For the love of money is the root of ALL evil???

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Hi! Yes I agree. Evil can occur over anything.

I think scripture needs to be looked at in the context of either the whole nt, or nt and ot, or ot depending on the topic.

I looked up the verse and noticed differences in the different versions:

some say 'a root', 'the root', and 'all kinds of evil', 'root of all evil', 'all sorts of evil'

1 Timothy 6:10 (New King James Version)

10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10 (New International Version)

10For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Timothy 6:10 (King James Version)

10For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10 (New American Standard Bible)

10For (A)the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have (B)wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
 
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heymikey80

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1 Timothy 6:10 says "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".

ALL evil??? Surely there are some evil that doesn't involve money and/or greed?
It's a great question, and you're right; and Greek doesn't say it quite that way.

For more information: as I've been taught it, Greek attributes the abstraction based on the noun, not the adjective "all". "Evil" is not a specific evil, it's an abstract. So "all evil" essentially means "all kinds of evil." This is done for many kinds of nouns; "all prayers" and "all righteousness" are not necessarily every prayer and every righteous action, but again, "all [kinds]" of them.

In Greek you can sometimes emphasize whether you mean comprehensiveness, but there's no simple rule for it.

We all do this in all kinds or sorts of different ways. Forcing "all" to mean "every" goes against numerous English terms as well. When we're not speaking philosophically or technically, we're all-ways using the English terms in ways we all know doesn't really mean comprehensiveness. It's the same way in NT Greek.

And NT Greek was the common language of the day. Most philosophical works were written in Attic Greek, the older form of Greek which was treated a bit like scientific terminology is treated today. NT Greek is for the people. And so is the Bible.
 
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epistemaniac

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I agree with the previous responses Ted... I would just like to emphasis a little more what Mikey said, namely that it is a principle of hermeneutics to not force the Scripture (or any literature for that matter) to say more or less than what it meant to say... in every day language we say things like "the entire town was there to greet the returning state champion football team" or "everyone I know has the flu"... these are just figures of speech and we ought not force them to be literal in an exhaustive sense, after all no one really thinks that literally, the entire town, every single person, showed up to welcome the football team home. So too, when Paul says that the love of money is the root of all evil, we ought not force him into making a highly specific and technical philosophical or religious statement when all he was doing is stating a general principle. This is what the biblical Proverbs do very often... for instance there is a proverb that says 'train a child up in the way that he should and when he is old he will not depart from it" (Prov. 22:6), yet we know for a fact that some children raised in godly homes eventually become atheists or in some other way abandon the faith... but the principle is generally true that if we raise our children in a way that honors God, they will themselves, live lives that honor God.

these issues raise one of my greatest personal concerns, namely that every Christian as they begin their walk with God, ought to learn some basic principles of hermeneutics.... this would alleviate many needless heartaches and concern about one's faith in the Scriptures, as many biblical difficulties will be resolved simply by using proper interpretive techniques... if you have not had the chance, maybe you could check out two books on this issue; "How to Read the Bible For All It's Worth" by Douglas Stuart and Gordon Fee and/or "Knowing Scripture" by RC Sproul... for a more detailed discussion of these issues one could consult W. M. Klein, C. L. Blomberg & R. L. Hubbard, Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Word, Dallas, 1993.... see also free online resources see A Short Guide to Biblical Interpretation at http://hermeneutics.kulikovskyonline.net/hermeneutics/introherm.htm and for many articles on these issues see Biblical Hermeneutics Home Page

blessings,
ken
 
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Bouke285

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Another way to look at it, love of money could also mean love of the earth. Where your treasure is there your heart will be also. If we focus on the wealth of our lives on this earth rather then the eternal life with God, problems start to occur.
 
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The bible teaches that the love of money is the root of all evil not that it was the only evil. And notice in that same verse it speaks of how some have coveted after it meaning lusted for it. I like having money to pay my bills but it is only a means to that end and other things like buying groceries.

