One, the other, or both 

Some people wonder if a church should pay their preacher. Others might think that the preacher should have a secular job. Still others might think that the preacher should have both a secular job and be supported partially by the church. The scriptures have much to say about whether men should be paid to preach. As we will see, all three ways can be acceptable.

When Paul was at Corinth, he met up with a couple named Aquila and Priscilla. We are told that all three were tentmakers by trade. Thus, the apostle stayed with them and they worked together (Acts 18:1-3). There is nothing wrong with a preacher working with his hands in order to provide for his needs. It is wrong to consider someone a “lesser” preacher if he has other means to support himself.

We also find out that Paul was financially helped by the church at Philippi. They sent help to him on more than one occasion (Phil. 4:16). Beyond these brethren help, Paul was also supported by other churches for teaching the word (II Cor. 11:8). All of this reveals that a man is worthy of his hire (Luke 10:7; I Tim. 5:18). Having read these verses, let’s answer some potential questions.

Can a preacher be supported by more than one church?  Yes. Paul said that “churches” send wages to him for his work (II Cor. 11:8).

Can an evangelist preach at a local church that does not support him? Yes. Paul said he preached at Corinth for free while getting support from other places (II Cor. 11:7).                                                                             
 

Do preachers take a vow of poverty as some religious groups teach? No. The Bible does not teach this.

If a preacher is supported by a local church, does he still participate in the weekly contribution? Yes. The preacher is a Christian and responsible for obeying the commands of our Lord (II Cor. 16:1-2; II Cor. 9:7).

Can churches send money to another local church to support a preacher? No. Recall in the earlier verses that the church sent to his needs (Phil. 4:16). Churches support the man directly – they do not send their money to the church to then give to the man.

Can a local church stop supporting a preacher if he teaches error? Yes. Churches need to know who they support and what is being taught. If a church knows that the preacher is teaching error and he does not repent, they are sinning by supporting him (II John 9-10).

Who decides how much a preacher is to be paid? The Bible has no specific number. This should be a discussion between the preacher and the church(es). The preacher does not have to live below the poverty line, nor does he need to live better than the brethren. Remember, Paul spoke about churches meeting his needs (Phil. 4:16).

Beyond his regular support, should churches pay for unexpected expenses? No. When one of the members breaks a tooth or has car trouble or breaks their glasses, they do not expect the church to pay for it. They budget their income for things like this, and the preacher is no different.  Failure to provide for your own due to poor planning is wrong (I Tim. 5:8).

Should one preach because of the money? No. If someone wants to preach simply to make money, they are preaching for the wrong reason. The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil (I Tim. 6:10).

                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Chuck 

It doesn’t make you a false teacher 

 The apostle Paul, like the other apostles, found himself being falsely accused. It can be very frustrating for anyone who has people attack their character with accusations that are not true. On top of that, what makes it worse is when people believe it. The reason these evil doers have success, is because they poison the minds of folks (Acts 14:2). Those who teach God’s word, are not guilty simply because they… 

…have confidence in what they say

Just because someone speaks with conviction, it doesn’t automatically mean they are arrogant and wrong in what they say. Having said that, we must, at the same time interject that being confident in what you believe doesn’t mean you are automatically right (Acts 18:24-26). But back to our first point. There are those who react negatively to someone who speaks with certainty. This does not make a person false teacher. As a matter of fact, one ought to be a little apprehensive to believe someone who is unsure (II Tim. 4:2-5).

…expose those in opposition

It seems politically correct for individuals to stand for something, without standing against. Such should not be the case religiously. How can you stand for truth without standing against error? I know it makes people mad when someone tells them they are wrong, but it doesn’t make someone a false teacher simply because they point the finger (Psa. 119:104; I Jn. 4:1).

…don’t create a grey area

Faithful teachers get themselves in all kinds of hot water when they speak in absolutes. It’s easy to accuse someone by labeling them to others by uttering, “It’s their way or the highway!”  In truth, it is to be the Lord’s way, regardless. The gospel doesn’t leave any wiggle room for those who want to tweak it a little (Gal. 1:6-9; II Jn. 9). When you say that there is but one way, you will find yourself in hot water pretty quick.  The fact is, it doesn’t make you a false teacher when you are uncompromising.

…changed their beliefs

This was the very tactic they used on Paul. They wondered how this person who once persecuted those who followed Christ, now preached Christ (Acts 9:21,23). Just because someone changed what he once believed, doesn’t mean they are a false teacher. It wouldn’t make sense to for someone who realized they were wrong, to change and not share the reasons why. It seems proper to tell others why you changed.

…accepted money for preaching

Knowing that there are plenty of false teachers that are making mega amounts of money for their work, understandably, people are turned off of religion because of that. However, for someone who preaches the gospel and accepts a living wage, it doesn’t mean they are automatically a false teacher. Godly men can accept a wage, just as they did in New Testament times (II Cor. 11:8; I Tim. 5:18). Those who are in it for the money, do so for all the wrong reasons.

…are accused by other teachers

One is not qualified to say someone else is wrong, just because they claim to be someone special. The religious leaders in Christ’s time swayed the people simply because they were “teachers” (Matt. 27:15-26).  Since when is it acceptable for false teachers to accuse, but not be accused? The truth is, there are good reasons to find fault, but these six facts don’t prove anything automatically.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Chuck

The use of church funds

      We all know that religious groups today have used their collections to fund everything from pizza parties, senior trips to building gymnasiums and having day care centers. The question is, are there binding examples that will limit the use of church funds, and help use know what they are to be used for?                                                                                 

Let me just say that if there are no binding examples in scripture, then we must just as well discard the Bible, for the flood-gate would open up. This is no more true than when it comes to the church funds that are collected. And since many do not respect approved examples as a means to establishing authority, you have religious groups doing anything they want with their funds. This is the reason why people make light of this whole discussion.

We can quickly set some boundaries if we have a scripture that will come right out and limit the use of church funds. There is and it is found in I Timothy 5:16. Read this text carefully. You will notice that Christians were given a responsibility to take care of a financial need that the church was not responsible for thus making a distinction between the work of an individual and the work of the church. Failure to see this, we cause one to miss the binding examples surrounding church funds.

Local church take up a collection each Sunday (I Cor. 16:1-2), for the work of the church. What are those works? Evangelism (Eph. 3:10); Edification (Eph. 4:120 and helping needy saints (II Cor. 8:1-4).  Within these three areas we have examples of churches sending to brethren in need. We have examples of preachers being supported directly, to preach (II Cor. 11:8). Notice that we do not have examples of churches sending money to another church to support preachers. Is that significant? Yes. The pattern of sending directly to the one preaching hold the local church accountable to making sure they support faithful men. If church “A” sent funds to church “B”, and the support a false teacher, how does church “A” know it?  We need to see the wisdom of God in providing us with approved examples as a means of establishing Biblical authority.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Chuck