Early Christian Teachings on Interest and Usury
Early Christians commonly rejected charging interest on loans, especially when people were in need. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Lactantius, and the Apostolic Constitutions connect this to mercy and to Bible commands in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Ezekiel, and Luke. The usual pattern is simple: lend to help, not to profit from another person's need.
113 early-church witnesses · 161 source quotations · compared with Scripture
What did early Christians believe about interest and Usury?
Early Christian teaching strongly rejects charging interest on loans to the poor or to fellow believers. Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Lactantius, and the Apostolic Constitutions all repeat the biblical ban and treat it as part of Christian conduct, not just old Jewish law. The main pattern is broad and consistent: Christians should lend in mercy, not use need as a way to make profit.
The Bible passages tied to this teaching are especially strong in Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, Ezekiel, and Luke. A few later references use usury in passing or as a metaphor, but they do not change the main early Christian view. Many more early Christian quotations, Bible passages, and source links are gathered below so you can study the evidence for yourself.
Key Takeaways
- Early Christian writers usually said Christians should not take interest from people in need.
- Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian tied this to Bible commands, especially Ezekiel and the Law of Moses.
- Lactantius and the Apostolic Constitutions also treat lending without interest as normal Christian conduct.
- The strongest Bible passages here are Exodus 22:24-25, Leviticus 25:36-37, Deuteronomy 23:19-21, and Ezekiel 18:8, 13.
Questions Answered by the Sources
What Bible verses did early Christians use against usury?
The Bible cards most directly used for this topic forbid taking usury from a brother or from the poor, and they describe the righteous person as one who does not lend at interest. These are the clearest Bible passages in the supplied set.
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Tertullian, Against Marcion Direct teaching
...efore, "He has not given his money upon usury, nor will he take any increase"—meaning the excess of interest, which is usury. The first step was to remove the profit from the money lent. That way a man might more easily be trained to accept the loss, if it should happen, of the money itself, after he had learned to lose the interest. Now we affirm that this was the function of the law as a preparation for the gospel. It was forming the faith of those who would learn, by gradual steps, for the perfect light of Christian teaching. Through the best precepts of which it was capable, it was teaching a benevolence that as yet showed itself only falteringly. For in the passage of Ezekiel quoted above He says, "And you shall restore the pledge of the loan"—certainly to the man who is unable to repay. For of course He would not prescribe the return of a pledge to one who was able to pay. It is commanded much more clearly in Deuteronomy: "You shall not sleep upon his pledge; you shall be sure to return to him his garment about sunset, and he shall sleep in his own garment." Deuteronomy 24:12-13. Even clearer is an earlier passage: "You shall remit every debt which your neighbour owes you;
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Direct teaching
Let any bishop, presbyter, or deacon who charges interest to those he lends to either stop doing so or be removed from office.
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
44. Let a bishop, or presbyter, or deacon who requires usury of those he lends to, either leave off to do so, or let him be deprived.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Supporting witness
His money he will not give on usury, and will not take interest;
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Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness
deeming it right not to take usury for money, but with open hands and heart to bestow on those who need.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Background
...onomy 5. And so on. These things must be kept, along with whatever else is commanded in reading the Bible. And by Isaiah He commands us: "Wash yourselves, and make yourselves clean. Put away wickedness from your souls before my eyes. Learn to do good. Seek judgment. Rescue the wronged. Judge for the orphan, and justify the widow. And come, and let us reason together," says the Lord. And we will find many examples in other places also. For example, about prayer, Scripture says, "Good works are an acceptable prayer to the Lord." And the manner of prayer is described: "If you see the naked, cover him, and do not overlook those who belong to your own seed. Then your light shall break forth early, and your healing shall spring up quickly; and your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of God shall surround you." What, then, is the fruit of such prayer? "Then you shall call, and God will hear you; while you are still speaking, He will say, 'I am here.'"
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Apostolic Constitutions, Apostolic Constitutions Supporting witness
...bor's house to another and trouble them. They heap up plenty of money for themselves, lend at harsh interest, and care only about mammon, whose money bag is their god. They put eating and drinking before all virtue, saying, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." They value these things as though they were lasting and not perishing. For she who gives herself to nothing but talk about money worships mammon instead of God. That is, she is a servant to gain, but cannot be pleasing to God or devoted to His worship. She is not able to intercede with Him continually, because her mind and disposition run after money. For where the treasure is, there the heart will be also. In her mind she is thinking about where she may go to receive something, or that a certain woman, her friend, has forgotten her, and she has something to say to her. A woman who thinks about such things will no longer pay attention to her prayers, but to that thought which comes to her. So even if at times she would pray for someone, she will not be heard, because she does not offer her petition to the Lord with her whole heart, but with a divided mind. But she who gives attention to God will stay inside and car
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Arnobius, Against the Heathen Supporting witness
should force their way to remote nations at the risk of life, and, in exchanging goods always catch at a high price for what they sell, and a low one for what they buy, take interest at greedy and excessive rates, and add to the number of their sleepless nights spent in reckoning up thousands wrung from the life-blood of wretched men;
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Commodianus, Writings Supporting witness
or if you have lent on usury, taking twenty-four per cent, you wish to bestow charity that you may purge yourself, as being evil, with that which is evil.
