Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org
Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org Christian Theology - Media Sabda Org
Contribute to the support of the man who has dedicated himself to the work of the ministry, and who gives up his time and his life to preach the gospel. It appears that some of the believers in Galatia could receive the Christian ministry without contributing to its support. This is both ungrateful and base. We do not expect that a common schoolmaster will give up his time to teach our children their alphabet without being paid for it; and can we suppose that it is just for any person to sit under the preaching of the gospel in order to grow wise unto salvation by it, and not contribute to the support of the spiritual teacher? It is unjust. Let all churches, all congregations of Christians, from whom their ministers and preachers can claim nothing by law, and for whom the state makes no provision, ask themselves: "Do we deal with these in a manner worthy of God, and worthy of the profession we make? Do we suffer them to lack the bread that perisheth, while they minister to us with no sparing hand the bread of life?" Let a certain class of religious people, who will find themselves out when they read this, consider whether, when their preachers have ministered to them their certain or stated time, and are called to go and serve other churches, they send them forth in a manner worthy of God, making a reasonable provision for the journey which they are obliged to take. In the itinerant ministry of the apostles, it appears that each church bore the expenses of the apostle to the next church, or district, to which he was going to preach the word of life. So it should be still in the mission and itinerant ministry. I have seen many aged and worn-out ministers reduced to great necessity, and almost literally obliged to beg their bread among those whose opulence and salvation were, under God, the fruits of their ministry! Such persons may think they do God service by disputing "tithes, as legal institutions long since abrogated," while they permit their worn-out ministers to starve: but how shall they appear in that day when Jesus shall say, "I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; thirsty, and ye gave me no drink; naked, and ye clothed me not?" The religion that costs us nothing, is to us worth nothing.
It is the privilege of the churches of Christ to support the ministry of his gospel among them. Those who do not contribute their part to the support of the gospel ministry either care nothing for it, or derive no good from it. Nothing can be more reasonable than to devote a portion of the earthly good which we receive from the free mercy of God, to his own service; especially when by doing it we are essentially serving ourselves. If the ministers of God give up their whole time, talents, and strength, to watch over, labour for, and instruct the people in spiritual things, justice requires that they shall receive their support from the work. How worthless and wicked must that man be who is continually receiving good from the Lord's hands without restoring any part for the support of true religion and for charitable purposes! To such God says, "Their table shall become a snare to them," and that he will curse their blessings. God expects returns of gratitude in this way from every man; he that has much should give plenteously; he that has little should do his diligence to give of that little. It is an honour to be permitted to do any thing for the support of public worship; and he must have a strange, unfeeling, ungodly heart, who does not esteem it a high privilege to have a stone of his own laying or procuring in the house of God. How easily might all the buildings necessary for the purpose of public worship be raised, if the money that is spent in needless self-indulgence by ourselves, our sons, and our daughters, were devoted to this purpose! By sacrifices of this kind the house of the Lord would be soon built, and the "top stone brought on with shouting, Grace, grace unto it!" Though I had been almost exhausted with my yesterday's work, yet they insisted on my preaching at Lisburne at eleven, as it was their quarterly meeting. In vain I urged and expostulated. They said, "Surely, you came out to preach, and why should you not preach at every opportunity?" "I must rest." "Surely, you can rest after preaching!" I replied, "I must preach to-morrow at Lurgan, and shall have but little time to rest." "O, the more you preach, the more strength you will get." "I came out for the sake of health and rest." "O, rest when you return home." "I
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Contribute to the support of the man who has dedicated himself to the<br />
work of the ministry, and who gives up his time and his life to preach the<br />
gospel. It appears that some of the believers in Galatia could receive the<br />
<strong>Christian</strong> ministry without contributing to its support. This is both<br />
ungrateful and base. We do not expect that a common schoolmaster will<br />
give up his time to teach our children their alphabet without being paid<br />
for it; and can we suppose that it is just for any person to sit under the<br />
preaching of the gospel in order to grow wise unto salvation by it, and not<br />
contribute to the support of the spiritual teacher? It is unjust.<br />
Let all churches, all congregations of <strong>Christian</strong>s, from whom their<br />
ministers and preachers can claim nothing by law, and for whom the state<br />
makes no provision, ask themselves: "Do we deal with these in a manner<br />
worthy of God, and worthy of the profession we make? Do we suffer<br />
them to lack the bread that perisheth, while they minister to us with no<br />
sparing hand the bread of life?" Let a certain class of religious people,<br />
who will find themselves out when they read this, consider whether,<br />
when their preachers have ministered to them their certain or stated time,<br />
and are called to go and serve other churches, they send them forth in a<br />
manner worthy of God, making a reasonable provision for the journey<br />
which they are obliged to take. In the itinerant ministry of the apostles, it<br />
appears that each church bore the expenses of the apostle to the next<br />
church, or district, to which he was going to preach the word of life. So<br />
it should be still in the mission and itinerant ministry.<br />
I have seen many aged and worn-out ministers reduced to great<br />
necessity, and almost literally obliged to beg their bread among those<br />
whose opulence and salvation were, under God, the fruits of their<br />
ministry! Such persons may think they do God service by disputing<br />
"tithes, as legal institutions long since abrogated," while they permit their<br />
worn-out ministers to starve: but how shall they appear in that day when<br />
Jesus shall say, "I was hungry, and ye gave me no meat; thirsty, and ye<br />
gave me no drink; naked, and ye clothed me not?"<br />
The religion that costs us nothing, is to us worth nothing.
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