~ Should preachers be paid a salary? ~
1Cor 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 9:12 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.
Now do you see here that Paul said that if he partakes of this power of reaping their carnal things, that it would HINDER the gospel of Christ?
1Cor 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 9:17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 9:18 What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
Now let’s compare the above with the present day preachers. How many of them do you suppose could say necessity was laid upon them to preach the gospel? How many of them just ‘decided�?this was a lucrative field of ‘work�? How many are truly sent out there with the true message of God, by God? I say it would be very hard to find any.
Notice verse 17..he said if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward. Verse 18.. What is my reward then? Verily that, I make the gospel of Christ WITHOUT CHARGE.
God just revealed this to me:
1Cor 9:7 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?
I knew in my spirit this thing was not saying a preacher should be paid. I know that is against all true principals of God. Now I seek God until He shows me the truth. You all would do well to do so also. Seek and ye shall find. I just found. Read on:
What is this Scripture really speaking of? Money? No. The carnal minded always take it to that. But God never took it to that. The NT is never dealing with money. Even the OT was not dealing with money as I have already proven. The tithe was NEVER money. It was natural FOOD to feed those who laboured in that temple work.
The blessing God promised to pour out from the windows of heaven was certainly NOT MONEY. It was the Holy Ghost. Do you want this blessing? Do the preachers? No! They want mammon. { I meant to only do a short reply thing here; but with this revelation, I will do a full message.}
Now back to the Scripture. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Is he saying at his own money? No. Now I know it looks this way....but not spiritual. Who sends himself into battle? No one. His commander must charge him what to do, where and how to do it. God is our Commander. He charges us, or give us the orders and also he has the faith, as Paul did, to believe God would supply his needs for this warfare work.
Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit? Now what is the ‘fruit�?of the NT vineyards? Is it money? No. It is the revelation of the Word of God. It is the fruit of the Spirit of God. So, it is saying that if one teaches these things of God, then he himself must also be partaker of them. In other words, he needs to live what he preaches. He should not say, do not commit adultery and then go out and do this sin himself.
If he preaches the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then he must also have received it. He must partake of this fruit himself.
Who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? Now is this money? No! What is the milk of the Word? Is ‘money�?the milk of the word? Is money the milk we feed the flock of God. No! Milk is the foundational teachings of the Word. What is the ‘flock�? Is it natural sheep? Of course not. It is the babes of God. If one feeds this flock of God, then that one must also eat the very same milk he is giving out.
Now I am telling you, God himself just revealed this to me. I knew in my spirit this Scripture was not being interpreted right. So I could not let it alone. I had gotten off the computer to do some work, but this message was still on my mind. I started not to come back and write on it. But I knew in my heart that if I did not, I would forget what God was showing me. Then He opened this up to me, and I knew it was the real and true answer to this passage of Scripture. This is just like when He revealed the truth to me about tithing. It was never money.
See Scripture cannot cross any other Scripture. If God said by the prophet, come buy without money and without price, then all other Scripture must be true to this principle. And this is the true revelation of 1Cor. 9.
Now watch this:
1Cor 9:8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9:9 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?
Now ask yourself, is this verse dealing with money? No! Did the ox get money for their plowing? Of course not. Was he saying pay the ox or the plowman? No! He was saying the same thing here...that ox may eat of the corn, or FOOD he is treading out. So the preacher must also eat of the Holy Food he is treading out, as I am doing right now. Glory to my God. Praise your precious Name Lord Jesus, that you have mercy on me and feed me the Word of God. Evermore, Lord, feed me the daily BREAD.
Now-- 1Tim 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.
