Payment for Ministers

7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”^b Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?

But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. (1 Corinthians 9:7-12)

Thoughts: A soldier does not pay his own way- why should a soldier of Christ pay his?  If you plant food, can you not eat from it?  Then why can't someone who plants churches eat of their fruit?  The shepherd of the flock gets milk from his flock.  Why should the pastor of the flock in church get provisions from his flock?
      Scripture even allows for oxen to eat while they are working, so why should Paul not be allowed to eat while he is in their service.
       This life and the next are intertwined, so if spiritual seed is sown material harvest is reaped some times.  We do not need to scorn God's provision for His ministers.  Yet Paul did not claim this right. He was a maker of tents.  Most traditions say that Paul learned his trade of tent-making from his father in Tarsus where tents were made for Roman generals and leaders.  Paul's great skill helped support him.  

Prayer: Lord, give me grace to support those over me as you can.