Is it a Sin to Be Wealthy?

The following is a transcribed Video Q&A, so the text may not read like an edited article would. Scroll to the bottom to view this video in its entirety. 

Abraham was pretty wealthy. Job was wealthy. Job lost all of his wealth and then he got back double after his trials. Philemon was wealthy, and he hosted a church in his home, his house was so big. So we see lots of godly people in the Bible who are wealthy. So it's not sinful in and of itself to be wealthy. The Bible and Proverbs talks about how wealth is a result of wisdom. So it's not so much sinful about being wealthy as it is how do you get wealthy, and why you want to be wealthy.

So Proverbs talks about exploiting the poor and how that's the wrong way to acquire riches. In 1 Timothy 6 Paul talks about how important it is for those who are wealthy in this world to be generous with their material possessions.

It's not a sin to be wealthy; it's a sin to be selfish, it's a sin to love money, it's a sin to use other people to acquire riches, but God has allowed people to be successful and talented and to become wealthy, but that's an amazing opportunity to use what the Lord's given you for his kingdom. 

Is Money or Wealth Evil?

Money itself is not bad or good - it’s simply a tool we use for acquiring goods and services. And having wealth can be a wonderful opportunity to do good for others. The problem is when we listen to the lie that having more money and buying more for ourselves is the way to lasting happiness. We’ll end up feeling frustrated and unsatisfied most of the time.

Many claim the well-known phrase, “money is the root of all evil,” is the Bible’s response to materialism. But that is a misquote of a phrase written by the Apostle Paul to his co-worker Timothy. The actual verse has a few additional words at the beginning that make a difference to the meaning:

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10a).

Paul goes on to finish his thought, “Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Timothy 6:10b).

Read more from this article here: What the Bible Actually Says about Money

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Deagreez