Should a Pastor, Pastor a Church for free

[Pastor Lorenzo Edwards]

Should a pastor that spends most of his time preaching and teaching get paid for what God has him to do? I know what the scriptures says about this, but would you pastor for free?

[Apostle Jeshua Osei]

yes, and the Lord will provide,

[Brandy Mmanabor]

The bible says" dont muzzle the ox that trreads out the corn". What I know is this, our Pastors should not have to be concerned with monetary issues because his flock should love him for sharing with them what the Lord has layed on his heart, that they would take care of him without a request from him. At the same time The man of God was instructed by Jesus himself to go his way and preach the Gospel and not to carry a purse or look to collect money for sharing the word.I think we should take care of our Leaders without bieng asked.

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Nehemiah 13:10 says "And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field."

Nehemiah understood that the Levites (Ministers in GOD's house) weren't getting their pay/provision because they had to go an take up other jobs to compensate. If the Levites were getting their just due, they wouldn't have to go to the fields, because all their grain and meat and gold/silver are offered at the temple by the people through tithes and offerings. Such is the same today, because far too many Pastors/leaders get secular jobs because they are not taken care of which is they due.

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Brother Greene,

So to get you straight, you are saying that pastors are in the same catergory as Levitical Preist?

God Bless

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

To get me straight, Apostle Paul staked claim to something that the Levitical Priests had, and that was a right to reap from Ministry.. All ministers have the right to reap from the ministry. This is stated from OT to NT.

[T. Michael Owens]

It's not a matter of should one do it, but being that that is the question presented, if a called man of God had faith in the God who has so appointed Him to such a glorious work, he would do the work and let God do what He does...provide for him. So many of us have become simple hirelings, only concerned about the monetary benefits of pastoring. Paul, also states that we should labor at at profession, which many of us have stopped doing because of the position of "full-time pastor" and we don't give the church forty hours a week, we are not studying every day, we appoint the Deacon Ministry to visit the sick and shut in, we find time for the golf course with our co-laborers, so what are we being paid for?

Yes, I am radical!

In the trenches,
Bro. T

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Brother Greene,

Firat of all, the Levitical priest never recieved any money from anyone. Secondly, there wasn't any form of the church in the OT. You need to truly reseach that. The church wasn't started until Jesus died. You to read reread Duet. 14:22-29 again. Paul was from the tribe of Benjiman not Levi, so he didn't have the same rights as the Levites as far as collecting any form of tithe. You also need to read Hebrews 7 ( the entire Chapt.). It seems like you are stuck on Pastors getting paid. I think you need to study alittle more before you start your money teaching. God doesn't care about your money. But, He does care about if you put your money before Him. He does care if if you love your money more than Him or His people. It seems like you are leaning that way, theat money is your motivation. Money won't get into the kingdom, but it will keep you out. You can't but your way into the kingdom and you need to be very carefull. Finally, ministry doesn't pay financial dividends, but you reap souls from ministry, not money

God Bless

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Its funny that a Minister that is speaking in error concerning the scriptures is telling me to study more! LOL!

Minister Lonnie, you say "Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin not Levi, so he didn't have the same rights as the Levites as far as collecting any form of tithe." I referred to this verse time after time, and until JESUS comes or says different, I will continue to turn to it: 1st Corinthians 9!

Also, you are talking about the Church wasn't started until JESUS died? What Bible are you reading??? Before you ever speak on the Church, you have to be able to define the word Church that JESUS used. The term JESUS used for our word Church was "Ekklesia". The "Ekklesia (Greek eκκλησία) was the principal assembly. It was a government al terminology in the Greco-roman Empire. GOD had been using a Hebrew term to rwefer to His own in the OT just as well, so don't tell me that the Church is new!

