Marsha's Musings: Pastors & Pay; Being All Things to All Men

1Co 9:11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?
1Co 9:14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.

Pastors who preach the truth are worthy of their labor.  They should be paid as well as the congregation can pay them.  Some congregations are small and so can't afford to pay their pastors enough keep them from having to work an outside job, but they should do their best.


1Co 9:19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible.
1Co 9:22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.

I often hear the latter part of verse 22 quoted to justify church leadership that decides to bring entertainment,  bands (often called worship bands), drama, interpretive dance, and many other things into the Sunday morning worship service.  I have been a member of several different churches in the past that have done this and the result was always the same.  The preaching of God's Word was reduced to a 20 minute or less devotional type message that was so watered down, there really wasn't much in it.  The preaching of the great doctrinal truths of Scripture was avoided because "doctrine divides".  Somehow, I fail to see that the Apostle Paul was advocating all of this with his statement, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." 

I am not saying there is not a place for the things I mentioned above.  Good wholesome Christian entertainment is needed, but not in the Sunday morning worship service.  Do it on Sunday night or some other day of the week.  The Sunday morning worship service is supposed to be God-centered not man centered.  When we turn it into a time of entertainment, then people start clapping like they are at a ball game and the focus is not on the holiness of God but on how well the people on the stage can elicit a response from the audience.

I'm also not saying there is no place for a "worship band" in the Sunday morning worship. If the instruments are played in a subdued worshipful way and not the focal point of the music, I don't see anything wrong with it.  It's when the instruments over-power the music that it becomes man-centered and not God-centered.

When church leadership or anyone else uses this verse to justify what they are doing to the morning worship service, they are plainly taking it out of context.  Paul has been talking about how the preacher is entitled to  get his living from preaching the gospel, but that he did not push the issue because he did not want it to become a stumbling block to those he was preaching to.  So, he worked at tent making to make a living.  We see that in another place in scripture.(Acts 18:1-3)  He became as they were, working for his living at a regular trade, so that he would not be a burden to them or offend them in anyway by expecting them to pay him for preaching.  If you read verses 19-21 you will find that when he was with Jews he denied his freedom to do things that might offend them.  When he was with those who were weak, he didn't flaunt his strength, etc.  Never did he compromise his message.  He never watered down the Gospel or the great doctrines of the Scriptures. Certainly, he never shortened up his sermons so they could have time to indulge in the Christian entertainment of the day. (Acts 20:9) He denied himself basic rights in order to not distract his hearers from listening to the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

1Co 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
 26 Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air.
 27 No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
(NIV)

I love Paul's use of analogies.  This speaks to me.  Am I running my race in such a way as to get the prize of the high calling of God?  Am I in strict training for this race?  Do I run aimlessly through my day?  Am I wildly beating the air but not hitting the target?  How is my spiritual self-discipline?  How is my physical self-discipline?  Do I discipline myself?  Basically, do I walk the talk?