Estimates are that 40-60% of Southern Baptist pastors are bi-vocational. When I transitioned from vocational to volunteer pastoring, I experienced a frustrating loss of time for study, counseling, and teaching. Effective self-supported shepherding takes a change in both attitude and approach. In the thirty-plus years I’ve been bi-vocational, I’ve discovered that, despite its limitations, there are many advantages to a volunteer pastorate. In fact, it’s biblical to be bi-vocational!
Jesus Promised a Blessing
Jesus said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. We know Jesus said this only because Paul quoted it to a group of pastors (Acts 20:32-35). What was the application for these local church leaders? The apostle clearly expected that most pastors would be self-supported, in a position to give money to the church rather than receive it. Herein lies one great blessing for volunteer pastoring.
Paul Modeled It
Paul reminded the Ephesian church leaders that he had “coveted no one’s silver, gold, or apparel” (Acts 20:33). To the contrary, he funded his own ministry: “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities” (tentmaking, Acts 18:3, 20:33-34). In an ideal situation, volunteer pastors might look for ways to make a living that allow for a flexible work schedule (such as owning their own business), or for extra free time (teachers that the get whole summer off), or that puts them into a work situation where they frequently interact with people (sales, customer service, management) so that their work can be a ministry field. Learn a trade that people need so they will be happy to see you (medicine, carpentry, landscaping, electrical, window cleaning, painting, handyman, barbering, etc.).
NIV Proverbs 22:29 Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will serve before kings; he will not serve before obscure men.
While passing near Ephesus en route to Jerusalem, Paul asked the Ephesian church leaders to meet him in nearby Miletus (Acts 20). Only church leaders were there with him. What was his point to these church leaders regarding ministry and money? Very simple: He urged them to follow his example of earning one’s living from secular work so as to be able to help the weak: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35). To serve as a volunteer leader is thus quite biblical, and is in no way a second-class ministry.
Everywhere he traveled on mission trips, Paul modeled bi-vocational ministry. Writing to the church in Thessalonica, he urged: “you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you.” (2 Th 3:7-8). He reminded the Church in Corinth that his goal was to “present the gospel free of charge” (1Co 9:18). Bi-vocational and volunteer church leadership also frees up more money for missions, as the local leaders are not on a church payroll.
Spurgeon Agreed
When he first began his ministry, Spurgeon was bi-vocational. His church paid him just enough to cover his rent, along with “potatoes, turnips, cabbages, apples, and sometimes a bit of meat.” He made up the difference by tutoring. Spurgeon held a high opinion of bi-vo ministry: “Theirs is an exceedingly high style and order of Christian ministry: we know of none superior to it. Paul the apostle accounted it his glory that he earned his own bread, and was chargeable to no man. He would by no means come down from his elevation to the lower level of being supported by the gifts of his fellow-Christians. He did not teach that all preachers should belong to this honorable order; on the contrary, he claimed for the giver of spirituals that he should be a receiver of temporals; but he himself personally resolved to belong to the Great Unpaid. He rejoiced that he could say, ‘Mine own hands have ministered unto my necessities.’”[1]
Early Churches Were Small
One very practical reason that first-century pastors were volunteer was due to the small size of the typical New Testament congregation. For the first three centuries of its existence, Christianity was not an approved religion. Subsequently, believers typically gathered for church in private homes. It is difficult for small congregations to support a full-time elder. Yet somehow, Christianity mysteriously spread like yeast throughout the Roman Empire. Other advantages of Roman-villa sized congregations are they can play to their relational strengths, can offer personalized disciple making, and are in a position to be able to enjoy New Testament church practices designed by the apostles to enable successful volunteer pastoring (participatory meetings, the Lord’s Supper celebrated as a true dinner, elder-led congregational consensus, etc.). First-century ecclesiology got far more people involved in ministry, and took unbiblical burdens off the leadership. (You can read all about it in our book, New Testament Church Dynamics).
The Secret Ingredient in the Sauce?
Southeastern Baptist Seminary president Danny Akin opined that American Christianity is receding so rapidly that future seminary graduates should prepare to be bi-vocational pastors of churches too small to support them.[2] This may actually work to advance the Lord’s work in the West— an unrealized ingredient for success that we fail to take into account.
To illustrate, despite the apparent handicap of small house churches with volunteer leadership, the gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire. Christianity was eventually not only legalized, but made the official religion of the Empire. Another example is found in China. It was not until the Communists expelled all the full-time Western missionaries, and forced the church underground, that Christianity there exploded. Estimates are that there are now more believers in China than in the United States.
