Money or the Love of Money is the Root of All Evil?
There is such a misunderstanding when people cross the extreme into saying that money per se is the root of all evil. However, that is NOT true. Remember God ordained the monetary system for Israel. Money in itself is not to be regarded as evil. People need money to survive and money is a major concern as a necessity. Money is needed as long as the fallen world still runs and God will say so when all the money of the world will become useless.
What is wrong is when people love money over God and this is the wrong kind of love. 1 Timothy 6:10 is clear that not money itself is evil but it's rather the LOVE for it. That is where people would do anything to get money- cheat, steal, commit adultery, swindle a close friend so one doesn't need to pay, become part of the occult, do bad jobs (like abortion, robbing banks, swindling and pornography) which they think grants "instant money". They could care less about the consequences as long as it gives them a profit. They would disregard the welfare of their employees and the environment as long as they can grab quick and easy cash. That's one of the reasons why some businesses decide to dump their garbage anywhere or underpay their employees - it's because it's cheaper (in the short run) to do so. What they ignore is that by cutting costs at an extreme level is that they are incurring heavier costs in the future.
Doing business in itself isn't evil. The Bible also sets principles for businessmen to follow such as having honest scales and not defrauding your customers. There is such a thing as the free market by Adam Smith. Businesses are part of filling in the supply and demand gap. The Bible also calls for private ownership such as Naboth's vineyard. Businessmen did trade to fill in the basic needs. Monetary systems were ordained by God as a storage value and to compensate for the hard work by businessmen. The problem isn't doing business. The problem is when businesses themselves would be more focused than profits regardless of what happens. It's the love of money that causes businesses to compromise and not the earning of money for themselves.
Doing business in itself isn't evil. The Bible also sets principles for businessmen to follow such as having honest scales and not defrauding your customers. There is such a thing as the free market by Adam Smith. Businesses are part of filling in the supply and demand gap. The Bible also calls for private ownership such as Naboth's vineyard. Businessmen did trade to fill in the basic needs. Monetary systems were ordained by God as a storage value and to compensate for the hard work by businessmen. The problem isn't doing business. The problem is when businesses themselves would be more focused than profits regardless of what happens. It's the love of money that causes businesses to compromise and not the earning of money for themselves.
Ill-gotten wealth is but evilly acquired. It may be gotten hasty but it will go away so easily (Proverbs 13:11). Many people who got wealthy by fraudulent means will sooner or later pay for it. They may enjoy it for a long time but there's always Hell to pay unless they repent.