Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus commands the disciples to not only heal and cast out demons, but to give freely because they received their abilities without cost. This emphasizes that their power wasn't earned or bought, but a pure gift to be shared without expectation of payment, a radical departure from how the world often operates.
Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples on a specific mission to the people of Israel, instructing them to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. He grants them authority to perform miraculous signs, like healing and casting out demons, to authenticate their message. They are to go without provisions, trusting God for their needs, and in this first mission, they are explicitly told to give these spiritual gifts freely, just as they received them from Jesus.
Jesus unleashes supernatural power through his disciples. What were these incredible acts meant to accomplish, and why these specific ones?
Jesus commissions His disciples with extraordinary abilities: healing the sick, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, and casting out demons. These aren't just random acts of power; they directly confront the deepest human suffering and the grip of evil.
Demonstrating God's Kingdom
These miracles weren't for show; they were signs, authenticating the disciples' message and giving tangible proof that God's kingdom was breaking into the world.
Jesus gives His disciples powerful gifts, but there's a crucial instruction on how they are to be used. What does 'freely you have received, freely give' truly mean?
Ask a follow-up
The second part of the verse lays down a foundational principle for ministry: 'You received without paying; give without pay.' This isn't about forbidding a basic livelihood for ministers, but about the spirit and source of their actions.
Receiving from God's Grace
This principle guards against turning spiritual gifts into a commodity or a business. While supporting those who serve is legitimate (as Paul discusses in 1 Corinthians 9), the primary motivation and mode of operation for spiritual work must be rooted in freely received grace.
Understand the original words
therapeuo · Greek Verb
The exercise of divine power to restore health or wholeness to those suffering from physical or spiritual infirmity. It serves as a sign of the kingdom's arrival.
lepros · Greek Noun/Adjective
Refers to a state of ritual impurity under the Old Testament law. Cleansing represented the restoration of the individual to the community of God's people and the removing of signs of judgment or decay.
daimonion · Greek Noun
Spiritual beings, opposed to God, who influence or possess individuals. Casting them out demonstrates the superior authority of the kingdom of God over the powers of darkness.
This instruction from Jesus was given during a specific, initial mission to the Jewish people. The command to give 'freely' emphasizes that the miraculous power received was a gift from God, not to be commercialized, a principle that continued to guide the early church's ministry even as their mission expanded.
c. 27-30 AD— this verse
Jesus commissions the Twelve
Jesus empowers and sends out his twelve disciples on a specific mission throughout Judea, focusing on the 'lost sheep of the house of Israel'. They are instructed to proclaim the nearness of the Kingdom of Heaven and to perform miracles. This event is the immediate context for the instruction in Matthew 10:8.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus' public ministry
During Jesus' earthly ministry, he performed numerous miracles of healing, casting out demons, and even raising the dead, demonstrating his divine authority and compassion. The disciples witnessed and participated in these powerful acts.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' death and resurrection
The pivotal events of Jesus' crucifixion and subsequent resurrection validate his claims and ministry. This event marks a turning point, leading to the expansion of the Gospel message beyond Israel.
c. 30-33 AD
Early days of the Church
Following Jesus' ascension, the disciples continued to preach and perform miracles, now with a broader commission to reach all nations. The foundational principles of their ministry, including reliance on God's provision, were established.
c. 40s-60s AD
Apostolic missions and writings
The apostles, including Paul, traveled extensively, spreading the Gospel and establishing churches. Their letters (epistles) provide further instruction on ministry, ethics, and the proper stewardship of spiritual gifts, reflecting on the principles Jesus first laid out.
This passage shows Jesus giving his disciples power and authority over diseases and demons, mirroring the specific commands in Matthew 10:8 and highlighting the supernatural empowerment for their mission.
1 Corinthians 9:14Paul reinforces the principle of 'freely give' by stating that the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to live from the gospel, affirming the disciples' right to support while emphasizing the gratuitous nature of the spiritual gifts themselves.
Isaiah 55:1-2This prophetic passage from Isaiah speaks of God's invitation to 'come, buy wine and milk without money and without price,' echoing the 'freely give' principle by illustrating God's abundant, unearned provision that should be shared freely.
Acts 3:6Peter's healing of the lame man at the temple gate, stating 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk,' directly embodies the command to give freely, as he offered a miraculous healing without any financial expectation.
1 Timothy 6:10This verse warns that 'the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,' serving as a caution against the temptation to turn spiritual gifts into a financial enterprise, which directly relates to Jesus' instruction to give freely because they received without cost.
barnesMatthew 10:8: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."
Freely ye have received, freely give - That is, they were not to sell their favors of healing, preaching, etc. They were not to make a money-making business of it, to bargain specifically to heal for so much, and to cast out devils for so much. This, however, neither then nor afterward precluded them from receiving a competent support. See Luke 10:7 ; 1 Corinthians 9:8-14 ;…
meyerMatthew 10:8: "Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give."
Matthew 10:8-9 . Δωρεὰν … δότε ] with reference to the miraculous gifts just mentioned, not to the teaching , for which, as a matter of course, nothing was to be asked in return except the bare necessaries of life, Matthew 10:10 ( 1 Corinthians 9:4 ff.). ἐλάβετε ] refers back to Matthew 10:1 . μὴ κτήσησθε ] you must not provide for yourselves . The girdle , which holds toget…
Jesus commands the disciples to not only heal and cast out demons, but to give freely because they received their abilities without cost. This emphasizes that their power wasn't earned or bought, but a pure gift to be shared without expectation of payment, a radical departure from how the world often operates.
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples on a specific mission to the people of Israel, instructing them to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. He grants them authority to perform miraculous signs, like healing and casting out demons, to authenticate their message. They are to go without provisions, trusting God for their needs, and in this first mission, they are explicitly told to give these spiritual gifts freely, just as they received them from Jesus.
Jesus is sending out his twelve disciples on a specific mission to the people of Israel, instructing them to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. He grants them authority to perform miraculous signs, like healing and casting out demons, to authenticate their message. They are to go without provisions, trusting God for their needs, and in this first mission, they are explicitly told to give these spiritual gifts freely, just as they received them from Jesus.
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, cast out demons. You received without paying; give without pay." — Jesus commands the disciples to not only heal and cast out demons, but to give freely because they received their abilities without cost. This emphasizes that their power wasn't earned or bought, but…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026