Tag: destruction

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1 Timothy 6:9 – The Trap

Cartoon showing Rube Goldberg type "Trap" using money for bait. (Grok)

Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. 

Summary: Wanting wealth is not bad in itself, but there is great danger in putting our hope in material things.    

The problem with the word “rich” is that it doesn’t mean the same to everyone. For some people it means having some jingle in your pocket after all the bills are paid. For others it means having more money than they will ever be able to spend… ever! If you look the word “rich” up in the dictionary,* all it says is “a large amount of money.” How much is that supposed to be?

So how does a person know when they finally arrive? 

I suspect that is the “trap” that Paul is talking about. Since no one can agree on what it means to be rich, the goalposts keep moving. 

It is not the only trap, however. 

Jesus tells the story of a man who thought he had it made (Luke 12:15-21). Like most people of his day, he was a land owner who depended on his fields for food. One year, he had an “abundant harvest,” resulting in more food than he had room for. In his mind, he was rich beyond measure. 

Looking at all the grain he had taken in, he thought, “Now I have it made!  I can kick back and relax. I have nothing to worry about.” (My paraphrase.)

The God said, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”

That is the sound of ruin and destruction. 

The problem wasn’t that the man had acquired wealth. Many people acquire wealth.† The problem was his reaction to having wealth. Instead of realizing that he was a steward of God’s gifts, he assumed that great wealth means great security. 

And that is the trap that “plunge(s) people into ruin and destruction.” Don’t let it happen to you! 

Application: Keep your eyes on Jesus, the source of true riches.  

Food for Thought: What is the difference between someone who is rich and someone who wants to be rich?

*Online dictionary, July 23, 2026.

†See Matthew 25:14-30

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Philippians 1:28b – Things to Come

A picture of a simple road sign. I wooden post with a pointed wood board pointing right, marked "HEAVEN" and another wooden sign board pointing left marked "DESTRUCTION." A heavenly light shines from the heaven side of the picture and the glow of a raging fire radiates from the destruction side of the picture. (Grok)

This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 

Summary: The Bible often mentions signs and wonders meaning miraculous events. The kind of “sign” Paul refers to in this passage is a bit different. Paul considers it a proof of things to come. 

Generally speaking, Paul’s words about the Gospel are instructional. Yet, now and then, he makes an undeniably clear statement about good and bad, right and wrong. 

In this passage, Paul makes such a statement. 

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Colossians 3:5d – Good Passion and Bad

Picture of road leading down to Dante's Inferno.

[Put to death] … lust …

Summary: How is lust different than sexual immorality? The difference is significant. As we look into the roots of the word Paul used, we find a life-saving warning. 

Paul’s third category of things to put to death is represented in the NIV by the word “lust.” About half of all English translations use this word. The other half, with a few exceptions, use the word “passion.” Both are a fair translation, but some clarification is helpful here. 

The word Paul uses in Greek is “páthos.” “Páthos” is a word that describes a feeling we humans sometimes have. It is correctly translated as “passion,” but it is a very specific kind of passion. 

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Psalm Sunday – Psalm 1: 4-6

Not so the wicked!
    They are like chaff
    that the wind blows away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
    nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
    but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.

The Big Picture

As I read this passage, the Pharisees of Jesus’ day come to mind. They seemed to think of themselves as righteous. They certainly acted like they thought they were God’s gift to humanity. Yet, what they did in conspiring against Jesus was very wicked.

Among all the righteous men who have ever lived, Jesus is by far the most righteous of all. Being without sin, he defines what it means to be righteous. It might be unfair to compare these people to this verse, but it might also open the door to understanding something about God’s perspective.

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God’s Eye View – John 17: 12b

None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

Judas is not generally a topic for discussion in polite Christian circles. The idea of having a traitor among Jesus’ disciples is repulsive to the mind. Yet, like everything else Jesus says, there is purpose and meaning in this sentence.

Jesus is talking with his Father with his disciples present. There is a lot of important information being relayed to God the Father, and the disciples are privileged to hear it. They are all listening intently. All except Judas that is.

Judas is off plotting with the Pharisees and Chief Priests to capture Jesus. He knows where Jesus hangs out, and he knows when he will be vulnerable and without the protection of the crowds. Apparently, the Pharisees and chief priests would not have been able to do this on their own. (I suspect that the reason for this is that even they had a sense of propriety about this. At some level, they could not be seen as actually hunting down Jesus. Having a disciple offer Jesus up, however, would be an entirely different matter.)

The person chosen to be a disciple and still betray Jesus to death had to meet a very special criterion. They had to be doomed to destruction.

Jesus does not elaborate on this point, but let’s apply what we know about Jesus and what he taught and see if we can make sense of this.

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