The Apostle’s Pay

Posted on by korgrocker

“Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to work to support ourselves? What soldier has to pay his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to drink some of the milk? Am I expressing merely a human opinion, or does the law say the same thing? For the law of Moses says, “You must not muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who ploughs and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.”
1 Corinthians 9:6-10 NLT

Paul is setting out a strict and comprehensive defence of what he believes is the right of a worker in the Kingdom of God. Paul used three secular professions to emphasise his point. He argued, Is the role of an apostle different to that of a soldier, farmer and shepherd? After all, a job of work was performed by all of them, and there are many other examples. Paul even quotes something Moses wrote in Deuteronomy 25:4, about muzzling an ox while it was threshing out the grain. There is a general principle that applies to work, whether by animals or humans, and that is the expectation that work is rewarded. In our modern societies, workers are paid with wages earned by applying their expertise to a task associated with their employer, who pays them in return from the profits of the employer’s business. At a more basic level, the reward can come from eating some of the fruits of the worker’s labour, perhaps to supplement some other form of payment. 

There was a time when Jesus chose seventy-two disciples and sent them out in pairs to prepare the way for His upcoming visit. They were to go out in the expectation that they would be rewarded for their labours. Jesus said to them, “Don’t take any money with you, nor a traveller’s bag, nor an extra pair of sandals. And don’t stop to greet anyone on the road” (Luke 10:4). Let us stop and pause for a moment. Was what Jesus saying a bit foolish? Should the disciples have been prepared just in case there was no hospitality offered to them? But in Luke 10:7, Jesus provided more details, “Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay“. Jesus went on to say, “If you enter a town and it welcomes you, eat whatever is set before you. Heal the sick, and tell them, ‘The Kingdom of God is near you now.’ But if a town refuses to welcome you, go out into its streets and say, ‘We wipe even the dust of your town from our feet to show that we have abandoned you to your fate. And know this—the Kingdom of God is near!’” (Luke 10:8-11). Finally Jesus ” … said to the disciples, “Anyone who accepts your message is also accepting me. And anyone who rejects you is rejecting me. And anyone who rejects me is rejecting God, who sent me”” (Luke 10:16). These seventy-two disciples had a God-given mandate and they proceeded to work it out faithfully, because we read in the next verse, “When the seventy-two disciples returned, they joyfully reported to him, “Lord, even the demons obey us when we use your name!””

The principle here is one that so many churches over the ages have ignored, and that is the right of a worker in God’s kingdom to be rewarded for their ministry. There has been much confusion over how this should be applied, and even today, there is an expectation that the ministers and pastors leading a congregation should be paid by someone other than themselves. The Old Testament established the principle of tithing, the practice of giving ten per cent, and the priests and Levites were provided for through instructions given by Moses. In the New Testament, tithing is not explicitly mentioned, but Paul reminded the Corinthian church of the importance of giving in his second letter. 2 Corinthians 9:7, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully””. ‭‭Such “offerings” were commonplace in Paul’s day, and are collected even today in our churches.

So, we pilgrims ask ourselves the question – are we and the congregation of which we are a part, providing for our ministers and pastors? Paul expected the Corinthians congregation to meet his needs, but I expect they didn’t because otherwise he wouldn’t have needed to bring up the subject. But the principle is that workers in God’s Kingdom are to be rewarded for all they do for His people. 

Dear Father God. Thank You for Your willing servants who tirelessly work for the benefit of our congregations and fellowships. They devote their lives to preaching, teaching, comforting, and many other tasks, all the while helping Your people journey towards their ultimate home. We pray for our leaders, and ask that You bless them and encourage them in their labours, day by day. Amen.

