**The New Testament on those who desire to be rich**
The New Testament speaks directly and soberly about the desire to become rich. The clearest statement appears in 1 Timothy 6:9–10:
> “But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.”
The text does not condemn wealth itself, nor does it forbid honest work, skill, or material provision. It targets the *desire* to be rich—the settled longing and pursuit of riches as a primary aim. The warning is addressed to people who are not yet rich but who want to become so and are orienting their lives toward that goal.
### The heart of the problem
Paul identifies the desire for riches as spiritually dangerous because it opens the door to temptation and a “snare.” The pursuit tends to generate other “senseless and harmful desires” that pull a person away from contentment, trust in God, and faithfulness. The famous line “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils” is not a claim that money is the sole source of every evil, but that the craving for it readily produces many forms of spiritual and moral damage. Some, Paul says, have already wandered from the faith because of this craving.
This concern appears elsewhere in the New Testament:
- Jesus warns that one cannot serve both God and money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). The issue is divided loyalty: the desire for riches competes with devotion to God.
- In the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:15–21), Jesus confronts the assumption that life consists in the abundance of possessions and that securing future wealth guarantees security. He calls the man a fool because he stored up treasure for himself and was not “rich toward God.”
- The rich young ruler account (Mark 10:17–27 and parallels) shows how difficult it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom. Jesus does not say the man was evil simply for being wealthy, but that his attachment to wealth blocked wholehearted discipleship.
- Hebrews 13:5 urges believers to keep their lives free from the love of money and to be content with what they have, grounding that contentment in God’s promise never to leave or forsake them.
- James 5:1–6 issues a severe warning to the rich who have lived in luxury and self-indulgence while oppressing others, but the broader New Testament ethic also cautions those still seeking that status.
### Desire versus diligence
The New Testament does not condemn industry, skill, or the desire to provide for one’s household. Paul himself worked with his hands (Acts 18:3; 1 Thessalonians 2:9) and instructed believers to work so they would not be a burden and could share with those in need (Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12). Providing for one’s family is treated as a basic responsibility (1 Timothy 5:8).
The distinction lies between *responsible provision* and *craving riches as an end in itself*. The danger arises when the desire to be rich becomes a controlling motive—when plans, priorities, and identity begin to revolve around accumulating more. That trajectory, according to 1 Timothy 6, tends toward spiritual ruin rather than flourishing.
### Contentment and a different kind of richness
Immediately after the warning in 1 Timothy 6:9–10, Paul points to an alternative: “But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content” (1 Timothy 6:6–8). Later he instructs those who *are* already rich not to be haughty or to set their hope on uncertain riches, but to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17–19). The consistent New Testament emphasis is that true security and lasting treasure are found in relation to God, not in the size of one’s holdings.
Jesus’ teaching on treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21) and the call to seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) reinforce the same orientation: earthly wealth is temporary and uncertain; the kingdom is not.
### Summary
The New Testament does not teach that wanting a better material situation is inherently sinful, nor does it romanticize poverty. It does, however, issue a clear warning to those who are not yet rich but strongly desire to become so and orient their efforts around that goal. That desire is portrayed as spiritually hazardous because it readily leads to temptation, competing loyalties, harmful desires, and, in some cases, departure from the faith. The alternative held out is contentment rooted in God’s presence and promises, diligence in honest work, generosity, and the pursuit of a different kind of richness—being “rich toward God.”
**Part 2: The Hazardous Pursuit of Riches — What It Looks Like**
In Part 1 we saw the New Testament’s direct warning: those who *desire* to be rich fall into temptation, a snare, and many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin (1 Timothy 6:9–10). The love of money is called a root of all kinds of evils, and some have wandered from the faith because of this craving.
This second part examines what that pursuit actually looks like according to the New Testament texts—how the desire operates, the patterns it produces, and why it is described as spiritually dangerous.
### The shape of the desire
The Greek word translated “desire to be rich” (βούλομαι πλουτεῖν) points to a settled intention, not a passing wish. It is an active wanting that shapes plans, priorities, and identity. The danger is not the mere hope of improved circumstances or the responsible effort to provide for one’s household. The hazard appears when becoming rich becomes a controlling aim—when life is increasingly organized around the acquisition of more.
Paul describes the process as falling into a *snare*. A snare does not announce itself; it draws a person in gradually. The desire for riches opens the door to other “senseless and harmful desires.” These secondary desires are not always named, but the New Testament elsewhere fills in the picture: anxiety about the future, envy of others’ success, the need to protect and display what one has, the willingness to compromise integrity for gain, and the slow displacement of trust in God by trust in accumulating resources.
### What the pursuit looks like in practice
Several New Testament passages show the practical outworking of this orientation:
- **Divided loyalty.** Jesus states flatly that no one can serve two masters—God and money (Matthew 6:24; Luke 16:13). The pursuit of riches tends to create competing allegiances. Time, energy, and decision-making begin to serve the goal of accumulation rather than the kingdom of God. What starts as a desire for security can become a rival master that demands primary attention.
- **False security.** In the parable of the rich fool (Luke 12:16–21), a man whose land produces abundantly decides to tear down his barns and build larger ones so he can store his surplus and say to himself, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.” God calls him a fool because that very night his life is required of him. The pursuit of riches often includes the quiet assumption that enough wealth will finally deliver safety, rest, and control. The New Testament treats that assumption as an illusion.
- **Distraction from eternal priorities.** Jesus warns against laying up treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in, and instead urges laying up treasure in heaven (Matthew 6:19–21). The person chasing riches is pictured as investing heavily in what is temporary while neglecting what is lasting. The “eyes” of the heart (Matthew 6:22–23) become darkened when fixed on earthly gain.
- **Wandering from the faith.** Paul notes that some have already “wandered away from the faith” through this craving and “pierced themselves with many pangs.” The path is not always dramatic apostasy; more often it is a gradual cooling of devotion, a reordering of loves, and a practical unbelief that God’s care is sufficient. Contentment is replaced by restless striving.
- **Harm to others and self.** James 5:1–6 addresses the wealthy who have lived in luxury and self-indulgence while withholding wages and condemning the righteous. Even for those still seeking riches, the New Testament implies that the same spirit—grasping, self-focused, willing to use others as means—can take root early. The “pangs” Paul mentions include the internal cost: anxiety, dissatisfaction, and the pain of never arriving at the security the desire promised.
### The alternative posture
The New Testament does not call for indifference to material needs or for rejection of honest work. Paul himself labored with his hands and taught believers to work so they could provide for themselves and share with others (Ephesians 4:28; 1 Thessalonians 4:11–12; 2 Thessalonians 3:10–12). Providing for one’s family is treated as a basic duty (1 Timothy 5:8).
What is rejected is the *craving*. Immediately after the warning, Paul writes that “godliness with contentment is great gain,” because we brought nothing into the world and can take nothing out of it. If we have food and clothing, we are to be content with these (1 Timothy 6:6–8). Those who already have riches are instructed not to set their hope on uncertain wealth but to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share (1 Timothy 6:17–19). The goal is a different kind of richness—being “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21).
### Summary of the hazard
According to the New Testament, the pursuit of riches as a controlling desire looks like this: a settled intention to become wealthy that gradually reorders priorities, creates competing loyalties, fosters false security, distracts from eternal concerns, and can lead people away from the faith. It is not the possession of money that is primarily condemned, but the love of it and the life organized around acquiring it. The texts present this path as a snare that promises gain while delivering ruin—spiritual, relational, and ultimately eternal.
The alternative is not poverty for its own sake, but contentment rooted in God’s presence and promises, diligence in honest work, and a heart free to be generous rather than grasping.
