Ganância
A ganância é raiz de todos os males. A Bíblia alerta contra a cobiça, o acúmulo egoísta e o amor ao dinheiro, chamando-nos ao contentamento e à confiança em Deus.
O amor ao dinheiro
O amor ao dinheiro é raiz de todos os males. Quem quer enriquecer cai em tentação, armadilha e desejos insensatos.
10 For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil; and in their eager desire to be rich some have been led astray form the faith, and have pierced themselves with many sorrows.
9 Those who desire to be rich fall into the snares of temptation and many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
24 "No slave can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will pay heed to the one and despise the other. You cannot be the slaves both of God and of gold.
5 So slay your baser inclinations. fornication, impurity, appetite, unnatural desires, and the greed which is idolatry.
3 As for sexual vice and every kind of impurity or lust, it is unbecoming for you as Christians even to mention them;
Contentamento
Tende cuidado e guardai-vos de toda espécie de ganância. A vida de um homem não consiste na abundância dos bens que possui.
15 And to the people he said, "Take heed and guard yourselves from all covetousness, for a mans life does not consist in the abundance of the things which he possesses."
36 For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own life?
19 "Store up for yourselves no treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;20 "but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.
Riqueza ilusória
As riquezas são passageiras. Quem ama o dinheiro nunca terá o suficiente. O contentamento com o que se tem é verdadeira riqueza.
6 This too, is the reason why you pay taxes; because the authorities are ministers of Gods service, attending continually upon this very thing.