Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk? Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?  In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.1 Corinthians 8: 8-1

This weekend I hired an electrician to go help me troubleshoot a couple of projects I’ve been working on recently. When we were finished, I wrote a check for what he felt his time is worth. But what is time worth? In this instance, he had a bit of expertise I lack and so I gladly paid him what he asked.

What’s a job worth? No matter what you do for a living, there is a value that has been determined based on any number of factors. In the passage above, Paul uses everyday examples to drive home the point that a pastor should be able to earn a living through their calling.

Does the soldier have a job that supports his work as a soldier? Does a farmer get a second job in order to work in the fields? What about the shepherd? It seems pretty clear, right?

While Paul didn’t personally receive a salary from the church at Corinth, he recognized that a pastor who is employed by a church is able to devote his time to study, prayer, teaching, and the daily responsibilities of overseeing the church.

How do you feel about the salary your pastor receives from the church? What other ways can you support your pastor and other Christian leaders?