1 Corinthians 9:12-14

Scripture: 1 Cor. 9:12 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.

1 Cor. 9:13 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?

1 Cor. 9:14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

Teaching: Paul continues his point on the expectations of Christians to fund ministry, and his and Barnabas’ own refusal in this case to ask for funding from the Corinthians. Paul’s underlying reason for refusing financial support from the Corinthians is not totally clear, other than that he says he does not want to put any “obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.” That being said, that is not the prescriptive doctrine for how ministry is to be done, but rather a decision Paul made towards this congregation in this instance. Whether the Corinthians had been abused by men seeking to enrich themselves with the gospel or perhaps false teachers had come demanding payment, Paul seems to want to distance himself from any charge of impropriety and give the Corinthians no excuse to diminish his words to them (something he has been asserting for the first 4 chapters of this letter). 

That said, in verse 14, Paul shows that funding ministry is an expectation of the Lord for His people. Paul phrases this in a rhetorical admonishment, saying, “Do you not know…?” This should be evident to the Corinthians, that they should provide for those called to proclaim the gospel far and wide. In a sense, they should help carry each others burdens (not that proclaiming the gospel is a burden, but that providing funding can be). The word for “get their living” is zao in the Greek. Zao is a very common word in the New Testament, occurring 140 times in 124 different verses. It’s lexical range, or range of meaning, stretches from simply “living, breathing, to be among the living (not dead)” to being “full of vigor, strong, efficient” (a sort of quality of life) to “enjoying real life, having a life worthy of the name, active blessed and endless in the Kingdom of God.” So zao can describe being both alive and the quality of that life. So, while zao does not mean “wealthy, comfortable, or without need” it does mean that one is living in a vigorous and efficacious way. In this sense, it seems that Paul is saying that the expectation of a congregation is to provide for its pastors in a way that enables them to be vigorous and efficacious in the proclaiming of the gospel, not merely living and breathing. 

Takeaway: It’s a mistake to approach these verses looking for an answer to the question, “How much do I need to give my church or my pastor?” Or “How much does my pastor deserve to be paid?” Or even, “See, my pastor shouldn’t be asking for money, it says so right here!” Generosity is the expectation for every congregation, and cheerful giving is the call. What we as a congregation should desire is a vigorous and effective ministry, one that glorifies God, proclaims the gospel, and shepherds God’s people. In the example Paul gave in verse 9, that of the oxen eating some of the grain as it treads the grain, the congregation benefits when the leaders of the ministry are strong, effective, and whose needs are met. Thus, the better question to ask, and the one that Paul cites in these verses, is this: “How can we best proclaim the gospel?” Just like any military mission or business initiative, there needs to be provision for the journey and those who take it. The end goal is the purpose — how do we best accomplish it? In this case, Paul decided that asking for money would be a hindrance to the proclamation of the gospel. In other cases, asking for money was imperative (see 2 Corinthians 8 and 9 and Romans 15). In all things, we trust in the Lord and submit to His ways, and His ways command His people to support His mission.