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rewarded for his daily work. Therefore, it was not permitted for them to receive payment for their good deeds, for he said Freely you have received; freely give. In return for their teaching, sacrifice, and sufferings for the gospel (which they were expected to bear on a journey of such a demanding nature), they could receive only their necessary food. He told them to not share bread with just anyone who happened to be present, nor to take it from those who wanted to give without examination, but to honor with this reception only those who were worthy.1 Furthermore, the disciples were to offer in return the most wonderful payment for their provisions, that is, to announce to them the good news of peace and reconciliation with God. Consequently, he said these things to encourage the soldiers of his kingdom, warning them in advance that they must not desire any wealth, nor any possession great or small, but must press on to the utmost height of poverty. That is, they must share in daily bread not simply with anyone, but only with those worthy. Furthermore, they mustnt take food without paying, but must instead supply and furnish blessings before receiving provision. The Lord thus fortified the disciples with divine powers and philosophic exhortations. He sent them out well prepared for the work of being a soldier for Gods kingdom. They were to be doctors for the Jews, to be heralds and ambassadors of countless good things. They went about doing everything that he said, first as teachers announcing the good news, [548] and then as doctors healing the sick, and thus they gave credence to their words through miraculous signs.
1 The sentence is cloudy in Greek too. The idea seems to be that the disciples should only eat with worthy people. Exactly what makes them worthy is unclear. The phrase without examination () is commonly used by historians and philosophers to denote people believing things without any evidence, and in Christian discourse it can also refer to untried virtue. Evidently, Eusebius would have those who wish to provide provisions for the disciples to display some sort of commitment, intellectual or moral, to the gospel before they are allowed to give.