Paul warns Timothy in the final chapter of his letter to Timothy about several issues, particularly wealth as an avenue to temptation and trap.
“Covetousness is at the root of all evil; many have fallen away from the faith through its grasp” (1 Timothy 6:10).
The Love of Money
Money can be the root of all evil, seducing people into foolish and harmful desires that lead to ruin and destruction. Lust for wealth can lead to virtually every kind of sin from greedy real estate deals to stock market manipulation to neglecting family and church in pursuit of material wealth accumulation.
Consequences of coveting riches can be seen everywhere around us; according to Scripture, those who covet riches often turn their children against their parents, commit adultery and even murder for wealth.
Money is often considered the root of all evil because it represents our desire for something outside of God. Good desires do not destroy, only those which pull people away from their faith do – which explains why its original translation was so impactful; unfortunately, modern translators have altered it in an effort to make it less shocking.
False Teachers
False teachers frequently spread incorrect doctrine, creating a serious threat. We must carefully scrutinize any new or different teaching, taking note of what Scripture teaches on each subject we study, as a basis of comparison. A simple way of spotting false teachers is by looking at their fruit – for instance, a tree may look healthy from a distance but when closer examination reveals shriveled grapes or moldy figs on it it tells us this tree may not be productive or healthy!
False teaching often results in adding or taking away from Scripture, whether through ungodly ambition, ignorance or conceit. Scripture is an ancient book on which pastors, elders and scholars have studied for millennia – it contains great truths that have been carefully established through time with care – so any attempts at alteration must not dilute its message in any way – this applies especially if speculations, myths or genealogies are involved, as these can quickly lead people down an uncertain path into heresy.
The Prosperity Gospel
The prosperity gospel sees wealth as an indicator of God’s favor and believes that prayerful belief can bring miraculous results, such as healing or financial success. According to this teaching, believers can achieve health and wealth simply by following biblical principles and giving to Christian ministries.
This doctrine has created a worldwide empire of megachurches and televangelists with millions of followers worldwide. However, its appeal can lead to self-gratification through exaggerated personal achievements and promote an individualistic approach to faith that may cause people to forget the needs of others in their community or society at large.
Paul advises Timothy to avoid becoming arrogant by placing his wealth at the service of the church and remembering that Old Testament tithing was based on food rather than money – this serves as a timely reminder that the prosperity gospel can give those with considerable resources a false sense of security as it encourages materialism and individualism.
The Rich
Paul concludes his advice to Timothy by warning about wealthy individuals. Paul warns Timothy against their pursuit of riches as it will lead them down an endless road of temptation, perdition, and unwise desires that drown men in ruin and perdition.
Importantly, Jesus doesn’t say money is bad or that rich people cannot be Christians. Instead, in His parable of the Rich Fool he emphasizes how great wealth can benefit others while building up a foundation for life together in eternity.
As much as money may be seen as the source of much evil and some have turned away from Christianity in search of wealth, we must never teach that Christians must shun money completely; such a position would run counter to all that the Bible teaches about wealth.
