Luke 16:13 · Bible study
Luke 16:13 Commentary: You Cannot Serve God and Money
Greek · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study Luke 16:13: Jesus’ absolute command against serving both God and money, grounded in Greek grammar, context, and church history.
Research Summary
- Meaning: No one can be a slave to both God and wealth; divided loyalty is impossible.
- Key words: Oiketēs (household servant), douleuō (serve as a slave), mammōnas (wealth personified as a rival master).
- Main debate: Whether the verse contradicts the preceding instruction to use money wisely (v.9) or complements it as a boundary.
- Theological theme: Undivided loyalty to God; the danger of idolatry of wealth.
- Best use: Preaching and teaching on materialism, stewardship, and whole-hearted discipleship.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
WEB World English Bible 2000
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to one and despise the other. You aren’t able to serve God and Mammon.”
KJV King James Version 1769
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`No domestic is able to serve two lords, for either the one he will hate, and the other he will love; or one he will hold to, and of the other he will be heedless; ye are not able to serve God and mammon.'
Darby Darby Bible 1890
No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and will love the other, or he will cleave to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one and love the other: or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Ningún siervo puede servir á dos señores; porque ó aborrecerá al uno y amará al otro, ó se allegará al uno y menospreciará al otro. No podéis servir á Dios y á las riquezas.
Nenhum servo pode servir a dois senhores; porque ou irá odiar a um, e a amar ao outro; ou irá se achegar a um, e desprezar ao outro. Não podeis servir a Deus e às riquezas.
Nul serviteur ne peut servir deux maîtres. Car, ou il haïra l’ un et aimera l’ autre; ou il s’attachera à l’ un et méprisera l’ autre. Vous ne pouvez servir Dieu et Mamon.
Kein Knecht kann zwei Herren dienen: entweder er wird den einen hassen und den andern lieben, oder er wird dem einen anhangen und den andern verachten. Ihr könnt nicht Gott samt dem Mammon dienen.
Geen huisknecht kan twee heren dienen; want of hij zal den enen haten, en den anderen liefhebben, of hij zal den enen aanhangen, en den anderen verachten; gij kunt God niet dienen en den Mammon.
Nessun domestico può servire a due padroni: perché o odierà l’uno e amerà l’altro, o si atterrà all’uno e sprezzerà l’altro. Voi non potete servire a Dio ed a Mammona.
Żaden sługa nie może dwom panom służyć, gdyż albo jednego będzie miał w nienawiści, a drugiego będzie miłował; albo się jednego trzymać będzie, a drugim pogardzi; nie możecie Bogu służyć i mammonie.
Никакой слуга не может служить двум господам, ибо или одного будет ненавидеть, а другого любить, или одному станет усердствовать, а о другом нерадеть. Не можете служить Богу и маммоне.
一個僕人 不 能 事奉 兩個 主； 不 是惡 這個 愛 那個，就是 重 這個 輕 那個。你們不 能 又事奉 神，又 事奉瑪門。」
No man may be a servant to two masters: for he will have hate for the one and love for the other; or he will keep to the one and have no respect for the other. You may not be servants of God and of wealth.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Koine Greek)
New Testament · Koine Greek · Luke 16:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree on the plain force of this verse: undivided loyalty to God is non-negotiable. Vincent’s Word Studies notes the Greek oiketēs designates a household servant, someone whose entire life belongs to the master. The verb douleuein (to serve) carries the sense of slave-service, not occasional help. Clarke observes that the heart will be wholly taken up with God or wholly engrossed with the world. JFB presses the sharpness: “hate . . . love” shows the two masters are in uncompromising hostility. Wesley adds that trimming between God and the world is impossible, you cannot be faithful to God if you try. The verse is not advice but a statement of fact: no one can serve both.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: The verse makes an absolute statement that no one can be a slave to both God and money; the two masters are mutually exclusive.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Service as slavery | All traditions agree that the verb 'serve' implies total allegiance, not occasional use. | Some traditions emphasize that Christians are freed from slavery to sin to serve God alone; others note that money can still be a functional master even for the redeemed. |
| Personification of Mammon | Mammon is widely understood as property or wealth personified as a rival deity. | Some see it as a direct reference to a pagan idol; others treat it as a poetic personification without claiming an actual god. |
| Relationship to the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-9) | Most agree the parable and this verse belong together in the same discourse on wealth. | Interpreters differ on whether v.13 qualifies or contradicts the earlier command to use 'unrighteous mammon' shrewdly. The majority see v.13 as the boundary: use money but do not let it master you. |
| Application to Christians of different economic stations | The verse applies to all believers regardless of income level. | Some emphasize that the rich face a greater temptation; others argue that poverty can also make money an idol (through anxiety or envy). |
Historical & Cultural Context
The word “Mammon” (Aramaic mammon) originally meant “that in which one trusts”, wealth, personified as a rival deity. Poole’s annotations record that some ancient Christians believed the heathen had an idol called Mammon; the term became shorthand for riches as a spiritual power. The verse stands near the end of a longer discourse in Luke 16. Jesus has just told the parable of the unjust steward (vv.1-9), where He commends shrewd use of money for eternal purposes (make friends by means of unrighteous mammon). Then vv.10-12 draw a principle: faithfulness in little things (money) qualifies for true riches. Verse 13 then draws a sharp line: you cannot serve both masters. The Pharisees, described as lovers of money, hear this and scoff. The cultural setting assumes the ancient institution of slavery, where a slave had one owner and owed total obedience. The Jewish Shema (Deut 6:4-5) already demanded exclusive love for God; Jesus applies that same exclusivity to the realm of possessions. The surrounding verses show that money itself is not evil, but loyalty to it as a master is incompatible with loyalty to God.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note no significant textual variants for Luke 16:13. The manuscript tradition is stable on this verse.
