Scrip

Scrip was a small bag or wallet, typically made of leather or rough material, carried by travelers, shepherds, and soldiers fastened to the belt or slung over the shoulder. In 1 Samuel 17:40, David put five smooth stones in his shepherd's bag (scrip) when he went to face Goliath. In the New Testament the Greek word pera — rendered scrip in the Authorized Version — refers to a traveler's bag used to carry provisions or personal items. Jesus instructed the Twelve and the Seventy in their missionary charges not to take a scrip, along with staff, bread, money, or extra clothes (Matt. 10:9–10; Mark 6:8; Luke 9:3; 10:4) — a directive to trust entirely in the hospitality and provision of those who received them, symbolizing dependence on God rather than self-sufficiency. In contrast, just before his arrest Jesus told the disciples that those who had a purse or scrip should take it, indicating a change from the earlier conditions of protected itinerant mission (Luke 22:36).