Freely giving. That seems like something that should obviously happen when it comes to Christian ministry, does it not? You might even expect that it is the norm. Unfortunately, it’s not. Commercializing Christ and selling ministry is much more common.
The commercialization of Christianity and restricting access to Christian materials is so ubiquitous and commonplace in our current cultural moment that you may have never stopped to think about it. How ubiquitous? Worship music is sold and accrues royalties. Bible translations are locked behind copyrights that prevent their free distribution and reproduction. Christian books cannot be translated and freely shared with our brothers and sisters from around the world. Recorded videos of biblical teaching are locked behind subscription fees. Christian organizations promote their “exclusive” teaching series. Supposedly “free” resources demand that you hand over personal information before you are given access to it.
Stop and think for a moment. How much Christian material are you aware of that does not expressly forbid its free dissemination? Odds are, you’ll find some message similar to one of the following:
“No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.”
“No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.”
“No portion of this recording may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the publisher.”
Selling ministry and restricting access until a transaction takes place is the present default. And it is to the shame of first-world Western Christianity. With so much commercialization, is it really any wonder when accusations fly about that Christians are only in it for the money? For the sake of the gospel and for the sake of the integrity of Christian ministry, I strongly believe that the relationship between money and ministry is an area that is in need of reform.
It may be helpful to think about the matter tangibly in arenas that are not often transactional or restricted. What if a preacher demanded payment before anyone could enter the sanctuary to hear God’s Word proclaimed? What if you could not share the pastor’s sermon without his express written consent? What if people needed to fill out a form providing their contact information before the church doors were opened to them? What if you could not receive prayer until you agreed to the church’s terms and conditions? These examples seem crass, do they not? If you find them crass, think then whether there is any tangible difference between them and the other commonplace forms of restricting access to Christian ministry.
Because I have chosen to freely give all resources that I produce on this website, I would like to give my rationale for doing so. And in so doing, I hope to perhaps stir some of you to begin to question the current status quo of the commercialization of Christianity and selling of ministry.
The Biblical Witness
The place to start with the ethic of freely giving is the ministry of Jesus. When Jesus sent his disciples out to preach, he commanded them,
“As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Do not carry any gold or silver or copper in your belts. Take no bag for the road, or second tunic, or sandals, or staff; for the worker is worthy of his provisions.”
Matthew 10:7–10, BSB
The work of the disciples, whether in the proclamation of the message or in the working of ministry, was to have no barriers placed in front of it. Freely they had received from Christ, and so freely they were to give. They were worthy to receive support in the ministry of the gospel, but they were not to sell it nor expect compensation before they ministered. In other words, their ministry was not to be transactional.
The distinction between supported ministry and transactional ministry is significant. When ministry is transactional, it says, “you cannot benefit until you pay me.” When ministry is supported, it says, “your work has benefited me, and I want to support you to benefit others.” Christian ministry should not be predicated upon receiving compensation first
Paul’s example of ministry is one that is worthy of emulation. In his first epistle to the Corinthians, Paul gives a defense of his right to receive support for the work of ministry:
This is my defense to those who scrutinize me: Have we no right to food and to drink? Have we no right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or are Barnabas and I the only apostles who must work for a living? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink of its milk? Do I say this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Isn’t He actually speaking on our behalf? Indeed, this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they should also expect to share in the harvest.
1 Corinthians 9:3–10, BSB
Now what is the reason that Paul makes this defense? To demand that the Corinthians compensate him for his ministry on their behalf? Not at all. It is to show that he did not exercise this right for the sake of the gospel:
If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much for us to reap a material harvest from you? If others have this right to your support, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not exercise this right. Instead, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
1 Corinthians 9:11–12, BSB
Paul also addresses the matter of transactional ministry in his second epistle to the Corinthians. He declared that, in his ministry, “For we are not like so many others, who peddle the word of God for profit. On the contrary, in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, as men sent from God” (2 Cor. 2:17, BSB). Paul did not charge for ministry, nor did he accept support from the Corinthians:
Was it a sin for me to humble myself in order to exalt you, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches by accepting their support in order to serve you. And when I was with you and in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my needs. I have refrained from being a burden to you in any way, and I will continue to do so.
2 Corinthians 11:7–9, BSB
And why did he refuse to accept support from the Corinthians? To undermine those who were apparently peddling God’s word to the Corinthians:
But I will keep on doing what I am doing, in order to undercut those who want an opportunity to be regarded as our equals in the things of which they boast. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:12–13, BSB
In Paul’s ministry, he accepted support as co-labor in the gospel but he did not peddle God’s word and restrict access until he received his due. He even modeled foregoing support when receiving it might have been a hindrance to the gospel. His example is one that should seriously be considered.
Even greater than the example of Paul is the example of Christ Jesus. We should look to Jesus,
Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death—even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:6–8, BSB
Jesus emptied himself, took on flesh, took on the form of a servant, and freely gave himself that I might be reconciled to him. In his ministry, Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). And in the example of Jesus, we know the love of God and see his generosity towards us in the free gift of salvation he has given us in Christ. As John writes,
By this we know what love is: Jesus laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone with earthly possessions sees his brother in need, but withholds his compassion from him, how can the love of God abide in him?
1 John 3:16–17, BSB
If Christ freely gave, should I not also freely give?
A Challenge to the Reader
I want to offer a personal challenge to you, the reader, especially if you live in the West. Consider the riches we have been given in the West, the wealth of resources, the easy access to vast amounts of Christian education materials. Now consider the Parable of the Talents in light of this wealth we possess:
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’ His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master!’ Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’ ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed. Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Matthew 25:14–29, BSB
Is the West’s tendency to restrict access more akin to those who invested their talents, or to the one who buried what he had been given? It has seemed to me that restricting access to material that is intended for building up the saints is similar to hoarding the talent that God has entrusted me with. Elsewhere, Jesus says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and from him who has been entrusted with much, even more will be demanded” (Luke 12:48, BSB). This is a serious matter to consider with all that we have been given in the West. What has God entrusted you with? What will he expect you to do with what you have been given? Are you investing it for the furtherance of the Kingdom, or are you hiding so that it produces little return?
Conclusion
In the digital age, it is easier than ever to disseminate and share Christian education material at minimal cost. Locking up this material behind paywalls is really nothing more than creating artificial scarcity. It is locking up what others could benefit from for the sake of financial gain. In other words, it is selling ministry.
It has seemed better to me to follow Paul’s example and to err on the side of freely giving so as to not hinder the gospel. While I will accept support as co-labor in the work of ministry, I will not make support a precondition for access to any material on this website. Nor will I demand personal information in exchange for resources. Everything that I produce will be freely given and may be used for the equipping of the saints. You do not need my permission to copy, translate, modify, or disseminate any material that I produce.
While the topic of freely giving is not the primary focus of the resources that I intend to provide here, I still want to draw attention to the subject. In so doing, I hope to, Lord willing, put others on the path of thinking more deeply about the question of money and ministry. This is my small contribution to a reform that I hope to see take place during my lifetime.
Others have done more thinking about this topic than I have, and I link to relevant resources below. While you may not agree with every aspect of the arguments that are presented, I believe you will be challenged to rethink our current status quo.
Books
Randy C. Alcorn, Money, Possessions, and Eternity (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2003)