Good morning and welcome in everybody. Today we are going to take a look at a passage of scripture, but before we do that, I wanted to tell you a little story.
When somebody decides to join the military, all of their needs are taken care of. They get three hots and a cot, along with all the equipment that they need to go into battle. They don’t have to pay for a plane ticket to get to a foreign land. When they are in a firefight in some strange town, they don’t run into a gun shop to buy their own bullets. When they get hungry, they don’t walk into the nearest fast food restaurant and sit down for a meal, as bullets are flying over their heads. When they need protective gear, they don’t walk into the nearest box store and put them on their personal credit card. This is because as a soldier, their needs are completely provided for them.
This reminds me of the Christian Life.
As the Apostles of Jesus Christ were ministering God’s Word to the church, it was the church’s responsibility to minister to them out of their personal possessions.
1 Corinthians 9, 1-14 ¹ 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? ² 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. ³ Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, ⁴ Have we not power to eat and to drink?
Let’s stop there for a moment. Some people in the church were judging the Apostle Paul simply because of the foods that he consumed. No matter what foods that you eat, it is no reflection of the kind of person that you are inside of your heart. Most often, people will condemn you for drinking alcohol, but then they go home and sin against God and others. That’s complete hypocrisy. Obviously some people abstain from certain things for their own personal reasons, which is understandable. But others use it as an opportunity to find fault with you, thinking that they are better than you simply because they don’t partake of certain things. These people are still carnal, and it was the same way they were treating Jesus and John the Baptist.
Matthew 11. ¹⁸ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, He hath a devil. ¹⁹ The Son of man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold a man gluttonous, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. But wisdom is justified of her children.
“Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?” — Matthew 15:17
If people are going to simply judge you by what you eat, then you need to call them on the carpet.
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink…… — Colossians 2:16
…,……..⁵ 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?
Some people in a church will get upset because you take your wife on a missionary journey, which obviously happened quite regularly among the original Apostles. Does the church really expect that a married couple should be separated for long periods of time? That’s not love, it’s cruelty.
…….⁶ Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
Paul was a tentmaker by trade, and could momentarily fall back on that if he had pressing needs. But the point is that the church needed to support and help him, and the work that he was involved with. They needed to learn to minister to him, as he administered God’s Word to them. He was planting seeds of Truth into the hearts of the church, don’t you think it was right that he was first partaker of the fruits?
…….⁷ 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? ⁸ Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? ⁹ 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?
“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 5:18
…….¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
Carnal things can be just about anything. It could be gifts of food, possessions, or finances. If you have been educated in the Word of God, it is one’s duty to minister to those who have taught you.
“It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” — Romans 15:27
Because women cannot preach and teach God’s Word, their responsibility is to minister to ministers out of their possessions.
“And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” — Luke 8:3
Giving to the church needs to be done with a cheerful heart, and before that, you must be first reconciled to a brother whom you have wronged, otherwise you exempt yourself from any reward by God for the gift.
Matthew 5 ²³ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; ²⁴ Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
“Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7
……..¹² 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.
¹³ 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?
All over the world people pay teachers at colleges and schools to educate others. In the Old Testament, the ministers were provided for and taken care of by the congregation. Likewise, those who preach the gospel can live of the Gospel.
Leviticus 6. ²⁴ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, ²⁵ Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy. ²⁶ The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.))))))
……..¹⁴ Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
“And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.” — Luke 10:7
If soldiers in the military are worthy of being provided for, so much more those who are ministering God’s Word. This is much greater than any Earthly battle, it is a spiritual battle for people’s souls. Those who serve as a soldier of God can live of the Gospel, and are certainly deserving of…..
…. Three Hots and a Cot
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. We are not associated, nor affiliated with any other religious groups. You can get our entire podcast feeds directly, along with transcripts at tlkjbc.com or I suppose that you could find us somewhere up here, in the Great Northern Minnesota woods. Peace to you, and Lord willing, we will talk with you some more tomorrow. Till then, bye bye everybody. ❤️
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