After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road. “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house. “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.” (Luke 10:1-8)
In todays context, preachers who live in the same town that they preach in have their own houses to sleep in, so they don’t require that hospitality to be given to them. Since these preachers are not traveling around from town to town, they are capable of having a secular job to support themselves and their families, and therefore would not need to have the church pay them. However, in our society we have built up the idea that a preacher must be a paid professional clergy, yet this is not a Biblical concept. (when I say something is “not Biblical” I simply mean it is not in the Bible. Driving cars is “not Biblical”, this does not mean it is wrong, just that it is not in the Bible)
Another popular scripture that is taken out of context and mis-applied in order to support a pastor’s salary is 1Corinthians 9:
… Am I not an apostle? … 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? Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk? … 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 when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? … Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. But I have not used any of these rights. (1 Corinthians 9:1-15)
The context of this passage is also in connection with traveling apostolic workers (sent ones), those traveling preachers, missionaries, evangelists, etc. The reason these people need support is because they are traveling, and are unable of having a regular job because of their travels. It has nothing to do with the fact that they are preaching the Gospel - all Christians should be doing that, yet we do not all expect a salary for it. The reason these people should be given hospitality (food and shelter) is because they are traveling and it is difficult to support themselves in such travels. Paul was an exception, since he was a tent-maker, he could bring his bag of tools with him and make and repair tents anywhere. This gave Paul a unique advantage over Peter for example who was a fisherman and could only fish if he was in a city near water, and Peter would not be able to take his boat with him during his travels (unless he traveled by boat and only visited cities along the coast).
We don’t want those who are “sent out” to preach the Gospel to die of starvation, so we should try to help them with our hospitality, giving them food and shelter as they travel. But, in my opinion, the preachers and teachers who are not traveling should find work at a secular profession to provide for their own families. I believe this will help the Kingdom of God grow for several reasons.
1. Preachers who are paid to preach - gives many people a false idea that preachers are only doing it for the money. This causes many people to distrust preachers, and gives people the idea that preachers are crooks, trying to guilt others into giving them money (unfortunately this is sometimes true). If we are paid to preach, then people assume our motivation is money.
2. Preachers who work in a secular job - gives their message authenticity. If you are not getting paid to preach, but are simply doing it because you love God and love others and want to lead others into a relationship with God (no strings attached), the message will seem more legitimate and the messenger more authentic. Authenticity is more valuable than the best theological training in the world. If you are being paid to say something, then people doubt your authenticity. It is just like commercials, actors are paid to endorse a product that they may or may not actually like. They are doing it for the money, not out of their love for the product.
3. Preachers who are paid to preach - reinforces the idea that one must join the clergy if they want to be devoted entirely to God. It creates a mindset that to preach the Gospel, we must go to Seminary, get Ordained, and make it our profession to preach. Many people are left sitting in pews who could otherwise be expanding the Kingdom, because they feel un-qualified to preach and teach. Therefore a paid clergy works against equipping and mobilizing disciples to do the work of the Kingdom of God. It creates a lazy laity who is dependent upon the paid professional to do all of the work.
4. Preachers who work in a secular job - proves that you don’t have to join the clergy to devote your life to God. It works to eliminate any excuses people might have about not having the time to study the Word, and not having the time to preach and teach. It makes the preacher/teacher a living example of how Christianity can be lived out in daily lives. One does not have to be a paid professional in order to study the Word and teach others about God. This is the duty of all Christians, not just a few special “paid professionals”.
“What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge…” (1 Corinthians 9:18)
“Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:8)