Scriptures:

Matthew 10:8 – “Freely you have received, freely give.”

Acts 8:20 – “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money!”

John 2:16 – “And He said to those who sold doves, ‘Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!’”

2 Peter 2:3 – And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction does not sleep.

1 Timothy 6:3-5 – If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.

2 Kings 5:15-16 – And Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him, and said, “Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but only in Israel. Now therefore, please take a blessing from your servant.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will take nothing.” And he pressed him to take it, but he refused.

Jeremiah 6:13-14 – From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.

Micah 3:11 – Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money. Yet they lean on the Lord and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No disaster will come upon us.”

Isaiah 55:1 – “You who thirst, go to the water, and whoever has no silver, go buy and eat wine and fat without silver or price.”

Revelation 22:17 – And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.

Matthew 21:12-13 – Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ”

2 Corinthians 2:17 – For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:2 – But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.

Church Fathers:

The Didache:

Let every apostle that comes to you be received as the Lord. But he shall not remain except one day; but if there be need, also the next; but if he remain three days, he is a false prophet. And when the apostle goes away, let him take nothing but bread until he lodges; but if he ask money, he is a false prophet. … But whoever says in the Spirit, Give me money, or something else, you shall not listen to him; but if he says to you to give for others’ sake who are in need, let no one judge him. – The Didache, chapter 11

Therefore, appoint for yourselves bishops and deacons worthy of the Lord, men meek, and not lovers of money, and truthful and proven; for they also render to you the service of prophets and teachers. – The Didache, chapter 15

The Apostle Peter:

Wherefore, let no one of you longer dissemble nor look backwards, but willingly approach to the Gospel of the kingdom of God. Let not the poor man say, “When I shall become rich, then I shall be converted.” God does not ask money of you, but a merciful heart and a pious mind. … You indeed do well to make haste; but He who is eternal, and from whom nothing is secret, inasmuch as He is without end, in the same proportion is His patience extended, and He regards not the swiftness of vengeance, but the causes of salvation. For He is not so much pleased with the death as with the conversion of a sinner [Ezekiel 18:33]. Therefore, in short, He has bestowed upon men holy baptism, to which, if any one makes haste to come, and for the future remains without stain, all his sins are thenceforth blotted out, which were committed in the time of his ignorance. — Peter, Recognitions of Clement, Book 10, chapter 45-49

Clement of Rome:

That the harvest is great, but the workmen are few, this also is well-known and manifest. Let us, therefore, ask of the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth workmen into the harvest (Matthew 9:37-38); such workmen as shall skilfully dispense the word of truth; workmen who shall not be ashamed; faithful workmen; workmen who shall be the light of the world (Matthew 5:14); workmen who work not for the food that perishes, but for that food which abides unto life eternal (John 6:27); workmen who shall be such as the apostles; workmen who imitate the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit; who are concerned for the salvation of men; not hireling (John 10:12-13) workmen; not workmen to whom the fear of God and righteousness appear to be gain; not workmen who serve their belly; not workmen who with fair speeches and pleasant words mislead the hearts of the innocent (Romans 16:18); not workmen who imitate the children of light, while they are not light but darkness—men whose end is destruction (Philippians 3:19); not workmen who practise iniquity and wickedness and fraud; not crafty workmen (2 Corinthians 11:13); not workmen drunken and faithless; nor workmen who traffic in Christ; not misleaders; not lovers of money; not malevolent. – Clement of Rome, First Epistle on Virginity, Chapter 13

Irenaeus:

3. Since, therefore, there exist among them error and misleading influences, and magical illusions are impiously wrought in the sight of men; but in the Church, sympathy, and compassion, and steadfastness, and truth, for the aid and encouragement of mankind, are not only displayed without fee or reward, but we ourselves lay out for the benefit of others our own means; and inasmuch as those who are cured very frequently do not possess the things which they require, they receive them from us—[since such is the case,] these men are in this way undoubtedly proved to be utter aliens from the divine nature, the beneficence of God, and all spiritual excellence. — Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, chapter 31

It is not possible to name the number of the gifts which the Church, [scattered] throughout the whole world, has received from God, in the name of Jesus Christ, who was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and which she exerts day by day for the benefit of the Gentiles, neither practising deception upon any, nor taking any reward [Acts 8:9, 8:18] from them [on account of such miraculous interpositions]. For as she has received freely [Matthew 10:8] from God, freely also does she minister [to others]. – Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 2, chapter 32

