1 Timóteo 6

1 Timóteo 6:9

Guzik - Significantly, the desire for riches is far more dangerous than the riches themselves—and it isn’t only the poor who desire to be rich, it is the rich who want more riches. i. Poor does not mean godly and rich ungodly; nor is it true the other way around. There were many remarkably godly men in the Bible who were almost unbelievably rich, such as Abraham, David, and Solomon. But the godly rich have the heart like the Psalmist in Psalm 62:10: If riches increase, do not set your heart on them. This desire for riches tempts our heart away from eternal riches, and ensnares us in a trap few can escape—always dreaming of riches, and always setting one’s heart on them.. The desire to be rich can really only be satisfied in Jesus Christ, and satisfied with spiritual riches rather than material ones. Everything else falls short. Lawrence Richards - When we desire anything other than, or more than, wanting to do God's will, a terrible conflict is created (ED: AND IN EFFECT THAT OTHER THING BECOMES AN IDOL!). Only if we abandon our desire for riches can we be free of the danger of making a wrong or sinful choice in hopes of obtaining them. This does not mean we need to abandon riches, should God choose to give them to us. Riches can be used for good, as can any other resource (1Ti 6:17-19). What we are to abandon is the desire for riches, so that there will be nothing to distract us from our commitment to do God's will. (Borrow Bible Reader's Companion) Thomas Watson writes "The covetous person sells his soul for money. It is said of a lawyer, "He has a tongue that will be sold for a fee." So the covetous man has a soul that is sold for money. Achan sold his soul for a wedge of gold. Judas sold his soul for silver, and cheap at that! For thirty pieces of silver he sold Christ, who was more worth than heaven, and his own soul, which was more worth than a world! How many have damned their souls for money! (1 Timothy 6:9-10) If you mix these earthly things with your souls and let them lie too near you, they will in time consume and undo your souls. (The Preciousness of the Soul) John MacArthur has some interesting thoughts on money - Perhaps the most telling statement in all of Scripture related to money are the words of our Lord, "Where your treasure is there shall your heart be also." (Mt 6:21+) To put that into common language, "Show me where your money is and I'll show you where your affections lie." To make it even more mundane, "Go through your checkbook and find out what you really care about." Your spiritual life can be measured probably better by what you do with your money than any other single thing. Experts tell us that the average person thinks about money 50 percent of his or her waking time. Amazing isn't it? How to get it, how to keep it, how to save it, how to spend it, how to find it, whatever it might be, we're tremendously occupied with the matter of money. Jesus in saying where your treasure is there your heart is also tells us that what we do with our money is the measure of our hearts. (The Danger in Loving Money) To get rich (4147)(plouteo from ploútos = wealth, money, possessions, abundance <> related to polus which means much) means to be rich or have an abundance, especially of material or outward possessions. The NT writers use plouteo literally of those who are "relatively high on a scale of opulence" (BDAG) (Lk 1:53, here in 1Ti 6:9, Rev 3:17, Rev 18:3, 15, 19) Figuratively plouteo means to be rich in something in the sense of having much of it or abounding in it (Lk 12:21). Paul uses plouteo to speak of spiritual riches (Ro 10:12, 1Cor 4:8, 2Cor 8:9, 1Ti 6:18, cp Rev 3:18) NIDNTT writes "The word-group associated with ploutos is related to polus, much, and means initially abundance of earthly possessions of every kind. Later its meaning divided in two directions. In the one it meant riches in a technical and material sense. In the other it was more general, and occurs with a qualifying word, generally in the gen., e.g. riches of wisdom, honour, mercy, etc. All the words in this group can bear this double meaning: plouteo, be or become rich; ploutizo, make rich; ploutos, possession of many goods, super-abundance of something, riches; and plousios, as an adj, wealthy, rich and as a noun a rich man." Plouteo -12x in 12v - Translated (NAS) - abounding in riches(1), become rich(4), become wealthy(1), get rich(1), rich(5). Luke 1:53+ "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; And sent away the rich (literally those being rich) empty-handed. Luke 12:21+ "So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."