Well, if elders should not be the main teachers nor the
authoritative rulers, then why were they paid?
Another characteristic of New Testament elders in
contrast to today’s counterpart is their lack of
remuneration. They were not paid. As in II
Thessalonians 3:7-9, they had been taught to follow
Paul’s example by not being a burden to anyone and
by earning enough to give to those in need.
Today, church members give to preachers or elders. At
Ephesus, elders gave to church members. Read Paul’s
conversation with the Ephesian elders about receiving
money in Acts 20.
From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders
of the church...20:17 ... I have coveted no one’s silver or
gold or clothes. 33. You yourselves know that these hands
ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with
me. 34. In everything I showed you that by working hard in
this manner you must help the weak and remember the
words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘it is more
blessed to give than receive.’ 35.
Let’s take another text. In I Corinthians 9:1-10 Paul
proves his apostleship so that the Corinthians would
follow his commands.
Corinthian Elders Page 53
In verses 1-4 Paul says, ...Am I not an apostle? ...My
defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a
right to eat and drink?
In II Timothy 1:11 Paul told Timothy, ...I was appointed
a preacher and an apostle and a teacher...
Paul is saying in I Corinthians 9 if he was a teacher or a
preacher he would not have the right to food and
drink. But as an apostle who had been sent personally
by Christ and had the signs of a true apostle, II
Corinthians 12:12, he deserved an apostle’s wages. The
fact that he deserved food and drink proved he was an
apostle. But if he was only a teacher or preacher then,
no, he would not deserve any food and drink.
Look at another text to make this clearer.
In I Peter 5:2 Peter is speaking specifically to elders and
says, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising
oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according
to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with
eagerness.
We all know what compulsion is and when we are
paid to do something we better do it or return the
money. The general meaning of the English word
sordid is morally ignoble, base or vile. No paid
Christian elder believes they minister for money but
the fact remains that if they cash their paycheck they
did it for money. I am not questioning their heart only
their hermeneutics.
Corinthian Elders Page 54
Galatians 6:6 has been used to support paying elders,
The one who is taught the word is to share all good things
with the one who teaches him.
But the Greek could just as easily read, “The one who is
taught the word is to participate in good works with
the one who teaches him.” Go back and read the last
few chapters if you don’t have a concordance. Doesn’t
the text make more sense using the Greek general
definitions? Even the previous verse, Galatians 6:5
insists, each one will bear his own load.
Here is a text most see as authorizing gain or profit for
serving God as elders, I Timothy 5:17-18: The elders who
rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor,
especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox while he
is threshing’, and ‘the laborer is worthy of his wages.’
In order to interpret these verses as advocating the
receipt of money by preachers two texts seem to be
overlooked. One, remember Paul is writing this to
Timothy about the elders in Ephesus, I Timothy 1:3.
These are the same Ephesian elders who were told not
to receive but give in Acts 20:17.
Two, the receipt of money was precluded by Christ
when he told the seventy, the apostles, carry no money
belt... in Luke 10:4. This is even more explicit in
Matthew 10:9, do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for
your money belts. So we can see that even though Christ
stated, for the laborer is worthy of his wages, in Luke 10:7
to justify their board, He did not intend for them to
Corinthian Elders Page 55
collect money in exchange for God’s word and that
being the case then certainly Paul did not intend the
honor shown in I Timothy 5:17-18 to be money.
This verse could command giving honor to hard
working elders as honor was shown widows in I
Timothy 5:3 by giving them food, or, as apostles were
given food and drink in I Corinthians 9:4. But Paul did
not intend this honor in 5:17 to be in the form of
money, as in I Timothy 6:1, for surely honor due a
master from a slave would not require money to the
master. Children, likewise, do not honor their parents
by paying their parents money.
If money was the intended honor in I Timothy 5:17
then we would have Scriptures which would
contradict. These contradictions could not be resolved
by saying undeserved wages were the wages paid
when the gospel was distorted by an elder as some
have voiced. Acts 20:29-35 and I Peter 5:2 preclude
elder pay without mention of heresy. We are making a
choice between the needy of this world and our
favorite preachers or teachers, where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also Matthew 6:21.
It may be helpful to understand apostles were given
the right to eat, drink and have lodging by Jesus, Stay
in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for
the laborer is worthy of his wages. Luke 10:7. This is the
basis of Paul’s argument in I Corinthians 9.
Corinthian Elders Page 56
But there were also false apostles hoping for gain. Such
men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising
themselves as apostles of Christ. II Corinthians 11:13.
Paul had to address this by qualifying who was an
apostle, The signs of a true apostle were performed among
you with all perseverance, by signs and wonders and
miracles. II Corinthians 12:12.
Because false apostles could enjoy authority, free food
or some other gain, it was an easy next step to ask for
money because the Didache, which is not inspired but
one of our oldest Christian documents, in section 11:5-9
includes this instruction:
‘Let every apostle, when he cometh to
you, be received as the Lord; but he shall
not abide more than a single day, or if
there be need, another, but if he abide
three days, he is a false prophet. And
when he departeth let the apostle receive
nothing save bread until he findeth
shelter; but if he ask money, he is a false
apostle.’
If an apostle should not receive money in a very
developed Roman world that utilized currency over a
barter system in return for information on eternal life,
then it would appear obvious neither should an elder,
regardless how we enjoy his example or preaching.
This lack of financial payment to teachers, preachers
and elders corroborates the evidence that they were
Corinthian Elders Page 57
simply a part of the body. There was no difference in
importance or prominence of the teaching gift in the
assembly over any other gifts. Yes, we should honor
elders and teachers, but not allow favoritism over other
believers during the assembly, regardless of how small
we consider their gifts. All are simply branches
holding to the vine.
The role Paul prescribed for elders and teachers was no
more prominent than the role of other members of the
body, and this lack of monetary remuneration supports
this conclusion. If we reconsidered this issue, our
witness to a cynical world would change overnight.
Consider if eighty percent of church contributions are
consumed by buildings and church staff how we could
affect the world if those numbers were reversed by
believers assembling in small unpaid groups.
If your Individual Retirement Account had
administrative costs of eighty percent each year, you
would reconsider your choice of IRA administrator.
Please reconsider the investment in your relationship
with Christ.
No comments:
Post a Comment