Clement of Alexandria: 

“Thence praise-worthy works descend to us, and fly with us on the wing of truth. This is the inheritance with which the eternal covenant of God invests us, conveying the everlasting gift of grace; and thus our loving Father — the true Father — ceases not to exhort, admonish, train, love us. For He ceases not to save, and advises the best course: Become righteous, says the Lord.You that thirst, come to the water; and you that have no money, come, and buy and drink without money. He invites to the laver, to salvation, to illumination, all but crying out and saying, The land I give you, and the sea, my child, and heaven too; and all the living creatures in them I freely bestow upon you. Only, O child, thirst for your Father; God shall be revealed to you without price; the truth is not made merchandise of“- Clement of Alexandria, An Exhortation to the Heathen, Chapter 10

Tertullian:

The tried men of our elders preside over us, obtaining that honour not by purchase, but by established character. There is no buying and selling of any sort in the things of God. Though we have our treasure chest, it is not made up of purchase-money, as of a religion that has its price. On the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation; but only if it be his pleasure, and only if he be able: for there is no compulsion; all is voluntary. These gifts are, as it were, piety’s deposit fund. For they are not taken thence and spent on feasts, and drinking-bouts, and eating-houses, but to support and bury poor people, to supply the wants of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons confined now to the house; such, too, as have suffered shipwreck; and if there happen to be any in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in the prisons, for nothing but their fidelity to the cause of God’s Church, they become the nurslings of their confession. – Tertullian, The Apology, chapter 39

“In the case of the gods, on the other hand, the sacredness is great in proportion to the tribute which they yield; nay, the more sacred is a god, the larger is the tax he pays. Majesty is made a source of gain. Religion goes about the taverns begging. You demand a price for the privilege of standing on temple ground, for access to the sacred services; there is no gratuitous knowledge of your divinities permitted — you must buy their favours with a price. What honours in any way do you render to them that you do not render to the dead? You have temples in the one case just as in the other; you have altars in the one case as in the other. Their statues have the same dress, the same insignia. As the dead man had his age, his art, his occupation, so it is with the deity.” – Tertullian, The Apology, chapter 13

Didymus the blind: 

You yourselves know that in my needs and in the matters concerning me, these hands have served alongside me. In every way I showed you that by working hard one must help the weak. Remember the words of the Lord Jesus, who Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” [Acts 20:34-35] These things are said to those governing the Church, so that, in addition to the other things, they may abstain from receiving money, deciding to be imitators of the One speaking [to them]. For he indicates this inference next: “In every way I showed you that by working hard one must help the weak,” aiding them. And provision will be made for this, if through recollection the words of the Lord who has said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” should abide; hence, let giving be preferred by bishops. – Didymus the Blind (Source: A Fragment of Didymus the Blind in the Pandects of Nikon of the Black Mountain)

Ambrose of Milan:

Also learn the appropriate precepts of virtue: he who refuses rewards has proven his faith. Learn from both the teaching and the deeds what you should follow. You have the commandment of the Lord, the example of the prophet, to receive freely, to give freely: not to sell the ministry, but to offer it (Matthew 10:8). For the grace of God is not assessed by a price, nor is profit sought in the sacraments, but obedience to the priest. – Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Luke 4:27, Book 4, section 52

As regards the literal sense of turning over the chairs of the sellers of doves, I am at a loss to understand why our Lord should do this. The chairs occupied by people who sell birds in the market place can hardly be looked on as conferring any dignity on the holder! Do the doves, then, confer some sort of dignity? One would not think so. However, if you consider the Lord’s Baptism – when the Holy Spirit descended in the form of a Dove – you will hear something: we are being warned, by the example of these vendors chased from the Temple, that those who traffic in the grace of the Holy Spirit should have no place in the Church of God. For, “freely you have received”, says our Lord, “and freely you should give” (Mt 10:8). Simon thought he could buy with money the gift of sanctification. Peter replied to him: “Keep your money to yourself, to perish with you: because you thought God’s gift could be purchased with money” (Acts 8:20). — Ambrose of Milan, Commentary on Luke, Book 9, chapter 19

