What does “freely you have received, freely give” mean (Matthew 10:8)?

Matthew 10:8 is part of Jesus’ instructions to His twelve apostles as He sends them out two-by-two to minister to others. Jesus begins, “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:5–8, NKJV).

At this juncture in His ministry, Jesus told the Twelve to limit their mission to Jewish communities. As God’s chosen people, the Jews would have the right, privilege, and opportunity to hear and respond to this latest and most complete revelation from God before anyone else in the world. When Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give,” He was echoing what the Jewish rabbis had long taught their students. The law required rabbis to give their teachings without charge and absolutely forbade them to take payment for teaching the law, which Moses had received freely from God.

In all His instructions in Matthew 10, Jesus was saying what would have been familiar to the Jews. The Talmud and Mishnah commanded worshipers not to enter the temple mount with a staff, shoes, a bag of money, or dusty feet. Jesus reiterates this idea in Matthew 10:9–10. The underlying principle was for a person to understand that, when he entered the temple, he was leaving behind everything related to the world. Jesus was teaching His disciples to be servants of God’s kingdom. The entire world was God’s temple, and His servants must never give the impression that they are out for personal gain or profit.

Freely you have received refers to the fact that the disciples had been given precious spiritual gifts of blessing and power from Jesus at no charge or merit of their own (see Isaiah 55:1; John 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12; Ephesians 1:3). Jesus applies the principle of the rabbis, instructing the Twelve to share the spiritual gifts and powers they have received freely. These divine blessings and abilities included healing the sick, performing miracles, cleansing lepers, raising the dead, casting out demons, and sharing the message of the kingdom. The disciples were not to hold on to these gifts, expecting some compensation, but to pass them on unreservedly.

The apostle Paul emphasized the principle of giving as freely as he had received (see 1 Corinthians 9:18; 2 Corinthians 11:7). Paul embraced the privilege of sharing with others the riches God had given him and that he had received from the Lord without cost.

With the words, “Freely you have received,” Jesus reminds His followers that everything they possess, both spiritually and materially, is a result of God’s grace and generosity, and not personal achievement (Ephesians 2:8–9). The disciples had done nothing to earn or deserve all they had received from the Lord. They had been given acceptance, power, and spiritual authority freely from Jesus. Therefore, Jesus commanded them to “freely give,” to share those gifts with others in the same spirit of generosity (see also Proverbs 11:24–25; Luke 6:38; 2 Corinthians 9:6–8). They were to help others without expecting payment or reward, reflecting the way they themselves had received God’s blessings. Jesus encouraged selfless service, openheartedness, and humility.

Believers today are called to serve others freely, as Jesus taught His first twelve disciples. This idea does not imply that Christian ministers should never be compensated for their work (see Matthew 10:10; 1 Corinthians 9:7–9, 14; 1 Timothy 5:17–18). Instead, it calls us to recognize that everything we have comes from the Lord—material wealth, spiritual gifts for ministry, time, the rich truth of the gospel, and the authority we have in Christ—and is meant to be shared with others. We’ve done nothing to earn these things. They are all gracious gifts from the Father, given primarily so we might use them to further His kingdom. Recognizing that every good thing comes from God leads us to a humble attitude in ministry and life.

“Freely you have received, freely give” in Matthew 10:8 is a poignant reminder to give to others as generously as God has given to us, always being willing to extend grace, forgiveness, love, and truth to others. God’s Word calls us to selfless sharing, personal humility, and a commitment to benefiting others without expecting anything in return.