1 Corinthians 1-6 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
Jesus Christ commissioned Paul as an apostle, the father of many churches. Paul's commission was so phenomenal, so supernatural, that for many people his account seemed hard to believe. About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me." (Acts:6-11) The doubters questioned Paul's account of his conversion and his mission in life. To his critics, maybe this was just a story, catching the wind of a popular, new doctrine, a new way of making a living, similar to a hocker at the fair, introducing and selling a new gadget for his own benefit. Paul addresses this concern at the beginning of this letter: Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. (1 Corinthians 1:13-17) Paul tells them he did not come to them to impress them with himself or his calling. He came to preach the gospel of Christ with power. In other places in his letters to the Corinthians, he relates his personal sufferings and persecutions to bring them the gospel of Jesus Christ. Others questioned how legitimate and pure his message was about Christ and his works, for obviously, he was not a member of the original cast of Jesus Christ's apostles. Because of this, they wondered if Paul was creating a new doctrine, skewing the message in some way. Some chose messengers other than Paul to hear about Christ. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” (1 Corinthians 1:11-12) But Paul knew his commission came directly from Christ's mouth, and in this letter, he emphatically defends that reality.
Paul's preaching came not only through words but also through the demonstration of power in the Holy Spirit. He wrote this message to the church in Thessalonica: For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. (Thessalonians 1:6) He confirmed his authority as an apostle in every place he ministered by performing many miracles by the power of God, even bringing some people back to life. He based his claim as an apostle in the Corinthian church on the changed lives of those under his ministry. The reality of their new lives in Christ validated Paul's message about Christ and Christ's transformational power. God's work through Paul in Corinth and elsewhere allowed him to say, you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. In today's verses, Paul says that he too should have the right to claim financial support from the church. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living? Paul beseeches the Corinthians to understand that his teaching and his work have helped them become new creatures in Christ, acceptable to God, right with God. Because of the message of salvation and the transformational power in people's lives, Paul should be worthy of financial support. Since he claimed equal status with the original apostles and knew the church would support a member of the twelve, he argued that He and Barnabas stood worthy of the same support they would give an apostle. Even though Paul knew they should provide for him, he supported himself by working outside of the church. He did not want Christ's message to be shunned because of his demand for support from the people of Corinth.
Today, some people would hold back support for their ministers based on a variety of reasons. We hear people say ministers have an easy job because they work only one day a week and receive a full salary or they do not have to do anything except talk to people. We could add other foolish statements to those. We also hear pastors say, "If all I had to do was preach a sermon on Sunday, my job would be easy." As with a mother, a pastor's job is never done. Just ask a minister's wife about her husband's work. She will open your eyes to the realities of ministry. A pastor answers the Lord's call to shepherd the sheep. Jesus saw the people's needs and his heart was deeply moved: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (Matthew 9:36-38) As shepherds, ministers follow the Lord to enter the harvest field and to minister to the sheep in the fold while bringing in the lost sheep. This calling represents full-time work for the man or woman of God who steps into the field. A minister prays for the needs of the congregation, their friends, and their families. A man or woman of God visits the sick and the emotionally and mentally ill. He or she studies the word and increases his or her knowledge through perusal of religious texts and revelations from God. A pastor calls on new people or people who want a visit. While doing all of this, the minister writes a sermon, seeking the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The minister tries to have a family life, taking an interest in his or her children's activities and spending time with them. We have touched on some of the duties of a pastor, but our description offers a limited picture of a pastor's reality. Give your minister a big thank-you. Bless him or her and do not find fault, not because October is pastor appreciation month but because of the love of Jesus in your heart. Do not begrudge your pastor his or her wages. When Jesus sent out the seventy-two to minister, He said the harvest was plentiful, and He gave them instructions. They were not to take any money and to follow these instructions: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages." (Luke 10:5-7) Your minister is a man or woman of God, working for the Lord, deserving of blessing and thanks, and deserving of wages. Thank you, Lord, for our pastors!
No comments:
Post a Comment