Happy is she who out of her treasure brings forth the perfect image of the King. Your treasure is wisdom, your treasure is chastity and righteousness, your treasure is a good understanding, such as was that treasure from which the Magi, when they worshipped the Lord, brought forth gold, frankincense, and myrrh; Matthew 2:11 setting forth by gold the power of a king, venerating God by the frankincense, and by myrrh acknowledging the resurrection of the body. You too have this treasure if you look into yourself: For we have this treasure in earthen vessels (2 Corinthians 4:7). You have gold which you can give, for God does not exact of you the precious gift of shining metal, but that gold which at the day of judgment the fire shall be unable to consume. Nor does He require precious gifts, but the good odour of faith, which the altars of your heart send forth and the disposition of a religious mind exhales. – Ambrose, Concerning Widows, chapter 5

136. It is a very great incentive to mercy to share in others’ misfortunes, to help the needs of others as far as our means allow, and sometimes even beyond them. For it is better for mercy’s sake to take up a case, or to suffer odium rather than to show hard feeling. So I once brought odium on myself because I broke up the sacred vessels to redeem captives — a fact that could displease the Arians. Not that it displeased them as an act, but as being a thing in which they could take hold of something for which to blame me. Who can be so hard, cruel, iron-hearted, as to be displeased because a man is redeemed from death, or a woman from barbarian impurities, things that are worse than death, or boys and girls and infants from the pollution of idols, whereby through fear of death they were defiled?

137. Although we did not act thus without good reason, yet we have followed it up among the people so as to confess and to add again and again that it was far better to preserve souls than gold for the Lord. For He Who sent the apostles without gold Matthew 10:9 also brought together the churches without gold. The Church has gold, not to store up, but to lay out, and to spend on those who need. What necessity is there to guard what is of no good? Do we not know how much gold and silver the Assyrians took out of the temple of the Lord? Is it not much better that the priests should melt it down for the sustenance of the poor, if other supplies fail, than that a sacrilegious enemy should carry it off and defile it? Would not the Lord Himself say: Why did you suffer so many needy to die of hunger? Surely you had gold? Thou should have given them sustenance. Why are so many captives brought on the slave market, and why are so many unredeemed left to be slain by the enemy? It had been better to preserve living vessels than gold ones.

138. To this no answer could be given. For what would you say: I feared that the temple of God would need its ornaments? He would answer: The sacraments need not gold, nor are they proper to gold only — for they are not bought with gold. The glory of the sacraments is the redemption of captives. Truly they are precious vessels, for they redeem men from death. That, indeed, is the true treasure of the Lord which effects what His blood effected. Then, indeed, is the vessel of the Lord’s blood recognized, when one sees in either redemption, so that the chalice redeems from the enemy those whom His blood redeemed from sin. How beautifully it is said, when long lines of captives are redeemed by the Church: These Christ has redeemed. Behold the gold that can be tried, behold the useful gold, behold the gold of Christ which frees from death, behold the gold whereby modesty is redeemed and chastity is preserved. – Ambrose, On the Duties of the Clergy, book 2, chapter 28

John Chrysostom:

For you are called faithful on this account, because you have faith in God, and yourself art entrusted from Him with righteousness, sanctification, cleansing of soul, adoption, the kingdom of heaven…. Do thou too who hast been called to a spiritual marriage, and to a royal banquet, consider what kind of raiment it would be right for you to buy, but rather there is not even need to purchase, yea he himself who calls you gives it you gratis, in order that you may not be able to plead poverty in excuse. Keep, therefore, the raiment which you received. For if you lose it, you will not be able to use it henceforth, or to buy it. For this kind of raiment is nowhere sold. – John Chrysostom, Instructions to Catechumens, First Instruction, paragraph 2

Apostolic Constitutions:

Let the bishop have the care of ecclesiastical revenues, and administer them as in the presence of God. But it is not lawful for him to appropriate any part of them to himself, or to give the things of God to his own kindred. But if they be poor, let him support them as poor; but let him not, under such pretences, alienate the revenues of the Church. – Apostolic Canon 39

