Are Preachers to be Salaried or Sustained?

Are Preachers to be Salaried or Sustained?

Discernment is missing:

Far too many people, even many of them that name the name of Christ, have no discernment regarding the gospel ministry. It is equated by a vast majority of people as being simply one of many vocations. This is an opinion that is held as true by those within the ministry, as well as those on the outside looking in at the mystery of God's body, the Church. Hirelings, is an appropriate label for those who minister for money. Jesus used that title of those who would flee when faced with impending danger. I have referred to them as "Paycheck preachers." However, there is a divinely ordained method proscribed in the Bible for ministering to God's ministers. Within the next few minutes, the answer is unfolded for those who are really interested. For the rest of those who may be reading this: May God be glorified in each of our lives!

Dogging questions:

Are God's preachers salaried or sustained? And should they be taxed, exempted from taxation, or are they non taxable?

Determinations:

First, some determinations must be made. Far too many people fail to distinguish between ideas that are strikingly similar. Let me illustrate. When one of my children was very young and barely learning the differences between animals, this occurred. While seeing for the first time a cow, excitedly my son exclaimed: "A goggy (a doggy), a goggy! Look daddy, a goggy!" A dog quite obviously has four legs. Most dogs have tails. This large animal had similar features: it had four legs and a tail. Thus, it was confused to be a dog by a novice onlooker.

The point is: Similarities are not equals. Confusion arises when they are viewed a such. Therefore, we must first evaluate these concepts: Preacher, salaries, earnings, taxes, and exemption. Also, we must explore the idea of how roads are financed. We must determine who decides what is an acceptable practice regarding a preacher and the care for him. Also, we must determine by what standard are these subjects to be evaluated.

Definitions:

Preacher. A preacher is defined as a person who preaches. Some suitable synonyms for the term "preacher" are minister or servant. In the Bible a preacher is mentioned as a Pastor, Elder, Bishop, and Evangelist. Each of these usages describe a preacher, God's servant, authorized by our LORD to minister unto the souls of men and women entrusted by God to the preacher.

Note: There are preachers of God. There are ministers of Satan. There are servants of men. There are even women wanna be's posing as preachers.

In this P.C. (Philosophically Corrupt) climate, many have readily accepted what God has clearly prohibited regarding women serving as Pastors or preachers. Scripture lucidly states: "Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. 12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence." 1 Timothy 2:11-12

Feminists thrust themselves into these holy positions reserved by God for men. Someone wittingly said, "It's not that it can't be done. It can. But it's like watching a dog walk on its hind legs. It's not done well, and you're amazed they even try."

Concerning servants of men, the Apostle Paul wrote saying of himself, "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

1 Thessalonians 2:4 But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God, which trieth our hearts.

Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Romans 1:1 Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called [to be] an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God,

Even the devil has his preachers, as the Bible plainly shows. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, "For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 15 Therefore [it is] no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works."

A preacher of God can never be satisfied doing other things. Preaching is a calling, not a vocation. 1 Corinthians 9:14, "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel."

1 Corinthians 9:16-17, " For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation [of the gospel] is committed unto me."

Romans 10:11-18, "For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? 17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."

Acts 13:2 demonstrates how God calls HIS preachers whom He sends: "As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them."

Having defined the word "preacher" and delineated the differences between the Scriptural and the secular usage, we move next to the other definitions.

More definitions:

A salary is defined as a fixed payment at regular intervals for services.

Earnings is defined as wages, salary, or other recompense earned by working. Money made by an investment.

Tax is defined as to require to pay a percentage of income, property, value, etc. For support of the government.

Exemption is defined as freedom from a liability.

Peradventure it has been fully grasped why we began our definitions with the concept of "preacher." A preacher - a God called minister of the gospel of our LORD Jesus Christ, notwithstanding the pseudo-religious crowd, is not a sales man. Neither is he in business for himself. Although a preacher's business (used in the general sense of an activity performed), is to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ unto men here upon earth, he is not in business with or for God.

That being the case, the God called preacher is not liable to the taxation upon salaries, since he has no salary from which to access a tax. Please understand, that's not saying a God called preacher is not cared for by those to whom God has entrusted to his watch care. More on that later.

Satan's preachers, of course, would not come under this category of being non taxable; it is a classification that only applies to servants of the LORD. Neither would the feminist preacher, so called, or the servant of men, known as state preachers, who are professionals, be considered non taxable. None of them have the burden of the LORD upon them, therefore they must in someway, somehow address the burden of taxation, because they do in deed, receive a stated salary. The servant of men, hereafter referred to as state preachers, as well as the feminist and Satanist preachers are all professionals. They all face the same dilemma of how to reduce or eliminate the tax burden they owe from their earnings and salaries.

A God called preacher has not a salary, as defined: a fixed payment at regular intervals for services. Nor would he have earnings, within the tax code rendering, resulting from the ministry to which God had appointed him. Unlike those state preachers, be they Satanist or feminist pretenders, a God called preacher is non taxable, not exempt.

Is a God called preacher to be cared for by those to whom God has given into his stewardship? Yes! How? A God called preacher is to be sustained by God's obedient people. This shall be fleshed out shortly. It may appear upon the surface to those unfamiliar with God's standard, the Holy Bible, that sustainment of a God called preacher is the same as a salary. As it has already been established, similarities are not equal in the animal realm, nor is it in matter of caring for a minister. Confusion has arisen in America because neophyte onlookers have been unable to make the distinction between salary and sustainment, regarding God's ministers.

