The Love of Money...

I've just come across another blog (via Neale Donald Walsch's FaceBook page) that quotes the alleged Biblical phrase 'The Love of Money is the Root of All Evil.'

I've studied the spiritual laws of prosperity for years now - and written books and taught workshops all over the world. I even went to Birmingham University for a year to study New Testament Greek to try and work out the actual teachings of Jesus about life, soul, spirit - and money. I'd be the first to admit that my Greek is pathetic but I can, at least, recognise Greek words...and 'the love of money is the root of all evil' just isn't there.

The Bible — including The New Testament — is actually a prosperity workbook. It just needs to be looked at with clearer eyes. Nowhere in the world (in my opinion) is there a better instruction on how to become more prosperous than in a clear interpretation of the Old Testament tithing system (and no, it doesn't say give the first ten per cent of your money to charity!)

That teaching is explained on an earlier posting here on my blog 

But let's look at this 'love of money' error. It's important if you're struggling with the idea of 'good people shouldn't be wealthy.'

Nowhere in the New Testament does it actually say (in Greek) that love of money is the root of all evil. It says 'obsession over money is a root of all the crap in your life' (the word is kakos which means just what it says). The word for 'evil' used everywhere else in the NT is 'poneros.'

The full quotation from St. Paul’s letter (1:10 Timothy) is: "Having food (diatrophe - sustenance) and raiment (skepasma), let us therewith be content. But they that would be rich (plousios - of possessions) fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is a root of all evil' (kakos); which, while some coveted after, they have erred from faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

The word translated as 'love of money' is philarguria and it does mean love - but a more practical translation would be avarice or obsession over money. Paul is trying to make it clear that focusing on financial wealth over all other things can be harmful to the soul. However, he doesn't say that money should be hated or despised. The word translated as 'evil' is an appalling translation. The word used for 'evil' in the whole of the rest of the New Testament is 'poneros.'

Here, the word is 'kakos.' Kak. Crap.

So Paul is saying 'obsession with money is A (not the) root of all the crap in your life...’

It's also worth noting the words for food and raiment ( diatrophe and skepasma ) mean 'a sufficient supply of that which nurtures and sustains us' and 'all the coverings, clothing, shelter etc'. that we need including sufficient for the four pilgrimage trips taken to Jerusalem for the festivals.

So, basically, he's saying 'if you have enough for your mortgage, your bills, the utilities, clothing, transport and four holidays a year, don't seek after money for its own sake... or you could be in danger of losing your focus and making your life suck.'

I don't think many of us would disagree with that.

If you want to know more, please go to my Pure Prosperity website. There's free webinar that talks about tithing and how to loose the bonds that tie our egos up about money. And there's also a six part, thorough and detailed workshop webinar on the Spiritual Laws of Prosperity which should put you straight on Jesus' teachings on money. 

For many of us, Christianity was the sword that went in over poverty consciousness — so it's important to clear those misconceptions and move on so that we can help others to prosper too.

Thank you. Have a wonderful day.