"Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth": sounds like Christians should chase after other people's money or riches for them

1 Corinthians 10:24 reads, "Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth." The word "wealth" is related to "weal" (as in "commonweal" or "public weal") and in 1611 meant "welfare" or "good" broadly: moral, spiritual, and physical flourishing, not financial prosperity. The underlying Greek is simply a word for "good" or "advantage," with no reference to money at all.

Paul's point is that Christians should prioritize what's genuinely good for other people rather than their own preferences, not that they should go make other people rich. English narrowed "wealth" down to mean money specifically well after 1611, leaving modern readers with the wrong picture entirely.