Rejection of a Hired Preachers and Local Staff

Rejection of Hired Preachers and Local Staff

Both Plato and Paul agree that: they were to be like hired troops, receiving pay for keeping guard to be no more than would suffice for men of simple life.

No professional clergy
None of the apostles were called from the priesthood or the
"professional clergy" of Jesus' day.

And yet the church spread like wildfire. Have we missed something.

See our notes on Acts 18 where Paul turned to "full time preaching."

The Catholic church admits that much of its trappings including levitical singers and music was common to all pagan cults. It comes as no surprise therefore that when "religion" becomes respectable (non-Christian) the professionals attack it like flies on a dead rabbit:

"The priests of the pagan temples had been paid from the purse of the Empire, but now Caesar was a Christian and the priests of Mars and Venus hastened to their baptisms.

For the first time in the history of the church, salaries were paid to Christians workers. Tradition has it that Constantine's mother was the first to give the money for the erection of a church building... All this (meetings in homes) was over now. The rags of persecution gave way to softer garments, and the church began to enjoy the feel of silk upon its flesh. Thus the Pergamos stage of church history came into being, the church was married to the world." (Barnhouse, D.G., Revelation, Zondervan, p. 52s

"It should be noted that Hislop in his famous book, The Two Babylons, traces the removal of the Babylonian priesthood to Pergamos. There is, therefore, a distinct connection between the ancient devil worship of Babylon and Pergamos where Satan's throne was declared at one time to be." (Barnhouse, D.G., Revelation, Zondervan).

Hislop also notes that: "According to the fundamental doctrine of the Mysteries, as brought from Pergamos to Rome, the sun was the one only god. Teitan, or Satan, then, was thus recognised as the one only god;

and of that only god, Tammuz or Janus, in his character as the Son, or the woman's seed, was just an incarnation.

See Tammuz Worship by the women in Jerusalem.

See Rubel Shelly on seeing the S.O.N. God as the S.U.N. god.

See also Max Lucado offering hope of redemption for Lucifer.

More Hislop on Sun Worship showing that the S.U.N. god being promoted is the same worship of the starry host which condemned Israel at Mount Sinai.

"Those who lord it over the people will soon begin to destroy them. The word Balaam means 'the destroyer of the people.' If we turn back to the history of this strange figure as recorded in the book of Numbers we find that which clarifies three passages in the New Testament where 'the error of Balaam' (Jude 11), 'the way of Balaam' (II Pet. 2:15) and 'the doctrine of Balaam' are discussed." (Barnhouse, D.G., Revelation, Zondervan, p. 54).

For those who are not willing to abandon property and go out and preach, God excuses you. However, if you choose to be a vocational preacher as the priests and Levites were vocational civil and religious servants, then Paul established an absolute pattern. You can work while others work and preach to them when they have time to listen. Christ commissioned evangelists to be Paul Reveres who had better not change the message on penalty of death instead of baby sitters.

Myers, Jacob M., Invitation to the Old Testament, Doubleday, 1966 wrote:

"The religious leaders tacitly assented to the fleecing of the public because they were themselves the indirect benefactors.

Her chiefs judge for pay,
Her priests teach for reward,
Her prophets divine for cash,

Claiming to trust in the Lord, saying, Is not Yahweh among us?
Evil cannot come against us" (Micah 3:11)

"No wonder local magistrates abominated right at the courts of justice and distorted the truth to gain their own ends. Together they were building Zion with the lifeblood of the poor and making Jerusalem a gigantic cesspool of guilt..The only salvation for Judah, therefore, would be the destruction of the hotbed of iniquity (3:12) so that the people of God might live." (Myers, p. 119).

You might call it the Holy Land and Holy City but God said:

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Re.11:8

Otherwise, your ministry has no honor or validity in the lives of widows and those on welfare upon which you ride.

"The system of sermonizing on a text is now almost universally abandoned by all who intend that their hearers should understand the testimony of God.

Orators and exhorters may select a word, a phrase, or a verse; but all who feed the flock of God with knowledge and understanding know that this method is wholly absurd. Alexander Campbell

"Surely official preaching has no authority, either in Scripture, reason, or experience, and it must come to an end sooner or later." (Pulpit Commentary, 1 Cor. p. 464). The operative word is "teach" among believers: See R. L. Dabney, Presbyterian on preaching rather than teaching. Contemporary of but no friend of Alexander Campbell.

Plato define how a warrior was to be paid. With this Paul agrees.

Timaeus By Plato

Socrates. To be sure I will: the chief theme of my yesterday's discourse was the State-how constituted and of what citizens composed it would seem likely to be most perfect.

Timaeus. Yes, Socrates; and what you said of it was very much to our mind.

Socrates. Did we not begin by separating the husbandmen and the artisans from the class of defenders of the State?

Timaeus. Yes.

Socrates. And when we had given to each one that single employment and particular art which was suited to his nature, we spoke of those who were intended to be our warriors,

and said that they were to be guardians of the city against attacks from within as well as from without, and to have no other employment; they were to be merciful in judging their subjects, of whom they were by nature friends, but fierce to their enemies, when they came across them in battle.

Timaeus. Exactly.

Socrates. We said, if I am not mistaken, that the guardians should be gifted with a temperament in a high degree both passionate and philosophical; and that then they would be as they ought to be, gentle to their friends and fierce with their enemies.

Timaeus. Certainly.

Socrates. And what did we say of their education? Were they not to be trained in gymnastic, and music, and all other sorts of knowledge which were proper for them?

