Second in a series on ministerial compensation . . .
Having said this, mercenary ministers have hardly been a rarity in the history of the Church. We get our word simony from the ill-fated attempt by Simon Magus to buy the Holy Spirit, presumably because he saw an opportunity to flip it for a profit (Acts 8:18-21). “He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house; but he that hateth gifts shall live” (Prov. 15:27). One of the qualifications of an elder is that he not be greedy (1 Tim. 3:3). If civil leaders in the older Israel had to be men who hated covetousness (Ex. 18:21), how much more should the ministers of the new covenant be this way?
The Lord spoke bluntly of the problem of hirelings (John 10: 12-13), who are in it for the money, and who do not care for the sheep. And the Spirit of God inspired the prophet Ezekiel to let the shepherds of Israel have it.
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?” (Ez. 34:2).
“Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them” (Ex. 34:10).
Because these pastors refused to feed the flock, they wound up doing the opposite—devouring the flock. Either you feed the sheep or you eat them. Neglect of feeding the sheep begins with shepherds who only think about what they get to eat (v. 2). Training for the ministry should include learning how to shut your pie hole.
Ezekiel was not the only prophet to notice this. Isaiah saw the problems with a ministry that found itself in an ornate room, layered in purple cushions, and with tables covered over with the devil’s dainties.
“His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and to morrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant” (Is. 56: 9-12).
Thomas Aquinas, on being shown through an ecclesiastical palace, was once told, “You see, no longer can Peter say, ‘Silver and gold have I none.’” “Yes,” Thomas replied, “and neither can she say, ‘Rise up and walk.’”
A certain kind of person looks at the ministry and only sees easy money. Paul spoke of men with corrupt minds, who were destitute of the truth, and who thought “that gain is godliness” (1 Tim. 6:5). Paul tells Timothy to avoid that kind of man, and the 24-7 satellite channel he owns and operates.
As Dire Straits once sang:
“I send what I can
To the man from the ministry
He’s a part of heaven’s plan
And he talks to me
Now I send what I can to the man
With the diamond ring
He’s a part of heaven’s plan
And he sure can sing
Now it’s all I can afford
But the Lord has sent me eternity
It’s to save the little children
In a poor country . . .”
Not only does God’s Word condemn this sort of thing, it is also important to live and speak in such a way that you can answer false charges on this issue, and also to live and speak in such a way as not to generate such false charges.
“Did I make a gain of you by any of them whom I sent unto you? I desired Titus, and with him I sent a brother. Did Titus make a gain of you? walked we not in the same spirit? walked we not in the same steps?” (2 Cor. 12:17-18).
“For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ” (2 Cor. 2:17, ESV).
Paul says here that many are gospel-mongers, and we have no reason to believe that the number has diminished since Paul’s day. It is therefore most important for ministers to avoid two things in this regard. They are first to avoid the sin itself. Their behavior must not be tinged with any kind of covetousness. They must not be angling for the money—they should be wanting a blessing for their people, and not a blessing for themselves (Phil. 4:17). The second issue is rhetorical. It is crucial—assuming the minister is free of the sin of a heart full of avarice—not to be a blockhead and do something that sure looks like he is not free of it. Suppose the board of elders finally approves a raise of .003%, after much pleading. The next week would not be a good time to take your great-uncle up on his offer to give you his vintage red sports car.
Do what is right in the sight of all men (Rom. 12:17), and this means you have to look like that is what you are doing. Paul did not resent having to take care in how he handled the responsibility of money.
“. . . avoiding this, that no man should blame us in this abundance which is administered by us: Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men” (2 Cor. 8:20-21).
As we will see shortly, just as it is not rare for ministers to abuse their financial privileges, so it is not rare for those who control the purse strings to abuse ministers. The Bible speaks to both situations, and does so frequently. But those in positions of Christian leadership have to take the initial responsibility to do what is right in this regard, and to successfully communicate that they are doing right.