For when Philip our fellow-apostle, by the gift of the Lord and the energy of His Spirit, performed the miracles of healing in Samaria, insomuch that the Samaritans were affected, and embraced the faith of the God of the universe, and of the Lord Jesus, and were baptized into His name; nay, and that Simon himself, when he saw the signs and wonders which were done without any magic ceremonies, fell into admiration, and believed, and was baptized, and continued in fasting and prayer — we heard of the grace of God which was among the Samaritans by Philip, and came down to them; and enlarging much upon the word of doctrine, we laid our hands upon all that were baptized, and we conferred upon them the participation of the Spirit. But when Simon saw that the Spirit was given to believers by the imposition of our hands, he took money, and offered it to us, saying, Give me also the power, that on whomsoever I also shall lay my hand, he may receive the Holy Ghost; Acts 8:19 being desirous that as the devil deprived Adam by his tasting of the tree of that immortality which was promised him, so also that Simon might entice us by the receiving of money, and might thereby cut us off from the gift of God, that so by exchange we might sell to him for money the inestimable gift of the Spirit. But as we were all troubled at this offer, I Peter, with a fixed attention on that malicious serpent which was in him, said to Simon: Let your money go with you to perdition, because you have thought to purchase the gift of God with money. You have no part in this matter, nor lot in this faith; for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I perceive you are in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity. But then Simon was terrified, and said: I entreat you, pray to the Lord for me, that none of those things which you have spoken come upon me. Acts 8:24 – Apostolic constitutions, book 6, section 2, chapter 7

Hilary of Poitiers:

Those selling doves—that is, the gifts of the Holy Spirit—are cast out of the temple. — He entered the temple, that is, the Church, by the entrance of the preaching delivered by Himself. And first, by rightful authority, He expels from it all the vices of the priestly ministry: for He had commanded that all things freely received should be freely given, and liberty in the giving of gifts should admit neither the buying nor selling of anything through priestly corruption. He overturned, moreover, the seats—especially of those selling doves. And what dignity is there in the marketplace of doves? Or what privilege is reserved in the trade of these birds, that those selling them should claim for themselves the honor of seats? But we always remind that the deeper meaning of words must be discerned in such signs. In the dove, according to the pattern of prophecy, we understand the Holy Spirit; in the seat, the office of the priesthood. Therefore, He overthrows the seats of those who treat the gift of the Holy Spirit as merchandise—those for whom the ministry committed by God has become a matter of commerce—recalling the authority of His warning, which is held in the prophet. For it is written: My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves. But it must not be thought that the Jews in the synagogue were truly able either to sell or to buy the Holy Spirit. For they had nothing whereby they might sell, nor was there anything that could be bought: but the words concern a foreshadowing of things to come, indicating that the vices of the Church must be purged at the very coming of the Lord’s glory. — Hilary of Poitiers, Commentary on Matthew, chapter 21, section 4. PL 9.1036C–1037A

Jerome:

But even the literal understanding edifies the hearer, namely, the point that the Lord was a man of such great poverty that he had no means of rendering the tribute for himself and the apostle. But if someone wants to object: But how is it that Judas carried money in a purse? We will respond that [Judas, at one time] thought it a crime to convert for private use what was meant for the poor, and likewise he set an example for us. – Jerome, Commentary on Matthew, Book 3.17.27

In the first place, we need to know that in accordance with the commandments of the Law, especially on feast days, innumerable sacrifices of bulls, rams, and goats were offered in the Temple of the Lord, which was the most venerated in the whole world. This took place when the Jewish people gathered there from nearly all countries. The poor offered the chicks of doves and turtle-doves,275 lest they should be without a sacrifice. Very often it came to pass that those who had come from afar did not have victims to sacrifice. Therefore, the priests thought out how they could plunder the people. They sold all kinds of sacrificial animals to anyone who needed them, that these people in turn could sell to those who did not have any. Thus they would receive back again what had been bought. The frequent lack of resources of those who came caused this contrivance of theirs to spread more widely. For the people lacked money for their expenses. Not only did they not have sacrifices, but they lacked the means to buy even birds and common small gifts. Consequently [the priests] stationed money-changers who exchanged the money at a high rate. Now it had been commanded in the Law that no one should take interest.276 Yet there was no advantage in loaning money that brought no profit, since sometimes it lost its capital. So they thought out another technique to make bankers (collybistas) out of the money-changers. The Latin language does not express the proper meaning of this word. Among the Jews collyba refers to what we call desserts, or common little gifts, for example, chilled chickpea and raisins and fruit of various kinds. Well, since the collybistae, who had lent money at interest, were unable to receive interest, they received various kinds of things in place of interest. Their aim was to exact by means of these things that are purchased with coins that which was not lawful to exact in coin. As if Ezekiel had not warned in advance about this very thing when he said: “You will not receive interest and superabundance”!277 The Lord, seeing this kind of business, or rather thievery, going on in the Father’s house, was stirred up by the ardor of his spirit in accordance with what was written in the sixty-eighth Psalm: “The zeal of your house has consumed me.”278 He made a whip for himself from cords,279 and he ejected from the Temple a very great multitude of men, saying: “It is written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” For a man is a thief, and converts the Temple of God into a den of thieves, who seeks after financial gain from religion. His worship is not so much the worship of God as a pretext for business. – Jerome, Commentary on Matthew, 3.21.12–13

