Bible Verses of the Week

The Love of Money is the Root of Evil

¹³ “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.” (NIV, Luke 16:13)

⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (NRSV, 1 Timothy 6:9–10)

Money, itself, is just a medium of exchange and is not inherently evil. As 1 Timothy says, it is the LOVE of money that leads to many temptations. Greed is a form of idolatry (Colossians 3:5) that leads one to compromise all moral and ethical values, and greed is one of the most widely condemned sins in the Bible. As Jesus said, we cannot serve both God and money. Those who are blessed with wealth must recognize that it is a gift from God to be used in His service and service to others (1 John 3:17, 1 Timothy 6:17-19). For more details: What Does the Bible Say About Money and Wealth?