Sermon Tone Analysis

“The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.

It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”

[1]

We’ve all heard the saying, “Money is the root of all evil.”

However, there is a major error in this admittedly common quote.

The Apostle actually cautioned Christians, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.”

You shouldn’t imagine that Paul was creating a proverb when he wrote this; the proverb was well-known as is attested in both Jewish and Greek writings.

The noun translated “love of money” is what scholars refer to as a hapax legomenon—this is the only occurrence of the word in the New Testament.

It is, however, related to the adjective translated “lovers of money” in 2 TIMOTHY 3:2.

The noun is a compound word that unites “love” (phílos) and “money” (argúrion).

Let’s do a little bit of grammatical work to discover something about what the Apostle is saying.

Paul uses a definite article, indicating that he is focused on one concept.

It is “the love of money” that is in view, and not a generalised idea.

The definite article combined with the present tense verb indicates that this is a continual problem.

In other words, “the love of money” is not a minor problem; it is an ongoing struggle that has plagued mankind and that continues to plague mankind to this day.

Christians will not occasionally face this problem; they will grapple with this challenge until they stand perfected in the presence of the Master.

There is another syntactical matter to consider.

The word “root” is used metaphorically in this sentence, but the question arises whether it should be understood to be definitive or generally.

In other words, is “the love of money” “the root of all kinds of evil,” or is it “a root of all kinds of evil?” Several translations understand this to be used in the definitive sense.

[2] Other translations, especially more recent, understand that Paul is using the term in a more general sense.

[3] There is no definite article in the sentence.

However, the word “root” is placed at the head of the sentence for emphasis.

What we must not do is conclude that “the love of money” is the only root of “all kinds of evil.”

The love of money is one root among many roots of evil.

It seems best to understand that the Apostle is saying that this love leads to numerous evils.

The fundamental nature of greed leads to trouble—there are far-reaching ramifications whenever we indulge greed.

Many illicit desires are awakened through the determined pursuit of riches.

Many and unimaginable griefs arise from covetousness; and the Apostle seeks to turn us from such wickedness.

Understand that covetousness can lead to wandering away from the Faith.

Such an action leads to destruction of the life of a Christian.

This is evident from Paul’s assertion in the preceding verse: “Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction” [1 TIMOTHY 6:9].

Now, in the present verse, he adds the warning that some, wandering away from the Faith, “have … pierced themselves with many pangs.”

Eugene Peterson has performed yeoman service for Christians in translating these verses.

“If it’s only money these leaders are after, they’ll self-destruct in no time.

Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble.

Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.”

[4] Longing for money, living for money, pursuing money leads many of God’s people into destruction.

Lives left wasted, barren and devastated is the legacy of pursuing the acquisition of wealth.

I propose that we explore this subject in detail.

My reason for doing this is to warn the people of God against being seduced by the allure of wealth.

Too many Christians with whom I’ve laboured throughout the years of my service before the Lord have stumbled into spiritual ruin through seduction by wealth.

I grieve for their loss to the Kingdom.

I grieve the wasted and blasted lives.

I grieve for the dishonour to our King.

*A DELIGHTFUL SERVANT* — Money is neutral; it is a medium of exchange.

Money represents skill, labour, ability or even fortune and blessing.

Money is not a curse; the absence of all wealth is a curse.

Perhaps you’ve heard the saw, “Money isn’t everything?” Undoubtedly, you’ve also heard the ready rejoinder, “Yeah, but it’s way ahead of whatever is in second place!”

Truthfully, money isn’t everything.

It is, however, a necessity; and money can be a great blessing to the work of God.

Make no mistake; money can richly bless the cause of Christ.

•Money can advance the message of life.

•Money will underwrite missionaries and evangelists to tell others of Christ the Lord.

•Money permits broadcast of the Gospel through radio, television and the printed page.

•With money we can relieve the need of fellow saints who are destitute.

•Our wealth can defend the fatherless and bless the widow.

•Money permits us to feed the hungry and to provide clean water to villages in need.

•With money we can clothe the naked.

•Our moneys permit us to give comfort and solace to the injured and the sick.

•Money provides physicians and nurses to tend to those in needy areas of our world.

•Money purchases Bibles for those who might not otherwise know of Christ the Lord.

•Our wealth can produce audio Bibles for those who are no longer able to read.

Wealth is not condemned in Scripture, though covetousness is clearly censured.

God does not bless all His children with money.

Candidly, many would be destroyed by wealth—they would not be trustworthy with wealth.

As with so many aspects of this present world, wealth is destructive.

The Master cautioned His disciples against depending on wealth.

Job was a wealthy man; his wealth is recounted in the first verse of the book bearing his name.

The Accuser charges God with protecting Job, blessing the work of his hands and all that he has.

Thus, Satan said correctly that “his possessions have increased in the land” [JOB 1:2, 10].

After suffering the loss of everything—everything!—God restores all that Job had.

We read, “The LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends.

And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Then came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and ate bread with him in his house.

And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him.

And each of them gave him a piece of money and a ring of gold.

“And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning.

And he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 yoke of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys” [JOB 42:10-12].

Note that the LORD blessed Job.

His wealth was stated to be the direct result of divine blessing.

When the Psalmist speaks of God blessing Israel, he speaks of the LORD restoring the fortunes of His people.

“Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!

When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people,

let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad.”

[PSALM 14:7]

This divine restoration of the fortunes of His people is a theme running throughout the Old Testament.

[5]

Moses reminded Israel that the Lord God Himself would bless them.

“When the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you—with great and good cities that you did not build, and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

It is the LORD your God you shall fear.

Him you shall serve and by his name you shall swear” [DEUTERONOMY 6:10-13].

God was the One giving Israel good things.

So long as Israel obeyed the LORD, they would prosper.

This was His divine promise.

“The LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.

The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands.

And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow” [DEUTERONOMY 28:11, 12].

One of my favourite Psalms is the 103rd.

Listen to an early portion of that Psalm.

“Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!