Remember don't add to or take away from the Word of God. It's complete just the way it is :amen:
 
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Webers_Home

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†. 1Tim 6:10 . . For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith,

The Greek word for covet in that passage is oregomai (or-eg'-om-ahee) which means to desire; viz: to long for something: to set one's heart upon it.

Oregomai doesn't automatically indicate a bad kind of coveting; for example:

†. 1Tim 3:1 . .This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.

And:

†. Heb 11:16 . . But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Money isn't the target of 1Tim 6:10; it's the love of money that's targeted; which is a kind of love that marginalizes the mandated loves of God and neighbor that Jesus spoke about.

†. Mrk 12:29-31 . . The first of all the commandments is: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandments greater than these.

The love of money is a kind of love that's common among idolaters.

†. Col 3:5-6 . . Put to death your members which are on the earth— fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

The Greek word for covetousness in that passage is pleonexia (pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah) which means avarice; which Webster's defines as: excessive or insatiable desire for wealth or gain; viz: greed, cupidity

The love of money is not the source of all evil; but rather it's at the root of all evil. In other words, if you were to dig up a tree that produces a special kind of fruit containing every manner of sin known to man; you would find the love of money growing down there. In other words, a tree's root system can be said to be its heart; and the love of money is in the heart of every last sinner on earth; no exceptions.

†. Mtt 3:10 . . And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

That's very condemning. Are you a liar? Well, in your heart, you are also a lover of money. Are you a inappropriate content addict? Well, in your heart you are also a lover of money. Are you a gossip? Well, in your heart you are also a lover of money. See how it works? If you are a sinner at all, any kind of sinner, it reveals that the love of money is in your heart. It's a commonality; sort of like where there's smoke there's fire.

When I see someone sin, no matter what that particular sin might be, then I know right off, without them having to tell me, that they love money. They may have that love under control, and live a modest life rather than searching for a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow; but nevertheless, that love is still in there just waiting for a chance to run wild.

C.L.I.F.F.
/
 
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sbbqb7n16

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... So "all evil" essentially means "all kinds of evil." This is done for many kinds of nouns; "all prayers" and "all righteousness" are not necessarily every prayer and every righteous action, but again, "all [kinds]" of them...
:thumbsup:
 
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childofGod31

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1 Timothy 6:10 says "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".

ALL evil??? Surely there are some evil that doesn't involve money and/or greed?

Come on, you don't need to take it as an absolute truth, word for word...

It was just an expression he used!

We talk like that all the time. We say: "All you do is complain" Does that mean that is absolutely all he does? Of course not!
 
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Basis_Vectors

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1 Timothy 6:10 says "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows".

ALL evil??? Surely there are some evil that doesn't involve money and/or greed?


I think the true "currency" of evil is power. Here on earth, money is equal to power: the more you have, the more power you have. It has been like this since the beginning: we traded or bartered.

The lust for money creates a hunger that cannot be satisfied. Money can allow us to do anything we want - whatever temptations in which we want to indulge. People work to get money so that they can get what they want (and sometimes what they need.) The people who are at the top of the pyramid are perceived to be the most powerful.

If you are poor on earth i.e. if you do not put any substance in money and the likes, you will help yourself evade 80% of temptations readily available with money.

In general, I think our lust for wanting to be gods is what is evil. We want to be gods on earth, so we will climb the ladder as high as we feel we need to, and the rungs of the ladder are money.
 
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heron

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There seem to be two parts to your question: the words of the statement, answered by the Greek and translation comparisons; and the concept of greed being such a strong pull.

I don't think of myself as being a lover of money. But greed seeps into my life in subtle ways.

I get snappy with people when they take up my time>
when I feel like I should be working>
when I am fearful that I will not have enough >
when I don't trust God for getting me through life.

I get angry with people who don't return what I loan them>
when I am angry at myself for having spent the money in the first place>
When I am buying something to declare how I want my life to go (like a book) or appear (car, jewelry, clothes, decorations ), instead of just making my life more meaningful.

It's sometimes fear of not having things under control, that warps into what appears a love of money. Compare to above, power.

I think the verse was meant to be an insight, brought up to get people to think. Not everything in the Bible was written to be a law or final truth.

 
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