Surely Not ALL Evils!

Surely, Not All Evils!(circa 2000)St. Paul wrote a				of greed can be
letter to a young Christian, and said that the				tolerated by any church in the world. As long as
root of all evil is the love of money. (I Timothy				you don't
6:10) This is				break a short list of other rules, you can swim in
an amazing claim.Perhaps too much love for too				all the
much money we could go				diamonds you like, and just between you and
along with, or perhaps we could agree that it is				me, the more
the cause of				diamonds you have, the more profusely they will
some evils... maybe even a lot of evils. But to				welcome
just come right				you! It is precisely because of this unwillingness
out and say that all love for any amount of				to forsake
money is the				wealth and to attack greed, that the church has
cause of all evils is a bit much for most people to				been largely
take.You only need to quote the verse as it is				ineffectual in saving the world. Love of money in
written, to get a				the world
reaction from the average churchgoer. Try it,				has caused wars, exploited the poor, led to drug
and see if they				trafficking,
don't say something like, "It's the love of money,				corrupted politicians, and much more. And love of
mind you,				money in
not money itself." They then go on to tell you				the church has made the church virtually useless
how they know				in
of a lot of rich people who have accomplished a				changing present trends away from God. Daily,
lot for God.What is happening when they respond				the world
like this? Let's				grows richer materially, but it also grows daily
change the issue slightly to make it clearer.				more and
Suppose				more destitute spiritually.In the middle of the
someone says that drug addiction is ruining				Sermon on the Mount, and in the middle
Western				of his discourse on greed, Jesus said, "The eyes
society, and a reaction comes back, stating that				are like a
it's not the				lamp for the body. If your eyes are clear, your
drugs themselves, but addiction that is the				whole body will
problem.				be full of light; but if your eyes are bad, your
Suppose they go on to inform you that they				body will be in
know of many				darkness. So if the light in you turns out to be
people who take drugs regularly, but that they				darkness, how
are confident				terribly dark it will be!" (Matthew 6:22-23, TEV) In
that these friends are not addicted, and that				other
taking drugs				words, if the church, and individual Christians
does not affect their ability to live a happy,				cannot get it
normal life. Why				clear with regard to his teachings on money,
do you suppose the person would react in such a				then Jesus is
way?				saying that they will not only be useless, but
There is a line from Shakespeare which says,				they will be
"Me thinks				seen as contributors to the "terrible darkness"
thou dost protest too much." In other words,				that the world
when someone				is in today.I have found that this teaching on
feels heavily convicted by the truth in a				money is the key to
statement, they tend				understanding all of life. It is in this same chapter
to overreact, and this overreaction (or				that Jesus
"protesting" too much)				makes reference to King Solomon, who was
actually gives away their guilt.Modern Bible				believed to
translators have had a problem with this				have been the wisest person on earth when he
verse, because they know it is offensive to				was alive.Jesus says that Solomon, with all his
most church				riches, was not
people. The King James Version faithfully				clothed as beautifully as God has clothed the
expresses the				flowers of the
thought of the passage. The original Greek does				fields.In another place (Matthew 12:42) he refers
say that				to a story that is
greed is the source of all evils. So how could the				recorded in the tenth chapter of I Kings, when
translators				he says that
soften it and still avoid being accused of distorting				the Queen of Sheba travelled halfway around
the				the world to
original message? The Bible Society came up				hear the wisdom of Solomon, and yet "one
with an				greater than
ingenious solution for the Today's English Version.				Solomon is here". There is, in accepting this
They				teaching of
wrote: "The love of money is a source of all				Jesus about money, the key to discovering
kinds of evil."				wisdom that
Apart from the dishonest use of the word "a",				Solomon barely scratched the surface of.The
they have				final book of the Bible continues with the theme
technically used the word "all". The problem is				of good
that they have				and evil. It describes evil as a Prostitute
used it in a phrase which has an idiomatic				(Revelation 17:5)
meaning that is				and good as a Bride (Revelation 19:7). Both
rarely taken literally. "All kinds of" just means				women give
"lots". It does				what our modern society has come to call "love",
not mean "all" at all.Surely, if greed is the root				but one
cause of all other evils, then it				does it freely, while the other does it for
should be the fundamental target of any				money.Artists commonly refer to "prostituting"
campaign to bring				themselves if they let
righteousness to the world. It stands to reason				greed influence their work. And each of us does
that if we				the same
could rid the world of the root of all evil, then the				thing when we use the life and gifts that God
eventual				has given us,
consequence would be a world without any evil in				to make money rather than using it to freely
