Colossians 3:5, Paul equates covetousness with idolatry. In a sermon on this passage, John Piper thoughtfully inquires, ‘Have you ever considered that the Ten Commandments begin and end with virtually the same commandment? “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exod. 20:3) and “You shall not covet” (Exod. 20:17) are almost equivalent commands. Coveting is desiring anything other than God in a way that betrays a loss of contentment and satisfaction in him. Covetousness is a heart divided between two gods. So Paul calls it idolatry.’1
