Matthew 10:8
“Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.”
King James Version (KJV)
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As Jesus sends out the twelve apostles, He gives them authority to continue His ministry and instructs them on the spirit in which to serve.
What Does Matthew 10:8 Mean?
Jesus commissions His apostles to extend His own works of mercy and to give as freely as they have received. The four commands -- heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils -- mirror the very ministry Jesus has been performing, showing that He is sharing His authority and compassion with His followers. These are acts of restoration, lifting the burdens of disease, isolation, death, and bondage. Then comes the governing principle: "freely ye have received, freely give." Everything the apostles carry is gift, not earnings -- the gospel, the power, the calling all came to them by grace. So they are to dispense it without charge, without making merchandise of God's mercy. The verse guards against turning sacred ministry into personal profit and roots all Christian service in gratitude. We give generously because we ourselves have been generously given to. This is the rhythm of the kingdom: grace received becomes grace shared. Whatever good God places in our hands is meant to flow onward to others freely, as freely as it came to us.
In the Original Language
The Greek dorean, translated "freely," means as a gift, without payment, underscoring that the apostles' ministry was both received and given by grace.
Cross References
“Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.”
- Acts 3:6
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
“And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.”
- Matthew 10:1
Application
Share generously whatever God has given you -- mercy, time, gifts, the good news -- without seeking payment, because it all came to you as grace.