Hand Grenades and Preacher Pay

“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and, ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (1Tim 5:17-18).

Toss out the topic of preacher pay at just about every church and rolls around the floor like a grenade without a pin. Everybody runs away from it. And if you get to close to it, someone’s going to get hurt. This is a particularly hot potato in America today. 

It seems like every single day, bloggers have a field day with some megachurch pastor’s stupid decision build a megamansion or buy a jumbo jet. As a result, the pendulum swings wildly the other way in some churches where people expect pastors to live on food stamps and government cheese.

Well, it’s no surprise that our good buddy Paul is willing to have a very frank discussion about preacher pay in his first letter to Timothy. The apostle writes to the newly installed pastor of the Ephesian church while he hits the road for ministry over in Macedonia (1Tim 1:3). Tim is to put out the grease fire cause by the false gospel started by false teachers (1Tim 1:4-7; 4:1-3). Assemble a new team of elders and deacons who lead and serve with integrity (1Tim 3:1-13).

As part of his instructions to Pastor Tim, the man from Tarsus isn’t afraid to address compensation packages for the local church. “Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,’ and ‘The laborer deserves his wages’” (v17-18). Teaching and preaching God's Word well is exhausting. Let's be generous with those who do it.

The first thing we see as we dig into the passage is the expectation for our elders to be outstanding leaders. Paul uses a verb (Gr. proistemi) which the folks at the ESV choose to translate “rule.” While the original Greek word certainly carries that meaning, it’s a whole lot more than that. It means to lead, direct, guide, guard, care for, and manage. 

There’s a sense of intense devotion to the task at hand and to actively help those placed in your care. It’s exercising influence over others in order to cause them to follow a recommended course of action.

The word literally means “to set yourself in the front.” As a godly leader, you put yourself out there! Servant/leaders expose themselves as they set the example for what it means to follow Jesus. We’re not to sit on our God given gifts but use them as members of the church, including “the one who leads (Gr. proistemi) with zeal” (Rom 12:8). 

In one of his letters to the Thessalonians, Paul encourages believers there to be good followers of their leaders. “We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over (Gr. proistemi) you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work” (1Th 5:12-13). Elders and deacons put themselves out there for the good of their families and their churches (1Tim 3:4-5, 12).

While servant/leaders don’t seek the spotlight, they also realize God has placed them in a public position for His people. There’s no hiding in the ivory tower. It’s no time to go all Wizard of Oz and tell folks to “pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” Whether you like it or not, being a servant/leader and an elder comes with a level of exposure and transparency. Leading means putting yourself out there.

For those leaders who knock it out of the park, they should “be considered of double honor” (v17). When they do a job so nice, let’s thank them twice. Paul’s talking about giving these elders BOTH respect AND financial compensation. Any doubt of that comes from the Old and New Testament passages he drops in the following verse (more on that in just a bit). 

I’m pretty sure he’s NOT talking about paying certain elders twice as much as anybody else. But you can bet he’s pointing to the big biblical idea of generosity. Let’s be doubly generous to our leaders who are generous with their gifts to us.

The apostle points out certain elders we should absolutely consider as those recipients of our double generosity. “Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching” (v17). For those of you who’ve never had the humbling privilege of teaching God’s Word, it’s not something you mail in. To do it well is hard work. VERY hard work. 

Paul backs that up in his description of it as “labor” (v17). He uses the Greek word kopiao. No, that’s not some sort of Asian chicken dish. It’s working hard to the point of fatigue or becoming physically or emotionally exhausted while doing something.

It’s a go-to term for authors of the NT when they describe folks who are drained. Before Jesus gave him the nickname Rocky, Simon wasn’t hot on the idea of taking our Savior fishing after a long, hard night. “Master, we toiled (Gr. kopiao) all night long and took nothing!” (Lk 5:5). 

When Christ took a load off at a Samarian well, He was “wearied (Gr. kopiao)…from His journey” (Jn 4:6). Paul acknowledges a pair of disciples who busted their tails in the Roman church. “Greet Mary, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) for you” (Rom 16:6) and “Persis, who has worked hard (Gr. kopiao) in the Lord” (Rom 16:12).

Creatively “preaching and teaching” (v17) the Bible is no walk in the park. It’s draining. It’s exhausting. And it should be. It’s THE most important news ever delivered. God’s Story is THE Story! You have the responsibility of staying true to God’s Word. 

You can’t compromise His truth. It requires incredible accuracy and creativity. It’s probably why Jesus’ kid brother James told those who think they might want to teach to think again. “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1).

