# Is “It is more blessed to give than to receive” in the Bible?

> Yes. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” is in the Bible, at Acts 20:35.

Source: https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/it-is-more-blessed-to-give-than-to-receive
By Andrew Kittridge · November 9, 2026

Paul quotes it as a saying of Jesus, in his farewell to the elders of the church in Ephesus.

## The verse

> In everything I showed you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
>
> — [Acts 20:35](https://www.lumin.faith/read/acts/20#35) (Lumin Translation)

These exact words are in the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible.

## What it means there

The saying is not in any of the four Gospels; Acts is the only place it is written down. Paul uses it to urge hard work, so there is something to give the weak.

## Common questions

### Is “It is more blessed to give than to receive” in the Bible?

Yes. “It is more blessed to give than to receive” is in the Bible, at Acts 20:35. These exact words are in the Lumin Translation, a modern English Bible. Paul quotes it as a saying of Jesus, in his farewell to the elders of the church in Ephesus.

### Where in the Bible is “It is more blessed to give than to receive”?

In Acts 20:35. In the Lumin Translation, Acts 20:35 reads: “In everything I showed you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’””

### Who said “It is more blessed to give than to receive”?

Paul quotes it as a saying of Jesus, in his farewell to the elders of the church in Ephesus.

### What does “It is more blessed to give than to receive” mean in the Bible?

The saying is not in any of the four Gospels; Acts is the only place it is written down. Paul uses it to urge hard work, so there is something to give the weak.

## More

- [Is “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/cast-the-first-stone.md)
- [Is “The love of money is the root of all evil” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-love-of-money-is-the-root-of-all-evil.md)
- [Is “No man can serve two masters” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/no-man-can-serve-two-masters.md)
- [Is “Pride goes before destruction” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/pride-goes-before-destruction.md)
- [Is “The signs of the times” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-signs-of-the-times.md)
- [Is “A thorn in the flesh” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/a-thorn-in-the-flesh.md)
- [Is “The wages of sin is death” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/the-wages-of-sin-is-death.md)
- [Where is “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” in the Bible?](https://www.lumin.faith/is-it-in-the-bible/i-can-do-all-things-through-christ-who-strengthens-me.md)
- [Check any word or a whole song](https://www.lumin.faith/bible-verse-checker)