Selling Jesus

sellingjesus.org
  • 5.0 (10)
  • Christianity
  • Monthly

We want to highlight and exalt the radical generosity of God’s heart, confront the commercialization of Christianity, promote the biblical teaching that ministry should be supported but never sold, explore the history of how we've gotten to this point where it's a respectable sin to monetize ministry, and take a deep dive in the Scripture’s teaching on the subject. Our evangelical cultural moment has a serious blind spot in this area, and we hope to be a voice of reform. And our priority is to take seriously what Jesus commanded in Matthew 10:8: “Freely you have received; freely give.”

  1. 2d ago

    Parachurch Problems in the 13th Century - Conley Owens

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens tells how 13th-century friars took over the University of Paris, preaching and begging outside the church's offices. Following William of St. Amour, Wycliffe and Calvin, he argues that the right to support belongs to the office, with lessons for today's parachurch ministries. (00:00) The rise of the friars in 13th-century Paris (05:13) Friars take over the university chairs (08:06) Apocalyptic fears and William of St. Amour (10:51) The right to receive comes with the office (20:36) Wycliffe, Tyndale, and Calvin carry the argument (23:57) Today's parachurch ministries Learn more: https://2026.doreancon.org/ https://simony.info/ https://sellingjesus.org/

    Parachurch Problems in the 13th Century - Conley Owens

  2. 4d ago

    Seminary Tuition in the 13th Century - Conley Owens

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens shows how the first universities treated theological teaching as something that could not be sold. From medieval Paris to Aquinas, Wycliffe and Luther, he argues that charging tuition for the teaching of theology is simony, and only recently became acceptable. (00:00) Seminary tuition is simony (01:33) The first universities and Lombard's Sentences (05:38) Paris: selling teaching licenses (10:07) Teaching theology must be free (14:43) Aquinas, Paludanus, and Auriol (18:16) Wycliffe and Luther Learn more: https://2026.doreancon.org/ https://simony.info/ https://sellingjesus.org/

    Seminary Tuition in the 13th Century - Conley Owens

  3. 6d ago

    Spiritual Words: The Problem with Selling Teaching - Conley Owens

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens explains why the sin of Simon Magus is still with us: biblical teaching is words taught by the Spirit, so selling it is simony. He applies this to counseling, conferences, seminaries, and books sold under copyright. (00:00) "Simony doesn't exist anymore" (02:35) Recap: what a spiritual thing is (03:53) Why selling biblical teaching is simony (07:25) Stewards of the mysteries of God (11:41) Counseling, conferences, and seminaries (13:52) Books and copyright Learn more: https://2026.doreancon.org/ https://simony.info/ https://sellingjesus.org/

    Spiritual Words: The Problem with Selling Teaching - Conley Owens

  4. Oct 23

    The Sin of Simon Magus - Michael Coughlin

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Michael Coughlin walks through Acts 8, where Simon the sorcerer offers money for the apostles' power and Peter rebukes him. His goal is that we would hate simony as God does, seeing how it devalues God, while holding out real hope of forgiveness. (00:00) The goal: hate simony (01:06) Acts 8: Simon the sorcerer believes (13:13) Simon's offer and Peter's rebuke (24:37) God does not use graceless ministers (40:21) Simony devalues God (45:59) Forgiveness, repentance, and free givers Learn more: https://2026.doreancon.org/ https://simony.info/ https://sellingjesus.org/

    The Sin of Simon Magus - Michael Coughlin

  5. Oct 21

    The Need For Retrieval - Doreancon 2026 Session 1

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens opens Doreancon 2026 by explaining what simony is and why the church has nearly forgotten it, tracing how the doctrine rose through the early church and Middle Ages and faded after the Reformation. He argues it's time to retrieve it, and explains why Protestants can still learn from the medieval sources that addressed it. (00:00) What simony is, and why it's forgotten (01:10) The early church: God's word goes out freely (02:34) How simony spread through the Middle Ages (07:22) The Reformation began over simony (08:33) Five reasons the doctrine faded (12:25) Why we can learn from medieval sources Learn more: https://2026.doreancon.org/ https://simony.info/ https://sellingjesus.org/