Two extremes pop up in the average mind regarding this similarity of a salary as compared with sustainment. One: All that claim to be preachers fall into the same category and should be treated the same. This myth, it is firmly believed, has been dispelled by the former distinctions set forth above regarding preachers. The second extreme is: we all have to pay taxes and so should the preacher.

After all, so the logic goes, he - the preacher - drives upon the same roads. That is true. But do the taxes seized (some have insisted stolen) from people's paychecks actually go to pave roads? That deserves far more consideration than this particular position paper intends to give it.

Thus far we have examined various definitions with the aim of making good determinations. Now let us briefly broach the earlier intimated questions: Who decides what is an acceptable practice regarding a preacher and his care? By what standard are these subjects to be evaluated?

Hopefully, it has been exceedingly clear that our sole source of authority and final standard for this topic, as well as every other issue of life, is the very Word of Almighty God, as it is in the Holy Bible. While the Bible is not a book on economics, nevertheless it is the only trusted standard on that subject. This, of course, answers the concern by what standard of authority is preacher's care determined.

Since the Bible is the means by which we determine what is suitable care for the preacher, this meets the concern of who decides what is an acceptable practice regarding caring for him.

A preacher being sustained by God's obedient people is not to be confused as a salary, because it is unpredictability. Whereas, the salary of a state preacher is an agreed upon compensation for services to be rendered during his tenure. Scripture uses a number of analogies. One is that the preacher, like an ox, treads out the corn in a harvest. "Let the elders (Preachers) that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer [is] worthy of his reward." 1 Timothy 5:17-18

What man would restrict his ox from eating as he harvested the corn? Does the ox have a predictable salary? No. Many variables to consider. If there was little or no rain, then there was a possibility of having no crop. This would, of course, effect the overall sustenance allotted for an ox. To illustrate how we are to care for the preacher, the Holy Spirit of God uses the ancient means of harvesting a field with an animal to say: preachers should be sustained from the very fields they are working. Does an oxen file annual reports to the government listing its earnings and salary? And neither should a God called gospel preacher, according to Scripture.

What's more, Paul the Apostle writes about this subject of caring for God's servants. We discover this in 1 Corinthians 9:13 where Paul asks: "Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live [of the things] of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?" His conclusion is given in 1 Corinthians 9:14, "Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." According to the only trustworthy standard, the preacher is to be sustained by the obedient people within his ministry. As the field sustained the ox, the altar sustained the priests of old, so the gospel preacher is to be sustained by those to whom he ministers.

Duties of God's saints:

The responsibility lays upon the obedient people of God to sustain their God called preacher. Paul elaborated in Galatians 6:6, " Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things." It is an open shame and grievous sin to fail, as so many have, to care for God's men. Herein is one of the reasons why some men have negotiated for salaries. When the people to whom they were ministering refused to obey God, their faith wavered. God clearly says that we are to sustain our preacher. How one treats his preacher is a reflection upon his love for Almighty God.

Since a God called preacher is to be sustained not salaried, he is in the position of being non taxable. While state preachers, feminists, and Satan's servants have earnings and salaries, they must not be confused with God's preachers. A man of God called to be an ambassador is one who prays to the Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus saying, "Give us this day our daily bread." While state preachers may seek and find exemption, they have not learned to seek and find God's gracious provisions. Therefore, a state preacher looks for government benefits. God's preachers look unto the author and finisher of their faith for his blessings. With the Psalmist the God called preachers may exclaim: "Blessed [be] the Lord, [who] daily loadeth us [with benefits, even] the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalms 68:19

Decisions:

We have submitted unto the reader from the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make one wise unto salvation, that God's preachers are not salaried men. Nevertheless, they are sustained by the tithes and love-gifts of God's obedient saints. Since they are sustained and not salaried, taxation and, or, exemption from taxation are truly inappropriate positions. They are not applicable to a God called preacher; he is non taxable!

As a preacher, who may be reading this proposal, you have a decision, my dear Brother. Shall you continue functioning like a state preacher, negotiating and receiving a salary, or will you reflect upon what has been stated here, and then repent of those activities which certainly confuse people, because of your salaried practices?

As a person peering into this matter, you have read of the distinctions between a preacher of God and a statist or Satanist preacher. You must now decide whether you will continue supporting a hireling, or will you begin faithfully sustaining a true, God called preacher?

As a pernicious foe to the gospel ministry, you, too, may be reading this position paper. Let it be plainly asserted that unless you repent of your sin and receive Christ Jesus our LORD, you will not grasp what was written. One comes to an understanding of Biblical concepts only after being born-again. In Proverbs 1:23 we see God's promise extended: "Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you." "Turn," dear reader, involves a mental repentance

Eternal Grace Baptist Church

of New Maysville, Indiana

Snail mail: 8965 N. Co. Rd. 675 E.

Bainbridge, Indiana

E-mail: <preacher@link2000.net> (lower case)

Rev. Pastor J. S. Brown, Pastor, B.R.E.

Phone: (765) 522-1308

Website: http://www.link2000.net/~preacher/

Pastor J. S. Brown

The Eternal Grace Baptist Church is an independent, historical, particular, unregistered Baptist assembly that wholly embraces the victory of Christ, which is relevant in time as well as throughout all eternity.