it at all.				share him and
But where is the church, denomination, or religion				his message of faith and love with the rest of
that is				the world.The Prostitute is given a name. She is
waging such a campaign against greed? The truth				called "Babylon". The
is that				name symbolises all of the worldly empires of
the entire topic of greed, and especially greedy				human
people				history. Babylon in particular is most famous for
(presumably the rich) get very light treatment				having
from religions				invented money. They did not invent greed,
everywhere.But let us start by taking the more				because greed
popular approach to this				existed even in the days of bartering, but they
passage, which is that for one reason or another,				did invent a
Paul				much more efficient way for people to satisfy
never intended to say what he is recorded as				their greed.Gold coins were the first form of
having said in				money, but it has evolved
I Timothy 6:10. Let us assume that the love of				through various forms over the centuries, as the
money (while				rich have
harmful if overdone) isn't all that bad, and				become more and more rich.The Revelation also
certainly is not the				compares God to a "Lamb" that loses
cause of all the problems in the world. Let us				its life to save the world (Revelation 5:6). The
assume that				antithesis of
the I Timothy 6:10 passage slipped into the Bible				this poor slain lamb is a warring "Beast". The
by				Beast is
mistake, or that it was placed there by an				represented by a "Mark", which will eventually be
overzealous monk				placed on
in the very early days of the church.If that is so,				the back of everyone's hand or on their
then we would expect the subject to be dropped.				forehead, and
				without which they will not be able to buy or sell
We should not be bothered by other passages				(Revelation
promoting				13:16-18). This is the ultimate step in the evolution
such an extreme teaching. We would certainly				of
not find				money, and it was prophesied in the Bible almost
Jesus or the apostles teaching such nonsense.				2,000
The battle				years ago!It is gradually becoming common
between good and evil for them would be more				knowledge that the world
of one				is just about at that point in history when the
between God and the devil, perhaps with				prophesied
something like				Mark will be put into worldwide circulation, in the
pride or a lust for power (and not greed) being				form of a
the real				microchip implant on the back of the hand (or on
source of evil in the world.In the gospels, Jesus				the
tells us that we have a choice				forehead if your hand has been amputated).
between good and evil, and we cannot "serve"				People will be
both				able to wave their hand in front of a scanner to
"masters". The picture is that of an employee, or				electronically
servant,				transfer funds from one account to another in
trying to work for two employers or bosses at				the fast
the same time.Presumably one employer would				approaching "cashless society". This is not
be God, and the other				fanatical raving.
would be the Devil. Right? But no, that is not how				It is all coming together right now. You can read
Jesus				about it
describes them. He does say that one employer				almost anywhere in the secular Press.The Bible
is God, but				says that anyone who accepts that Mark will be
he says that the other employer is (wait for it)				eternally damned. (Revelation 14:9-10)So is the
money, or				church concerned about it? Are meetings being
"mammon" (mammon is a term for money				held to adjust their financial structure in order to
which also				survive
includes the material things that money can buy).				without taking it? Of course not. In fact, if the
Jesus				subject comes
says that we cannot work for God and work				up at all, it is quickly followed by arguments in
for money at the				favour of the
same time. (Matthew 6:24, and Luke 16:13) How				Mark, and against those who see it as evil. The
amazing!				root of all
He goes on to say that we are going to end up				evil is leading the institutional church straight into
despising or				the hands
hating one employer or the other. Between this				of the Prince of Darkness himself, and all it took
approach				was the
and the one taken by Paul, there is no room left				love of money to do it.There is an interesting
for a person				little note in the passage from The
to be neutral, either with regard to God or with				Revelation about the Mark of the Beast. It says,
regard to				"Here is
money. We are going to end up loving one and				wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count
hating the				the number
other. It's not a matter of loving one just a little				of the Beast, for it is the number of a man, and
bit more than				his number
the other, but rather a matter of putting them				is 666." (Revelation 13:18)Here is wisdom. Wisdom
on opposite				has gradually become the
ends of the spectrum.One is going to be our god,				all-consuming goal of my life, from the time that
and the other is going to be our				I first heard
worst enemy. We must choose.It is consistent				about King Solomon being given one request, and
with the picture of one employee trying to				how he
work for two employers at the same time. The				asked for wisdom. I want to know the truth. I
employee is				want to have a
obviously going to have to cheat one employer in				sincere heart. I want to hunger and thirst after
order to				righteousness. I want wisdom. And so this
