For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Summary: Paul uses an Old Testament farming law to make a blunt point about how the church should treat its leaders.
We have spent a lot of time looking at how the church should manage its expenses when it comes to helping widows. Paul was incredibly careful, almost clinical, about making sure the church didn’t pass out free food to people who didn’t qualify.
Now, he turns his attention to a completely different line item in the church budget: paying the leaders.
In the verse just before this one, Paul says that the elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of “double honor,” especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. Then, to back up his statement, he quotes two sources.
One source is the Old Testament law: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain” (Deuteronomy 25:4). The other source is actually Jesus himself, quoting a common-sense proverb: “The worker deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7).
Let’s look at the ox first.
Imagine you are a farmer two thousand years ago. You use an ox to walk in circles over your harvested wheat to separate the grain from the chaff. As the ox works, it sees food right at its feet. If you put a muzzle on that ox to keep it from eating any of the grain while it labors for you, you are being cruel. You are using its strength to feed yourself while denying the animal the very fruit of its own labor.
Even under the Old Testament law, God made a rule against that kind of cheapness.
Then Paul couples that farming image with a quote from Jesus about human workers. If a man comes to work in your field, you pay him. You don’t make excuses, you don’t shortchange him, and you don’t expect him to work for free out of the goodness of his heart.
Why does Paul have to say this to Timothy?
Human nature doesn’t change. Just like people have a tendency to take free food if the church offers it, people also have a tendency to want something for nothing.
It is easy for a congregation to look at an elder who is pouring his life into preaching and teaching and think, “Well, he is doing God’s work, so he should do it purely for the spiritual reward.” Meanwhile, the man is struggling to pay his bills and feed his family.
Paul is putting a stop to that kind of thinking. He is getting back down to those brass tacks we talked about earlier. If a man is laboring to feed us spiritually, the very least we can do is make sure he is fed physically.
It is a matter of common-sense. It is also a matter of love.
Application: Support those who labor to teach you the truth.
Food for Thought: Why do you think people sometimes expect spiritual leaders to work for less than they would earn in a secular job?
My grandfather was a minister, and I lived with him and my grandmother for 8 years as a child/teenager. From what I saw and heard, the perspective sometimes was that my grandfather followed a calling from the Lord, and thus, the Lord would provide for his needs. Another perspective was that some people thought he only dedicated the time they saw him at the church, which in their perspective was about 6 hours a week. Another perspective was that ministers were supposed to live humbly, and part of equated humility was meager living. People sometimes mentally “ear-marked” their tithes and offerings wanted them to go toward other things, meaning my grandfather’s (our family’s) needs were lower on the “priority list.” These things I mention were not always, and not by everyone, I want to add that.
I don’t know if these perspectives were more prevalent in my grandfather’s generation, but I know when he went to seminary, they also had him complete a tradesman course in watch repair. So he repaired watches in addition to his ministry. He would get up at 4 am to work on his sermons, work on watches all day, and then do visitation after work. I don’t believe I am out of line to say that had the church been able to provide more for his physical needs, then he would have been able to give more time for their spiritual needs.
Thank you, Chris!
That is a thoughtful reply and a touching one. You are right, there is only so much time to go around.
Thank you CH. I appreciate your testimony about your grandfather and your perspective.
I do think there are a variety of reasons people may not want to pay someone to work in church ministry full time. Many of which CH mentioned. A practical reason is the church body may not have a lot of resources to share. But often I think there is an expectation that God will take care of the needs (maybe not realizing that God has told how to take care of the need) or the “pastor” should make less to keep him from greed. Some pastors of the health and wealth variety are making too much money (in my opinion), but most aren’t making too much – especially in third world, economically depressed, or persecuted countries. Many pastors who are persecuted are working for next to nothing while willing to die to protect the flock and serve Christ. I deeply admire those pastors.
Thank you, Rich!
Yes, I agree. I actually appreciate the paid pastors, too. Especially the ones who pour their heart and soul into their work for the church.
Why do you think people sometimes expect spiritual leaders to work for less than they would earn in a secular job?
Only baby christians would concern themselves with this stuff. I live a simple life. Pay attention, care for what the Lord has blessed my family with, and let Him bless others as He sees fit.
Thanks Ron!
Yes, the Lord will see that genuine needs are met. It is still an interesting verse to ponder! 🙂