Free of Charge

Good morning and welcome in everybody.  Today, we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture from first Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 9:1-18  Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?  If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,  Have we not power to eat and to drink?  Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas?  Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?  Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?  Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?  For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?  Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?  If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.  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?  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.  But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.

In the Christian church, when someone preaches the gospel, they can live of the gospel.  In the Old Testament, the priests were provided with everything they needed, living off of the provisions that were provided to the temple.  Out in society, when people have a job, they get paid for their time.  Even a child, who cuts their neighbor’s lawn after school, receives some type of remuneration.  Whether you dedicate your life to being a baker, a mechanic or even a school teacher, you receive some type of income to support the needs of your own family.  Sadly, there are some people, even those within the church, who frown upon a preacher receiving anything at all. I think many of them might have been turned away from giving to the church because of the many false prophets out in the world who are fleecing the sheep of God and turning the church into a money making scheme.

2 Peter 2:1-3  But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.  And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.  And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

These people don’t love the Lord Jesus Christ, insomuch that they desire to become obedient to His will.  Their real love is to be seen and to be popular in the eyes of men.  They love to be noticed, kind of like a rockstar, which actually would have been a better profession for them.  Those who are highly esteemed among men are an abomination to God, They really don’t love the Lord Jesus or His sheep.  What they do is turn the church into a business. Why do you think there are so many filthy rich preachers In the world today, with enough money in their accounts to provide for all of the needs of the poor, who struggle daily in poverty in certain cities.  These frauds don’t love God, and they certainly don’t love the poor, they love money which is the root of all evil.

This kind of activity enraged the Lord Jesus, insomuch that he scourged certain people who were participating in it within the temple. They turned the temple into a shopping mall.  Look around, the same things are still going on today, led by people who don’t care about the poor, they just care about increasing their own income.

John 2:13-16  And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,  And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

Many of these false prophets simply walk around with their hands extended, or passing an offering plate, but that was not the way of the Apostle Paul.  He wasn’t the kind of man who needed to display a name tag, or display postnominals that said he was an Apostle.  He didn’t need to carry diplomas in his briefcase, or post them on the wall in order to prove that he was a true man of God.  The Apostle Paul was called by God, and was not ordained by any man.  He preached the Word of God freely without any charge. There was not a covetous bone in his body.  He wasn’t the kind of the man who went out asking for money, because he fully relied on Gods provision, being content with what God had given him in any given situation.  Any collections that were taken by a church, were to be done before he ever showed up.

2 Corinthians 9:5-7  Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.  But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.

For the Apostle Paul, preaching God’s Word had nothing to do with asking for donations or telling people to kick into the offering plate. He did it to please God and it needed to be done, whether people helped him out or not. Those were his motivations, not obtaining filthy lucre.

1 Peter 5:1-2  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

Even though false prophets and even false churches only want your money, The Lord has ordained that they which preach of the gospel can live of the gospel.  But this is a scripture that has been used numerous times only to justify a person’s greed and love of money.  The Apostle Paul didn’t desire the possessions of the church, he desired them to become obedient and to do God’s will.

1 Thessalonians 2:5  For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke of covetousness; God is witness:

Although numerous people missuse the passage, God has ordained that those who preach the gospel, can live by the gospel.  When a soldier decides to enlist in the military, everything is provided for them. They get three hots and a cot.  This is so that they can focus on their job and what they need to do for this country. All of their equipment is provided by the military.  A soldier doesn’t go into battle and bring his checkbook to pay for food while he’s dodging bullets in a foreign country.  He doesn’t go and get a part-time job in order to pay for his weapons and ammunition.  Likewise, a preacher is in a spiritual battle, and just like a soldier in the military he needs to be taken care of and provided for by the church so he can focus on doing his duty.

Can you imagine spending a lot of time planting tomatoes, but then at the harvest you weren’t allowed to eat anything from the garden that you had planted?  As many of you know, we have had numerous chickens on our property in the past.  We raise them from chicks by providing them everything that is needed for them to grow.  As they grow older, we give them layer feed along with corn and oats so that they mature into adults.  Eventually, they began to lay eggs for our family.  It’s hard to imagine spending so many months and so much time raising them, and then being denied the opportunity to eat their eggs.

1 Corinthians 9:18  What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

Although the apostle Paul had the power and ability to request finances from the church, he didn’t use that power.  He didn’t ask for donations.  What he did is waited until somebody lovingly approached Him.  He volunteered his time because he loved their souls, and wanted them to be converted to the truth.  As God extends to each of us the free gift of His grace, the Apostle Paul preached God’s Word completely……

…… Free of Charge

Let’s think about these things for right now.  We can be found on your web browser by searching,  tlkjbc  where you can find our diaries distributed through various platforms, or by getting our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com, or I suppose, you can find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods.  Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️

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