Selling Jesus

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens tells how 13th-century friars took over the University of Paris, preaching and begging outside the church's offices. Following William of St. Amour, Wycliffe and Calvin, he argues that the right to support belongs to the office, with lessons for today's parachurch ministries. (00:00) The rise of the friars in 13th-century...

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens shows how the first universities treated theological teaching as something that could not be sold. From medieval Paris to Aquinas, Wycliffe and Luther, he argues that charging tuition for the teaching of theology is simony, and only recently became acceptable. (00:00) Seminary tuition is simony (01:33) The first universities and L...

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens explains why the sin of Simon Magus is still with us: biblical teaching is words taught by the Spirit, so selling it is simony. He applies this to counseling, conferences, seminaries, and books sold under copyright. (00:00) "Simony doesn't exist anymore" (02:35) Recap: what a spiritual thing is (03:53) Why selling bi...

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Michael Coughlin walks through Acts 8, where Simon the sorcerer offers money for the apostles' power and Peter rebukes him. His goal is that we would hate simony as God does, seeing how it devalues God, while holding out real hope of forgiveness. (00:00) The goal: hate simony (01:06) Acts 8: Simon the sorcerer believes (13:13) Simon's...

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info Conley Owens opens Doreancon 2026 by explaining what simony is and why the church has nearly forgotten it, tracing how the doctrine rose through the early church and Middle Ages and faded after the Reformation. He argues it's time to retrieve it, and explains why Protestants can still learn from the medieval sources that addressed it. (00:...

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info (00:00) Opening remarks and debate analysis (10:41) Why leave out the Didache? It warns that one who talks much about money is a false prophet. (12:20) If this must be approached from a Reformed perspective, what stops a Roman Catholic from doing the same? (13:59) If a heretical group co-opted the Dorean principle, would you still rejoice? (14...

Read the free book on the topic at https://simony.info. In this debate, Conley Owens defends the proposition that the sale of biblical instruction is simony, the sin named after Simon Magus’s attempt to purchase spiritual power in Acts 8. Tanner challenges that conclusion, arguing that payment for a teacher’s finite labor does not necessarily constitute the sale of God’s gifts. Both affirm that mi...

A chapter from God's Word Is Not Bound. ⁠Read the text.⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Get the free book.⁠ In this episode, we examine the idea that Christian organizations are immune to temptations common to man. Drawing on decades of firsthand testimony and documented scandals, we examine the darker side of Christian publishing, from ruthless business practices and corporate profiteering to ghostwriting, manufactured...

Read or download this chapter or the whole work: God's Word Is Not Bound .⁠ Is copyright really a form of property, and is copying actually theft? In this chapter of God’s Word Is Not Bound , I examine copyright through Scripture and natural law and argue that intellectual property turns justice on its head. Biblical property rights exist to prevent conflict over tangible things: if someone ta...

Read the text.⁠ ⁠Get the free book.⁠ As Paul sits in a Roman prison cell, he writes, “Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound in chains as a criminal. But God’s Word is not bound ” (2 Tim 2:8-9). Even though he may be imprisoned, God’s Word cannot be. Put all the preachers in chains, but the message of Christ rem...

In a 2008 podcast, John Piper discusses whether it is appropriate to sell the Bible for profit and explains the role copyright can play in protecting Bible translations. In this video, Conley Owens responds by presenting the case that Scripture can—and should—be freely distributed without copyright restrictions, offering a thoughtful perspective on the relationship between Bible translation, stewa...

Read the book for free. This episode provides an overview of an anonymous work from 1700 called The Anatomy of Simon Magus . It's an examination of simony, defining it as the corrupt practice of buying or selling spiritual things or church offices. The author offers a "surgical exposure" of how corruption manifests through bribery, social favors, and self-interested service, warning...

Read here. Does the application to freely give include restrictions to teachings behind a paywall? In a world full of commercialized teachings, this article presents a personal story and a biblical response to how we should freely give despite the modern restriction of paywalls. ⁠⁠⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠...

Read here. Balaam is considered the prototypical false teacher by the New Testament authors. This article dives into the characteristics of Balaam and how we can use this example to identify a biblical description of a false teacher. ⁠⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ copy.church

Read Here. Who owns the Hebrew Old Testament and Greek New Testament? This article reading goes through a survey of the manuscripts, digitizations, and critical texts and answers who truly is the owner? ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ copy.church

Read the article. Does the prohibition to sell the Word of God apply to adaptations? Adaptations include translations, bible study apps, or musical arrangements. This article looks into such adaptations and how they are directly connected to scripture and thus, should not be sold. sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...

This session was the reading, discussion, and signing of the Sunnyvale Statement on the Stewardship of Scripture at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠⁠ SECTIONS 00:00 Reading of the Sunnyvale Statement 5:25 Signing of the Sunnyvale Statement 6:18 Discussion 20:01...

The second question & answer session at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. Presenters from left to right: Conley Owens, Michael Coughlin, and Andrew Case SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠⁠ Q&A SECTIONS 00:00 Introduction 00:03 What is the best argument against the Dorean Principle? 3:43 A...

This was the post-debate analysis and first Q&A session at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. The discussion included Conley Owens, Michael Coughlin, and Andrew Case. SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠⁠ Q&A SECTIONS 00:00 Post Debate Discussion 7:56 What are some of the earliest examples i...

This message by Conley Owens was presented at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. Read the article version of this message. SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ copy.churc...

This message by Andrew Case was presented at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. Read the article version of this message. SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ c...

This message by Conley Owens was presented at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. Read the article version of this message. SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ copy.churc...

This message by Andrew Case was presented at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA. Read the article version of this message. SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ c...

This message by Conley Owens was presented at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA.Read the article: https://sellingjesus.org/articles/manuscripts SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ thedoreanprinciple.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | ...

This message by Michael Coughlin was presented at #doreancon 2025 on "The Stewardship of Scripture" at Silicon Valley Reformed Baptist Church in Sunnyvale, CA.Psalm 119:72: "The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver." SIGN THE STATEMENT on the stewardship of Scripture⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ sellingjesus.org ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  |  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠...