TRUTH IS NOT FOR SALE
Many scriptures tell us that truth and other spiritual manifestations of the New Covenant are not for sale.
Proverbs 23:23 Buy truth, and do not sell it; buy wisdom, instruction, and understanding.
COMMENTARY: Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. Considering this scripture alongside Proverbs 23:23, it logically follows that Jesus is not (or at least should not be) for sale. And yet, the clear evidence is that Jesus is for sale in a variety of commodities.
Look around! Wherever you see any religious service or product, you see evidence of Jesus for sale. The church (in its global sense) having adopted the ways of the world in many aspects, including business, has trained Jesus’ followers to believe that anything that has an association with Jesus can be bought or sold. A visit to a so-called “Christian” bookstore displays this ugly truth quite clearly, but the evidence is all around — even in churches and para-church ministries of all sizes and denominational associations.
CONTRADICTION EXPLAINED: There is an apparent contradiction in Proverbs 23:23 that is confusing. First it says “buy”, and then it says “do not sell”. How can it be that something can be bought if it cannot also be sold? This contradiction is resolved in a correct understanding of the concept of buying which is found in Isaiah 55:1-3 (see below) which says that those who are thirsty can buy wine (i.e. joy), milk (i.e. spiritual nourishment for immature believers) and bread (i.e. spiritual nourishment for mature belivers) without money. The correct understanding of this scripture is that the cost of truth, wisdom, instruction and understanding is not with a payment of money. The cost is a spiritual cost, not a financial cost. In short, it is spiritual death.
People who sell religious commodities (books, music, knick knacks, etc. and services) with associations to Jesus have latched on to the literal meaning of “buy truth” while totally ignoring the literal meaning of “do not sell” which simply means do not sell for money. This wrong understanding apparently provides the latitude to sell or buy Jesus as a commodity. When you stop to think about this, it is totally opposite of what Jesus did. He never charged anyone for his spiritual services. He never had any of his disciples coming along behind him selling t-shirts, crosses or WWJD (i.e. What Would Jesus Do?) bracelets to commemorate encounters with him. It is absurd that so-called followers of Jesus in these modern times should degrade the Son of God to a slogan on a t-shirt or bracelt.
The essential characteristic of Jesus is that of servant. This is represented best in Philippians 2:1-12 where it says that he humbled himself, came in the form of a servant and died. If he is a servant, he is not a contractor or employee who can be hired to perform his ministry. And if that is true for Jesus, it should also be true for his followers. There is no way anyone who claims to be a follower of Jesus can justify selling Jesus. It is pure heresy!
SELLERS NEED BUYERS TO STAY IN BUSINESS: Logically, if someone is selling, someone must also be buying. We need to keep this fact in mind lest we wrongly condemn the sellers of religious commodities and services without also condemning the buyers. The system only works when both buyers and sellers are present. Therefore, both buyers and sellers are at fault in these transactions.
While buying and selling of religious products is a fixture of Old/First Covenant religion, New Covenant disciples will not engage in such commerce. We know this because the Sabbath is a code word for New Covenant.