3 Surprising Things the Bible Says About Money

Here are 3 things that the Bible teaches about money that may surprise you.

The Root of All Evil?

The idea that money is the root of all evil is untrue because the verse is frequently misquoted. First Timothy 6:10 says “For 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.” The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, not all evil. God is not against someone being rich but the pursuit of money and the love for it is a root of all kinds of evil. Satan is actually the root of all evil. Paul does say that it is “through this craving [of money] that some have wandered away from the faith” and then “pierced themselves with many pangs” because once riches are acquired, they discover that money doesn’t bring happiness.

God is not Against the Rich

Jesus once said that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt 19:24) and “When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved” (Matt 19:25)? Then “Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt 19:26). Jesus never said that the rich cannot enter heaven but it is more difficult because when a person is rich they have all their needs met and they feel no need for God. In a sense, money becomes their god…supplying all their needs, all their wants and gives them a comfortable lifestyle however “Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income” (Eccl 5:10). There were many people who supported Jesus’ ministry that were rich. It’s okay to have riches but when the riches have them, well that’s a different matter. Abraham was exceedingly rich but he also was very generous.

Not the Amount but the Sacrifice

It’s quite interesting that the more people have the less they give proportionally. Many of the poorest give more in proportion to what they have than the rich give. Let me explain. When “Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on” (Mark 12:41-44). Who gave more? Was it the rich or the poor widow? If you see how much the widow gave from what she had (her poverty) and compare it to the rich (who had much) she actually out gave the “rich people [who] threw in large amounts” of money because she gave all she had. This widow must have had great trust in God’s ability to provide for her needs so it’s not about the amount you give but about how much you sacrifice.