MFUNDISI (Part 4)
PASTORS/GOSPEL WORKERS RIGHT TO BE PAID
(1 Corinthians 9:1-15)
Mfundisi Part 4, 5, 6 will examine the Pastor's right to receive support, members responsibility and financial accountability in the local Church. I begin with the rights that Mfundisi has, not the abuse.
Because the more we talk about financial abuse, we forget that there are faithful Pastors out there who are being starved and abused instead.
"In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel" (I Corinthians 9:14)
PAUL'S RIGHTS AS AN APOSTLE
The Apostle Paul was responsible for planting the Church at Corinth. He is accredited to planting the seed of the gospel and nurturing it.
In 1 Corinthians Paul is addressing practical issues arising from the Church in Corinth and answering difficult questions.
In (1 Corinthians 7) he addressess the question about marriage, divorce and singleness.
In (1 Corinthians 8) he addresses the question of food offered to idols. These are contentious issues in the Church at Corinth.
His advice to the rich brothers who could afford to buy meat from the market place is that; while it is their right, for the sake of not stumbling the weak among them they would rather give up their rights for the sake of the gospel.
And this advice will be key as we explore (1 Corinthians 9) though receiving a salary from the church at Corinth was his right, for the sake of the gospel given the circumstances at that local Church, Paul gave up his right so as not to put the name of Christ and His Gospel in disrepute.
And now in (1 Corinthians 9) the Apostle Paul addresses the question that is very personal.
There are Christians in the Church who charge that Paul is not a true Apostle, and therefore doesn't deserve financial support/salary from the Church at Corinth. Paul was disqualified as an Apostle because he was not among the twelve who walked with Jesus Christ in the flesh.
THE CORINTHIAN CONTEXT
The city of Corinth was a cosmopolitan city. It was a business capital that attracted traders from different parts of the world. A commercial and diverse city the rich and affluent people lived here, and some of these influencial people formed part of the Church.
The refusal by the Apostle Paul to receive a salary was not because the people were poor or getting a salary/support was wrong, but because of the carnality that crept into the Church at Corinth.
This carnality around the city of Corinth was imported into the local Church which included the way rhetorians, philosophers or public speakers were treated.
Public Speaking was king in those times. Public Speakers were a gold mine. The better you speak and debate the bigger your salary.
Eloquence therefore determined your income or salary scales.
Philosophers survived by being adopted by rich families who promoted your public speaking performances by charging a fee.
Free entry meant the Speaker is an amateur who spoke for free basking in public places.
PAUL GIVES A DEFENCE OF HIS APOSTLESHIP
(1 Corinthians 9:1-6)
"Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who sit in judgement 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 must work for a living?"
To those who questioned his apostleship Paul asserts himself as an apostle;
Firstly; Apostle Paul asserts his apostleship with the facts that he has seen the Lord Jesus Christ.
Secondly; Apostle Paul points to the Corinthian Church as a visible fruits of his apostleship.
"Don't we have right to food and drink? Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do other Apostles......"
Paul affirms that he has the following rights;
1. Right to food and drink
Paul and Barnabas as gospel workers had the right to be supplied with food and other essentials by the generosity of the Church.
2. Right to be accompanied by a wife on mission trips.
Because the mission trips would take months or years it was important that Apostles who were married should be accompanied by their wives on missions fully paid by the church.
Rhetorical Questions (vs. 7-8)
1. Who serves as a soldier at his own expense?
2. Who plants a vineyard, and does not eat of it's grapes?
3. Who tends the flock and does not drink of its milk?
With these three rhetorical question Paul destroys the myths around tent making. Paul never suggested tent making for gospel workers as a universal truth in any situation.
Paul has made it clear in those three rhetorical questions that ;
1. That a soldier defends his own country at the expense of the State, and is paid for serving in the army.
2. That a farmer eats from his produce whether milk or grapes.
3. Paul had the right like any other Apostles not to seek any other job but concentrate on the work of the ministry.
But he waived this right and worked for his food while in this particular Church.
THE LAW OF GOD TEACHES FINANCIAL & MATERIAL SUPPORT FOR HIS MINISTERS
"Do I say this merely from human point of view? 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, because when the plowman plows and thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing the harvest. 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? " (1 Corinthians 9:8-12)
Paul quotes from the Old Testament law, " Do not muzzle an Ox while it is treading out the grain" (Deutronomy 25:4)
Clearly we are not animals. We are human and at the same time Christians who ought to know better. God is using animals to teach us humans a very important principle that the one who labors among us should never ever be starved.
The Principle of tithing was instituted by God in the Old Testament for this very reason that those who work in the temple should be provided for.
"The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:37)
There is a need for Pastors who are genuinely sold out to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
While some Pastors can multi-task from a eight to five job to Pastoral work, some Pastors would do far much better if they served 'one master'.
A Paid up Mfundisi has the time to seriously seek God in Prayer and fasting. Prayer is very much a big part of a Pastor's life.
The fire you are looking for Mfundisi is not a holy water from the north, or the anointed ring from the east. The fire is in that closet in prayer.
A fully Paid up Mfundisi has time to devote him/herself to the study of the word of God.
Mfundisi will prayerfully prepare the sermons on time instead of fidgeting before going to the pulpit.
I can tell Mfundisi if you didn't prepare a sermon and you are using your experience to pull it off.
And then there is this "the spirit took over" an excuse for lack of sermon preparation hiding behind worship that the spirit does not want you to preach. The public declaration of God's word is a very big part of worship.
A fully Paid up Mfundisi is available to attend to Pastoral duties that includes hospital, prison, house visitations.
Has time to mentor upcoming preachers, and has enough time to disciple individuals.
Counseling and praying for those who seek help.
A fully paid up Pastor can also attend to the administrative needs of the local Church. And the beauty of having a pastor who is focused (serving one master) is that members are likely to receive quality ministry.
Before I wind up for today let me say just because a Pastor is fully supported by the local Church doesn't necessarily mean they will be hardworking.
Truth is there are paid up Pastors doing less work than volunteers who must first attend the eight to five jobs and rush straight to Church to work for free.
We need a structure that spells out exactly what the Pastor's duties are and how much hours the Pastor should put in his work.
I am not suggesting that Mfundisi must be policed to do his/her job, but there should be responsibility if the Church is paying your salary. True stewardship requires you to be faithful.
Perhaps the question you may have as a Pastor is how should the local Church determine the salary scales of Mfundisi?
Will address that in Part 5.
Lawrence Musunte
+27817030540
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