A third example can be found in the early Methodist Church. Howard Snyder, a pioneer in missional church, noted that the Methodist Church grew explosively throughout the American colonies, pushing westward as the frontier expanded. John Wesley’s original 1700s model was multiple small societies with volunteer leadership, and an occasional circuit-riding preacher. In 1776, Methodists made up only 2.5 % of Christians in the colonies. By 1850, they made up 34%! In just seventy years, they increased from a tiny sect to the largest denomination in the United States. In other words, in 1776 1 in 40 Christians in America were Methodist; by 1850, 1 in 3 were. The second largest denomination was the Baptists with 20.5%.[3] However, about the time of the American Civil War (1860s), it was decided to abandon Wesley’s model, combining enough small churches together to have a full-time pastor. With that decision, Snyder said, the growth of the Methodist church slowed, stopped, then went in the opposite direction. Snyder felt that the small size of each congregation played a big role in the growth of the Methodist church.[4]
Sometimes, when a church has a full-time minister, the congregation’s attitude is, “we pay him to do ministry.” This wrong thinking creates apathy and atrophy (“Leave it to the professionals”). Bi-vocational ministry is leadership by example. It sets the example for volunteer ministry by the congregation, promoting the idea that every member should have a ministry. The congregation knows that the leaders do not have much free time because, like themselves, the leaders are juggling a secular job, and family needs. Thus, rather than expecting the leaders to do everything, congregants are motivated to take the initiative in doing things themselves. It makes for a DIY church that acts like they really do believe in the priesthood of the believer.
Missionaries & Evangelists, But Not Pastors?
Paul, in 1 Corinthians 9, listed three first-century groups who made their livings from the church: apostles (9:1-5), the Lord’s brothers (9:5), and evangelists (9:14). Pastors, strangely, did not make the list. Why not? It had to do with a sentiment expressed by infamous Louisiana politician Huey Long: “The Bible’s the greatest book ever written, but I sure don’t need anybody I can buy for six bits and a chew of tobacco to explain it to me. When I need preachers, I buy ‘em cheap.”[5]
After writing persuasively of an apostle’s right to support, Paul amazing declared, “But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision” (9:15). If he didn’t write this with the hope that the Corinthians would give him support, then why did he write it?
In essence, the whole of 1 Corinthians 9 is parenthetical. Paul’s main topic began in 1 Corinthians 8 and concerned not being a stumbling block to others (and thus abstaining from food sacrificed to idols, 8:9). Paul’s waiver of his right to full-time support (1Co 9) illustrated how far Paul was willing to go so as to not hinder the gospel (9:12b, 15). Then, in 1 Corinthians 10, Paul continued on with his main topic, concluding with, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God” (1Co 10:32, NIV). Thus, Paul’s objective in penning 1 Corinthians 9 was neither to limit nor to extend the categories of those who had the “right” to support from the church. It was merely an illustration. What it does reveal is that Paul had a broad-minded approach to supporting itinerant ministers, and took stumbling blocks very seriously.
Why then were local church pastors omitted from Paul’s examples? One reason may simply have been because full-time support for pastors was simply not on Paul’s first-century radar screen. Based solely on Acts 20, it would seem that the New Testament example was that local church leaders did not usually receive financial support for their ministries. Paul no more envisioned the typical church leader making his living from the church than he did the existence of a minister of music. Furthermore, Paul’s arguments in 1 Corinthians 9 were given in support of itinerant ministers, whereas local church leaders are stationary. In addition, as Paul waived his apostolic “right” to get his living from the gospel (1Co 9:15, 18), the example of volunteer ministry he modeled for the Ephesian pastors (Acts 20) makes it all the more compelling that pastors should follow his example (see also 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:7-9).
If the Lord was pleased for Paul the apostle, His foremost church planter, to spend his time making tents, it shouldn’t be surprising that He would ask the same of His servants today. Be encouraged! You are in good company.
Double Honor, Not Double Wages
Writing about the same Ephesian ministers who attended the pastors’ conference in Acts 20, Paul informed Timothy that those among the elders who were good at directing the affairs of the church, and who worked hard at the word and doctrine, were worthy of “double honor” (1Ti 5:17). “Honor” is from timé, which primarily means “respect.” Church leaders are to be men worthy of esteem. For instance, the church in Thessalonica was asked to “respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord … esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”[6] However, we see from 1 Timothy 5:17 that some elders are worthy of double honor, which obviously means something more than esteem.