“The zeal of your house has consumed me.” He made a whip for himself from cords, and he ejected from the Temple a very great multitude of men, saying: “It is written: ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.’” For a man is a thief, and converts the Temple of God into a den of thieves, who seeks after financial gain from religion. His worship is not so much the worship of God as a pretext for business. The foregoing has been said as pertaining to the historical narrative. But according to the mystical understanding, Jesus daily enters the Temple of the Father and expels from his own Church all such bishops, priests, and deacons, as well as laymen and the whole crowd. He holds them all guilty of a single crime, namely, of selling and buying. For it is written: “Freely you have received, freely give.” He also overturns the tables of the money-changers. Observe that on account of the greed of the priests the altars of God are called the tables of the money-changers. And he overturns the seats of those selling doves, that is, of those who sell the grace of the Holy Spirit and who do everything in order to devour the people subject to them. Of these it is said: “Those who devour my people as they eat bread.” According to the simple understanding, the doves were not on the seats but in cages, unless perhaps the salesmen of the doves were sitting on the seats, which is completely absurd, since in the “seats” of the teachers, greater dignity is indicated. But this dignity is reduced to nothing since it is mixed with profits. Now let each one understand also concerning himself what we have said about the churches. For the apostle Paul says: “You are the temple of God, and the Holy Spirit dwells in you.” May there not be business in the house of our heart. May there not be the commerce of selling and buying. May there not be desire for donations, lest an angry and stern Jesus enter and cleanse his own temple in no other way but with a whip that he administers in order to make a house of prayer out of a den of thieves and a house of business. Jerome, Commentary on Matthew, 3.21.12–13

“Those who should have converted to repentance and sought the risen Jesus persevere in their malice. They convert the money that had been given for the Temple’s use into a payment for a falsehood, just as they had previously given thirty pieces of silver to Judas the betrayer. Therefore, all who misappropriate the donations of the Temple and those that are given for church use for other matters by which they satisfy their own will, are like the scribes and priests who purchased a falsehood and who paid money for the Savior’s blood.” Jerome, Commentary on Matthew, Book 4.28.12-14

10.7–8. “Now as you go, preach, saying that the kingdom of heaven is at hand; cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons; freely you have received, freely give.” Lest it turn out that no one believe these rustic men, unschooled and illiterate, and lacking the charm of eloquence, who are promising the kingdom of heaven, he gives them power: “Cure the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Thus the greatness of the signs will prove the greatness of the promises. And because spiritual gifts are always demeaned if wages intervene, he adds a condemnation of avarice: “Freely you have received, freely give.” I, your Teacher and Lord, gave this to you free of charge, and you are to give free of charge, lest the grace of the Gospel be corrupted.

10.9–10. “Do not possess gold or silver or money in your belts, no wallet for the journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor a staff in your hand; for the worker is worthy of his food.” This command is consistent with what he had previously said to the evangelizers of the truth: “Freely you have received, freely give.” For if they preach in such a way that they do not accept pay, the possession of gold and silver coins is superfluous. For if they had gold and silver, they would seem to be preaching not for the sake of human salvation but rather for the sake of gain. “Nor copper in your sacks.” He who decapitates wealth practically cuts off what is necessary for life. Thus the apostles, the teachers of the true religion, who were instructing that all things are governed by providence, show that they themselves take no thought for tomorrow. “No wallet for the journey.” By this precept he convicts the philosophers who are commonly called “Bactroperitae,” because, as despisers of the world, they considered all things as nothing and took the pantry along with them. We should have one set of clothes and should not keep another set for ourselves out of fear for the future. “Nor sandals.” Even Plato commands that the two extremities of the body are not to be covered nor should they be accustomed to the softness of cap and shoes. For when these are tough, the other parts are tougher. “Nor staff.” Since we have the Lord’s help, why should we seek the aid of a staff? He had sent the apostles to preach when they were stripped, so to speak, and unencumbered, so that the condition of the teachers seemed to be hard. Now he has tempered the severity of the command with the following judgment, saying: “The worker is worthy of his food.” Receive, he says, only as much as is necessary for yourselves by way of food and clothing. For this reason the apostle also repeats this: “Having food and clothes, we are content with these”; and in another passage: “But let the one who is instructed share in every good thing with him who instructs.” Thus as the disciples reap spiritual things, they make their teachers sharers in their own material things. This is done not out of greed but out of necessity. We have said these things at the level of historical interpretation. But there is a lesson at the level of the anagogical interpretation. He says that it is not permitted to teachers to possess gold, silver, and money in their belts. Now we often read “gold” for “thought,” “silver” for “speech,” and “copper” for “voice.” It is not permitted to us to receive these things from others. Rather, they should be possessed as things given from the Lord. Nor is it permitted to take up the disciplines of perverted teaching from the heretics and philosophers; nor to be weighed down by a secular paycheck, nor to be double- minded. – Jerome, Commentary on Matthew 10.7–10

