Luke 12:13-21, Beware of Covetousness

Here is a family of words for meditation, but only if you are willing to exercise repentance.  These are the “coveteous” words.

pleonekteō: take advantage of, defraud, cheat

·       2 Cor 2:11: forgive lest Satan take advantage of you; we know his devices

·       2 Cor 7:2: receive us; we have defrauded no man

·       2 Cor 12:17-18: did I make a gain of you from the offering? Did Titus make a gain?

·       1 Th 4:6: that no man defraud his bro in any matter

pleonektés: one who is greedy, a covetous person

·       1 Cor 5:10-11: you must be w/the covetous of this world; but not w/a so called brother who is covetous one

·       1 Cor 6:10: covetous shall not inherit the kingdom of God

·       Eph 5:5: no covetous man has inheritance in K of Christ or God (he is an idolator)

pleonexia: greediness, covetousness, avarice

·       Mk.7:22: covetousness, etc. comes from within a man, heart

·       Lk.12:15: beware of covetousness; life not in abundance of things one possesses

·       Rom 1:29: covetousness in list of sins of mankind

·       2 Cor 9:5: Paul wants offering as result of liberality, not covetousness

·       Eph 4:19: gentiles work all uncleanness w/greediness

·       Eph 5:3: covetousness: let it not once be named among you

·       Col 3:5: mortify members on earth: etc, covetousness which is idolatry

·       1 Th 2:5: Paul's words not flattery, as a cloak of covetousness

·       2 Pet 2:3: false teachers, through covetousness, make merchandise of them

·       2 Pet 2:14: they exercise their hearts with covetousness

Vincent notes that it has a "wider and deeper sense" than just a desire for money, describing it as an "eager grasping after more and more" of anything—including uncleanness or other evils.

A related term is philargyria, used once in the NT (1 Tim. 6:10: For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil).  Literally it combines “philos” (love) and “arguros” (silver). 

Key thought here is that “covetousness” is idolatry!  We don’t have statues of wood or precious metal, but covetousness describes the essence of idolatry in all ages: a desire to have something other than what God provides.  Put this attitude to death, so that it is not once named among the people of Christ.