Generous

1 Corinthians 9:1-12

¹ Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it because of my work that you belong to the Lord? ² Even if others think I am not an apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.

³ This is my answer to those who question my authority. ⁴ Don’t we have the right to live in your homes and share your meals? ⁵ Don’t we have the right to bring a believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as Peter does? ⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves?

⁷ What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? ⁸ Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? ⁹ For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? ¹⁰ Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.

¹¹ Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink?

¹² If you support others who preach to you, shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the Good News about Christ.

Acts 18:11 confirms that Paul himself spent a year and a half with the people of Corinth, teaching them the word of God.

And now in this letter, it seems that he is responding to something that has happened between Paul and the people of Corinth, where they have perhaps complained about Paul and his finances.

Being paid for doing ministry, especially when the majority of people who are part of the church are all volunteers, can often feel uncomfortable and awkward. Doing gospel work is deeply meaningful and it is rewarding work when things go well.

But on the other hand, ministry work can be really hard. The hours can be long and inconvenient. The skills needed to do well in ministry can be hard to acquire and it can be expensive to gain relevant qualifications.

My heart is that we might be able to remunerate pastors to a level that is similar to other professions in our community. To do this, our congregation must be generous, our church administration must be efficient, and we need to be wise in the way that we handle our church finances.

Lord, help our church to do well in this area and help us to support the Kingdom to do this well!

Written by Ps. Justin Ware