The Love of Money Is a Root of All Evil

Verse 2 distinguishes slaves with believing masters: shared Christian identity must not become a pretext for treating masters with contempt, but rather a reason for conscientious service. Verses 3-5 then return to heterodidaskalia, "different teaching." The opponents are portrayed as refusing the "sound words" of Jesus Christ and the teaching corresponding to godliness, producing controversies, verbal disputes, envy, suspicion, and friction. Their further error is to imagine eusebeia, "godliness," as a means of financial gain.

Verses 6-8 reverse that slogan: godliness is indeed "great gain," but only when joined with autarkeia, "contentment" or sufficiency. The argument appeals to mortality: humans bring nothing into the world and can take nothing out. Food and covering therefore mark a basic sufficiency. Verses 9-10 focus not on possession of wealth itself but on the desire to become rich and on philargyria, "love of money." The famous saying does not state that money is "the root of all evil"; the Greek presents love of money as "a root of all kinds of evils."

The closing image describes some who, by reaching after wealth, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. Scholars debate whether this warning is aimed primarily at the false teachers, at members influenced by them, or both. In the structure of the letter, financial motives reinforce the broader portrait of teachers whose doctrine and conduct are mutually corrupting.

First Timothy 6 concludes the letter by addressing slavery, false teaching, wealth, and Timothy's responsibility to preserve the entrusted message. Verse 1 continues the household concerns of chapter 5 by instructing enslaved believers concerning their masters, while verses 2-10 move from relations with believing masters to a renewed denunciation of heterodox teachers. Their disputes and attachment to financial gain are contrasted with godliness joined to contentment, culminating in the warning that love of money is a root of many kinds of evil.

Verses 11-21 turn directly to Timothy as the "man of God." Athletic and military imagery frame his task as pursuit, struggle, and faithful confession until Christ's appearing. A doxological description of God interrupts the charge before instructions are given to wealthy Christians concerning the uncertain character of riches. The letter closes by urging Timothy to guard the deposit and avoid what is falsely called knowledge, thus returning to the doctrinal conflict introduced in 1:3-7.