What makes a person a pastor?
So, what makes a person a pastor?
Education? Clothing? Salary? Position? Teaching ability? Authority? A vote? Hair style? Speaking skills? White teeth? Integrity? Other things?
Certainly, most people would say that some of the items listed above are necessary. Some would say that others are not necessary. But, what makes a person a pastor?
Brant at “Letters from Kamp Krusty” is one of my favorite bloggers. I love his humor and sarcasm, because they always make me think. However, this time he’s written a very serious post called “Ministry without the People“. You should read it… all of it… and the comments. Brant tells the story of Rick, who was greatly inspired by his pastor and sought to get to know him better. Rick was disappointed when he could only get an appointment to spend 5 minutes with his pastor in the hallway. Brant uses this example to discuss how we can love “the People” without actually caring about people:
“It’s not realistic to be spiritual shepherd thousands of people,” — I know, I know. And I agree. But if you’re not my spiritual shepherd, why am I calling you my pastor? If it’s just teaching them, I could do that on the radio. But I wouldn’t be their shepherd.
I think it’s really easy for Pastors, for any of us, really, to love people. At least, I should say, love People, capital “P”, as in The People in Theory, the People Out There, the Sheep, the Idea of People.
It’s real easy to love The People. It’s much more difficult, much more challenging, much more exhausting, much more a test of the heart to love actual people: The people who work for you. The people in your home. The people who slip you a heart-rending note when you’re getting ready to impress The People.
Ministry is loving people you didn’t handpick.
Then, in a comment that is too good to leave in the comments, Brant says:
Regarding the “teaching pastor”: I guess I’m not sure what that is, exactly. Teaching is one gift, sure, and aren’t some given a pastoral gift? Biblically speaking, are we to believe they’re one and the same?
If they’re not, why are we using the term “pastor” out of context? If teaching a mass audience makes one The Pastor, can’t a radio or TV or even author host be The Pastor to me?
Again, I think this reflects confusion not only about what a pastor is, but what the church is, and is for, and what Jesus had in mind when it comes to “leadership”.
I think it’s fair to wonder if we’re redefining the term, in order to benefit those who like to teach, but would rather not do stuff that isn’t CEO or up-front stuff. Believe me, I understand them. Like I say, I’m a public speaker-type myself, and ministry would be great without the people.
Is “teaching pastor” a biblical concept? Where did that come from? These aren’t smart-aleck questions — I seriously don’t understand. If it’s someone who’s got a pastoral heart who gently loves and shepherds non-hand-picked people during the week, and then does the teaching, I guess I understand that. Otherwise, isn’t it just, “teacher”? Nothing wrong with that, right?
Regardless of how one wants to define the “pastor and teacher” of Eph 4:11, it seems clear that “shepherding” is part of that function. But, we have equated “pastoring” with “teaching” to such an extreme that we often think that we are shepherding when we are teaching. The two functions are not the same, although they certainly can be performed by the same individual.
“Pastoring” – “Shepherding” – “Caring for God’s people” – is very serious, very demanding, work. In fact, the ones that we look to as “pastors” and “leaders” should be the ones who demonstrate the best examples of caring for God’s people. Sometimes, I speak to large numbers of people. This is not pastoring. This may be teaching, and it may be important, but it is not pastoring. Yes, it can be part of pastoring. But, if all of my time is spent with large groups of people, then I am not caring for those people.
Pastors… leaders… get off the podium and spend time with the people. If you don’t have time for that because of your busy schedule, at least be honest and ask people to stop calling you “Pastor”.
Authority?
Did you catch this quote on Dave Black’s blog (Friday, April 11, 2008 at 12:52 pm)?
“The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant.” – John Stuart Mill
Why do you think leaders want to exercise authority over others, especially since Scripture never gives them authority over others? Perhaps its because leadership by example is so much harder and relational?