Reception History
Throughout church history, Luke 16:13 has been a key text for warning against the love of money. Early monastic communities saw it as a call to voluntary poverty and single-hearted devotion. During the Reformation, preachers like John Wesley and Matthew Henry used it to challenge worldly-mindedness among believers, urging whole-hearted service to God. In modern times, the verse has been applied to consumerism and the subtle ways wealth demands allegiance. It continues to be a sharp reminder that no one can serve two masters, and that the heart’s ultimate loyalty belongs to God alone.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Service as slavery. The Greek oiketēs (household servant) and douleuein (to serve as a slave) make the relationship total. You do not serve a master part-time. Either God owns you, or money owns you.
- Two masters, one outcome. Jesus presents two alternatives: hate one and love the other, or be devoted to one and despise the other. There is no middle ground. The verbs “hate” and “love” indicate passion, not indifference.
- The impossibility of both. “You cannot serve God and money” is a statement of fact, not a warning about difficulty. It is as impossible as serving two different owners at the same time.
Five-point outline
- The nature of biblical service: whole-life allegiance.
- The conflict between the two masters: God demands exclusive love; money demands constant trust.
- The test of true loyalty: which master gets your first thought, your best energy, your deepest security?
- The invitation to choose: like Joshua, “choose today whom you will serve.”
- The hope: serving God alone frees us from the anxiety of money.
Illustration hooks
- The part-time employee who tries to work two full-time jobs, eventually one gets neglected.
- The smartphone that buzzes constantly, demanding attention even during prayer or family time; the device becomes a master.
- The person who gives generously to church but then lies awake worrying about investments, the money has the heart.
Questions your congregation is asking
- “Does this mean I can’t be wealthy and be a Christian?”
- “How do I know if I am serving money or just using it?”
- “What about using money for good causes, does that count as serving God?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse draws a clear line, but it raises hard questions for people who handle money every day. The group should explore what it means to “serve” something and how money can quietly become a master. Use the questions below to move from what the text says to how it shapes our lives.
Discussion questions
- What does Jesus mean by “serve” in this verse? How is it different from “use” or “manage”?
- Why does Jesus present only two outcomes: hate/love or devotion/despise? Are there no neutral options?
- What does it look like to “serve money” in everyday life? Give examples.
- How does the parable of the unjust steward (vv.1-9) relate to this verse? Does the command to use money shrewdly conflict with “you cannot serve both”?
- Read Luke 16:14. Why did the Pharisees scoff? What does their reaction reveal about the heart?
- In what area of your life do you feel tugged between God and money?
- How can Christians faithfully use money without letting it become their master?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Joshua 24:15 | If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.” |
| Matthew 4:10 | Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” |
| Matthew 6:24 | “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon. |
| Luke 9:50 | Jesus said to him, “Don’t forbid him, for he who is not against us is for us.” |
| Luke 11:23 | “He who is not with me is against me. He who doesn’t gather with me scatters. |
| Luke 14:26 | “If anyone comes to me, and doesn’t disregard his own father, mother, wife, children, brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he can’t be my disciple. |
| Luke 16:9 | I tell you, make for yourselves friends by means of unrighteous mammon, so that when you fail, they may receive you into the eternal tents. |
| Romans 6:16 | Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey, whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness? |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists there is no middle ground when it comes to serving God. The heart cannot be partially devoted; it will be either completely taken up with God or completely absorbed by the world. This is not about balance but total allegiance.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note stresses that a servant cannot be loyal to two masters at once, and applies this directly to God and material wealth. The translation uses the plain word "riches" instead of the ambiguous "
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
No servant can serve two masters ,.... [See comments on Mt 6:24] .
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that serving someone means being entirely under their command, and this is true even when the service is not in direct opposition. The sharp contrast between hate and love reveals uncompromising hostility between two parties, which he calls an awfully searching principle.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry highlights the sharp contrast between worldly and spiritual wisdom: the unjust steward shrewdly secured his earthly future, yet believers often fail to show similar foresight for their eternal one. He uses the parable to rebuke the "children of light" for not being as prudent with eternal treasures as the worldly are with temporary wealth.
Vincent's Word Studies Evangelical 1887
Vincent highlights that the Greek word for servant here means a household servant, not a general laborer. He draws a careful distinction by pointing to the specific domestic context of the term. This shapes how the relationship between the two masters and the servant is understood.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley insists that true faithfulness to God is impossible if a person tries to compromise between serving God and the world. Serving God must be exclusive, without any divided loyalty or hedging between two masters.