This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’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? Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living? 1 Corinthians 9:3-6
The
apostle Paul faced this question as a preacher who went from city to city
sometimes for years. Many criticized him
for raising support to survive. Paul
answered the critics:
Who serves
as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its
grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? Do I say
this merely on human authority? Doesn’t
the Law say the same thing? For it is written in the Law
of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” Is it about
oxen that God is concerned? Surely he
says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever
plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the
harvest. 1 Corinthians 9:7-10
He said
that governments support soldiers to risk their lives, farmers eat from the
fruit from their own harvest, even ox tread grain and take a little bit now and
then—so why not pay for ministers, pastors and preachers to do God’s work?
If we have
sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest
from you? If others have this right of
support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did
not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder
the gospel of Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:11-12
Paul felt
that ministers of the Gospel deserved to get paid, however, Paul said that he
worked (as a tentmaker) to raise his own support. He didn’t want anyone to criticize his
motives. But, as for others, why
shouldn’t they get paid to deliver the Gospel?