    The Need For Retrieval - Doreancon 2026 Session 1

  6. Oct 19

    Doreancon Post-Debate Analysis with Q&A

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info (00:00) Opening remarks and debate analysis (10:41) Why leave out the Didache? It warns that one who talks much about money is a false prophet. (12:20) If this must be approached from a Reformed perspective, what stops a Roman Catholic from doing the same? (13:59) If a heretical group co-opted the Dorean principle, would you still rejoice? (14:43) The debate centered on obligation. How relevant is that to the Dorean principle and simony? (18:22) Tanner said you can't buy prayer but you can buy books. What exactly is “the gift of God”? (21:13) Which arguments carry the most weight, yet a layman may agree without seeing what they imply? (28:14) How do you decide whether something is truly a gray area, without binding consciences? (35:55) Many dismiss this as too complicated to discern. How do we graciously prod them into the discussion? (39:38) Are Reformed Baptist associations an ideal replacement for much of what seminaries do? (online question) (41:15) How would you advise someone already under contract not to share their content freely? (47:44) Is simony the unforgivable sin? Can someone who monetizes ministry be forgiven? (50:50) Jesus taught through stories. Would you repackage this to be more palatable to the public? (56:48) Someone accepts the Dorean principle but says calling violations “simony” goes too far. How do you answer? (1:00:16) Jesus called anger in the heart murder. Can simony likewise be narrowed to a sin of the heart? (1:04:25) Cruises with a gospel presentation: is there a morally permissible way to do them? Learn more: https://2026.doreancon.org/ https://simony.info/ https://sellingjesus.org/

    Doreancon Post-Debate Analysis with Q&A

  7. Oct 16

    Debate: Is the Sale of Biblical Instruction Simony?

    Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info. In this debate, Conley Owens defends the proposition that the sale of biblical instruction is simony, the sin named after Simon Magus’s attempt to purchase spiritual power in Acts 8. Tanner challenges that conclusion, arguing that payment for a teacher’s finite labor does not necessarily constitute the sale of God’s gifts. Both affirm that ministers should receive financial support and that spiritual blessings must not be sold. Their disagreement concerns where that boundary lies and how Scripture teaches us to identify it. This was the pre-conference event from Doreancon 2026. Learn more at https://doreancon.org. CHAPTERS (00:00) Welcome & introduction (03:36) Affirmative opening – Conley Owens (12:09) Cross-examination of the affirmative (18:52) Negative opening – Tanner Cartwright (27:36) Cross-examination of the negative (33:43) Affirmative rebuttal – Conley Owens (39:25) Negative rebuttal & closing – Tanner Cartwright (45:48) Affirmative closing – Conley Owens (50:17) Audience Q&A (51:14) Q&A: How do you interpret Romans 15:27 and its language of debt and reciprocity? (53:01) Q&A: If sharing the gospel is just planting a seed, why is selling the gospel forbidden? (59:06) Q&A: Philippians 1:15–18: why does motive matter, as long as Christ is proclaimed? (59:56) Q&A: Tim Keller's church sold his sermons online. Was that sinful? (1:02:54) Q&A: If selling at cost is simony, who should cover the costs? (1:07:23) Q&A: In 1 Corinthians 9:11–12, why assume Paul's rhetorical questions expect “no”? (1:08:44) Q&A: If the answer is “yes, it is too much,” doesn't that undercut your case? (1:13:55) Q&A: What is the difference between reciprocity and co-labor? (1:18:04) Q&A: Does prayer take labor? Would it be wrong to charge for prayer? (1:24:18) Q&A: If a 25¢ counseling e-book isn't a holy thing, what am I buying? (1:25:57) Q&A: Is it simony to sell Bibles at different prices for nicer editions? (1:26:37) Q&A: Is it simony to sell gospel tracts to Christians who give them away for free? (1:30:32) Q&A: You've never charged an unbeliever for a tract, correct? (1:31:03) Q&A: Isn't requiring attribution sometimes useful, e.g. to catch outdated copies of a translation? (1:33:56) Q&A: What does Numbers 18:21–31 teach about the Levites' tithe? (1:37:44) Q&A: What is 2 Corinthians 2:17 (“peddlers of God's word”) commanding us? (1:40:17) Q&A: Is a $25 book different from the same book at $100? (1:43:01) Q&A: Am I duty bound to drop out of seminary? What if my church is paying for it? (1:44:25) Q&A: How is “redeeming the vexation” any different in practice? (1:44:43) Q&A: How do book profits actually let someone like Joel Beeke do more ministry? (1:46:20) Q&A: How should those profits be used? (1:47:50) Q&A: Is a $100 book still simony if the author gets no royalty? (1:48:22) Q&A: If copyright is fake, is the content really being sold? (1:49:28) Q&A: Should Christians just copy the books they already own? (1:52:41) Q&A: If planting is God's means of growth, isn't selling the means selling the Spirit's work? (1:56:42) Q&A: So simony depends on obligation, not on what's sold: face to face no, online yes? (2:00:16) Q&A: So the question is whether I'd neglect an obligation for money? (2:01:52) Q&A: What are real, modern examples of simony? (2:04:56) Q&A: Is teaching theology at a tuition-charging school simony? (2:05:44) Q&A: Between your 17 children, whose bedtime Bible stories are free? (2:06:54) Q&A: Why is a believer obligated to the person on the street, but not to a website visitor? (2:08:46) Q&A: Isn't publishing a book online an implicit request to share the gospel? (2:10:26) Q&A: Is a paid Alistair Begg cruise simony, and is buying a ticket simony too? (2:18:12) Q&A: Is giving the Lord's Supper before baptism simony? (2:19:24) Q&A: Would you call these practices something other than “the sin of Simon”?

    Debate: Is the Sale of Biblical Instruction Simony?

  8. Sep 29

    The Myth of Institutional Innocence

    A chapter from God's Word Is Not Bound. ⁠Read the text.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Get the free book.⁠ In this episode, we examine the idea that Christian organizations are immune to temptations common to man.Drawing on decades of firsthand testimony and documented scandals, we examine the darker side of Christian publishing, from ruthless business practices and corporate profiteering to ghostwriting, manufactured celebrity, fake bestseller campaigns, and the commodification of the Church. We consider how the desire for money, influence, and a seat at the table keeps many silent, while the presence of genuinely godly people lends credibility to institutions whose practices contradict the teachings of Christ. Can good intentions or charitable donations justify dishonest and exploitative methods? And why have we entrusted the exclusive control of God's Word to an industry plagued by these very problems? Ultimately, we confront the ancient sin of simony in its modern forms and call the Church to reject institutional idolatry, expose corruption, and recover the biblical command to freely give what God has freely given. The same institutional corruption has profound implications for Bible translation, where publishers and translation organizations claim exclusive control over Scripture through copyright, licensing restrictions, and commercial distribution. When God's Word becomes an institutional asset to be protected, monetized, and controlled, the Church must ask whether these organizations are worthy of this sacred trust.

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We want to highlight and exalt the radical generosity of God’s heart, confront the commercialization of Christianity, promote the biblical teaching that ministry should be supported but never sold, explore the history of how we've gotten to this point where it's a respectable sin to monetize ministry, and take a deep dive in the Scripture’s teaching on the subject. Our evangelical cultural moment has a serious blind spot in this area, and we hope to be a voice of reform. And our priority is to take seriously what Jesus commanded in Matthew 10:8: “Freely you have received; freely give.”

Information

  • Creator
    sellingjesus.org
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    78
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © sellingjesus.org
  • Show Website
    Selling Jesus

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