1Tim 6:10

“"But the love of money is the root of all evils." Knowing, therefore, that "as we brought nothing into the world, so we can carry nothing out," let us arm ourselves with the armour of righteousness; and let us teach, first of all, ourselves to walk in the commandments of the Lord. Next, [teach] your wives [to walk] in the faith given to them, and in love and purity tenderly loving their own husbands in all truth, and loving all [others] equally in all chastity; and to train up their children in the knowledge and fear of God. Teach the widows to be discreet as respects the faith of the Lord, praying continually for all, being far from all slandering, evil-speaking, false-witnessing, love of money, and every kind of evil; knowing that they are the altar of God, that He clearly perceives all things, and that nothing is hid from Him, neither reasonings, nor reflections, nor any one of the secret things of the heart.”

“But now love of money is found to be the stronghold of evil, which the apostle says "is the root of all evils, which, while some coveted, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."”

“But the best riches is poverty of desires; and the true magnanimity is not to be proud of wealth, but to despise it. Boasting about one's plate is utterly base. For it is plainly wrong to care much about what any one who likes may buy from the market. But wisdom is not bought with coin of earth, nor is it sold in the market-place, but in heaven. And it is sold for true coin, the immortal Word, the regal gold.”

“If we think over the rest of faults, tracing them from their generations, let us begin with covetousness, "a root of all evils," wherewith, indeed, some having been ensnared, "have suffered shipwreck about faith.”

“Of that, therefore, which we have not the smallest need to seek after, because the Lord did not seek after it either, we ought to endure without heart-sickness the cutting down or taking away. "Covetousness," the Spirit of the Lord has through the apostle pronounced "a root of all evils." Let us not interpret that covetousness as consisting merely in the concupiscence of what is another's: for even what seems ours is another's; for nothing is ours, since all things are God's, whose are we also ourselves.”

“For to what, most dearly beloved, does the wisdom of this world urge us, but to seek things that are hurtful, and to love things that are to perish, and to neglect things that are healthful, and to esteem as of no value things that are lasting? It commends the love of money, of which it is said, The love of money is the root of all evil;”

“The tree, then, from which comes this fruit of mixed knowledge is among those things which are forbidden. Its fruit is combined of opposite qualities, and therefore for this reason perhaps has the serpent to commend it. For the evil is not exposed in its nakedness, thereby appearing in its own proper nature; for wickedness would surely fail of its effect were it not decked with some fair color to entice to the desire of it him whom it deceives. But now the nature of evil is in a manner mixed and thus keeps destruction like some snare concealed in its depths and displays some phantom of good in the deceitfulness of its exterior. The beauty of the substance seems good to those who love money.”

“How happy is the man who has been able to cut out the root of vices, avarice. Surely he will not dread this balance. Avarice generally dulls men's senses and corrupts their judgments, so that they think piety a gain, and money a sort of reward for sagacity. But great is the reward of piety and the gaining of sobriety. The possession of these virtues is sufficient.”

“Therefore the man of good counsel says, "I have learned in whatever state I am to be content." For he knew that the root of all evils is the love of money. Therefore he was content with what he had, without seeking for what was another's. Sufficient for me, he says, is what I have. Whether I have little or much, to me it is much.”

“In many places Paul covertly signifies this point: a corrupt life is the parent of evil doctrines. "The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, which some reaching after, have been led astray from the faith." Indeed, many of those who are conscious of wickedness and would prefer not to pay its penalty are by this fear damaged also in their faith concerning the resurrection. This can happen even when they on a daily basis are virtuously desiring to behold the resurrection.”

“The man who possesses nothing as if he had everything disdains all. He is very outspoken with officials, and rulers, and the sovereign. For by despising possessions and advancing methodically, he will scorn even death with ease. Since he is above these things, he will speak openly with everyone and tremble with fear before no one. But the man who has devoted himself to money is a slave to it and also to his reputation, honor, the present life, in short, to all human concerns. Consequently, Paul has called it the root of all evil.”

“"For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Two things he mentions, and that which to them might seem the more weighty he places last, their "many sorrows." And to learn how true this is, the only way is to sojourn with the rich, to see how many are their sorrows, how bitter their complaints. And well has he said, "They have erred from the faith." Covetousness attracting their eyes to herself, and gradually stealing away their minds, suffers them not to see their way. For as one walking on the straight road, with his mind intent on something else, proceeds on his way indeed, but, often without knowing it, passes by the very city to which he was hastening, his feet plying on at random and to no purpose: such like a thing is covetousness. "They have pierced themselves through with many sorrows." Dost thou see what he means by that word "pierced"? What he means to express by the allusion is this. Desires are thorns, and as when one touches thorns, he gores his hand, and gets him wounds, so he that falls into these lusts will be wounded by them, and pierce his soul with griefs. And what cares and troubles attend those who are thus pierced, it is not possible to express. Therefore he says, "Flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness." For meekness springs from love.”

“For when the soul loves its own power, it slips from the common whole to its own particular part. Had it followed God as its ruler in the universal creature, it could have been most excellently governed by his laws. But in that apostatizing pride, which is called "the beginning of sin," it sought for something more than the whole; and while it struggled to govern it by its own laws, it was thrust into caring for a part, since there is nothing more than the whole. So by desiring something more, it becomes less, and for this reason covetousness is called "the root of all evils."”

“So love God, and love your neighbor as yourself. I mean, I can see that you love yourself, because you love God. Charity is the root of all good works. Just as greed, after all, is the root of all evil, so charity is the root of all good things.”

