XPost: alt.bible, alt.religion.christian.roman-catholic, alt.religion.christian   
   From: usenet@christrose.news   
      
   Paul clearly taught that ministers of the gospel have a right to receive   
   material support, even though he personally declined that support in   
   certain contexts to avoid putting a stumbling block before others.   
   "Sincerely" James misrepresents the full counsel of God’s Word on this   
   issue. While some of the references are accurate, the conclusion   
   contradicts the teaching of Christ and Paul. Below is a thorough   
   refutation where needed, and confirmation where accurate, based on   
   Scripture.   
      
   1. Misuse of Matthew 10:8   
      
   "Sincerely" James quotes: “You received without paying, give without   
   pay” (Matthew 10:8, RSV) as a universal command against any material   
   support for ministry. This verse was part of Jesus’ specific   
   instructions to the twelve apostles as He sent them out to preach the   
   kingdom to Israel (Matthew 10:5-10). But in the same context, Jesus   
   said: “the laborer deserves his food” (Matthew 10:10, ESV). That phrase   
   reflects the right to receive physical provision for spiritual labor.   
   Jesus was not forbidding all support; He was forbidding commercializing   
   the miraculous gifts (like healings or exorcisms). He explicitly told   
   the apostles to accept hospitality and provision (Luke 10:7), not to   
   charge fees or profit from their miracles. That is very different from   
   saying ministers today must never receive pay.   
      
   2. Misinterpretation of Paul’s Example   
      
   "Sincerely" James rightly cites Paul’s refusal to burden certain   
   churches (2 Corinthians 11:7-9; 12:14), but he omits Paul’s clear   
   teaching that ministers do have the right to receive support. Paul’s   
   personal choice to forgo that right in Corinth was not a universal   
   pattern for all ministers.   
      
   Paul said plainly: “The Lord commanded that those who proclaim the   
   gospel should get their living by the gospel” (1 Corinthians 9:14, ESV).   
   This command came from Jesus Himself (see also Luke 10:7). Paul also   
   argued that just as soldiers, farmers, and shepherds partake of their   
   labor, so gospel workers should too (1 Corinthians 9:7-11). He then   
   adds: “If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we   
   reap material things from you?” (1 Corinthians 9:11, ESV). Paul waived   
   this right in Corinth to avoid hindering the gospel (1 Corinthians   
   9:12), but he did not renounce it as wrong or unbiblical. In fact, he   
   instructed others to financially support elders who labor in the Word:   
   “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,   
   especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture   
   says… ‘The laborer deserves his wages.’” (1 Timothy 5:17-18, ESV). Paul   
   quoted Deuteronomy and Jesus to support payment for gospel work.   
      
   Paul also rebuked the Corinthians for failing to support him, and   
   described how other churches filled in the gap: “I robbed other churches   
   by accepting support from them in order to serve you” (2 Corinthians   
   11:8, ESV). Paul was not ashamed of receiving that support. He only   
   regretted that Corinth failed to do its part, and he had to rely on   
   others. That hardly supports the idea that all financial support is   
   unbiblical—it proves the opposite.   
      
   3. False Dichotomy Between Salary and Support   
      
   "Sincerely" James distinguishes “provisions” from a “regular salary,”   
   implying that ongoing support is somehow sinful or man-made. But the   
   Scripture never makes that distinction. Whether it comes as food, gifts,   
   or ongoing pay, the principle is the same: believers must support those   
   who shepherd and teach them. “One who is taught the word must share all   
   good things with the one who teaches” (Galatians 6:6, ESV). This   
   principle does not depend on how often or in what form support is given.   
   Paul received repeated support from the Philippians: “Even in   
   Thessalonica you sent me help for my needs once and again” (Philippians   
   4:16, ESV). Their support pleased God and supplied Paul’s needs, and he   
   never rebuked them for it.   
      
   4. Misuse of Paul’s Tentmaking   
      
   "Sincerely" James appeals to Paul’s tentmaking (Acts 18:3), but not   
   because it was wrong to accept support. Paul made tents temporarily and   
   strategically, especially in Corinth where false teachers abused   
   finances. He did accept material help elsewhere (Philippians 4:10-19),   
   and he commanded others to support faithful teachers. Paul’s choice was   
   voluntary, not mandatory for all preachers: “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” (1 Corinthians 9:12, ESV).   
   A personal sacrifice, freely made, does not revoke God’s ordinance.   
      
   5. Misapplication of 2 Thessalonians 3:8 and 1 Corinthians 11:1   
      
   "Sincerely" James uses Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 3 and 1   
   Corinthians 11 to suggest that accepting support for gospel work   
   contradicts apostolic example. Paul exhorted believers to follow his   
   example of not being idle or taking advantage of others (2 Thessalonians   
   3:6-10), especially those who refused to work. But this has no bearing   
   on faithful ministers being supported by those they serve. Paul’s   
   command was to imitate his self-discipline, not his refusal of gospel   
   pay. When Paul says “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ” (1   
   Corinthians 11:1), he refers to Christlike humility and love—not   
   vocational tentmaking.   
      
   Conclusion   
      
   "Sincerely" James fails to rightly divide the Word of truth. While he   
   correctly points out that Paul sometimes worked with his hands, he   
   falsely concludes that paid ministry contradicts the teachings of   
   Christ. Both Jesus and Paul taught that faithful ministers have the   
   right to receive material support. The sin lies not in receiving   
   support, but in peddling the Word for selfish gain (2 Corinthians 2:17).   
   Scripture condemns greed and manipulation—not faithful compensation.   
      
   Every believer who feeds on God’s Word has a God-given responsibility to   
   share with the one who teaches him (Galatians 6:6). Elders who labor in   
   preaching and teaching deserve not only honor but support (1 Timothy   
   5:17-18). Paul’s example was one of sacrificial love, not a model for   
   rejecting rightful support.   
      
   --   
   Have you heard the good news Christ died for our sins (†), and God   
   raised Him from the dead?   
      
   That Christ died for our sins shows we're sinners who deserve the death   
   penalty. That God raised Him from the dead shows Christ's death   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)