9 - WHAT IS A PREACHER WORTH?
September 7, 1972
Pastor Henry F. Kulp
I Corinthians 9: 5, 6 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
Paul is talking about the fourth law, the law of supreme sacrifice, which is directed toward God, and here it supersedes the law of liberty. But one must remember, that when the law of liberty is superseded, either by love, expediency or supreme sacrifice, there must be no compromise of doctrine at any time.
1/ Paul’s apostleship is what is being attacked. Verse 1. The Judaizing teachers said he was not an apostle—not one of the twelve, which he was not. They hated his message above all else—his message of pure grace.
2/ They spread rumors against his apostleship. They said, he does not eat meat offered to idols in the temple restaurant. And, of course, he was using the law of love. Verse 4.
3/ Verse 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?
He had the right to get married, he set aside this privilege under the law of supreme sacrifice.
4/ Verse 6 - 14 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Paul had a right to a salary, but he did not take a salary. In verse 6 - 14 under the law of liberty, he proves the right of pastor-teachers to be paid. As a matter of fact, Paul and Barnabas are the only two who did not receive a salary, and it was only at Corinth that he did not receive a salary.
5/ Barnabas was part of the Pauline team. He had been an outstanding businessman in Cyprus, a very wealthy man and he had been the head of a great empire when saved. He immediately dissolved his holdings, took the money, gave it to the Lord’s work, and is now traveling with Paul.
6/ Verse 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
The word, Power, is AUTHORITY. And to forebear working means a job outside the ministry, or a job on the side. Paul was a tent-maker. He had a trade. And so he and Barnabas did not get paid. After he left Corinth he was supported by local churches in his ministry.
7/ PAUL AND BARNABAS ARE THE EXCEPTION, NOT THE RULE
Verse 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
And Paul gives three illustrations from general life, physical life: the soldier; the shepherd; and the farmer. And the principle here is that one who teaches has the right to support.
8/ A soldier must give all his time to his job, and to be effective, he cannot have a job on the side, so he has the right to be paid. And then the farmer who plants a crop as part of his wages at the time of harvest receives part of the crop. And then the shepherd receives part of his wages from the flock. He has goats, he gets milk—then he has a right to take a lamb and slaughter it for himself. So Paul is using (1) Military life, (2) Agriculture (3) Pastoral life, showing that the basis for human production is wages. And it is just as true in the spiritual life.
9/ Verse 8 - 10 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
Here Paul uses the Word of God. He starts out by saying, Say I these things as a man? In other words, if he is not an apostle, he has to be saying them as a man.
10/ The law proved this very same principle.
Deuteronomy 25: 4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
THIS IS A BIBLE-CENTERED CONCEPT IN ALL AGES. THIS IS THE PRINCIPLE OF REMUNERATION.
The ox who treads out the corn is never muzzled. He was able to lean over as he worked and pickup some of the grain. So the dumb beast as he worked received for his labor, just so those who teach the Word of God.
11/ Verse 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
The worker has a right to a living wage—a fair wage, and this must be true in the spiritual life as well.
12/ PREPARATION IS NEEDED TO PREACH Study is needed. Folks say, you just preach so many hours a week—but how many hours are needed in preparation? Paul spent many years in preparation.
Galatians 1: 15 - 17 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
He went to Bible School in Arabia.
13/ It is well we recognize that a man should not be a pastor if he is not a teacher.
Ephesians 4: 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
In the Greek, and, makes Pastor and teacher one gift. The world has the wrong idea—it expects a pastor to run from house to house—visit, visit. A pastor is one who watches over a flock—he ministers to a flock. His primary function is the feeding of the flock. A while ago, someone said to me, that their minister was a great pastor, but a poor Bible teacher. I said, How could this be? This is an impossibility. To be a pastor, one must be a teacher, and this means time and preparation.
14/ I Corinthians 9: 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
Paul says, if we have sewn unto you spiritual things—and, of course, he had. Then we have a right to receive your carnal, or material things. In other words, a pastor has a right to receive without complaint. Sewn unto you, in the Greek is dative of advantage. If you have received things for you spiritual advantage, then you should be willing to give up material, worldly things.
15/ THE PRINCIPLE—EACH HAS SOMETHING TO GIVE TO THE OTHER.
16/ Verse 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
The word, power, is authority. If others be partakers of this authority over you. This meant they paid Apollos and others who came in. They had the right to pay Paul, the founder of the church. Then also notice, Pastor-teacher has authority. Many would like him to be a puppet.
17/ NEVERTHELESS is a conjunction of contrast, and under supreme sacrifice, he refuses to take money from them. He did not take money when he could have.
18/ SUFFER ALL THINGS Again, the result of the law of supreme sacrifice. The Greek word means TO ENDURE PRIVATION. And its present tense—he kept on enduring. This means he lacked money, food, lodging. He could not work enough to take care of all these items.
19/ …lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
LEST introduces the negative purpose cause. He did not want to hinder the Gospel in Corinth because they attacked his apostleship.
20/ Verse 13 - 15 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.
Paul is saying even though he refused to take money at Corinth. He was not setting a precedent. The principle of remuneration goes on.
21/ Verse 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
Here Paul again uses two illustrations from church life. (1) The Levitical priesthood was paid. Under the law, the priests were paid from the temple treasury, and this was called the storehouse. How few people understand the tithe. Each year the Israelite had two tithes. He didn’t give just one.
Malachi 3: 8 - 10 Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.
The first tithe, or one-tenth, went to the temple or tabernacle. The second tithe, or one-tenth went for the priesthood—for their salary. Some think a tithe was an offering—it was not—it was an income tax. And then every third year, he had to give one-tenth more for the poor of the land. So every year, a Jew gave 2/10 or 1/5 of his income as a tax, and then offerings were to be given above this. This was not on a percentage basis.
22/ Verse 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
Second illustration. He goes into the heathen temple. And the heathen priests partook of what was brought into the altar. Sometimes it was animals, he received a certain part of it—if gold or other valuables a certain part, and so he made his living. So Paul is saying, both Jew and Gentile, you must support those who teach you and care for your spiritual life.
23/ Paul says, they that preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel, and the word, of, should be from the Gospel—that is the literal translation. And here Paul is quoting our Lord Jesus Christ.
Luke 10: 7 And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
So even Christ when He was upon earth, said the principle of remuneration was the order of the day.
AMEN
Ref: 09/07/1972 / 9 - WHAT IS A PREACHER WORTH? / 09/08/2020
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