John Chrysostom 

“For we are not as the rest, which corrupt the word of God.” 2 Corinthians 2:17 ‘For even if we use great sounding words, yet we declared nothing to be our own that we achieved, but all Christ’s. For we will not imitate the false apostles; the men who say that most is of themselves.’ For this is “to corrupt,” when one adulterates the wine; when one sells for money what he ought to give freely. For he seems to me to be here both taunting them in respect to money, and again hinting at the very thing I have said, as that they mingle their own things with God’s; which is the charge Isaiah brings when he said, “Your vintners mingle wine with water:” Isaiah 1:22 for even if this was said of wine, yet one would not err in expounding it of doctrine too. “But we,” says he, “do not so: but such as we have been entrusted with, such do we offer you, pouring out the word undiluted.” Whence he added, “But as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.” – John Chrysostom, Homily 5 on Second Corinthians

Chromatius of Aquileia:

1. When our Lord and Savior entered into the temple of the Jews and saw the illicit business being carried out, namely the selling of sheep, oxen, and doves, and money changers sitting there, as your love has heard in today’s reading [see Matt 21:12–13; John 2:13–15], he made a whip out of cords21 and expelled them all, and he overturned the chairs of those selling, saying to them, “My house shall be called a house of prayer; but you have made it a house of merchandise” [Matt 21:13; John 2:16]. The Jews were unmindful of the divine religion and faith. They made the temple of God a house of merchandise, and that is why they were all expelled. But they were expelled with a whip made of cords. Solomon plainly shows what is signified in the whip made of cords when he says, “And a threefold rope is not easily broken” [Eccl 4:12]. Doubtless in the threefold rope the Trinity is shown, which cannot be broken apart, since faith in the Trinity is incorruptible.22 Frequently the heretics have attempted to corrupt this faith, as far as lies within them; but they have corrupted only themselves. But the faith in the Trinity necessarily should abide incorrupt. And on that account Solomon says well, “A threefold rope will not be corrupted” [Eccl 4:12].

2. All then who act contrary to law are expelled from the temple with a whip of this sort made of cords because all who conduct themselves illicitly are condemned by no other judgment than that of the Trinity. And this is why the chairs of those selling doves are overturned, who seemed to be teaching the people while sitting on chairs, as if occupying the priestly rank. The chairs of the synagogue were overturned so that the chairs of the church would be sanctified in Christ. For the priestly office was taken away from the synagogue and given to the church. For the synagogue no longer deserved to possess the priestly office because it did not receive the chief priest himself, Christ the Lord. But let us see, or rather, beware lest any among us be found to be like this, who distributes sheep or oxen or doves in the Lord’s temple. He sells sheep, who judges innocent one who pays coin. He sells oxen, who disperses the grace of God for an accepted price, though it is written, “Freely you have received, freely give” [Matt 10:8]. Whence even now money changers, namely those who reckon that God’s work must be done for a wage, are shown to be overturned in the temple.

3. The church indeed is called a “house of merchandise,” but of spiritual merchandise, where not earthly but heavenly money is lent on interest; it is not the interest of earthly coin that is acquired but interest of the heavenly kingdom. After all, we read the statement of the Lord in the gospel: “And why did you not give the money to the table of the money changers and I would have come and surely collected it back with interest” [Matt 25:27]. Daily therefore the money of the divine word, heavenly doctrine, is lent to us on interest in the Lord’s church, and we do business with it well if we return it to the Lord with the profit of salvation and faith. In fact the apostles traded solely with this money, so that they gained the entire world for God.  – Chromatius of Aquileia, Sermon 4, chapters 1-3

Cyril of Alexandria:

