Above Reproach: Not a Lover of Money (1 Timothy 3:3)

By matthewbroadway

Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Timothy 3:2-3)

Let’s start by remembering the train of thought here. Those who aspire to the office of overseer desire a noble task. Because the task is noble, the overseer must be above reproach in all the ways that the false teachers in Ephesus were not—including in regard to money.

The overseer must not be a lover of money. The KJV renders this “not covetous” and the CSV “not greedy.” Literally, the Greek word means not fond of silver.

It’s used in Hebrews 13:5-6.

Keep your life free from love of money and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say,
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear;
what can man do to me?”

Here the opposite of loving money is contentedly trusting the Lord. That helps us understand 1 Timothy 3, but I think the best passage to flesh out the idea is 1 Timothy 6:5b-10. Here Paul highlights the negative tendencies of the false teachers in Ephesus.

…imagining that godliness is a means of gain. 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. 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 wondered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Lovers of money:

Imagine that godliness is a means of financial gain
Live as though they can take their possessions with them when they die
Desire to be rich so much that it leads them into temptation, snares, and ruin

Those who do not love money:

Have both godliness and contentment
Hold their possessions loosely
Are content with food and clothing
Are free from financial temptations, snares, and dangerous desires

That all seems straightforward and clear. But in practice, this can be difficult to navigate for pastors. For example, does this verse mean that it’s wrong for a pastor to earn a good living through his ministry work?

On the one hand, Paul wrote:

Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle the ox when it treads out the grain,” and “The laborer deserves his wages” (1 Timothy 5:17-18).

On the other hand, Paul worked hard as a tentmaker so as not to be a financial burden to the church.

Like many things in the Christian life, there is a tension here that can be difficult to figure out. When I first became a pastor, a renowned Advent Christian minister advised me to advocate for myself regarding my salary. He told me several stories of times he requested raises to provide for his family. Yet I always felt uncomfortable doing this, afraid it would look like I was a lover of money.

Ideally, a church will pay their pastor generously and their pastor will work hard and be sensitive to the financial situation of his church. However, sometimes church boards can misunderstand what a pastor needs to care for his family well. Some of our churches pay their pastors what would have been generous in the 1990’s but is unlivable in 2024 due to inflation.

There are many factors that can make pastoral compensation difficult to navigate. (If you’re in a position to help your church think about your pastor’s salary, here’s a helpful article.) For now, here are four questions based on 1 Timothy to help you evaluate your heart regarding money.

Do you find yourself often preoccupied with thoughts about money, wealth, and material possessions?
Do you often want more than what you currently have?
Do you cling too tightly to what you have?
Does your desire for more cause you stress and trouble?

If you answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, you may need to repent of a love of money and pursue contentedness.