Some Christian resources are expensive to produce and distribute, and this can make it challenging to give them for free if there is limited funding available. The most common example of this is the printing and shipping of books. This raises the question: Is it permissible to charge for the costs of producing and distributing individual copies, without trying to make a profit from them?

When thinking about Christian resources as property, there is physical property (such as a book) and there is what the world calls intellectual property (the actual content). Let’s first make it crystal clear that, under no circumstances whatsoever, can the ministry content be sold. It does not matter how much time and money was put into creating it. If you have any doubts about that, please first read and watch the material on our website.

Such ministry content (or “intellectual property”) must be given away free of charge and without conditions on its use. This is best done by dedicating it to the public domain. When a Christian resource has been dedicated to the public domain, it is free for anyone to copy and pass on to someone else. The ministry itself has been given for free.

But how do we transmit content to others in the first place? How do we get it into their hands? We are incredibly blessed in modern society to be able to do this electronically, and often at no cost. So, many Christian resources can simply be distributed online for free.

But what about when a physical copy is desirable? That is the situation we’ll now explore.

A matter of wisdom and generosity

It is good to first acknowledge that this is a matter of wisdom, not absolutes. If a Christian resource has been freed from copyright and made available in some form for free, then we are not so much talking about the sale of ministry but more the sale of paper and ink. Rather than a matter of simony, it is a matter of generosity, which should not be legislated (2 Cor 9:7).

So, with the common example of a self-published book: If it is easily accessible in digital form and public domain, then well-intentioned authors should not feel guilty if they sell printed copies. When using a print-on-demand service, this allows them to focus on their ministry and not have to store inventory, fund large orders, or deal with unreasonable requests. If anyone truly wants to benefit from the resource, the quickest means of access will be the free digital copy.

That being said, giving all forms of a resource for free is commendable, and may even be warranted in certain situations, such as when a digital copy is insufficient. Let’s first think through what free giving would have looked like before the digital age.

Before the digital age…

If biblical principles are timeless, then they would have guided the early church in distributing Christian resources long before free digital distribution was possible.

How would Christian resources have been distributed back then?^[1]

1. The author may have made several copies
2. The recipients may have made copies and given them to others
3. Literate believers may have copied the text onto their own papyri
4. Less literate believers may have hired a scribe to make copies for them
5. Believers may have shared a single copy

None of these means of distribution involve charging someone for access to ministry content. All content was “public domain”, with no legal restrictions on copying. It would, therefore, have been a matter of simony only if access to the text were conditioned on payment. Given Scripture’s general condemnation of commercializing ministry, we can be confident this would not have been permitted.

If someone allowed the reading of manuscripts and charged for copies, it would be a situation similar to the one we are now discussing. The recipient of ministry is being charged, but only for papyri and ink, not for access to the content. So, giving freely was possible for centuries before the advent of digital distribution. In other words, it’s possible to freely give without modern technology; the internet age has merely made it more convenient.

Reasons to offer resources at no cost

There are several good reasons why you may decide to cover all costs of the products you make available, even if charging for the copy material would not violate the dorean principle.

1. The digital version is not easily accessible

If your resource is designed to be printed and doesn’t read well in a digital format, then accessing it on a device would not be practical for your audience. This could be the case, for example, with certain children’s books. If most of your audience is going to want a printed version, and it is not easy to print at home, then it could be best to offer printed copies free of charge.

2. Charging for a product is not the only way to fund it

Many assume that if you can’t charge for something, then there’s simply no way to pay for its production costs. But there is always the possibility of simply asking for donations. Raising donations is often easier than selling products, which involves handling refunds and other logistics. Planning ahead and organizing fundraising can cover even the large sums required for an expensive print run.

3. Limited ministry is better than commercial ministry

Let’s imagine the following scenario: Joe goes evangelizing on the weekend. His evangelism bears much fruit and he wants to do it even more often, but he needs his full-time job to get by. He decides to start charging people to hear the gospel so that he can make his ministry sustainable and evangelize more often. He is now reaching even more people, but he has compromised the sincerity of his message and put it behind a paywall. This situation is unlikely, but the point is clear. The ends don’t justify the means in this case. It would be wrong for Joe to charge for his ministry even if it would lead to greater impact.^[2]

Even if we are not charging for the gospel, but merely copies of free ministry content, we should still be careful not to deceive ourselves into believing commerce is always justified, or that God needs us to reach those he wants to reach. It could be that a more limited ministry is more pleasing to God than one that resorts to unhelpful commercial practices.

4. Don’t throw your pearls to pigs

When giving resources that are expensive to produce, there can be a fear that your generosity may be taken advantage of, such as by someone ordering excessive quantities, or selling for profit what you’ve given for free. While we shouldn’t live in fear of such situations, it is good to be wise in our giving. Even when giving money to the poor, sometimes it can do more harm than good.

Scripture is clear that we should withhold blessings such as fellowship (and ministry included) from those who are unrepentant (Matt 18:17, 1 Cor 5:11, 2 Thes 3:6, 2 Thes 3:14-15, Titus 3:10). And we should not give food to those who are lazy, rather than in real need (2 Thess 3:10). Likewise, it may be appropriate to withhold resources from those who will waste them. This could mean, for example, limiting book orders to a single copy. Anyone truly requiring more could contact you directly and explain their situation. Remember that if your book is free digitally, they have the option of printing multiple copies themselves.

5. Be willing to make a sacrifice

Some people talk about “covering costs” because they want their generous giving to be sustainable. It is good to seek wisdom in such matters. But there are others who talk about “covering costs”, and really mean “how can I serve God without it costing me anything?” Such people have an ungodly aversion to any kind of sacrifice.