Did early Christians say believers should not charge interest?
Clement, Tertullian, Lactantius, and other early writers explicitly say Christians should not give money on usury or take interest. They frame this as part of righteous, merciful conduct rather than a neutral financial practice.
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Exodus 22:25 Direct teaching
If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
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Exodus 22:24 Direct teaching
And if thou shouldest lend money to thy poor brother who is by thee, thou shalt not be hard upon him, thou shalt not exact usury of him.
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Leviticus 25:36 Direct teaching
Take no usury or interest from him; but fear your God, that your brother may live with you.
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Leviticus 25:37 Direct teaching
You shall not lend him your money for usury, nor lend him your food at a profit.
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Deuteronomy 23:19 Supporting witness
Thou shalt not lend upon usury to thy brother; usury of money, usury of victuals, usury of any thing that is lent upon usury:
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Deuteronomy 23:20 Supporting witness
Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon usury; but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon usury: that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
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Deuteronomy 23:21 Supporting witness
Thou mayest lend on usury to a stranger, but to thy brother thou shalt not lend on usury; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all thy works upon the land, into which thou art entering to inherit it.
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Ezekiel 18:8 Supporting witness
He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,
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Ezekiel 18:13 Supporting witness
Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.
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Deuteronomy 15:10 Supporting witness
Thou shalt surely give to him, and thou shalt lend him as much as he wants, according as he is in need; and thou shalt not grudge in thy heart as thou givest to him, because on this account the Lord thy God will bless thee in all thy works, and in all things on which thou shalt lay thy hand.
How did early Christians think lending should work?
Early Christian writers say lending should be done in mercy for those who need help, not as a way to make gain from another person's hardship. Clement, Lactantius, and Cyprian connect true giving with open-handed help, while Luke 6:34 points to lending without expecting the same back.
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Clement of Alexandria, The Instructor (Paedagogus) Direct teaching
...s bread to the hungry, and clothe the naked. He will not give his money on usury, and will not take interest. He will turn away his hand from wrong, and will carry out righteous judgment between a man and his neighbor. He has walked in my statutes, and kept my judgments to do them. This is a righteous man. He shall surely live, says the Lord." Ezekiel 18:4-9 These words describe the conduct of Christians. They are a remarkable call to the blessed life, which is the reward of a life of goodness—everlasting life.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching
...d duty must be expected from God alone. For if you expect it from man, then it is not kindness, but lending a benefit at interest. Nor can a person seem to have done well if what he gives is given, not to another, but to himself. And yet it comes to this: whatever a man gives to another, while hoping for no benefit from him, he really gives to himself, because he will receive a reward from God. God has also commanded that if we give a feast at any time, we should invite those who cannot invite us in return and so repay us, so that no action in our life should be without mercy. However, let no one think that he is forbidden to spend time with his friends or to show kindness to his neighbors. But God has made known to us what our true and just work is: we ought to live in this way with our neighbors, provided that we understand that one manner of living relates to man, and the other to God.
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Cyprian, Treatises Direct teaching
... him, how does the love of God dwell in him?" 1 John 3:17. For if by giving alms to the poor we are lending to God—and when it is given to the least, it is given to Christ—then there is no reason for anyone to put earthly things before heavenly things, or human things before divine things.
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
If he shall have lent any money, he will not receive interest, that the benefit may be unimpaired which succours necessity, and that he may entirely abstain from the property of another.
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Lactantius, The Epitome of the Divine Institutes Supporting witness
He will not give his money to usury, for that is to seek after gain from the evils of others;
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Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Supporting witness
for if you should expect it from man, then that will not be kindness, but the lending of a benefit at interest;
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Commodianus, Writings Background
...s commanded that such especially should be fed. Consider this: when you feed the sick, you are also lending to the Most High. In this thing, the Lord has wished that you should stand before Him approved.
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Tatian, The Diatessaron Supporting witness
Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, and do good to them, and lend, and cut not off the hope of any man;
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Luke 6:34 Direct teaching
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
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Deuteronomy 15:8 Supporting witness
but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.
Common Questions
Did early Christians think charging interest was wrong?
Yes, many early Christian writers said Christians should not charge interest, especially on loans to the needy or to fellow believers.
Which early Christian writers speak against usury?
Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian, Lactantius, Commodianus, and the Apostolic Constitutions all speak against it.
What Bible verses did early Christians use against usury?
They often pointed to Exodus 22, Leviticus 25, Deuteronomy 23, Ezekiel 18, and Luke 6.
Source Index for Interest and Usury
The guided sections above show the strongest quotations. This compact index highlights 128 ranked source links from 161 compiled sources for deeper study.
Source index 128 ranked links shown
Early Christian Writings 80 shown of 113
Primary-source quotations from early Christian writers and church documents.
Bible Passages 48 included
Related Bible passages saved for comparison with the early Christian quotations.