What The Bible Says About Greed

What The Bible Says About Greed

Greed: The Quiet Idolatry Destroying the Church

Greed isn’t just a personal flaw—it’s a spiritual cancer that Scripture treats with deadly seriousness. It hides behind ambition, masquerades as “blessing,” and often disguises itself as success. Yet in both the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Paul, greed is not just frowned upon—it’s condemned as idolatry (Colossians 3:5, NLT).

Jesus on Greed: A Life Consumed by Possession Is a Life Wasted

Jesus warned about greed often, especially in Luke 12:15:

“Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” (NLT)

In the parable that follows, the man who built bigger barns is called a fool—not for being rich, but for trusting in riches rather than God. He had no regard for others, only for stockpiling more for himself. Jesus offers a jarring conclusion in Luke 12:21:

“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (NLT)

In Matthew 6:24, He sharpens the contrast:

“You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.” (NLT)

The word “serve” here (Greek: δουλεύειν / douleuein, Strong’s G1398) means to be a slave. Greed is not just desire—it is a master.

Paul on Greed: The Root of All Evil?

One of the most quoted—and most softened—verses on greed is 1 Timothy 6:10. Many modern translations render it as:

“For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” (NLT)

While that is linguistically acceptable, it dulls the sharp edge of Paul’s warning. The original Greek, however, is far more sweeping and intentional:

ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστὶν ἡ φιλαργυρίαRhíza gàr pántōn tōn kakōn estìn hē philargyría

Let’s break this down:

• ῥίζα (rhiza) = root (Strong’s G4491)

• πάντων τῶν κακῶν (pantōn tōn kakōn) = of all evils (plural, comprehensive)

• ἐστὶν (estin) = is

• ἡ φιλαργυρία (hē philargyria) = the love of money, from philos (fondness/love) + argyros (silver/money) (Strong’s G5365)

A literal translation would read:

“For the love of money is the root of all evils.”

Paul is being purposefully expansive. He doesn’t say some evils or many evils. He uses πάντων (all) and κακῶν (evils, plural)—leaving no room to soften the blow. Whether this is rhetorical hyperbole or absolute is debated, but the force remains: greed is the taproot that feeds every other kind of sin.

It makes sense. Greed fuels lies, violence, injustice, idolatry, manipulation, and even spiritual corruption. Paul isn't aiming at nuance—he's sounding an alarm. In context, this verse follows a rebuke of false teachers who use religion as a means of financial gain (1 Timothy 6:5). That same greedy mindset, Paul says, leads people to wander from the faith and pierce themselves with many griefs (1 Timothy 6:10, NLT).

Greed isn't just dangerous. It's foundationally corruptive. It's not money itself—but the love of it—that poisons the soul. And Paul doesn’t hedge: it is the root of all evil.

Greed Disqualifies Church Leaders

In passages like 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, Paul makes it clear that elders and overseers must not be “greedy for money”:

• 1 Timothy 3:3 (NLT) – “He must not be a heavy drinker or be violent. He must be gentle, not quarrelsome, and not love money.”

• Titus 1:7 (NLT) – “An elder is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money.”

The Greek word used in both cases is αἰσχροκερδής (aischrokerdēs), Strong’s G146 – meaning “shamefully greedy for gain.” This is not about being paid fairly—it’s about being driven by profit.

These warnings are especially needed today when many false teachers build ministries around self-enrichment, teaching that “godliness is a means of gain” (1 Timothy 6:5, LEB). That’s the exact heresy Paul was attacking when he gave Timothy these instructions.

Greed and the Prosperity Gospel

Greed has been baptized in modern church culture. It shows up in the form of the so-called prosperity gospel—a theology that reduces God to a vending machine and views spiritual maturity as a ladder to material success. This contradicts Jesus' clear words in Matthew 6:19–21:

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth… Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.” (NLT)

Paul also condemned this mindset in Philippians 3:18–19:

“They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.” (NLT)

Greed turns the pulpit into a platform for profit. And those who follow these teachings don’t merely fall into error—they are led away from Christ by wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Colossians 3: Greed as Idolatry

Paul pulls no punches in Colossians 3:5 (NLT):

“So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you… Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.”

The word πλεονεξία (pleonexia), Strong’s G4124, refers to an insatiable desire for more. It's not simply wanting something—it’s never being content with what God has given.

To call it idolatry is to expose its spiritual danger: it replaces God with material things.

How to Kill Greed Before It Kills You

The antidote to greed isn’t poverty—it’s contentment and generosity.

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 6:6–8 (NLT):

“Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it.”

And in Hebrews 13:5 (NLT):

“Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, ‘I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.’”

The cure for greed is not less stuff—it’s more faith in God’s provision.

Conclusion: A Sin That Sits in the Church Pews

Greed is not just a Wall Street problem—it’s a church problem. And it often hides behind language like “favor,” “abundance,” and “breakthrough.” Scripture is not silent. God does not bless covetousness.

The love of money distorts doctrine, disqualifies leaders, and distracts from eternal priorities. But when Christ is our treasure, generosity flows, contentment grows, and greed loses its grip.