For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine (No, never near wine), no striker, not given to filthy lucre; Titus 1:7KJV

But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Titus 1:8 KJV
He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught,

so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine
and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:9NIV

Timaeus. Very true.

Socrates. And being thus trained they

were not to consider gold or silver or anything else to be their own private property; they were to be like hired troops, receiving pay for keeping guard from those who were protected by them-

the pay was to be no more than would suffice for men of simple life; and they were to spend in common, and to live together in the continual practice of virtue, which was to be their sole pursuit.

A soldier leaves father, mother and wife; he sleeps on the ground and marches 30 miles; he stands between those who feed him and the enemy; he risks his life like a shepherd risks his life for the sheep. The soldier, unlike the false shepherd, does not feed on the lambs.

And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. Luke 3:14

Opsonion (g3800) op-so'-nee-on; neut. of a presumed der. of the same as 3795; rations for a soldier, i.e. (by extens.) his stipend or pay: - wages.

I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 2Co.11:8

Opsarion (g3795) op-sar'-ee-on; neut. of a presumed der. of the base of 3702; a relish to other food (as if cooked sauce), i.e. (spec.) fish (presumably salted and dried as a condiment): - fish.

Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. Jn.21:13

Paul defined the nature of the support of the evangelist as that which keeps him alive: no preacher can "see godliness as a means of financial gain." Paul never defines the qualifications of a "preacher." Rather, out in sowing the gospel he defines the evangelist in terms of the soldier rather than the professor:

THOU therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim 2: 1

And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. 2 Tim 2: 2

It is simply astounding how many God-serving preachers can get entangled in the world to become self-serving. Some have business deals entangling the church because of the credibility of calling themselves CHRISTIANS. We have heard of churches selling bonds and then refusing to pay the interest on time to widows and retirees totally depending on the income. They are indeed those who consume widow's houses.

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. 2 Tim 2:3

No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2 Tim 2: 4

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully. 2 Tim 2: 5

Next, the laborer participates ONLY in that which he has earned: He does not let others do the labor and then cheat them of the SAME right:

The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits. 2 Tim 2: 6

Consider what I say; and the Lord give thee understanding in all things. 2 Tim 2: 7

Therefore I endure all things for the elects sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 2 Tim 2: 10

Paul insisted in 2 Cor 8 and 9 that "taking up a collection for the poor" was not a commandment. Rather, the Corinthians volunteered to contribute but now a year later there had been no collections. And while Paul might be in Corinth all winter he did not want any collections taken because it would seem like extortion.

I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love. 2 Co.8:8

And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago. 2 Cor 8:10

Again, the appeal to sharing food is Paul's example:

But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality: 2 Cor 8:14

As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack. 2 Cor 8:15

And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. Exod 16:18

Therefore, there is no "take" on Sunday out of which the preacher gets a percentage.

Therefore, Paul could not have been speaking of a salaried preacher using "godliness as an occupation."

However, in all normal society when one ate the others ate. But, if he did not labor in earning bread he did not partake of eating bread:

Kopiao ((g2872) kop-ee-ah'-o; from a der. of 2873; to feel fatigue; by impl. to work hard: - (bestow) labour, toil, be wearied.

The elders beyond "occupation" were the leaders of the community. If they then labored to the point of exaustion in fulfilling their only "office" as Preacher-Teacher in the local flock, they would, like the Levites in the temple, be given their food.

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 1 Ti. 5:17

Kopos (g2873) kop'-os; from 2875; a cut, i.e. (by anal.) toil (as reducing the strength), lit. or fig.; by impl. pains: - labour, / trouble, weariness.

For ye remember, brethren, our labour and travail:
............ for labouring night and day,
............because we would not be chargeable unto any of you,
............ we preached unto you the gospel of God. 1Th.2:9

You cannot make a wage-earning occupation out of preaching FREE grace! This is why evangelists are SENT and not KEPT.

Neither did we eat any mans bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: 2Th.3:8

Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample (approved pattern) unto you to follow us. 2Th.3:9

Paul would never have said that he had the power to take a permanent wage. Rather, Paul had the right of hospitality to live (eat) from their labors.

However, Paul couldn't preach a free gospel and charge for it.

Therefore, Paul set the example with the demand that others follow the example.

A partaker eats when others eats:

And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Ac.2:46

And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Ac.27:33

In the beautiful story of Paul and Thecla Paul was the provider:

6:1. In the meantime Paul, together with Onesiphorus, his wife and children, was keeping a fast in a certain cave which was in the road from Iconium to Daphne.

6:2. And when they had fasted for several days, the children said to Paul, Father, we are hungry and have nothing with which to buy bread; for Onesiphorus had left all his substance to follow Paul with this family.

6:3. Then Paul, taking off his coat, said to the boy, Go, child, and buy bread, and bring it back.

In Judaism all priests and Levites had an occupation. If he got hungry he got a daily dole of food at the temple. However, if if wasn't on duty then he did not eat:

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 2 Th.3:10

Work means expending energy: it does not mean making plans for new programs.

Work means an occupation:

Ergazomai (g2038) er-gad'-zom-ahee; mid. from 2041; to toil (as a task, occupation, etc.), (by impl.) effect, be engaged in or with, etc.: - commit, do, labor for, minister about, trade (by), work.

But, doesn't the oxen get fed?

The oxen always produced more than it ate! In fact, the oxen bore the burden of the farmer. Therefore, it was right that the oxen be allowed to at least eat. No hint of an early retirement plan, travel expenses or an barn to live in.

First, let's see whether this applies to the preacher: