Over the past few verses, Paul has encouraged Timothy to watch his motives, and to address the improper motives of the false teachers in the Ephesian church. He has explained the evidence of wrong motives (verse 3), the nature of wrong motives (verses 4-5), the prevention of wrong motives (verses 6-7), and now he discusses the results of wrong motives.
Take a look at this passage in 1 Timothy 6:9-10:
Those who are obsessed with the desire to get rich and have an unhealthy longing for more material resources are staring at a trap.
Being caught up in the desire for material possessions is a downward spiral. The temptation is an enticement leading to sin. The enticement becomes a trap. The trap, once sprung, becomes foolish and harmful, leading to ruin and destruction.
Let’s take a closer look at this progression. Desiring and pursuing after riches leads to at least six disasters.
It causes the falling into temptation
This means more than just being tempted. Falling into temptation means that the temptation was successful in capturing your attention and you’ve succumbed. Falling into temptation means you’ve yielded to the test, and not stood firm against it. Plus, the phrase Paul uses here gives the idea that this is a continual type of thing, not just once, but over and over. Falling into temptation is habitual.
It causes the falling into a trap
This is the next loop down on the spiral. The temptation has lured you into the trap, and you’ve been captured. Satan loves to trap those who strive to follow after Christ, and in this passage, it’s evident that some of his prime target are those in ministry.
It causes the falling into many foolish and harmful desires
The desire for riches can lead to many other desires and pursuits that are spiritually unhealthy. Theft, dishonesty, and even immorality can result from such a desire. These desires are foolish because they can’t be logically defended. And they really don’t bring any satisfaction at all. They are harmful, because they can damage your character and integrity, and distract you from the priority of spiritual growth and health.
It causes men to plunge into ruin and destruction
The term “plunge” can also be translated as “sink.” It’s used only one other place in the New Testament, in Luke 5:7, and it describes a boat that is sinking because it’s overloaded with fish. So greed causes us to sink into ruin and destruction, just as that boat sinks. The terms “ruin” and “destruction” give an indication of the damage that such greed will lead to. The one who has given himself over to the love of money is on the road to being marred and ruined for eternity, if they do not choose to leave that path. The result of such a course should cause us to take heed and remove from our lives such sinful desires.
It causes a wandering from the faith
The desire for more and more causes a person to turn away from the faith. He has been led astray. The idea here is, again, a continual action. Being led astray is a continuing event, causing you to go farther and farther from where you need to be.
It causes many griefs
A life filled with the pursuit of wealth becomes a continual source of griefs. Pangs of conscience, disillusionment, broken relationships, spirit discomfort, false friendships, depression and unhappiness, and more, are all griefs that come from following the path of pursuing wealth and material possessions rather that following Christ.
This passage also contains one of the most abused and misused phrases in Scripture. Paul states that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” Most of the time, those that misuse this statement are those who wish to attach the love of money as the root of all sins. While it is true that almost any sin can result from greed and avarice, we cannot be dogmatic and state that every specific evil in our world is rooted in greed. We have to understand that Paul isn’t stating that all sin results from the desire for more riches and greed, but that many do.
What Paul is simply saying here is similar to another pithy proverb from his time, “The love of money is the mother-city of all evil.” Paul’s point is not to be theologically precise about the relationship of greed to all other sins. Paul is simply stating that greed is a trap full of many dangers and traps that lead to all kinds of sin and other griefs.
Now that Paul has addressed most of the issues with the false teachers that Timothy faced, he will turn his attention to how Timothy should live in response.
Are you, or have you ever been, caught in this downward spiral? What did you learn from your experience? How did you extricate yourself from these pitfalls? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.