3 Misused Money Verses

Money is one of the most common subjects in the Bible … with more than 2,300 verses related verses, giving us a wealth of knowledge (pun intended).

Whether it’s Proverbs or the parables of Jesus, God’s Word has a lot to say about money and possessions, but three of those many verses are sometimes misused.

We all know the power of God’s Word. It changes lives in dramatic ways. That’s all the more reason we need to understand its teachings, especially about money and possessions because they’re so much a part of our lives.

The Bible is clear in its meaning; it has no hidden codes that we have to decipher. So it’s only our interpretation of Scripture that sometimes gets us in trouble.

You can’t properly apply God’s principles for managing money if you misinterpret their meaning. Three verses, in particular, are often misinterpreted.

Perhaps the most misunderstood or misquoted verse in all of the Bible would be 1 Timothy 6:10, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” That seems clear, so it’s a wonder why this verse is often paraphrased incorrectly as “Money is the root of all evil,” which, of course, misses the point entirely. Money is simply a tool that can be used for good or ill, but the love of money is always destructive and sinful because it replaces our love for God. It’s another form of idolatry.

That misinterpretation has also led some to think that people with few resources are somehow more godly than affluent people. The Bible never teaches that. In fact, this was one of the issues that arose during the Reformation. The reformers called out so-called mendicant, or poverty orders of priests and monks who begged for their sustenance, but were corrupt and lived in luxury.

Conversely, many people whom God favored had significant resources, David, Solomon and Job to name a few. God gives some people abundant resources so they can be generous to others in need. That, of course, is a very godly use of money. If you needed any further clarification about the meaning of 1 Timothy 6:10, the second part of the verse provides it. It reads “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” That’s what the love of money will do to you. The next misused passage about money is Luke 18, verses 24 and 25. It reads, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Again, some people misinterpret this to mean that somehow there’s righteousness in poverty and that being rich is a sin. That’s certainly not what Jesus is teaching. He’s calling out those who think their riches, their works, can buy their salvation.

Those who heard Jesus say those words were confused, too. They asked, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus goes on to say, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” This teaching is fundamental to the doctrine of grace. We can’t get to heaven by our own efforts, but only by the grace of God through faith. In the next chapter, Luke 19, Jesus further makes this point in his encounter with Zacceaus, the crooked, but repentant tax collector. The man was probably still quite rich even after returning more than he’d stolen, but Jesus said his faith had saved him.

Now, compare that to the account of the rich young ruler in Mark 10. He was prepared to follow Christ until he was told to give up all that he owned. Jesus was testing his heart, knowing that it was connected to his wallet. Jesus knew the rich young ruler loved his money more than God. That, by the way, can be true no matter how much or how little money you have..

__Our third misused verse is Luke 12:34, which reads, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” __

This again seems clear enough, but some people get confused and think it means the opposite, that there’s a difference between your treasure and your heart. Or at least they want it to mean that. They prefer separating their earning and spending from their love of God. We can’t.

Our monthly bank statements are a reflection of what we hold in our hearts. If we’re spending money in a way that dishonors God, it’s an indication of our spiritual condition.

Are you glorifying God or giving in to material desires? It’s a question that Christians must frequently ask themselves. The answer has eternal consequences.

You can also listen to the related podcast on this topic.