An elaborately structured institution emerged…
Some of the worst havoc wrought to the Christian faith has been a direct result of unscriptural forms of church structure. Only a few centuries after the apostles’ death, for example, Christian churches began to assimilate both Roman and Jewish concepts of status, power, and priesthood. As a result, church government was clericalized and sacralized. Under Christ’s name an elaborately structured institution emerged that corrupted the simple, family structure of the apostolic churches, robbed Gods’ people of their lofty position and ministry in Christ, and exchanged Christ’s supremacy over His people for the supremacy of the institutional church.
– Alexander Strauch, Biblical Eldership: An urgent call to restore biblical church leadership, 101
(HT: Matthew)
Developing a Biblical Ecclesiology Lecture
Yesterday, I had the awesome opportunity to present a lecture on ecclesiology. Dave Black asked me to speak to one of his New Testament classes on the topic “How has my view of the church and issues related to the church changed in the last few years?”
Besides being honored by the opportunity to speak, I was also thrilled to be able to present a more complete view of my understanding of the church. Here on my blog and in occasional conversations, I usually talk about one or two specific issues related to the church, but I rarely have the opportunity to present an overview of my ecclesiology. I used this lecture as an opportunity to present a more complete explanation of my ecclesiology, as well as an explanation of why I began looking into issues related to the church.
I started the lecture by looking at a few issues of hermeneutics, and asking the following question: When it comes to ecclesiology, do we start with our practices and justify our practices from Scripture; or do we start with Scripture and allow Scripture to both inform and form our ecclesiology? I think the results of these two ways of approaching ecclesiology will lead to vastly different understandings of the church. I also discuss the nature of the church, the meeting of the church, the leaders of the church, and the work of the church.
If you are interested in hearing this lecture (and seeing the PowerPoint presentation that went along with the lecture). you will find links here: www.alanknox.net/resources. Please, pay no attention to the web site. I am not ready to make this site public, but I needed a location to store these files. If you have a comment concerning the lecture or the notes, feel free to leave the comment here.
Are pastors good for nothing?
A few days ago, when I came into our office at work, my coworkers were having a discussion about elders and pastors. (I will use the terms elders and pastors interchangeably in this blog post.) We discussed the concept of a pastoral office. Of course, if you’ve read my blog posts about elders, you know that I do not believe that Scripture describes an office of pastor or elder. When I describe my understanding of elders, I’m usually asked the following question: “If pastors/elders do not have special responsibilities and duties because of their position as pastor/elder, then why do we need them? Why would Scripture instruct us to appoint pastors/elders?” In other words, given my view of pastors/elder, what are pastors good for? Are they good for nothing?
First, I think a quick summary of my understanding of pastoring is in order. (If you want the longer description, see my recent post “How do you find the time to pastor?” and my series on elders that begins with the post “Elders (Part 1) – Introduction“.) Aussie John gave a great summary of my position in a recent comment. He described a pastor as: “A sheep among sheep gifted to compliment the other sheep and their giftedness”, and he described pastoring as “to minister as a brother in ministry, instead of as the Head Honcho! …to minister and be ministered to as brethren in the same family!” Thus, I believe that an elder is part of the church, one who is recognized by the church as obediently carrying out the responsibilities of all believers: teaching, caring for people, leading, etc.
But, if a pastor is simply one sheep among other sheep, one who is gifted as others are gifted, one who teaches while others also teach, then, what is a pastor good for? Why do we need pastors? Why does Scripture tell us to appoint elders? Are pastors good for nothing?
For those of us who hold to a high view of Scripture, we know that pastors must be good for something. However, recognizing that elders are important does not mean that we automatically must accept that pastors should be the organizing, planning, head-honcho types with which we’re sometimes presented.
Instead, I believe that elders/pastors should primarily function as examples to other believers. They should be examples in their living, their caring, their teaching, their leading, etc. In fact, when elders are appointed/chosen/recognized, churches should choose those who are already living as examples to those around them. But, why is it important for groups of believers to have examples?
None of us are perfect – not even pastors – but all of us tend to look more highly on ourselves, our opinions, our gifts, our talents, our ideas, our plans, etc. than we should. When presented with two options – one ours and one coming from another person – we will tend to choose our own idea. When presented with two ways of dealing with a problem, we will tend to choose that way that seems right to us. When contemplating how to help someone in need, we tend to want to help in the way that looks best to us. Thus, we all tend to choose our own way.
