How many times have you heard someone say that the Bible says that money is the root of all evil? What 1 Timothy 6:10 NLT actually says is this, “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. People desiring wealth have drifted away from true faith and have pierced themselves with many sorrows.” My church could not do good in our community or missions overseas without money. Any object is only good or evil based on how we use it. Loving things, including money, is idolatry. Living our Christian life, we must worship God, love people and use things for good.
When I was a young boy, I seemed to go from one childhood disease to another. I remember one of my aunts saying that the Bible says, “Suffer little children.” Those three words do appear in Matthew 19 of the KJV, the only English translation we had back then. But if you read the entire chapter, it is clear in 1611 England suffer meant allow and had nothing to do with disease or pain. I use the NLT for this blog to avoid that kind of misunderstanding.
Satan loves to take God’s words out of context just as he did three times when he tempted Jesus in the wilderness. Even in the Garden of Eden, long before there were scriptures, he asked Eve, “Is that really what God said?”
Lord, help us to keep every word of scripture in context so that your truth will light the path you have for each of us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.