As I was surfing the web the other day I found a site that said you should not pay people for ministry. It cited the words that Jesus said, “The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep” (John 10:13). The author of the site went on to say that pastors and ministries that pay their workers develop workers that care nothing for their sheep (congregations). Therefore, ministers should not be paid. I know that the church I grew up in k with suspicion on salaried pastors because of their understanding of the priesthood of all believers. However, Paul makes the point a couple of times that those who work for the gospel have a right to receive a salary. Today’s passage shows simply that the interpretation of Jesus’ words to mean that a minister should not receive pay is false.
1 Corinthians 9: 3-6
3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas[a]? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
Questions
- To whom is Paul making his defence?
- Who do the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas take along with them?
- What is expected by some of Barnabas and Paul?
- What is Paul trying to establish in this paragraph?
- How much financial support should your pastor receive?
Going Deeper
Take time to review your finances and ask the Lord if you can give more to ministry. If you have time, see if your pastor’s salary is available. In most cases you will find they are living on a little. After seeing the salaries of ministers whom you know, decide how to act on that knowledge.
Plymothian 