Preacher: Worthy Of Hire Part 2

Introduction

Greetings…

Theme: Lessons From 1 Corinthians.

Hope: To learn from the swath of doctrinal material in this vast letter.

A few weeks ago now, we left off looking at the first part of it means for a preach to be worthy of hire.

We examined first and foremost a preacher, who is worthy of hire, will have counted the cost of preaching for God to imperfect people and the sacrifices often that come with that.

Preachers will often not have close friends because a lot of people don’t want to be the same person they are when in the church building all week long.

Preachers will often have to watch their families suffer when they witness the reality of politics that often plague congregations in the Lord’s church like what Doug Dingley is going through right now.

Preachers will frequently feel like failures and be discouraged because it’s impossible to preach and teach about sin in the lives of people and see it rejected and not feel like a failure or get discouraged.

We also examined that preachers must be qualified. There were a larger number of these we talked about and if you would like that list printed out just let me know.

That brings us to our lesson this evening, the second part and a more in depth look at the text before us in 1 Corinthians 9:3-14.

Here we find three specific points being made by Paul on this subject.

So, with that in mind let’s examine our lesson for today by looking at Paul’s first argument concerning…

The Customary

Paying Preachers Was The Standard.

Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 9:3-6

1 Corinthians 9:3–6 (ESV)

3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?

Evidently, there were some there, like there are in the church in some places today, that think it is not right to pay a preacher for his work.

Paul puts this ignorant thought to bed when he points out that all the other apostles, and other preachers were given the right to “eat, drink and marry a believing wife” which all was possible due to financial support from the congregations where they were.

Now we know the first apostles had other jobs, but it is clear that after Jesus ascended up to heaven they no longer were doing those things but “living by the gospel now.”

This shouldn’t be a surprise, after all Jesus taught them that, in the limited commission.

Luke 10:1–4 ESV

1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no moneybag, no knapsack, no sandals, and greet no one on the road.

Luke 10:5–8 (ESV)

5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace be to this house!’ 6 And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him. But if not, it will return to you. 7 And remain in the same house, eating and drinking what they provide, for the laborer deserves his wages. Do not go from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and they receive you, eat what is set before you.

Luke 10:9–12 ESV

9 Heal the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not receive you, go into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet we wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God has come near.’ 12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

Summary

Paul makes it clear that the standard every other preacher had he and Barnabas had the right as well, but let’s examine this passage in 1 Corinthians again by…

Breaking Down Paul’s Argument

Preachers Should Be Sustained By Their Work.

In 1 Corinthians 9:4 we read…

1 Corinthians 9:4 (ESV)

4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?

The Greek word for “the right” is exousia” and means “authority, power, right.”

In fact, this word is translated as “authority” 72 times in the N.T. most notably in Matthew 28:18.

Matthew 28:18 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

So each time Paul uses this word he is saying he and all preachers “have authority” for what he is mentioning and it comes from what we read in Luke 10:7 wherein Jesus told the apostles “the laborer deserves his wages.”

Let’s get back to our passage.

1 Corinthians 9:4 (ESV)

4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink?

A preacher has the right or authority to expect his work to financially allow him to sustain him physically which he expounds upon a bit later in 1 Corinthians 9:11-12.

1 Corinthians 9:11–12 (ESV)

11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.

Translation, if this is common sense, the expectation of financial gain from labor, should it not be “even more” apparent when one is working for God?

We will get into why they were not taking advantage of this “right or authority” next week but the point is still the same, a preacher has the right to expect a financial reaping from the congregation and people he is spiritually sowing for.

The second argument Paul makes is that not only does the preacher have this expectation but so does his family.

1 Corinthians 9:5 (ESV)

5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?

In the same way the preacher has an expectation of reaping from that which he has sowed so does the preacher’s family.

It is not “ok” in other words to pay the preacher “just enough” for himself to get by but he should be supported enough that he “and his family” can be sustained by it.

Illustration: I know of a congregation that payed a young preacher so little he had to work full time in another job to support his family and that was with a “parsonage” so you can imagine how little it was.

Yet when it came time to “look for a new preacher” it was recognized that they could not get away with paying the next preacher so little and agreed to pay him enough so he did not have to work.

Brothers and sisters this type of thing happens all the time unfortunately in the brotherhood.

Paul, says that a preacher has “the right” to expect a wage that sustains him and his family.

Now, obviously there can be situations that can cause this to not be possible but Paul is clear, when the congregation “could” pay a sustainable wage they should.

The third argument Paul makes is that a preacher has the right to “refrain from secular work.”

1 Corinthians 9:6 (ESV)

6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?

1 Corinthians 9:6 (KJV)

6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

Why would Paul say such a thing to the church here in Corinth when he was “working a secular job as a ten maker” at the time he was with them?

The answer to this is found in Acts 18:5.

Acts 18:5 (ESV)

5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.

The ESV here says “Paul was occupied with the word.”

The NKJV & KJV, get this verse wrong when they write “compelled or pressed by the Spirit” we now know from the vast amount of older MSS found that prove this not accurate.

The NASB says it best I think.

Acts 18:5 (NASB)

5 But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

What happened to allow Paul, while in Corinth to stop making tents and “devote himself completely to the word” by teaching and preaching in Corinth; Silas and Timothy brought him support from other congregations.

2 Corinthians 11:8–9 ESV

8 I robbed other churches by accepting support from them in order to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and was in need, I did not burden anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied my need. So I refrained and will refrain from burdening you in any way.

The fourth argument Paul makes is that “all this should be common sense.”

1 Corinthians 9:7–10 (ESV)

7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? 8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.

There is no one that can “work for free” and provide for themselves as this is not how life works and this is clearly seen in everyday work situations like soldiers, farmers, and herders.

Not only that but God even commanded that ox were “worthy of their labor” and if ox are worthy of their labor or hire how much more are humans?

The fifth and last argument we find Paul making in our text is that supporting the preacher in his labor financially is commanded by Jesus himself.

1 Corinthians 9:14 (ESV)

14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

This isn’t a suggestion nor a “hope” this is a command by the Lord Jesus himself as we already read (Luke 10:7).

Summary

Paul would argue this point of support but from the point of view of the one “supporting the preacher” in the book of Galatians.

Galatians 6:6 ESV

6 Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.

Now, I want us to examine what he writes after this as it puts the next four verses in perspective.

Galatians 6:7–10 ESV

7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. 9 And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Conclusion

A preacher worthy of hire, once he has counted the cost and acquired the qualifications,should “receive physical financial support” for him and his family.

A preacher should be humble and appreciate his salary because his brothers and sisters have often made significant sacrifices in order to contribute appropriately to the Lord’s work.

This fact should never be dismissed by the one preaching.

In the same light, congregations must not forget that preacher support is not benevolent relief.

By that I mean the standard of a preacher’s compensation should not be the minimum that he and his family need to get by.

Obviously, there are circumstances wherein this can be negotiated as we see with Paul when he first got to Corinth and many other places he helped start the church but it ought not be the norm.

Invitation

Isaiah 59:1–2 ESV

1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.

Philippians 2:6–7 ESV

6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Romans 10:17 ESV

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Hebrews 11:6 ESV

6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Acts 17:30 ESV

30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

Luke 14:33 ESV

33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

Matthew 10:32 NKJV

32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.

2 Thessalonians 1:8 ESV

8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:1–4 ESV

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,

Romans 6:3–5 ESV

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

1 John 1:7 ESV

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.