“He spares not the living, nor does he spare the dead, but robs even them, rises up against parents and brothers, and sacrilegiously steals what belongs to God. Cast out the love of money — and there will be no wars, no enmity, no fornication; for the harlot gives herself over to lewdness for the sake of money. Love of money, riveting all of a person's attention to itself, does not allow him to see the path of truth. For how will a lover of money believe the Gospel, which introduces poverty? This is impossible. Already in this life they have nailed themselves. Indeed, how many griefs do they experience? How much do they weep? And it is well said: "pierced." For the cares of riches are like a thorn bush, as the Lord also said (Matt. 13:22). From whatever side one touches it, one draws blood upon one's hands, inflicting upon oneself wounds and pain.”

“Fear causes one to withdraw from evil and from the occasion of evil; and because the root of all evils is cupidity, therefore fear disposes to poverty of spirit, in which humility is joined together with poverty, so that the perfect man may thus be distanced from the fount of all fault, namely from pride and cupidity. And hence it is that poverty of spirit is the foundation of all evangelical perfection.”

“In these two commandments: "You shall not covet your neighbor's goods, nor shall you desire his wife," the illicit interior act is prohibited, and here the concupiscence of the eyes, or covetousness, is prohibited, which "is the root of all evils"; the concupiscence of the flesh is also prohibited, which is the kindling of all sins. Through this twofold concupiscence occurs the transmission of all evils and sins; and therefore the divine law prohibits it, and in this prohibits all evils and all sins.”

“Then when he says, for the desire of money is the root of all evils, he gives his reason from two sources, namely, from the nature of covetousness and from experience: which, some coveting, have erred from the faith. He says, therefore: they fall into temptation and into the snares of the Devil. Why? Because the desire of money is the root of all evils. Here it should be noted that according to some, covetousness is taken in three ways: first, for avarice considered as a special sin, namely, the inordinate love of possessing riches; second, as a genus under which all sins fall, inasmuch as it implies the inordinate desire for a temporal thing – and this is involved in every sin, because sin is a turning to a perishable good. Taken this way it is not the root, but the genus, of all evils; third, it is taken to signify a disorder of soul inclining it to desire temporal goods inordinately. Taken in this sense, it is only a habit and not an act; yet it is the root of all evils. And it is called a root the way pride is called the beginning: pride is the beginning of all sin (Sir 10:15), because pride suggests a corrupt inclination of the soul to withdraw from God. But a tree draws its nourishment from the roots; in this way sin in its aspect of being a turning to a perishable good draws its nourishment from covetousness. But I believe that he is speaking of covetousness taken as a special sin; that is why he says, those who will to become rich, fall into temptation and into the snare of the Devil. And this is an inordinate love of money; consequently, it is the root of all sins, for all sins involve a seeking: as a result the origin of sins must be sought in the origin of desirable things. For the origin of desirable things springs from the end; consequently, the more desirable the end a sin has, the worse that sin is. But there are two things which make the end of a sin desirable; namely, the end may be desirable for its own sake, and it is excellence, because a man wills that good as a means of excelling: and this is pride; consequently, pride is the beginning of all sins. Or the end may be desirable for the sake of some other end; and this makes a thing desirable because it is useful for obtaining everything. And this is what riches can do, for with riches men believe they can buy anything. And this is the sense in which covetousness is the root of all evils. Then when he says, which some coveting, have erred from the faith, he proves the same thing through experience. And he says, coveting, because the more riches are possessed, the more they are desired: a covetous man shall not be satisfied with money (Eccl 5:9). They fall, first, into spiritual harm; hence he says, they have erred from the faith. The reason for this is that sound doctrine forbids many unlawful profits which they refuse to give up; consequently, they invent their own doctrine which creates for them a new hope of salvation. This is what usurers often do. Second, they have entangled themselves in many sorrows, even in the present life, because there is anxiety in acquiring riches, fear in possessing them, and pain in losing them: when he shall be filled with riches, he shall be straitened, he shall burn, and every sorrow shall fall upon him (Job 20:22).”

“For, if a man be only in name called holy, he is not holy; but he must be holy in everything: in his body and in his spirit. And those who are virgins rejoice at all times in becoming like God and His Christ, and are imitators of them. For in those that are such there is not "the mind of the flesh." In those who are truly believers, and "in whom the Spirit of Christ dwells" [Romans 8:9] — in them "the mind of the flesh" cannot be: which is fornication, uncleanness, wantonness; idolatry, sorcery; enmity, jealousy, rivalry, wrath, disputes, dissensions, ill-will; drunkenness, revelry; buffoonery, foolish talking, boisterous laughter; backbiting, insinuations; bitterness, rage; clamour, abuse, insolence of speech; malice, inventing of evil, falsehood; talkativeness, babbling; threatenings, gnashing of teeth, readiness to accuse, jarring, disdainings, blows; perversions of the right, laxness in judgment; haughtiness, arrogance, ostentation, pompousness, boasting of family, of beauty, of position, of wealth, of an arm of flesh; quarrelsomeness, injustice, eagerness for victory; hatred, anger, envy, perfidy, retaliation; debauchery, gluttony, "overreaching (which is idolatry)," [Colossians 3:5] "the love of money (which is the root of all evils);" [1 Timothy 6:10] love of display, vainglory, love of rule, assumption, pride (which is called death, and which "God fights against"). Every man with whom are these and such like things — every such man is of the flesh.”