Using the same quotations found in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul wrote, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain”, and “The laborer deserves his wages” (1Ti 5:18). This parallel should not be minimized. The implications are clear. Some church leaders are to be honored with material support. Immediately prior to 1 Timothy 5:17, Paul directed that “honor” (timé) be given to widows who are truly in need (1Ti 5:3). This occurrence of timé obviously means granting such widows more than respect. Giving them food, helping with housework, visiting them, and of course monetary assistance, is the idea. Thus, “double honor” for certain elders clearly refers to material assistance of some sort.
Furthermore, the word “honor” was clearly used by Jesus to refer to material support for aging parents in Mark 7:10. The Law of Moses required, “Honor your father and your mother” (Ex 20:12). However, Jesus was critical of the religious leaders of Judaism for failing to obey this command: “… you say that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received by me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down” (Mk 7:11-13, NIV).
It is clear that giving “double honor” (1Ti 5:17) to qualified elders means giving them material support. However, Paul didn’t necessarily have in mind enough support for a pastor to quit his secular employment. As previously pointed out, each congregation remained small due to persecution, which would have made full-time support less likely (especially if significant support was already given to missionaries and evangelists, per 1 Corinthians 9). Paul wrote double “honor”, not double “wages”; There is a huge difference between paying a man to do a job and releasing a man to do a ministry. Any pastoral support should be more of an honorarium than a wage paid.
“Tentmaking” missionary Dan Trotter opined: “The widows of 1 Timothy 5:3-16 weren’t earning a salary; they were receiving charity. And ‘the laborer is worthy of his hire’ quote in Luke 10 referred obviously not to His disciples receiving a salary, but hospitality (eat and drink what’s set before you, etc.). The word wages in the Old Testament quotation (1Ti 5:18) is obviously metaphorical (just like the unmuzzled ox eating straw is metaphorical). If you push that metaphor too far, we’ll have Christian workers eating straw! Paul wrote to the Corinthians that he had robbed other churches so as not to accept wages from Corinthians. Vine states that the word wages in 2 Corinthians 11:8 is clearly metaphorical, which, of course, it is. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business if a Christian worker receives voluntary offerings from anybody for whatever reason. But the minute a salary is paid, the principle of voluntary giving of service to the body is violated…. If Paul had meant double wages in I Timothy 5:17, why didn’t he say double misthos, or double opsonion, two perfectly clear words which mean wages and would have conveyed what he meant?”[7]
Not Greedy for Money
Another advantage of bi-vocational ministry is that it removes the temptation to compromise. Upton Sinclair said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it.” We’re all human and liable to temptation. When a pastors’ living is potentially threatened by the confrontation of sinful behavior or teaching a difficult doctrine, the temptation is to pull one’s punches. This is not as much of a temptation for volunteer and bi-vocational pastors.
In 1 Peter 5:2, Peter exhorted church leaders to shepherd God’s flock willingly and not for shameful gain. “Shameful gain” is from a single Greek word, aischrokerdos; aischros means shame or disgrace; kerdos means gain, profit, or advantages. Mounce defines it as “greedy for money.[8] A related term, aischrokerdes, is used in Titus 1:7 where elders are required to not be fond of sordid gain. 1 Timothy 3:3 parallels this with a requirement that elders be free from the love of money. It appears that aischrokerdes is a virtual synonym for being greedy for money. It has been quipped that vocational pastors are paid to be good, but volunteer pastors are good for nothing! As a self-supported minister, Paul could claim with a clear conscience, “Unlike so many, we do not peddle the word of God for profit.”[9] May we not be like the religious leaders in Judah: “… her priests teach for a price, and her prophets tell fortunes for money.”[10]
Synthesis
Jesus commanded that those who preach the gospel should make their living from the gospel, and Paul applied this in principle to apostles in 1 Corinthians 9. Paul also applied it to qualified pastors in 1 Timothy 5. However, Acts 20 was addressed to pastors in general and assumed that most pastors would be voluntary and thus in a position of giving monetarily to the church, rather than receiving from it. The exception to this generalization is found in 1 Timothy 5:17, written with reference to those pastors who not only direct the affairs of the church well but who also labor in the word and doctrine. All pastors are worthy of honor (1Th 5:12-13); some elders are worthy of double honor (1Ti 5:17). This double honor is spontaneous, voluntary, material support from the church.[11]
The Apostolic Solution
The apostles left us with an ecclesiology designed for successful volunteer pastoring:
- Seek A Plurality of Leaders: The common model today is that of a single shepherd serving a flock—a lot of responsibility for one guy! It’s also lonely at the top. Conversely, the New Testament always mentions a plurality of equal leaders serving each church (Acts 14:23). This spreads out the ministry load (for instance, one man doesn’t have to do all the teaching), and is it a great source of camaraderie, encouragement, and wisdom.
