Ye often hear it said ...

by Dave Brown

 

Ye often hear it said ...

  “Money is the root of all evil.”

but Paul told Timothy to (1 Tim. 6:17) ...

"Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the

uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy."

First, let’s get the first quote right, since it is in the same context as the response.  It should read (1 Tim. 6:10): “... the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (emphasis mine).  Indeed, when we value any material thing more than God, it is idolatry.  But the fact that there were rich people in the churches of the first century tells us that being rich is not a sin per se.  In fact, some poor people have far more love for money than do many rich people.

Paul’s instructions continue (1 Tim 6:18-19): “Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.”  Building wealth is simply a matter of making our expenditures less than our income.  If we give as we have prospered (1 Cor. 16:2) and are still able to build wealth, this enables us to better share with those in need and to give more in the future to the furtherance of the work of the Lord.  These are noble goals, and well worth working toward.  If all Christians were destitute, how would the work of spreading the gospel be accomplished?  Clearly, God expects us to put the material things that he has given us to the best possible use (Mt. 25:14f).