What happened was a figure: that, once the Jews were cast out of the temple along with their typological sacrifices, the blind and the lame were healed—those who represented the Gentiles. But let those who sell know also—those who trade in the gifts of the Spirit and the priesthood—that the Lord drove out from the temple those selling doves, whipping them, and let them cease amassing wealth for themselves from ordinations. — Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on Matthew 21:14

Isidore of Pelusium:

You will need to reply to the searching enquirer. For he speaks, it is said, to the ears of those who hear. Also “He who has ears to hear, let him hear”. Our Lord said, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade” to the sellers of doves, but with the priests who sell off the gifts of the Holy Spirit in mind. Since the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of a dove, this is an insult to those who trade in God. As for ‘’Take these away from here”, he means that there is no longer any need for blood (sacrifices); for I grant bloodless forgiveness of sins; from now on I wish the Spirit alone to make propitiation. The law of flesh is fulfilled, let the law of the Spirit prevail, and that of salvation commence. – Isidore of Pelusium, LETTER 106 – To Timothy the Reader. On the saying, “Do not make my Father’s house a house of trade”

“You are building the church fabric with useless stones, with lawless or rather with your impious resources. For you received the price of priesthood, as one who sells priestly office, and you gave this to Zosimos. The news is thus being spread throughout the entire area, so that both ears of all who hear it are buzzing.” – Isidore of Pelusium, LETTER 113 – To the Same, That he has sold the priesthood for payment.

Selling Baptisms:

We recently made a video about Simon Magus where we explained that Simony Magus invented the sin of Simony, which is the buying of the gifts of God with money, and we mentioned that both the Orthodox and Catholics committed this sin in the past. There were many Orthodox commenters throwing a fit over this accusation, as if we were insinuating even the Orthodox had done this in the past. So let us speak with more exactness: The Orthodox church STILL practices the sin of Simony to this day. Even now, they charge catechumens money to be baptized.

Orthodox Church Simony:

Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church

They emphasize “stewardship” again (i.e. making the regular payments).

1. Be sure that your stewardship has been paid in full for this year and last year. Please contact the Church Office to ensure that your stewardship is up to date.
2. If you are not a member of Saint Mark, there is a $600 Church usage fee (which includes the chanter and custodial fee) that must be paid prior to the Baptism.

Catholic Church Simony:

Catholic Answers:

Why Fees for Sacramental Services?

“Why do parishes charge a fee for weddings and baptisms? I think it should be voluntary, but my parish is asking for a specific amount.”

Parishes set specific amounts for weddings, baptisms, and other sacramental services because many Catholics, left to their own devices, can be less than generous in the amounts they give to the parishes for use of the church and stipends for priests. Stipends are a necessary means of support for priests.

St. Patrick Catholic Church (San Diego, CA):

The baptism Stipend is $180 per child, it can be paid online Baptism payment

St. Timothy Catholic Church (Los Angeles, CA):

The Rite of Baptism is the first step in the initiation of a Catholic. It is the gateway to the Holy Spirit and for all other sacraments. Our community welcomes our new family members. At the celebration of Baptism, we witness the love, dedication, and commitment of the parents and godparents.

​Our baptisms are private and are held on Saturdays. Fee is $300.

Surfer’s Paradise Catholic Parish (Australia):

Once the online baptism form has been received, our Baptism Coordinator will provide details for preparation for the Sacrament of Baptism and requirements for booking the Baptism Celebration day. The cost for each baptism is $130.

St Brigid’s Catholic Parish Nerang (Australia):

Baptism is the first sacrament. It incorporates us into the Church and through it we are ‘reborn’ as daughters and sons of God. Baptism is performed by immersion in or pouring of water and the words ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit’.

You can settle the minimal baptism fee of $100 per child through the payment gateway BPOINT safe and secure once you have submitted all the requirements.

Holy Family Church (Artesia, CA):

$25 for registered parishioners, $35 for non-registered

St. Vincent DePaul Catholic Church (Los Angeles, CA):

$60 donation

St Peter – Our Lady of Victory Parish (New York, NY):

$500 donation

Old St. Mary’s (Chicago, IL):

Customary offering of $100

Saint Mary Magdalen Parish (Wilmington, DE):

Suggested honorarium of $75

Wicked Excuses:

Debate Questions:

Would it be a sin to charge a fee at the time of an exorcism? Why?

Would it be a sin to charge a fee at the time of receiving the eucharist? Why?