This is not to guilt anyone into overburdening themselves, but rather a reminder to examine our own hearts and motives. We should avoid the frame of mind that we need to be supplied with as much funding as secular resource creators would receive. Rather, we should take joy in the opportunity to offer not only our time to God, but our money as well.

Reasons to charge for some resources

While generosity is a guiding principle, we need not fear overburdening ourselves or giving beyond our means. Charging for copies of resources can be a reasonable way to fund their production, provided the ministry content within the product is free and easily accessible in some form. When that is the case, selling copies is not a violation of the dorean principle. But it may be inappropriate for other reasons. We must still be on guard against other sins, such as: greed, insincerity, and opportunism.

Let’s consider a few situations where charging for a resource may be permissible, and identify any issues we should be cautious of.

1. Charging for physical editions

If your ministry resource is readily accessible online, then a physical copy can be considered a “premium edition”. We should make it easy for people to access our resources, but if desiring a physical copy is simply a matter of preference, then we are not bound to provide for people in such cases. It is ok to charge for them.

However, several matters should be carefully thought through:

1. It should be obvious where the free edition can be obtained. For example, there could be a “free download” button in online stores for every printed book, and physical stores could place a QR code below each book for sale.
2. If someone has a disability or something else that makes it difficult for them to access online resources, then it would be appropriate to provide free physical copies for them.
3. The free version should have the same content as paid editions, there shouldn’t be any exclusive content.
4. Authors should consider whether the sale of products would cast doubt on the sincerity of their ministry. For this reason, it is preferable if a third-party manages the production and distribution of resources.

Ideally, someone else would take full responsibility for publishing and sales. However, using a print-on-demand service is a good alternative, as it delegates the transactional logistics to the platform and reduces the author’s direct involvement.

When the author is involved with product sales, it would be wise to not try to generate profit from them (whether for ministry purposes or not). As doing so invites doubt as to whether the aim is to support the dissemination of the content, or to exploit it for financial gain. Selling products at cost—covering only the unavoidable expenses of printing and delivery—is a common way to guard against this. However, there may be circumstances where charging a higher amount is appropriate—for example, to offset additional related expenses.

As a general principle, distancing yourself from commercial activity as much as possible will help to avoid muddying the waters. This takes wisdom, and the right approach may differ from one ministry to another.

2. More expensive options

There’s nothing inherently wrong with charging for higher-quality editions of content that is otherwise free. As explained already, if the content is available online for free, then the cost of a softcover book, for example, simply covers the cost of the materials. Likewise, if you charge extra for a hardcover edition, then you are charging literally for the harder cover.

Some publishers may wish to produce high-end formats, such as premium leather-bound editions. While these can serve a valuable purpose, it is important to remain mindful that such products will not be financially accessible to everyone. Care should be taken in how they are described and offered, so as not to give the impression that ministry is only available to those who can afford it.

3. Requiring support

There may arise a situation in which someone wants to order products in bulk, but you simply don’t have the funds to produce them. In such a case you could inform them that it won’t be possible without funding, and ask whether they could provide it. To avoid turning it into a commercial transaction for ministry, you would need to ensure that:

1. The ministry content itself is freely available. You could provide them with a digital copy and instructions on how to print it via another printing service if they so desired.
2. You’re not compromising the sincerity of your ministry. You should be open and honest about the costs and ensure the arrangement is being understood as colabor–a ministry partnership–rather than a sale. A mutual desire to see ministry flourish, without trying to get any financial advantage over one another.

Case studies

To provide further guidance, here are some examples of how different authors have chosen to navigate this issue. In all of the following cases, ministry content is not being sold.

• Completely free: Conley Owens gives away printed copies of The Dorean Principle for free. This ensures there is no confusion about the sincerity of his message, which directly addresses the sale of ministry. It also helps to spread the teaching at a time when the church is desperately in need of reform and decommercialization.
• Printed books at cost: Andrew Case and Sawyer Moranville make their books freely available online and use Amazon’s print-on-demand service to offer printed copies. While the books are sold under their own Amazon accounts, they make it clear that they are sold at cost and do not generate a profit. They are made available for the convenience of readers who prefer printed editions, and not for the benefit of the authors.
• Involving third-parties: The Berean Standard Bible (BSB) was initially sold by its sponsor, BibleHub. This allowed them to make printed copies available as soon as possible. They sell hardcover bibles as well as premium leather options. They have since invited third-party publishers to sell copies independently of them, and have made all source files available for any additional publishers to contribute to the translation’s dissemination.

Conclusion

If anyone wants to invest in a ministry product you have created, it should first and foremost be you! So, you may decide–with joy–to distribute physical copies free of charge. But aside from offering the ministry content for free, Scripture does not require us to give physical products that contain it.

If you do charge for resources, it’s important to ensure that:

1. The ministry content is free of cost and copyright.
2. The format you offer for free is easily accessible for most people.
3. The sale of any products that contain the content is not conducted in a way that casts doubt on the sincerity of your ministry.

Exactly how free content is distributed will vary from ministry to ministry. This is not a burden, but a blessing—an open invitation to give as generously as the Spirit leads. So let us pray, seek wisdom, and act with sincere hearts that aim to please the Lord in all things.

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1. For more information on the nature of manuscript copying in the early church, see Copying Early Christian Texts by Alan Mugridge (Mohr Siebeck, 2016). ↩︎

2. King Saul also failed to understand that the ends do not justify the means of disobedience to God (1 Sam 13:8-14). While we can still rejoice that Christ is preached, whether by false motives or true (Phil 1:18), that does not excuse the one who is acting inappropriately from correcting their behavior. ↩︎