Don't Muzzle The Ox...

Don’t you realize that those who work in the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings. In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from it. I Corinthians 9:13-14 (New Living Translation, NLT)

I’m sure most of us have heard someone say, “Oh that preacher just wants my money.” Especially if a minister is on television, some people tend to think it is a crime for them to expect any form of monetary reward for their work. If you read I Corinthians 9, you’ll see that the Apostle Paul had people say that about him as well. And Paul makes the case that those who preach the gospel should expect to make a living by the gospel.

Are there some in ministry who receive large paychecks? Yes, there are. However, most ministers do not create their own salary- they are subject to a board who sets the salary- similar to a corporate CEO whose salary is set by the board of directors. And they usually set it based on what is deemed appropriate by national averages, etc. for the size of ministry, the scope of the minister’s work, their responsibilities, and so on. If we judge every minister by a few who have impure motives about money, then we would have nowhere to pay tithe or sow seed. And if that is the case, then we’d have no opportunity to receive a harvest.

Of course, not every minister is in ministry for the right reason. As a matter of fact, some people in ministry are not even called by God to be in ministry. Some aren’t even saved. Those men and women see it as just another profession, and their motives are wrong. But that isn’t the case for most ministers. Let’s compare this to another profession like the medical profession. I’m sure you would agree that some doctors are in their chosen profession simply because they thought it would be a lucrative career. Yet, others chose it because they wanted to help people or they saw medical practice as a way to use their God-given gifts. We don’t discount the entire medical field because of some with impure motives. And we don’t assume every minister is in ministry just to get our money.

The Bible tells us we are to tithe and give offerings. If we refuse to do so, it shows that we are the ones with impure motives and an ungodly attachment to our money. I am not telling you to give to every ministry that comes along. What I am saying is that we do not withhold finances from faithful ministers of the Word. Your tithe is to go to your home church- the place where you are being fed and nourished with with Word of God. Then ask the Holy Spirit to show you where to give your offerings. We’ll know the right ministries to partner with by their fruit. What are they doing for the Kingdom? Are they subject to anyone for how they spend their money? Many ministries will publish an annual report or will become accountable to an outside agency such as the ECFA (Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability). And don’t judge a ministy because of size- whether large tor small. A large ministry may have the connections to do a lot for God, and a small ministry may have a real mandate from God for a certain purpose but has not yet grown in size. So, don’t use size as a deciding factor. The main thing is to ask Holy Spirit and let Him speak to your spirit. If it doesn’t feel right to give to a certain minister or ministry, then don’t. But if you have peace about it, then go to the next step and ask Him how much to give.

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? Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? 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? 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. Since we have planted spiritual seed among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink? I Corinthians 9:7-11 (New Living Translation, NLT)