Why pastors and preachers should not be receiving salaries

[Enxu]

All of God’s priests, apostles and prophets were allowed to receive material goods from believers because they had the primary job of preaching the truth and the Gospel. Those material goods were received ONLY to satisfy their most basic needs like food, water, clothing and shelter.

But modern day constitutional Churches turned the job of preaching into an enterprise, and instead of receiving material things to satisfy only basic needs, pastors and teachers are getting rich from preaching while most of the hearers who give them money are poorer than them or live in poverty. The poor are ignored while the preachers get millions of income. This is against the very teachings of Jesus and His apostles. Even the apostle Paul supported his ministry through tent making, to set a good example.

Repent you leaders of the church.

 

[Enxu]

2 Peter 2:3
Thirsting for riches, they will trade on you with their canting talk. From of old their judgement has been working itself out, and their destruction has not been slumbering.

 

[Locoponydirtman]

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Y ou shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing ,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
1 Timothy 5:17‭-‬18 NASB



Never is it ok to punish those who do well because there are other who do not! Don't let your own flesh and jealousy cause you to stumble.

 

[Dino246]

Many of the richest pastors made their riches on books, not salaries.

 

[Enxu]

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Y ou shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing ,” and “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”
1 Timothy 5:17‭-‬18 NASB



Never is it ok to punish those who do well because there are other who do not! Don't let your own flesh and jealousy cause you to stumble.

Wages in those days of the apostles are used to satisfy basic needs, not to give apostles an extravagant lifestyle. The very same apostle Paul who wrote the epistle to Timothy also wrote that “the love of money is the root of all evil”.

 

[Enxu]

Many of the richest pastors made their riches on books, not salaries.

And what are the contents of their books? If it is about the Gospel it is still peddling God’s word for money. Besides, apostle Peter made it clear that false teachers will make merchandise of believers, that could well include selling books.

 

[Ghoti2]

What does "Double Honor" mean? Sounds like the preacher should get about twice what the average wage is... for his preaching, alone.

 

[Enxu]

What does "Double Honor" mean? Sounds like the preacher should get about twice what the average wage is... for his preaching, alone.

Where did the Scriptures ever say honor has anything to do with wages?

 

[Enxu]

Those who support the greed of money will have to answer before God themselves one day. Jesus, being the very Son of God, preached the good news. Yet He, being of such high estate, did not even have a place to lay His head. Still, people can make justifications for their own greed today. Truly, they worship God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him.

 

[Dino246]

Where did the Scriptures ever say honor has anything to do with wages?

That statement comes right before the one about not muzzling the ox while it's treading out the grain. The clear implication is that preachers' needs should be supplied through their work of preaching. That means wages.

 

[Dino246]

Those who support the greed of money will have to answer before God themselves one day. Jesus, being the very Son of God, preached the good news. Yet He, being of such high estate, did not even have a place to lay His head. Still, people can make justifications for their own greed today. Truly, they worship God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him.

Money and greed are not necessarily entwined. Money pays for things that meet needs; it's that simple.

 

[Dino246]

And what are the contents of their books? If it is about the Gospel it is still peddling God’s word for money. Besides, apostle Peter made it clear that false teachers will make merchandise of believers, that could well include selling books.

If you don't want to buy their books, then don't.

 

[JaumeJ]

It is also written a workman is worthy of his wages. Certainly any who minister the Word truly is worthy of some form of living...……...

 

[Aerials1978]

I can only give my opinion as a person and their wealth is between them and the Lord. I have seen many church’s become like corporations(Mega-Churches). The Pastor is o like the CEO and the Elders like the Board.

Once revenue and congregation size become the main focus, that Church can become very worldly. Should Pastors have a base salary? I would say yes. That is their profession but it’s also one that should be taken seriously as it is a calling from God. How much they make, well again that’s between them and God.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

All of God’s priests, apostles and prophets were allowed to receive material goods from believers because they had the primary job of preaching the truth and the Gospel. Those material goods were received ONLY to satisfy their most basic needs like food, water, clothing and shelter.

But modern day constitutional Churches turned the job of preaching into an enterprise, and instead of receiving material things to satisfy only basic needs, pastors and teachers are getting rich from preaching while most of the hearers who give them money are poorer than them or live in poverty. The poor are ignored while the preachers get millions of income. This is against the very teachings of Jesus and His apostles. Even the apostle Paul supported his ministry through tent making, to set a good example.

Repent you leaders of the church.

The church that I attend do not have salaried preachers.

 

[Lightskin]

The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard shows a wealthy landowner who is gracious with his money.

 

[Whispered]

Where did the Scriptures ever say honor has anything to do with wages?

In those scriptures that exhort honorable living.

 

[Melach]

Money and greed are not necessarily entwined. Money pays for things that meet needs; it's that simple.

i want money. am i greedy?

 

[Enxu]

That statement comes right before the one about not muzzling the ox while it's treading out the grain. The clear implication is that preachers' needs should be supplied through their work of preaching. That means wages.

I never said a preacher’s needs should not be supplied. And what are those needs? Food, water, shelter and clothing. Anything beyond that is not a need, and pastors today have many things that don’t qualify as basic needs. Yet they call those things their needs and then use believers’ money to purchase luxury at the expense of those who don’t even have basic needs met.

 

[Enxu]

The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard shows a wealthy landowner who is gracious with his money.

So you’re saying that God’s apostles were paid actual money for preaching the Gospel? That’s already not true for Jesus’ apostles, who used all their wages only for basic needs and travel expenses for preaching. The money they collected was distributed among the poor in the church, not collected into their own pockets. They were commanded to carry nothing and have no money on them by Jesus and certainly they obeyed. They never lived extravagant lifestyles and were the examples of all those who continue to preach afterwards.

Besides, Jesus was talking about gifts of the Spirit and not material wealth in that parable.