Also, to say that GOD does not care about your money is an interesting statement. We grew up with the mindset of "Money is the root to all evil", but the Bible doesn't say that at all. It says the LOVE of money is the root of all evil, and it also says "Money answers all things". Money is dollars and cents in our day, but as a whole, it is whatever is of value that can be used for bartering. Some places use cows, goats, sheep and the like. Universally, land, gold, and silver are used. GOD knows that it takes money to do anything. The currency that GOD used was His most valuable possession: His Son! If this were not true, then Apostle Paul wouldn't have said that "you were redeemed" or "you were bought with a price".

Nehemiah 13:10 shows you exactly what happens when a Minister of GOD is not taken care of, and how it looks. It looks like the House of GOD is out of order!

[Lonnie Kluttz]

Brother Greene,

That's what I'm talking about. The word church isn't even used in the OT. Paul nor any Apostle ever collected a tithe. Jesus, Himself, never collected a tithe. Why is that? Because they were not Levitical priest. I got a better one, Barnabas, who was from the tribe Levi, never collected a tithe. Read Hebrews 7 to see why. Even read Deut 14: 22-29 to see why. So many people want to attach God to money, but read 1Tim 6 to get that answer. Tithting has never been money in the entire bible, but you are telling people it was. But since you study so much, are you telling people that they can but back their tithe as scriptures say you can? ( Lev. 27: 30,31) So my next question is, How do you buy back money? You can't serve two Gods, you can't serve God and mammon. You are making people think that their blessing is tied up in their money. Well my brother it's not. Our blessing is tied up into how we serve and obey our Heavenly Father. Our blessing is tied up into whether we are born again believers of Jesus Christ. Money doesn't make this world go around, God does. Teach people to serve God, to people to obey His commandments and let God take care of the rest. The ones that truly believe will do what God says for them to do. That's what Paul and the other Apostles taught.

God bless

[T. Michael Owens]

AMEN!

[Archbishop Trevor 'Elihu' Greene]

Do you know the difference between the Levitical Priesthood and our Royal Priesthood (after the order of Melchizedek)? One ended, and the other has no ending. One came from the line of Aaron the Levite, the other came from the line of JESUS the Jew. The Apostles never stopped calling us priests. This is why all ministers that labor in the Word receive double honor. You don't just honor the Ministers of GOD with your mouth, but with your substance as well. When I am down and out, but ministering the Word of GOD to all of you from place to place, you telling me "the LORD will provide" will not be any help. Speaking the Word of GOD is dynamic, but carrying out HIS Word is even more valuable. Apostle Paul spoke of this in 1st Corinthians 9 and 2nd Corinthians 8-9. The "ministry of the saints" back then was due to a famine and supporting each others mission's trips; today is taking care of the financial needs just as well, starting with the ministers (missions trips, Pastors, ect.), but ministering equally to all who need.

People have prospered off of the ministry of Apostles, Prophets, Pastors and the like, yet desire for these ministers to go and do secular work as well as Kingdom work. Its a shame, and its robbery. We cling so strong to give and it shall be given unto you, yet we don't want to GIVE! How shameful are you all! For all that ministers labor (literally meaning work, cause this IS a job), they are told "the LORD will provide" and "GOD bless you greatly", then at the same time you tell them "get a job"? They have a job: OBEYING GOD's COMMAND TO MINISTER TO YOU!

You hate the tithe and talk of freewill offering; how silly of you and all others, for if you give free will offerings and count it up, IT COMES OUT TO BE MORE (if you are actually a giver)! The tithe is but a tenth of your increase leaving you with 90% to due you. If I were a lover of money, I'd ask for more than a tithe, I'd look for the free-will giving and drain your pockets dry! It takes more to start up a new project such as a business or a Church than it takes to maintain it. When they first started the Tabernacle of Moses, all that was required was a freewill offering. Just the same, a freewill offering was asked in the times of the original Apostles. After the Tabernacle was up and fully running though, the people would bring their due in to support the ministry, & ministers of the Tabernacle. So if you want to talk about mammon, do the numbers and lets see whose really robbing GOD......

[T. Michael Owens]

Brother Greene, I must say that you state your beliefs very well but your facts are completely in error. I think that you need to do much more research and study.