Overview
"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." — Matthew 6:24 BSB
Simony is the practice of buying or selling spiritual gifts, offices, or sacraments for personal profit or gain. The term derives from Simon the sorcerer in Acts, who attempted to purchase the power of the Holy Spirit with money. This false teaching represents a fundamental corruption of the Gospel, transforming sacred spiritual blessings into commodities to be bought and sold like worldly goods. The practice directly contradicts the free grace of God and the sacrificial work of Christ, reducing eternal salvation and spiritual authority to matters of monetary transaction. Throughout Christian history, simony has represented one of the most dangerous perversions of biblical truth, treating what is priceless as if it were for sale.
Biblical Account
The clearest biblical account of simony appears in the book of Acts, where Simon, a man who had practiced sorcery, encountered the apostles and attempted to purchase spiritual authority. When Peter and John laid hands on believers to impart the Holy Spirit, Simon was amazed and offered them money. "Give me this power as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." — Acts 8:19 BSB. Peter's response was severe and unambiguous: "Your money perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!" — Acts 8:20 BSB. Peter further declared, "I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and bound by the chains of iniquity." — Acts 8:23 BSB. This account demonstrates that attempting to commercialize spiritual gifts is not merely a business practice but a serious spiritual transgression that offends God directly. Simon's sin was not seeking the power itself, but believing that divine authority could be purchased like ordinary merchandise.
Theological Significance
Simony strikes at the heart of biblical theology by denying the fundamental nature of grace. Salvation, spiritual gifts, and ecclesiastical authority are not commodities purchased through human wealth but are given freely by God according to His will and mercy. "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast." — Ephesians 2:8-9 BSB. The practice also directly contradicts Christ's instruction to His disciples: "Freely you have received; freely give." — Matthew 10:8 BSB. This principle establishes that those who have received spiritual blessings from God must share them without demanding payment. Furthermore, simony reveals a heart condition where earthly wealth is valued above heavenly treasure, violating Jesus's clear teaching about divided loyalty. The commercialization of spiritual things demonstrates a love of money that Scripture explicitly warns against, making simony not merely an improper transaction but a manifestation of deeper spiritual corruption rooted in greed and the desire for earthly gain.
Key Bible Verses
- Acts 8:18-20 BSB — Simon offered money to purchase the power to impart the Holy Spirit, and Peter declared his money would perish because he thought the gift of God could be obtained with money.
- Matthew 10:8 BSB — Jesus commanded His disciples to heal the sick, raise the dead, and cast out demons freely, as they had freely received these powers.
- 1 Timothy 6:10 BSB — The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, and some have wandered from the faith in pursuit of it.
- 1 Peter 5:2-3 BSB — Elders are commanded to shepherd God's flock not for shameful gain but eagerly, and not lording authority over those entrusted to their care.
- Ephesians 2:8-9 BSB — Salvation comes by grace through faith as a gift from God, not earned through works or purchased through human means.
Application
Believers must guard themselves against the spirit of simony in all its forms, recognizing that spiritual blessings and eternal salvation can never be earned, purchased, or sold. Any teaching or practice that attaches financial obligation to the reception of spiritual gifts or to standing before God reveals a false gospel that contradicts Scripture. We must remember Christ's clear instruction: "You received without paying; give without asking for payment." — Matthew 10:8 BSB. The grace of God is infinitely precious precisely because it is freely given to all who believe, and we must protect this truth with vigilance and integrity.