with others.
Here are a few quotes about greed or ambitions: "Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction." - Erich Fromm. "The love of money is the root of all evil." -The Bible. "Ambition is enthusiasm with a purpose." -Frank Tyger.
So, while the Bible cautions that self–interest can devolve into the sin of selfishness and greed, biblical self–interest enables us to become well–functioning, contributing members of God's community. This is the way God made us, and it is important for us to understand self–interest in the context of our work.
ESV And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” NIV Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.
ESV Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. NIV See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
Hebrews 13:5. The author is writing about being covetous, meaning that we want more for ourselves - things that others seem to have and we do not. So he writes, "Be content with what you have.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. NIV: Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
The actual quote (from Timothy 6/10) is that the love of money is the root of all evil, not money itself. Loving money, coveting it, treating it not as a means to an end, but as an end itself, is considered a form of idolatry, which tends to lead a person down a very bad path.
Although the Bible never actually calls gambling a sin, it does give us principles that guide the humble into wisdom on this topic. For example, Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.
Jesus taught that we should use our material possessions to meet essential family needs (Matthew 7:7-12; Mark 7:9-13; compare 1 Timothy 5:8 and 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10). Jesus taught that we should exercise careful money management and exercise shrewd wisdom prior to making any purchase (Luke 14:28-30).
What does God teach us about money?
Biblical teachings on money emphasize our need to steward it wisely and never let it become more important than it is. We are encouraged to love God and people, never money. Money should be used as a tool to help the less fortunate and to spread the message of Jesus to people who haven't heard.
5. “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).
The Bible issues several warnings against the love of money and the snare of wealth (1 Timothy 3:3; 6:10), but in Proverbs 30:8–9, Agur, the gather of wise sayings, asks that he would have neither poverty nor wealth.
Just as it's impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, it's impossible with people—but not with God—for a rich man to enter Heaven. Jesus can and ultimately did provide a way for rich people—and all who believe in Him—to enter God's Kingdom.
Finally, 1 Timothy 6:17-18 offers divine instructions for the wealthy among us. The passage reads: “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
