Lucre

Lucre (from Latin lucrum, meaning gain) appears in the phrase filthy lucre in older translations of the pastoral epistles, designating dishonest or dishonorable financial gain. The Greek aischrokerdeia (shameful gain) and aischrokerde (greedy for gain) are translated as greedy of filthy lucre in 1 Timothy 3:3, 8 and Titus 1:7, 11, 1 Peter 5:2, where they describe a disqualifying vice for overseers, deacons, and elders in the church. The warning reflects a real danger in early church leadership: traveling teachers could exploit hospitality and financial support for personal enrichment.

The Didache and other early church documents regulated the support of itinerant prophets precisely because of abuses. Paul himself deliberately refused payment from certain congregations (1 Cor. 9:12–15; 2 Cor. 11:7–9) to avoid any appearance of preaching for money, while affirming that ministers of the gospel have a legitimate right to material support (1 Cor. 9:14; 1 Tim. 5:18). The contrast between not given to filthy lucre and sober, just, holy, temperate in Titus 1:8 indicates that financial integrity was a core component of the character expected of church leaders.