the root of all evil

[march1971]

the Bible states that the love of money is the root of all evil. money in itself is not evil, but when you find yourself wanting money more and more,
you better check your heart.

[ancmetro]

      What is wrong with the Bible? It was written many years ago! That was the opinion of some then. Do not live in the past. Money is needed everywhere you go...just to survive.

[jcalexis]

I read the bible. I don't recall reading anything like that. Please send me the reference.

[potluck6]

Ive heard the lack of money is the root of all evil.Wish i had some to see how evil it is.

[loulizlee]

1Timothy 6:10 -

 Barnes' Notes (Commentary) on the Bible

For the love of money is the root of all evil - That is, of all kinds of evil. This is evidently not to be understood as literally true, for there are evils which cannot, be traced to the love of money - the evils growing out of ambition, and intemperance, and debasing lusts, and of the hatred of God and of goodness. The expression here is evidently a popular saying - "all sorts of evils grow out of the love of money." Similar expressions often occur in the classic writers; see Wetstein, in loc, and numerous examples quoted by Priceaus. Of the truth of this, no one can doubt. No small part of the crimes of the world can be traced to the love of gold. But it deserves to be remarked here, that the apostle does not say that "money is the root of all evil," or that it is an evil at all. It is the "love" of it which is the source of evil.

Which while some coveted after - That is, some who were professing Christians. The apostle is doubtless referring to persons whose history was known to Timothy, and warning him, and teaching him to warn others, by their example.

They have erred from the faith - Margin, "been seduced." The Greek is, they have been led astray from; that is, they have been so deceived as to depart from the faith. The notion of deception or delusion is in the word, and the sense is, that, deceived by the promises held out by the prospect of wealth, they have apostatized from the faith. It is not implied of necessity that they were ever real Christians. They have been led off from truth and duty, and from all the hopes and joys which religion would have imparted.

And pierced themselves through with many sorrows - With such sorrows as remorse, and painful reflections on their folly, and the apprehension of future wrath. Too late they see that they have thrown away the hopes of religion for that which is at best unworthy the pursuit of an immortal mind; which leads them on to a life of wickedness; which fails of imparting what it promised when its pursuit is successful, and which, in the great majority of instances, disappoints its votaries in respect to its attainment. The word rendered "pierced themselves through" - περιέπειραν periepeiran - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament, and is a word whose force and emphasis cannot be well expressed in a translation. It is from πείρω peirō, and is made more emphatic by the addition of the preposition περι peri. The word πείρω peirō, means, properly, "to pierce through from one end to another," and is applied to meat that is "pierced through" by the spit when it is to be roasted (Passow); then it means to pierce through and through. The addition of the preposition περι peri to the word, conveys the idea of doing this "all round;" of piercing everywhere. It was not a single thrust which was made, but they are gashed all round with penetrating wounds. Such is the effect on those who cast off religion for the sake of gold. None can avoid these consequences who do this. Every man is in the hands of a holy and just God, and sooner or later he must feel the effects of his sin and folly.

[msmoneybags48]

Money in my opinion is good to have but when people are ready to kill for it it is turned into a bad thing.

[kountrypeach80]

i believe alchol and sex is the root of all evil, they sure have ruined my life on several occasions

[bobes915]

loulizlee -excellent source there.  It is best translated "Money is the root of all kinds of evil."  Human beings don't need to look outside of themselves for a taste of the root of all kinds of evil.  We can do plenty of evil on our own without being tempted/or all-consumingly driven by money.  Other things can work just as well to that end. 

[march1971]

I read the bible. I don't recall reading anything like that. Please send me the reference.

1st Timothy 6:6-10

[BlackSheepNY]

the Bible states that the love of money is the root of all evil. money in itself is not evil, but when you find yourself wanting money more and more,
you better check your heart.

Money may be the root of all evil if that evil lives in your heart and you use that money to promote evil (much like our government is doing with OUR money, sending it to countries that promote TERRORISM).

However, money is not the root of all evil when you need to work for it because you need that money to survive - feed yourself, put a roof over your head, pay your bills.

It's not MONEY that's evil, it's GREED.

[BK_Adores_Chase]

Agreed - all materials will vanish one day and all that we will have is friends and nothing will matter but what we did in life not what we had!

[melissajh44]

Obsession with money I feel is unhealthy, obsession with anything is unhealthy.