Pub Theology 9/30/25 -- Misquotes and money

Peter Trumbore • September 29, 2025

This last Sunday's scripture readings featured one of the most oft misquoted lines in all the Bible. You've probably heard this one: Money is the root of all evil. But here's the problem. That's not actually what Paul says in his letter to Timothy (1 Timothy 6:10). Here's the actual line:


"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains." A few verses later (6:17-19), Paul continues:  "As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life."


The disconnect between the actual quote and the regularly misquoted alternative text (I plead guilty to having made this error myself) points, I think, to the complicated relationship that many people of faith, specifically Christians, have with wealth, or perhaps their lack of it. So let's talk about this distinction, and whether it really matters.


Why do you think it is the misquote that is so commonly thought to be the actual words from the Bible? What does that tell us about the way we think about the role of money in society? In short, what's the real difference between saying "money is the root of all evil" rather than "love of money is a root ..."? Can we argue that this is a distinction without an actual difference? What makes the love of money more problematic than the money itself? If you had Scrooge McDuck levels of wealth, wouldn't you be swimming in it gleefully as well? So what's the problem there? Can you accumulate McDuck-level riches and still be on the right side of Paul's advice to Timothy? Can you find yourself barely scraping by financially and be on the wrong side? What is Paul warning us against, and how does the warning hit in our own lives.


We'll be talking all about it in our conversation this week, Tuesday Sept. 30, starting at 7pm at Irish Tavern in downtown Lake Orion. Join us for the discussion.

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