turn up at work for the other. His or her "hate"				passage tells
for the cheated				me that I should seek to understand the
employer will take the form of trying to rip off				meaning of the
wages for				number 666 if I wish to have it.I decided to get
something that he or she is not entitled to.Could				a huge Bible concordance and see if the
it be that many religious people are trying to rip				number 666 appears anywhere else in the Bible. I
off, or				found
claim something from God (eternal life) when				that it does. The number 666 appears in only
they are not				one other
really entitled to it? The immediate argument				place, and that, strangely enough, is the very
that we face				same chapter
with regard to such a question is the widespread				that Jesus was referring to when he talked
belief				about having
amongst professing Christians that we do not				greater wisdom than Solomon. It is in I Kings
have to do				10:14.This is the chapter that tells us that the
anything to be entitled to eternal life. Salvation,				Queen of Sheba
they say, is				brought many gifts to Solomon, in exchange for
our "right"; we're entitled to it, whether or not				hearing his
we ever turn up				wisdom. Others also came bearing gifts. And in
for work.But this is totally false. When questioned				one year,
more closely, they				Solomon received 666 talents of gold as
will all admit that salvation only comes through				payment for
faith. And				hearing his wisdom. See, Solomon had a wisdom
almost all of them will say that this faith must be				of sorts,
placed in				but then he used it to make money. Jesus had
Jesus Christ. So how much faith do they have in				greater
what Jesus				wisdom, which saw through the money myth. He
has said about working for God in preference to				saw that
working for				love for money was the root of all evil.My search
money? For that matter, how much faith do				for wisdom had started with Solomon; but it had
they have in				taken me full circle back to Solomon. And the
anything that Jesus instructed his followers to				paradox is
do?Jesus said that unless we stop working for				that, on returning to Solomon, I discovered that
mammon, or				he was the
material wealth (John 6:27) and start working for				counterfeit of the real thing. There is something
him				better than
(Matthew 11:29) we will be regarded as an				Solomon, and it is the teachings of Jesus. The
employee who				teachings of
has tried to rip off the most powerful Employer				Jesus tell me that 666 talents of gold is
in the				worthless (whether
Universe. He said to stop worrying about food				it is in goods, gold ingots, cash, cheques, stocks,
and clothes,				or
and how we are going to get them (Matthew				e-money), that faith in God and a handful of wild
6:25-33), and				flowers is
seek first to build God's multinational kingdom of				worth more than all of this. The teachings of
love				Jesus tell me
instead. He said that, if we will do that, God				that I could have all the wealth of the world, be
himself will take				a powerful
care of our material needs. He said that we				king, have women circling the globe to listen to
should forsake				me, and still
all of our material wealth if we want to be one				I would have nothing if I would not follow God.
of his				The teachings
disciples. (Luke 14:33)So what has the church				of Jesus tell me that the relatively short history
done with these and other specific				of the human
instructions about challenging the root of all evil?				race has been little more than an experiment, to
They have				see
told us that all of these teachings of Jesus and				whether we would spend our lives working for
Paul mean				the source of
little more than that we should try to moderate				all goodness or whether we would spend our
our greed. It's				lives working
okay to spend your life making money if you are				for the root of all evil. Our eternal destiny rests
doing it for				on which
your family, and if you don't engage in anything				"master" we chose to work for.What I have
immoral or				covered in this article has been the root of all
illegal to do so, and if you make a point of giving				evil, and the "key" to destroying it. There is so
a				much more
percentage of it to the church. "Forsaking"				that could be said. But none of it will do us any
wealth, they say,				good unless
just means sharing a bit of it with the right				we are prepared to act on the truth of what
people from time				Jesus has said.
to time.There is a kind of mythical image in the				Our talk about faith and love and sincerity all
churches of an				crumbles into
incredibly greedy person who swims in pools full				meaningless babble unless we are prepared, in
of				obedience
diamonds and rubs money all over himself or				to the Creator of the Universe, to turn loose of
herself as an				our wealth
act of worship. Church people know that they				and dedicate our lives to helping others and
should not				obeying God...
want to be like that person.On the other hand, is				without thought for food or clothing.Dave McKay
there a record anywhere in the history				and his wife Cherry are co-founders of the
of the entire institutional church (of all				Jesus Christian communities, with bases in
denominations) of				Australia,
anyone ever being excommunicated because of				England, Kenya, and the U.S. The community
being too				aims to take
greedy?The truth is that absolutely any excess				the teachings literally in the modern world.

Dr Ahearn

Surely Not ALL Evils!