# Selling Bibles Cheaply to Poor People?



## NeedNotFret (Dec 29, 2008)

When someone in our culture wants a Bible, some of my missionary colleagues sell Bibles at a very affordable price. Their reason is that the people receiving them will then place more value on the Bibles. I've never charged for a Bible before, but I think my colleagues may be on to something. What do you think?


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## Pergamum (Dec 29, 2008)

It's the principle that people value something more if they work for it. 

We use it here among some peoples....

...though I supply my evangelist co-workers with tons of free literature because I know they value itand a laboreris worthy and are not in the same class as unbeleivers or new beleivers (these evangelists just cannot afford books when they have a choice to barely eat or buy a book...which is often the equivalent of 2 days' wage for them).

So, too unbeleivers and normal "laymen" I charge; but to my evangelist co-workers I give freely.


Of course, Piper points out somewhere (anyone got the link?) that this principle of people not valuing something that is free is not biblical because salvation itself is free.


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## TimV (Dec 29, 2008)

I actually saw that one time in a grass hut in PNG. The missionary said "watch" when the little kid was playing with a book the dad paid for. He then took it out of her hand and replaced it with a book he'd got for free.


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## NeedNotFret (Dec 29, 2008)

Pergamum,
Yeah, we do seem to value things like this more when we've sacrificed to get it. (Except salvation of course...it cost us nothing, but was costly. Sorry no link to the Piper stuff.) Anyway, I thought you made a good point about not charging poor evangelists. If you know they're going to use it, then they already value it.

Tim,
Very interesting point. It does seem to make a difference when people pay something.

Thanks for the feedback.


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