Idolatry

Posted on by korgrocker

So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God. There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many Lords. But for us, There is one God, the Father, by whom all things were created, and for whom we live. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things were created, and through whom we live.”
1 Corinthians 8:4-6 NLT

What is an idol? In our minds, an image immediately appears before us of a figurine, perhaps beautifully crafted by a skilled sculptor. We remember the problem Paul had in Ephesus, where a silversmith called Demetrius had a successful and lucrative business manufacturing shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis, for resale to tourists. He stirred up trouble, saying, “But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!” (Acts 19:26). He continued in the next verse, “Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!” In the Greek society there were many gods and goddesses all represented with idols which the people worshipped and revered, and in some cases they brought before these “gods” offerings of food. Food offered to idols was typically meat from animal sacrifices, but could also include fruits, flowers, or other items, depending on the tradition. After a deity was thought to have consumed or been blessed by the offering, the food was often eaten at temple banquets, resold in the market, or given to priests. The practice served various purposes, including honouring a deity, seeking blessings, or participating in worship feasts that could also be associated with sexual immorality. 

So, the Corinthians believers must have had the opportunity to acquire this meat from animal sacrifices, and they were wondering if this was the correct thing to do. Paul’s first response was that these idols weren’t really gods at all, because “there is only one God”. Perhaps the logical answer to the believers in Corinth was that idols were nothing more than lumps of decorative metal, with no ability to do anything or be anything. Therefore if they were “nothing” then what was the problem if the meat had been offered to “nothing”. Paul wrote to the Galatian believers, “Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist” (Galatians 4:8), a verse that sums up the futility of the cults of idol worship. 

In Western societies today, the pendulum seems to have swung to the other extreme, where a secular people fail to recognise any sort of “god”, even the God we pilgrims worship, or so it would seem. Inbuilt within human beings is a god-shaped hole that has to be filled by something. To the Greeks, they filled their need for something spiritual by making lots of idols, and they then intertwined their sinful natures with idol worship. But today, mankind is still born with this god-shaped hole within them, a spiritual need that has to be filled in some way, be it by the use of various substances such as drugs, or by sexual misbehaviour, or by the person building their own “idols” for the purposes of worship. We find a mother idolising her children, or a pop fan idolising a singer. We see men worshipping the cult of golf, local football team, or some other sport, so there are probably even more “idols” present in our society today than there were in Greek societies. 

So what is an “idol”? To a Christian, an idol is anything or anyone that replaces God as the ultimate focus of their heart, thoughts, and reliance. While it can refer to a physical object, such as a statue or image, it extends to anything — a person, a system, a desire, or a possession — that is loved more than God or is relied upon for blessings, help, or guidance in place of Him. The core issue is a shift in loyalty and trust away from the one true God to something lesser. So, by now, I’m sure we have worked out that an idol is something or someone who takes the place of the one and only true God, but the problem originates in our own hearts. Back in Genesis, we read that God made man in His own image, and it therefore makes sense that the only valid and effective way of filling our need for a god is with the only God who exists. No matter how hard people try, they can never replace their need for a relationship with God with anything that is man-made or false.

Do we pilgrims have any idols in our lives? We may indeed have some. Take, for example, a St. Christopher medallion hung on a necklace. Some people, even Christians, superstitiously believe that this will protect them from danger. Then there is the phrase “retail therapy”. Isn’t this just another way some people replace God with “stuff”? Or how about the weight some people place on their “stars”, even being drawn to horoscopes? Then there are various superstitions, such as touching wood, that some people believe will ward off bad luck or will prevent good fortune from being taken away after making a favourable prediction or boasting about something. While the precise origins are debated, possible explanations include ancient pagan beliefs about tree spirits. Another idol? And we mustn’t forget that the very word “luck” is derived from lucifer, the devil himself. 

So, how do we discern if we are being surreptitiously drawn into idolatry? There is only one effective way, and that is to ask God for His guidance and then be obedient to what He says through His Spirit. A quotation from gotquestions.org, “idolatry is a matter of the heart—pride, self-centeredness, greed, gluttony, a love for possessions and ultimately rebellion against God. Is it any wonder that God hates it?” Proverbs 4:23, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life”. Our enemy, the devil, knows that if he can get control of our hearts, then we will lose our effectiveness in our relationship with God, and we mustn’t under any circumstances allow that to happen.