But, if the group – church – as a whole has recognized several people who generally make wise decisions and generally live life in a way that honors God and helps others – elders/pastors – then the church has a resource to help make these kinds of decisions. If we respect these leaders then we will choose to follow them and their opinions instead of following our own ideas and opinions. (Of course, if the elders/pastors care about people, then they will also listen to the ideas and opinions of others. And, also, elders/pastors will tend to listen to other elders/pastors as well.)
These decisions can cover a plethora of topics, from interpreting Scripture to feeding those who are hungry, from scheduling meetings to helping the oppressed. Thus, when we recognize those who are more mature among us, we give ourselves a visible standard of living for Christ. But, this standard does not come from a position to obey, but from an example to imitate.
Interestingly, and finally, if pastors are truly mature, then they will be the first to yield to the interests of others. Thus, the pastors who complain because they are not getting their way are probably not the people that we should follow. Similarly, those who demand that we follow them because of their position are also demonstrating that they are not the ones who should be followed. Instead, those people who consistently live their lives loving God and loving others and maturing in Christ Jesus are the examples that we should follow.
How do you find the time to pastor?
A few days ago, Bert asked a question that I’m often asked:
How do you find time to pastor, work full time, work on your PhD, and blog meaningful posts regularly? I have often said that there is no such thing as a part-time pastor so where did you find the extra hours in the day?
I answered most of his question in a blog post called “How do you find the time?” But, in this post, I hope to answer his question about pastoring. How do I find the time to pastor while working a full time job, working on my Ph.D., being a husband and father, and maintaining a blog?
One of the reasons that I wanted to answer the question about pastoring separately is that my understanding of what it means to be a pastor is not the traditional understanding. So, I want to take the time to explain what I think it means to be a pastor. A few years ago I was asked to be an elder/pastor for Messiah Baptist Church. I would be one of four pastors. This was a very serious decision for me, so I spent a long time reading Scripture and books about what it means to be a pastor.
At first, I did not want to accept the responsibilities and duties that come along with being a pastor. I did not think that I would have the time to pastor as well as be a husband and father, a full time employee, and a student. As I studied what it means to be a pastor and as I considered this decision, I noticed something: the scriptural description of an elder/pastor is not what we usually mean when we call someone “pastor” or “elder”.
Elders/pastors spend much of their time with administrative duties: maintaining buildings, planning, organizing, recruiting, and financing. These types of activities are not the scriptural responsibilities of pastors. It is not wrong for elders/pastors to do these things, but the activities should not be seen as “pastoring“. Also, elders/pastors are often considered to be the only or primary teachers, preachers, visitors, counselors, ministers, and leaders. While Scripture certainly indicates that pastors/elders should do these things, these are also the responsibilities of all believers.
While pastors/elders are very busy people, many times the “busyness” is related more the expectations of other people instead of the responsibilities that God gives to elders through Scripture. In fact, a few years ago, a good friend of mine who is a pastor at a mega-church told me that he has to schedule one hour a week to spend with a discipleship group, otherwise he would have not time to actually disciple people. Why? Because his time was spent doing other things – things that were required of him by his job description, the people on his staff, and the people in the church, but things that were not required by Scripture.
So, how do I find time to pastor? I find time to pastor by recognizing that discipleship is my primary responsibility as a pastor, just as discipleship is every believer’s primary responsibility. I spend time with people, caring for people, listening to people, teaching people – sometimes one on one, sometimes in small groups, sometimes in large groups – through email, instant messaging, phone, and face-to-face meetings. I do not set office hours, but instead I spend as much time as possible with people.
However, I recognize that I am not the extent of the discipling that goes on around me. Therefore, I encourage others to spend time with people, and I encourage people to seek help through already existing relationships. If someone has a problem, they can call me or another pastor, but they do not have to call a pastor. Instead, they can call a friend or a neighbor. Many times when people are helped, I know nothing about it until later. Praise God! I do not have to have my hand in everything. God is perfectly capable of taking care of his children without me.
