1 Timothy 6:10

“For the love of money is. root of all sorts of evil”: Note: Money itself is not evil, and neither is greed “the” root of all evil, rather, greed is simply “a” root of evil, other roots do exist. It is not the possession of things, but the love of things that leads men into temptation. Jesus taught the same truth (Matthew 6:24). So much evil can result from greed!

It caused the rich younger ruler to turn away from Christ.

It caused the rich fool in Luke 12:1 to deceive himself.

It caused the rich man to neglect Lazarus.

It caused Judas to betray his Master and commit suicide.

It caused Ananias and Sapphira to tell lies.

“The desire for money tends to make. man selfish. If. man is driven by the desire for wealth it is nothing to him that someone has to remain poor in order that he may amass more, or that someone has to lose in order that he may gain. The desire for wealth fixes. man's thoughts upon himself, and others become merely means or obstacles in the path of his own enrichment” (Barclay p. 153).

1 Timothy 6:10 “And some by longing for it”: The term “longing for it” means to reach after, of stretching oneself out for. thing, of longing after it, with stress upon the object desired (Vine p. 298).

1 Timothy 6:10 “Have wandered away from the faith”: Note we are talking about Christians who become greedy. One reason why some Christians fall away is because they are trying to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

1 Timothy 6:10 “Wandered”: To cause to go astray. “The faith which they once professed has become displaced by their love for money as the chief goal of their lives” (Hiebert p. 114).

1 Timothy 6:10 “And pierced themselves with many griefs”: Note the word “many”. Greed brings about all sorts of consuming sorrows, whether sorrows of the body, mind or both. The term “griefs” in this verse refers to consuming and eating griefs. In addition, they brought such upon themselves. “They have stabbed themselves as it were from head to foot and all around, so as to be wholly covered with wounds” (Macknight p. 262). “The strange thing is that the desire for wealth is based on the desire for security, but it ends in nothing but worry and anxiety. The more. man has to keep, the more he has to lose” (Barclay p. 153). “Seeking material ease, men have forfeited peace of mind, lost friends, alienated family members, destroyed their own character and self-respect, found themselves lashed by conscience and the fear of detection in dishonesty” (Reese p. 281). The present “griefs” experienced by the person who has sacrificed their faith for the sake of greed include pangs of conscience, disillusionment, unrest, boredom, envy, remorse, painful reflections upon their folly and other things.

1 Timothy 6:10 “Pierced”: The idea here is that they have pierced themselves not once, but all around.