Bible Reading Challenge #19
Read 1 Corinthians 9:1-14
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
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? 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. 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.
13 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? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
The Bible is a catalogue of real people with real problems seeking to honor the real God. Chapter 9 gets into a touchy yet honest conversation: money. Paul seems expected to do all of his ministry work pro bono. While other apostles were financially supported by the church, Paul often was not. Instead, he worked as a tentmaker and funded much of his own travel and preaching.
That raises a modern question: Should pastors be paid? For most of us, the answer seems obvious—yes (and I am personally very grateful for that!). But Paul’s teaching pushes us to move beyond what “feels right” and think through what is biblically right.
Paul argues that laborers should share in the fruit of their labor. He points back to the Old Testament, where God provided for priests through the offerings of the people. In the same way, Paul says those who preach the gospel should receive support from those who benefit from it. This is the same principle that drives how churches operate today—offerings are used to fund personnel, buildings, and ministry. On average, staff expenses make up 50–60% of a church’s budget. Is that right?
Well, it depends. Some churches operate with bi-vocational pastors—leaders who serve the church but also maintain outside employment. This can be a faithful and effective model, especially for smaller congregations. Other churches, as resources and needs grow, employ full-time pastors and staff who can dedicate themselves fully to shepherding and leading. Both can be viable; what matters is the fit for the church’s context.
What we must avoid are two extremes:
Treating the church like a charity that exists to keep a pastor on payroll, regardless of real need.
Expecting pastors to pour themselves out full-time while not compensating them fairly.
Paul reminds us that these kinds of issues—though practical and sometimes uncomfortable—are still spiritual issues. As Christians, we are called to honor God in everything, including how we steward our resources as individuals and as a church, as well as how we support those who minister among us.