O Lord. Please forgive us, we pray, for the times when we try to replace You with something that is so inferior. We confess our waywardness and pray for Your forgiveness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Paying Taxes

Posted on by korgrocker

“Pay your taxes, too, for these same reasons. For government workers need to be paid. They are serving God in what they do. Give to everyone what you owe them: Pay your taxes and government fees to those who collect them, and give respect and honour to those who are in authority.”
Romans 13:6-7 NLT

Well, here are an unpopular couple of verses. The civil authorities have the right to impose taxes on their citizens, and these can be a constant source of tension between the governments and the people. Paul wrote that “government workers need to be paid” but things have gone a lot further than that, with taxes extending into supporting welfare payments, health, defence and so on. In the UK tax year just finished, over £1000 billion was raised across every tax source, an extraordinary amount I think we can agree. But Paul’s writings were clear – pay your taxes. And the reason he gave was that the “government workers” are “serving God in what they do”. 

We pilgrims, living in a 21st Century society, can get caught up with the perceived injustices of a system that has gone far beyond what Paul ever considered. I wonder what he would have written today? But, then, I think his letter wouldn’t have changed one jot. In John 17 we can read Jesus’ prayer for His disciples and in it He made it clear that we are part of the world, the societies, where we live. In John 17:15 Jesus said in a prayer to His Father about His disciples, “I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one”. To me, Jesus was saying that we are entrenched within the world system, with all its implications, including the need to pay our taxes. Earlier in His prayer, Jesus said, “Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are” (John 17:11). To Jesus the important principle for His disciples was unity and love for each other, joy, righteousness and holiness, all principles of the Kingdom of God but considered less important in the secular societies in which we live. God knows that we are obliged to pay our taxes, and that is part of what constitutes our “needs”, something that Paul wrote about in Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus”.

Over and above our obligation to pay taxes, we are encouraged to present our offerings to God. This usually means giving money so that our spiritual leaders can be supported and encouraged as they devote their lives to caring for their flock, their congregations of God-followers. Our money also supports the buildings and other necessities that go to form our churches (though, sadly, in some denominations the buildings and infrastructure seem to have become more important than the people). But our offerings to God can also include our time and possessions. We hold all that we have in open hands, making what we have available to God. 

Father God. Everything that we have belongs to You. Please help us to be good stewards. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Giving

Posted on by korgrocker

“In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.”
Romans 12:6-8 NLT

When the word “giving” crops up, the first thing that comes to mind is our money. Paul wrote that the ability to be able to give, and give generously, is a gift from God. But in God’s economy, money is not the only resource that is available to be given. We must include our possessions and our time, and a combination of all our resources. This is because when we pilgrims became Christians, all that we have is made available to God. God said to Job, as recorded in Job 41:11, “Who has given Me anything that I need to pay back? Everything under heaven is Mine“. Psalm 24:1, “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him“. We must never hold onto what we have so tightly that God can’t use it.

Paul wrote that if we have a gift of giving, then we must use it generously. Paul wrote about giving to the Corinthian church, as we read in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, “Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds will get a small crop. But the one who plants generously will get a generous crop. You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.” And God will generously provide all you need. Then you will always have everything you need and plenty left over to share with others“. The strange thing is that God will give us the resources to give away. We can’t out-give God. Jesus taught, “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back” (Luke 6:38). God even gave out the challenge that we can test Him in the matter of giving. We read in Malachi 3:10, “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test“!

In the early First Century church, there was no social security or benefits system, but the Christians of that day shared what they had with each other, meeting people’s needs. We read in Acts 4:32, “All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had“. Acts 4:34-35, “There were no needy people among them, because those who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money to the apostles to give to those in need“. 

We pilgrims who are available and willing to share our resources should do so generously, and by so doing we will fulfil what God has asked us to do. 

God, we thank You for all that You have given us. We hold what we have in our hands, always open and outstretched towards You. Amen.