ESV Ecclesiastes 4:12 … though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
ESV Proverbs 24:6 … in abundance of counselors there is victory.
A smaller church may only have one man who meets the leadership qualifications of 1 Timothy 3. Ask the Holy Spirit to raise up other men as overseers, and actively train those in whom you see potential.
ESV 2 Timothy 2:1-2 … be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
- Manage Expectations: You work many hours at a secular job to provide for your family. Greater than its financial needs, your family needs you personally. Over the course of its life, a typical church will have many leaders, but hopefully your kids will only have one dad, and your wife one husband. You simply must prioritize and protect the time you spend with your own family. Fail at family and you will be disqualified from ministry.
Teach the church that, biblically, every member is a minister—not just you. Scripture states that the church is a kingdom of priests. One of Martin Luther’s arguments for reformation concerned the priesthood of all believers. Do we really believe in the priesthood of the believer? If so, perhaps we could prove it by allowing all the priests to minister. Put the priesthood of the believer into practice. Explain that you simply can’t be there for every hospital stay and every church event and on every committee. Delegate jobs, and then don’t sweat it if they don’t get done. Focus on the essentials.
As a volunteer pastor, you simply cannot do all the things vocational pastors do. John Piper wrote, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals.[12] Jokingly remind people that they will get what they pay for! (What are they going to do, cut your pay? Even if they let you go, praise the Lord and move on to a church that deserves and appreciates you).
- Fire Your Sermon: Lack of study time was a big problem I ran into when I went from full-time support in a larger church to instead serving a smaller church while working a full-time secular job. One way to save time is simply by teaching systematically through books of the Bible (as opposed to topical messages). I never have to spend any time agonizing over what to teach next. Instead, I simply deal with the text that immediately followed the passage I dealt with the previous week. It also takes much more time to correctly prepare a topical message because the context of each of the various texts compiled must be carefully studied lest it be not taken out of context.
Another way I made the most of my limited study time was by changing my teaching style. The preaching of eloquent sermons in church meetings dates at least as far back as John Chrysostom, A.D. 300’s archbishop of Constantinople (his name means “golden mouth”).[13] Guys like him are a hard act to follow. It takes a special skill set to be able to preach/sermonize effectively and hold people’s attention. It also takes hours of study to preach a decent sermon, first to research the biblical content, and then to package the material.
Luke recorded in Acts 20:7 that when Paul went to Troas, he spoke all night. It appears to be the mother of all sermons! However, the Greek word used twice to describe Paul’s teaching method is dialegomai (transliterated “dialogue”). It means discuss rather than preach.[14] In Acts 18:4 and 19:8, the same word is rendered as “reasoned” and “reasoning.” Thus, the ESV states that Paul “talked with” them. Paul undoubtedly did most of the speaking that night; however, it was not an uninterruptible sermon as if broadcast on the radio. Amazingly, the time that the early church set aside for teaching, even when led by an apostle, was to some degree discussion-oriented.
It was the same with Jesus. When preaching to large crowds, Jesus used the monologue method. However, in small groups, He constantly asked questions of his hearers. The four gospels record over one-hundred of Jesus’ questions. Jesus was God, knew literally everything, had much to say, and yet He took time to ask questions.
You might be discouraged to discover how little of your monologues that people understand, remember, or apply correctly. Studies suggest that people remember very little of a message to which they passively listen. Furthermore, you simply won’t know what they are thinking unless they tell you. Ask them. You’ll probably be shocked at what you hear. Involving them in a guided and controlled discussion allows you to correct wrong thinking and will cause learning to increase exponentially.