Now see that Paul went to the very same OT Scripture in 1Tim 5:18 that he did in 1Cor 9:9. But look at verse 17. It reveals what the reward is......double honour. And he said especially to those who labour in the word and doctrine = ministers or teachers. Their reward was NOT money, it was double honour. Now I just wonder why the people today have absolutely no honour for those of us who labour in the Word and doctrine to feed you? Where is mine honour? Now see that he linked the reward with being this honour? He never said a word here about money or pay for this labour in the Word. Where has money even once entered into any of this scripture? It has not been mentioned. Men have changed this Word again to suit their own lust and agenda.
Since Paul used the very same Scripture connected with double honour that he did in 1Cor 9, then it has to be dealing with the same thing in both Books. He is not speaking of money in Corinthians and honour in Timothy.
Now here is what the men who preach for pay are: Jude 1:11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for REWARD, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.
Balaam went to do a work for earthly reward, or money. This is the error greedy people run after. Core lusted after those goodly Babylonian clothes and that golden wedge. See here was this greed for earthly goods and money again. God condemned it both time. So then, if He condemns this, how is it that He turns around and lets it be the reward for preaching the word? I say it is doctrines of devils.
Rev22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my REWARD is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.
Now those of us who work for God without earthly pay or reward, will be given our Heavenly reward when Jesus returns.
Lu 6:21 Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Lu 6:22 Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake.
Lu 6:23 Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. Lu 6:24 But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Lu 6:25 Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep.
Now this is clearly showing that those who are full and have riches in this life have already received their consolation. They will not have a heavenly reward. Money was their reward. It counsels out any heavenly reward.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
Now this shows that Moses chose reproach instead of the riches of Egypt. He had respect unto the reward. So was his reward money? Of course not. Money is what he turned his back on. Where are any ‘pastors�?today with this attitude? Are you really being fed by a minister of God?
1Cor 9:6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
Now what is Paul saying here? Is he saying we have the power not to work so you can keep us up? No. What does ‘forbear�?here mean? It means to abstain from something being forced on them. So he was really saying that they had the faith to not go out and work so their needs would be taken care of this way. They had the faith to wait on God and expect him to provide for them. We know that Paul did work with his hands, yet he is saying I have the faith to not work when I need to be feeding the flock of God. Would he be saying this if he had a set salary coming to him from the churches? No.
1Cor 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
Now is the carnal things speaking of money? No. If money were the subject in this conversation, it would have been mentioned somewhere. Money is never mentioned in this entire chapter. Those running greedily after the error of Balaam are the ones who took this and many other Scriptures to money, when money was never brought into it. He is speaking of natural food or clothing or shelter. He is not speaking of money.
1Cr 9:12 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.
Here Paul said he had not used this power, lest he should HINDER the gospel of Christ. He is speaking of not looking to them for his food, clothes or shelter or other needs. He is not speaking of them paying him. It is not in focus in this chapter. Even the acceptance of these natural needs would have hindered the gospel, according to Paul, that is if he had expected this of them as pay for his labour among them.
1Cor 9:13 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?
Now what was the things of the temple and the altar? Was it money? No. You cannot find anywhere in the OT that money was brought and placed on the altar. So what was? Food, those animal sacrifices and the fine flour, corn and wine they used in these feasts. It was never money. In fact they were told they could change these things for money, if they lived too far away from the temple, and then after they arrived, buy back the things they needed for their sacrifice feast. They NEVER took money in and gave it to the priests.
So what does this natural food type? The spiritual food, the Word of God. So...
1Cor 9:14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
He is saying here that those who preach the gospel should partake of the very gospel they preach. This is clearly laid out in Scripture. Jesus said do not say one thing and do another.
So then what about this: 1Cor 9:15 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.
Now that makes it look as if he is saying those who preach the gospel should have natural things given to them because they preach. But, no. He is saying in verse 15, that he did not mean for those things about the altar to be done to him. He is not looking to them to feed him. He is only wanting to feed them from heaven. He is not looking to anyone to pay him for preaching the gospel. Anyone who does is a Balaam and Core. They are not true ministers of God. They are greedy of filthy lucre.
By: Jo Smith -
August 24, 2005