Did Paul Teach That 'Money Is the Root of All Evil'?

　　Paul is trying to warn Christians about the danger of having a love for money. He is not saying that having a lot of money is evil, but that loving money is going to motivate various kinds of evils in your life. By evil, Paul is referring to morally reprehensible behavior.

　　In fact, Paul’s warning is very serious, for he says in the rest of the verse that by craving after money, some people have left the Christian faith and caused themselves a significant amount of pain.

Why Is Love of Money the Root of All Evil in 1 Timothy 6:10?

　　The first part of the verse says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (CSB). This is very different than the two ways this verse has been cited above. The first statement is an absolute declaration that money, in all its forms, is evil in itself. The second statement claims that loving money is a sin. While it is true that our affections should primarily be directed toward God, that is not Paul’s point in this verse.

　　The very first word in the verse is significant: “for.” This indicates that the contents of verse 10 are explaining what Paul said in verse 9: “But those who want to be rich fall into temptation, a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge people into ruin and destruction” (CSB).

　　Verse 9 is not a statement claiming that rich people will be destroyed or that rich people are, by default, sinful. The word translated “want” (CSB) or “desire” (ESV) refers to desiring to have something and it implies that the person has a plan to accomplish the goal of their desire.

　　Paul is not rebuking a Christian for being rich, Paul is warning about the desire to be rich. The desire, if fed over time, can lead to various kinds of temptations. So, how does verse 9 connect to verse 10? The desire to be rich leads to a love for money.

　　The consequences of desiring to be rich are very serious (similar to the danger of having a love for money). Paul says that this desire will cause the offender to fall into temptation and a trap. The word for “trap” refers to being surprisingly brought under the control of something.

　　The result of the temptations and trap is that they will have foolish and harmful desires. Desires can be good or bad, but here the modifiers “foolish” and “harmful” make it clear that this is a bad desire. These foolish and harmful desires then lead to ruin and destruction. This is the context for 1 Timothy 6:10.