Your church is likely small or you wouldn’t be bi-vocational. Why not adopt Jesus’ small-group teaching method? Using the question-and-answer approach gets people involved, and guides congregants to discover biblical truth for themselves. Good questions cause people to think, awaken the conscience, and help people apply the Scriptures to their lives. [15] It exposes the learners to the ideas & insights of other group members. It allows the Holy Spirit more freedom to speak through the contributions of all present. It allows you as teacher to evaluate what people are really thinking, revealing their needs & maturity levels. Truth is discovered corporately rather than in a vacuum of individual isolation. Colossians 3:16 states that God’s people should be “teaching and admonishing one another.” It is good for believers to learn the Bible together.
How does this save you preparation time? It takes much longer to cover material in discussion-centered teaching (but there will be a much higher retention rate of the material that is covered). You save preparation time because you simply do not have to study as much material each week. It does take time to craft quality discussion questions, but not as much time as polishing a monologue sermon.
- Get More People Involved in Church Meetings: Modern worship services are much akin to old-timey full-service gas stations (the attendants pumped the gas, checked the oil and tires, washed the windshield, etc.); the driver just passively sat and watched. So, too, today’s church “services” are more of a spectator sport. The congregation mostly just passively sits back and watches. They are allowed to cheer in the grand-stand, but not to get down on the field and play the game. Pastors have become like star players, doing everything. One way for a bi-vocational pastors to save preparation time is to adopt more of a New Testament approach to church meetings.
New Testament church meetings were characterized by “each one has” participation (1Co 14:26). Early believers did not merely attend services; they were active participants. The spontaneous use of spiritual gifts was encouraged. As Romans 12:6 says: “having gifts … given to us, let us use them” (emphasis added). Furthermore, each congregant was instructed to consider, before coming to church, how to stir up “one another” to love and good deeds (Heb 10:24-25). Any member could potentially offer prayer, praise, song, testimony, exhortation, Scripture reading, etc. The prime directive was that everything said or sung had to be edifying. Gordon Fee observed, “By and large, the history of the church points to the fact that in worship we do not greatly trust the diversity of the body. Edification must always be the rule, and that carries with it orderliness so that all may learn and all be encouraged. But it is no great credit to the historical church that in opting for ‘order’ it also opted for a silencing of the ministry of the many.”[16]
The overall focus in first-century meetings was on the congregation rather than its leaders. For example, 1 Corinthians 11-14 is an extended passage about church meetings, and yet leaders are never mentioned. This is because first-century pastors were more like sideline coaches than star players. They were quality-control men. In-depth, practical, biblical exposition by church leaders was indeed an integral part of each weekly church meeting, but this did not preclude a time of spontaneous participation by the many. theses
Allow the opportunity for God to speak through the saints. Changing the focus to the messages of multiple people strengthens the church as a whole. The church is thus not as dependent on the pastor.
Ephesians 4:11–12 reveals that it is the duty of pastor-teachers to equip the saints for ministry. This includes training that prepares them to make meaningful contributions in a participatory meeting. If the Scriptures truly reveal God’s desire for participatory meetings to be the norm, then we can expect God to work through the leadership to see that the meetings are edifying. There is order in a cemetery; however, there is no life. It is much better to risk a little disorder to have life. The Holy Spirit must be trusted to work in the life of a church.
Edifying participatory church meetings do not “just” happen. New Testament-style congregational participation is to be Spirit led, and the Spirit uses elders to make it edifying. They are behind-the-scenes coaches, encouraging and training so that everyone ministers in accordance with his spiritual gifts and everything that is said is edifying.
How does this open format benefit bi-vocational pastors? More people become actively involved in building up the church. The opportunity to make truly meaningful contributions to the meeting heightens congregational interest. The ideas that are shared tend to be practical, from the heart, and drawn from real-world applications of God’s Word. It prevents the development of apathy from the frustration over passivity. There is a fuller expression of the spiritual gifts that involve speaking. This “open mic” approach also helps to avoid the atrophy of unused spiritual gifts. All this not only takes a tremendous load off the leaders, but it allows pastors to enjoy being ministered to themselves.
- Celebrate The Lord’s Dinner Weekly: Many churches observe the Lord’s Supper monthly or even quarterly. However, according to commentators, historians, and—most importantly—the New Testament, not only did the early church celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week, but they also did so as an actual meal. If the idea to do it this way didn’t come from Jesus, where’d it come from? Since it obviously did come from Jesus, what are we missing if we don’t do it His way? a) The bread and cup look back to Jesus’ death on the cross. Placing the elements in the context of a weekly fellowship meal adds a look forward to the wedding banquet of the Lamb. It is like a prayer that we act out. John said that those who look forward to His appearing purify themselves, even as He is pure (1Jn 3:2-3). b) This relaxed, unhurried, weekly meal is a significant means for fantastic fellowship. Luke tells us the early church was devoted to “fellowship in the breaking of bread” (Acts 2:42). With reference to the Lord’s Supper, “they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God …” (Acts 2:46-47). This was celebrated weekly: “On the first day of the week we came together to break bread” (Acts 20:7). c) 1 Corinthians 10:17 indicates that the Lord’s Supper is a significant means of supernatural unity: “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.”