One reason “preaching and teaching” is so exhausting is because God preaches the message the minister first and foremost. As far back as the 17th century, John Owen said a pastor doesn’t preach his sermon well if he doesn’t first preach it to himself. Opening yourself up to that sort of repeated examination and conviction by the Holy Spirit is intensely draining. 

I would suggest that a church not just reimburse its pastor generously but also make sure he gets a liberal amount of time off for R and R. (Let me be clear. While I am elder, I’m NOT a paid staff pastor. This isn’t some attempt to twist the Bible and guilt a congregation into a lavish compensation package.)

Just so you know he’s talking about the generous financial support of preaching pastors, Paul quotes a couple of passages. One from each of the Old and New Testaments. First, he goes old school from Deuteronomy. “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” (v18; Dt 25:4). Moses was originally talking about not starving livestock while its working. The apostle applies the idea to preachers. Don’t let your ministers go hungry.

The apostle then quotes Jesus’ instructions to His advance team. “The laborer deserves his wages” (Lk 10:7). When somebody works, they should get paid. That includes your pastor. For those of you who had your doubts about it, here’s the direct and unmistakeable link to “double honor” and reimbursement. 

There’s also the interesting point that Paul clearly understands Christ’s teaching to carry the same authority as the Old Testament. The interesting fact is that Dr. Luke probably just completed his bio of Jesus (around 60-61 AD) about the same time that Paul is writing to Tim (approximately 64 AD).

Those who lead well put themselves out there. It wears you out to leave yourself exposed like that. And in particular, preaching and teaching God's Word well is exhausting. It’s draining. It’s incredibly hard work. Let’s not be stingy and tightfisted when it comes to compensating our pastoral staff. 

Stop freaking out about preachers and their pay. Paul wants us to know that it's not a hand grenade. So let’s be generous with those who are generous with their gift of teaching and preaching.

Bringing Home the Bacon

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1Tim 5:8).

My employers are very thoughtful. Every two weeks they give a lovely little thank you note for working. It’s a wonderful little thing called a paycheck. I may bring home the bacon but it’s not all my bacon. I’m not talking about the sizable slice the government takes out (that’s another verse and another rant for another day). Whether you’re working hard or hardly working, what you earn isn’t just for you. Bachman Turner Overdrive sang, “Taking care of business, it’s all mine!” Well as a followers of Jesus, it’s NOT all mine. We’re taking care of business when we’re taking care of others.

Here in Paul’s first letter to Timothy, the apostle has some important application of the Gospel for the young pastor and his Ephesian church. Smack dab in the middle of a big chunk about Gospel style assisted living (1Tim 5:3-16), he drops a warning that stops us in our tracks. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). In other words, when I diss my fam, I diss my faith. Yikes!

Let’s cut to the chase. I can’t say I follow Jesus and then fail to provide for my family. If that’s true, I may talk the talk, but I’m not walking the walk. Failing to make a plan and support the ones I love trashes the name of Christ. Turning my back on family financially tells the world I’m the most important person in my little corner of the universe. God has blessed me with a job so that I can be a blessing to others. I may bring home the bacon, but it’s not all my bacon.

Don’t forget the whole reason Paul fires off this note in the first place. It’s the middle of the first century. About 64 A.D. We’re only thirty years after Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The apostle has work to do over in southern Europe in a region known as Macedonia. He is probably making followup visits to the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea (Acts 16:9-17:15). In the meantime, he’s handed the reigns of leadership in the Ephesian church to his spiritual son Timothy (1Tim 1:1-3). 

Tim’s got quite a mess on his hands in E City. A crew of spiritual con artists have distracted folks from following Jesus with all sorts of goofy “myths and endless genealogies” (1Tim 1:4). Sprinkle in some dangerous occult practices and doctrine that’s nothing short of demonic (1Tim 4:1). Step one, remove the congregational cancer. Step two, replace them with humble, godly team of new leaders (1Tim 3:1-13). Step three, refocus the message on God’s goodness of the Gospel (1Tim 3:14-4:4). Step four, apply the Good News in practical ways (1Tim 5:15-6:20).

A big chunk of letting the rubber meet the road in this letter involves caring for widows. You might be shocked when you realize Paul spends 16 verses. That’s 25% of the application section! Now I’m not saying that the situation in your church and city are anything like what Tim faced in Ephesus. But if the Holy Spirit nudged the apostle to devote that much of his content to the issue, it’s something we need to pay attention to, don’t you think? 

Here in the middle of his description of Gospel style assisted living, Paul backs up and gives the big idea when it comes to caring for others. “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for the members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). This is so much more than simply making sure we’re taking care of mom and memaw. This is realizing you’re not flying solo through life. Others need you. Others depend on you. My paycheck is NOT all mine. As a follower of Jesus, taking care of business means taking care of others. 

