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Preaching as a Career Option
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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? 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. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 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. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. (1 Cor 9: 9 - 14 ESV)
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Should God's ministers receive a wage?
Most of us have heard about the "money preachers". Watch late night television in the wee hours before dawn and you find any number of televangelists spruiking their "name-it-and-claim-it" gospel. They may agree with the verses shown above about paying the preacher his rightful dues, even though Paul the Apostle refused to use his.
Today in the Christian church we have two extremes. At one end of the wages spectrum many churches expect their workers to volunteer their services. The pastor may be low paid and needs a second and secular job to supplement his meager existence. Church helpers, deacons, singers and musos work for free, donating their skills and talents cheerfully.
However, at the other end of the spectrum we see the "money preachers". They gather in millions of dollars for themselves from needy and gullible congregations on the pretense that God will reward them tenfold. Of course, the only real beneficiaries are the preachers and their immediate families. Watching our late night religious programmes quickly shows the opulence of these anointed lives. What grieves me is the fact so much of the donated money comes from who are dirt poor and who cannot really afford to give in the first place.
One of these preachers wrote a book on "having your best life now". How true! In the next life at the resurrection of the dead they will suffer for all eternity in the lake of fire unless they repent now in this life. If not, they will really have their best life now.
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PeterF
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