money – Three Minute Bible

July 30, 2026July 28, 2026

1 Timothy 6:10b – The Money Chaser

Cartoon of a man climbing a thorn bush to get money. (Grok)

Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Summary: Paul’s words describe a journey that none of us want to take.

Paul’s words in this passage paint an interesting picture.

“Some people, eager for money…”

Not all people, but some fall into the “trap” he refers to in verse nine. These people do not seem to have their eyes on Jesus. Instead, they give their love to the “root of … evil,” … money.

When they take their eyes away from the Shepherd, something horrible happens. Something they are not even aware of at the time.

These people “… have wandered from the faith.”

Now that is evocative. A child can wander from its parents and get lost. A chick can wander from its mother and get eaten. A sheep can wander from the shepherd and fall into a ditch or worse, find itself attacked by wolves.

People who have turned their eyes away from Jesus and focused on money, someday look up and realize that they are all alone. No shepherd, no other sheep, no help in sight if something bad happens.

That is when we arrive at the last part of Paul’s sentence. These people who have turned from Jesus to chase after money find themselves “pierced with many griefs.”

What does that look like?

The answer to this question is both personal and public. The personal part is where the “griefs” occur. The public part is where others see what is going on, but not directly. They see the outer person doing what people do, but they also sense that something is wrong. They see what the pain of grief is doing to the money chaser on the inside.

And isn’t that the way it always is?

We can sense something is wrong in another person, but since we can’t see it directly, we are not able to point to it and say, “Hey, that thing you are thinking — that is going to get you in trouble. Stop it.”

This is one of those situations where “the sins of others trail behind them” (1 Timothy 5:25). We see the money lover headed for trouble, but we don’t actually “see” the trouble until after they get there.

And that is when we, and they, see the grief.

Grief, you see, is another word for “sorrow,” and deep sorrows are hard to hide.

Application: Avoid the pain. Stick close to Jesus.

Food for Thought: Ecclesiastes 10:19 says, “… money is the answer for everything.” If we are not to be “eager for money,” yet we need money, what are we to do instead?

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July 29, 2026July 28, 2026

1 Timothy 6:10a – The Root of Evil

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.

Summary: Money is often misunderstood, and even more often misused.

This is, perhaps, one of the most misremembered lines in all of history. Most people, if they use this phrase, end up saying, “Money is the root of all evil.”

That is not quite the same thing.

Money is not evil. It is not even a “root.” It is, rather, something poorly understood, because it is not even really a “thing.”

The dictionary definition of money is usually something like “a medium of exchange.” The problem with that definition is what they don’t tell you about money. It is true that money is a medium of exchange, but the value of money is not in the money itself. The value is what we personally attach to the money.

For example, let’s imagine that we each want to go to the store and buy new shoes. We go to the shoe store and look around. Each pair of shoes has a price tag on it that tells us how much money the store will accept in exchange for the shoes.

If you are like me, you check the price before trying on the shoes. (No point in wasting time if I don’t have enough money to buy them.) But what if I like an expensive pair of shoes that I can’t afford. What if I really like them a LOT. What if I feel like I can’t live without them?

Do you see where this is going?

Wanting something that doesn’t belong to me is called coveting. The Bible has a lot to say about coveting but it all boils down to one word: Don’t! (Exodus 20:17)

Don’t take what is not yours. Don’t even look at it.

If “good” is doing God’s will, then “evil” must be doing the opposite, and that is why Paul says it is the love of money that is evil. When people equate money with possessions, our “coveting” is transferred from one thing, like the shoes we wanted, to the money itself. If we allow ourselves to “love” money, the love of money becomes concentrated coveting.

It’s a bit like breaking the Tenth Commandment with a sledgehammer.

Application: Use money, don’t love it.

Food for Thought: How do we avoid the trap of loving money?

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July 28, 2026July 27, 2026

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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July 27, 2026July 26, 2026

1 Timothy 6:8 – Packing for Heaven

Two old leather suitcases are packed for a trip. (Grok)

But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.

Summary: Contentment is one of those ‘beautiful intangibles’ that make life wonderful if we have it.

Paul was actually a much richer man than he makes out. Timothy, too. When he says, “if we have food and clothing, we will be content,” he is talking about what the world sees and values.

But what about the things that God values?

James writes:

“Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him?” (James 2:5)

It is hard for us to wrap our heads around the riches James is talking about — the kind that Paul is already rich in.

What does it mean to be “rich” anyway? Why do we care?

The reason we like the idea of being rich is that the world sees material wealth as a kind of security blanket. Money maybe can’t buy happiness, but it can buy a lot of things, and for some people that is how they measure feeling good about themselves.

Another reason people like money is that it can buy security. Financial security is not having to worry about paying the bills or being able to afford the nice things in life. Ironically, the opposite of faith is worry. People who don’t have faith want money because it helps fend off worry.

Peter understands this, too. He writes that we have “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade” in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). Wealth beyond measure! Not material wealth that can be eaten by moths or rats, or stolen by a thief (Matthew 6:20), but wealth that makes you feel like a million bucks.

Which brings us to an important question: “Where is your heart?”

Jesus makes an interesting point when he says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

It would be horrible if you made it all the way to heaven and discovered you had left your heart behind!

Application: Do a heart check – make certain you know where it is.

Food for Thought: How can we protect ourselves from falling victim to the love of ‘things’?

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July 23, 2026July 23, 2026

1 Timothy 6:5c – Ka-Ching!

Picture of a 1940's style cash register (Grok)

… and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.

Summary: Paul continues his warning about people who ‘teach otherwise’ and focuses on money as a motive.

When you think of “financial gain,” what is the first thing that comes to mind? It probably isn’t standing on a street corner preaching the Gospel to people who are walking by. However, some people have figured out how to squeeze a nickel out of preaching, and Paul isn’t happy about it.

When Paul was staying in Corinth, he made a point not to be a burden to them. He proudly refused any money so that no one could question his motives in preaching to them (2 Corinthians 11:5-11).

Adhering to the pure Gospel is Paul’s highest priority. Peter is another who warns against false teachers and says, “ In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories” (2 Peter 2:3).

Jude, also, warns about such people when he writes, “Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion” (Jude 1:11).

So accepting money for preaching the Gospel is wrong. Right?

Well, no. Not exactly.

Remember Paul saying this:

“For Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.’” (1 Timothy 5:18)

Jesus himself said almost the exact same thing (Luke 10:7).

It is not the money that Paul objects to; it is the motive.

People who see godliness as a means to financial gain are not looking at the “God” part of godliness. They are actually looking at the money. For them, godliness is just a means to an end.

This is why Jesus’ words about judging others are so important:

“Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” (Matthew 7:1)

We cannot see the heart; only God can.

Does that mean we are not to make any judgments at all?

No…

Jesus also said, “Why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?” (Luke 12:57). He also says, “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly” (John 7:24).

Like Paul, we have to look past the money. What Paul is looking for is fidelity to the Gospel.

Application: Judge not [the heart], but instead judge correctly [what you see and observe].

Food for Thought: What is Paul’s real concern here? Is he worried about the money?

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October 15, 2025October 15, 2025

Philippians 3:8b – All Things

… for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage…

Summary: Paul’s assessment of the things in his life gives us a reason to pause and consider what it is that we value, too.

Sometimes people say things and they don’t really mean it.

For example, if I said, “If I don’t get to go on vacation soon, I’m just going to die!,” you would understand that I am exaggerating. Some call it hyperbole. Everyone “get’s it.”