Someone who trusts in Christ should “provide for his relatives” (v8). Paul uses a Greek word here (Gr. pronoeo) that has a couple of interesting meanings. First, it describes caring for someone with the implication of ongoing responsibility. Second, the term also means to think about something ahead of time so you can respond appropriately. That’s actually the literal translation of proneo. “Pre (pro-) think (-neo).” It’s to plan ahead of time. Do you have a strategy or system in place that involves supporting those God has placed in your life? 

This means my work is so much more than simply punching a time clock and cashing a check. Having a plan means having a budget. As Dave Ramsey likes to say, do I spend every dollar on purpose on paper before the month begins? I think Snoop D-O-Double G had the right idea when he rapped, “I’ve got my mind on my money and my money on my mind.” Let me be clear, I’m NOT saying this is about making it rain and rolling with a posse while dropping mad rhymes for Death Row Records. Don’t love money and use people. Use money to love people. We can’t do that if we don’t have a plan. Make a plan and then work the plan. Remember, failing to plan is planning to fail. Make a budget. (Did I REALLY just use Dave Ramsey and Snoop Dogg in the same paragraph?!?)

When someone doesn’t plan and provide for their family and those God has placed under their care, “he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). The original Greek word here is arneomai, which means to denounce either by words or actions. Disown, disavow, or disregard. Refuse, reject, or renounce. Jesus warns, “Whoever denies (Gr. arneomai) Me before men, I will also deny (Gr. arneomai) before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt 10:33). It’s the word Matthew chooses to describe Pete’s three-peat denial of Jesus (Mt 26:70-72). Just so there’s no doubt here, denying your faith is toward the top of the “Things a Follower of Jesus Should Not Do” list. When I diss my fam, I diss my faith. 

Why is that? What in the world does my paycheck have to do with my the Gospel? Only everything. I may have earned my pay, but I certainly didn’t earn my salvation. What I’ve really earned is punishment. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6:23). Because God graciously gives and shares with me, I graciously give and share with others. I give because I’ve been given. I bless because I’ve been blessed. The buck does NOT stop here. So when we turn our back on our family, we’re turning our back to Jesus.

If that isn’t bad enough, Paul says someone who turns their backs on his family “is worse than an unbeliever” (v8). You don’t see it in the English translations, but the words “faith” (Gr. pistis) and “unbeliever” (Gr. apistis) are really variations of the same word in the original language. Once again, the apostle stresses placing our trust in Jesus to do for us what we could never dream of doing for ourselves. We place our trust in His perfect life that we failed to live. We place our trust in His death on a cross for our sin that we should have died. We place our trust in His resurrection to new life that we don’t deserve. That’s what we believe. That’s the point of our faith. 

So you can sum this up “he has denied what he believes and is worse than an unbeliever.” Or “he rejected the trust he has in Christ and is worse than one who has never trusted in Christ.” Or as the Message paraphrases it, “Anyone who neglects to care for family members in needs repudiates the faith. That’s worse that refusing to believe in the first place” (v8 The Message). If you claim to follow Jesus, folks want to see what that looks like. They want to see how you live it out. Whatever you call it, faith or belief or trust, it MUST have a response. Jesus’ kid brother James like to say that faith without any kind of action is dead as a doornail (James 2:17, 25). 

Please don’t misunderstand me. The Bible is NOT calling for some sort of hippie commune. He calls us to be responsible with His blessings. He’s put them in our hands and in our care in order to bless others. The first church readily sold off their resources for the good of others, but that was only to help “as any had need” (Acts 2:43-45). We need to pull our own weight. And we need to keep our eyes peeled for those who are struggling. A big part of taking care of business in God’s kingdom is taking care of others.

Paul warns folks in Thessalonica to get busy and get to work. Apparently believers there were so convinced Jesus was coming back any day now that they quit their jobs and let the church support them (1Th 3:6-11). The apostle and his team showed the Thessalonians what hard work looks like. If you’re able to work, get to work. “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat” (1Th 3:10). Don’t be a financial burden your friends and family. That giant sucking sound better not be me draining the trough dry when I’m able to roll up my sleeves and get to work.

A practical application of my faith in Jesus is what I do with my paycheck. Do I understand my responsibility is to more than just myself? Do I budget and plan so that I can maximize God’s blessing to my family, to my friends, to my church, and to those who can’t care for themselves. It starts at home. If I fail to provide for my family, I’m not just giving a stiff arm to my Savior but it’s worse than rejecting Him in the first place. My paycheck is NOT all mine. As a follower of Jesus, taking care of business means taking care of others.