How does celebrating communion weekly as an actual meal help bi-vocational pastors? It is an important weekly blessing to the church that is not dependent or focused on our ministries as church leaders. It encourages our churches to thrive, all the while lessening the pressure on us as leaders. Our weekly church meetings will thus offer worship for members’ emotions, teaching for their minds, and fellowship over a sacred, new covenant feast for their social needs. Even if the worship time is not edifying one week, the fellowship over the meal still is edifying. Even if your teaching falls flat one Sunday (!), the body-life experienced during communion as a meal is almost always a “win.”
Discussion Questions
- Why did Paul remind the Ephesian pastors that it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20)?
- Based on 1 Corinthians 9:1-14, what right do apostles (missionaries) have?
- What examples were given in 1 Corinthians 9 of those who made their living from the church?
- Why did Paul ask, “If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?” (1Co 9:11).
- How have you personally obeyed the Lord’s command of 1 Corinthians 9:14?
- According to Romans 15:26-27, what do you owe to those who have brought you a spiritual blessing?
- How have you personally have obeyed Galatians 6:6? Explain.
- What in these texts shows that Paul didn’t always make tents (Ro 15:24, 1Co 16:5-6, 2Co 1:15-16, 11:7-9, Php 4:10-19, Phlm 22)?
- Which elders are worthy of double honor (1Ti 5:17)?
- What similarities are there between 1 Timothy 5:18 and 1 Corinthians 9:9-10? See Deuteronomy 25:4, Luke 10:7.
- What does it mean to show double honor to some elders (1Ti 5:17ff)?
- The Greek for “wages” is misthos (used in 1 Timothy 5:18); why do you suppose Paul used timé (“honor”) instead of misthos in 1 Timothy 5:17?
- What cautions do 2 Corinthians 2:17 and 1 Timothy 6:3-5 hold for ministers?
- What did Peter mean when he exhorted the elders to shepherd God’s flock voluntarily and not for sordid gain (1Pe 5:2)?
- How does 1 Peter 5:1-4 imply that receiving money did, in some circumstances, go along with the ministry of elder?
- The typical New Testament congregation would fit into a Roman villa. How could a qualified elder make his living from such a small church?
- What principle did John establish in 3 John 5-8?
- What can be concluded about the idea of ministers who are fully supported by the church?
Original 09/20/2017
Revised 01/07/2026
[1] Geoff Chang, “The Free Lances of Christ’s Army: Spurgeon on Bi-Vocational Ministry”, Spurgeon.org. Accessed March 27, 2025.
[2] Private conversion at 2014 Feed My Sheep conference, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, Atlanta.
[3] Kevin Watson, “The Explosive Growth of Methodism from 1776 to 1850”. kevinmwatson.com. Accessed 08/19/2024.
[4] Private conversion with Snyder at a house church conference, 1990s.
[5] Harry Williams, Huey Long (New York: Vintage Books: 1981), 622.
[6] 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
[7] Personal email to author.
[8] Bill Mounce, “aischrokerdōs”, BillMounce.com. Accessed December 3, 2024.
[9] 2 Corinthians 2:17
[10] Micah 3:11
[11] Suggesting that congregations are obligated to support those elders deemed worthy of double honor does not mean that such elders are somehow higher in rank than the bi-vocational elders. One pastor may be more super-naturally gifted than another, or have more influence, but there is no such thing in the New Testament as an official senior pastor, a lead pastor, a hierarchy of elders, or a bishop who presides over other elders.
[12] John Piper, Brothers, We Are Not Professionals (Brentwood: B&H, 2013).
[13] “John Chrysostom,” en.wikipedia.org, accessed January 02, 2023.
[14] Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, Danker, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979), 185.
[15] HH Horne, Jesus—The Master Teacher (New York: Association Press, 1920), 45.
[16] Gordon Fee, “First Epistle to the Corinthians,” New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1987), 698.