What about organizing, planning, recruiting, etc.? Again, God is perfectly capable of taking care of these things through his people – not just through the pastors/elders. I do not spend time thinking up programs, planning how to carry them out, asking people to take part, and making sure the programs run well. Instead, I encourage people to serve as God gifts them and as he gives them a passion for that service. Then, I – along with the church – help them in whatever ways they need help. We do not have set programs as a church, but it is amazing the amount of ministry that is going on through the members of the church, because they have been freed to serve as God has gifted them.
What about teaching and preaching? In this case, the pastors do take on more of a responsibility. While I would love for people to show up at a church meeting having prepared a teaching, our church is not ready for this yet. Therefore, the pastors have taken on the responsibility of providing someone to teach each Sunday. That does not mean that we teach every Sunday, but we teach more often. We also ask other people to teach, and we help them as they study Scripture and prepare to teach. I’ve also decided to study along with whoever is teaching that week. So, even though I am not teaching next Sunday, I am continuing to study as if I were going to teach next Sunday. It may be that God wants me to say something, even though I am not scheduled to preach.
By the way, except for helping to make the preaching schedule, there is very little that I do now that I would stop doing if I were no longer an elder/pastor. Why? Because I do not serve because of an office or position. I serve because God has gifted me and provided me opportunities to serve. I was doing all of these things before I was a pastor, and I will continue doing them if at some point I am no longer recognized as a pastor.
It takes much less time to focus on people than to focus on the organization. God’s heart is with people, and that’s where my heart should be as well. When I find myself started to yield to the expectations that other people or that the system places on me, then I may no longer be doing the things that God wants me to do. That’s when I must check my focus, and return to loving and caring and teaching and leading people, which I think is the responsibility of the pastor as well as all followers of Jesus Christ. (See my series on elders that starts with “Elders (Part 1) – Introduction“.)
So, how do I find the time to pastor? Because I am a pastor, but not that kind of pastor.
On Being Honored Again
As many of you know, I am a pastor/elder (we use the terms interchangeably), but I do not get paid a salary as a pastor/elder. Instead, I work a full-time job in order to support myself and my family, and so that we can help others who are in need. Some are concerned that the church is not honoring the elders because they are not paid a salary.
However, even though I do not get paid a salary, this does not mean that the church does not honor me as an elder. In the past, I’ve written about several of the ways that believers have chosen to honor me and my family (for example see “On being honored” [from Dec. 2006], “Thankful“). In the past, some have handed me money, while others have given us food or other items. Some friends have cooked dinner for us, either inviting us to share the meal in their home, or bringing dinner to us in our home. As I mentioned in the two posts above, some friends (still unknown to us) had a propane tank installed and filled with propane twice. There have been many ways that our brothers and sisters in Christ have honored us.
When I think back over the last few years of being recognized as an elder, I can see many ways that God has used people to honor us. It has also been interesting and exciting to see the variety of ways that people have honored us. In fact, the ways seem to be as numerous and different as the gifting, talents, abilities, and resources of the people that God has chosen to bring into our lives.
Recently, I was talking to one of my good friends. He told me that his family had been studying 1 Timothy, and his nine year old son is very concerned with caring for widows and with honoring elders. This young boy has no resources of his own, but he wants to honor me. The thought alone is honoring, but he went beyond thought and came up with a way that he could take care of his pastors. His father said that he wants to wash one of our vehicles. I almost cried when he told me, not because we need our vehicle washed, but because of the love and concern that went into this decision on the part of a nine year old boy.
Each time someone does something for me or my family – from handing me money, to bringing us dinner, to even washing our car – I’m reminded how much my Father loves me, and how wonderful his people are. I hope that my life will bring as much honor to God as he has brought to me through his people.
Of course, I’m not the only person recognized as a pastor/elder for the church, which means that I’m also responsible for honoring others for their teaching and leading. We’ve also honored the other elders (we have had as many as four, we currently have two) in many different ways as well. It is always exciting to think of ways to show how much we love and appreciate those whom God has given us to teach us and lead us. This means that I have to know them as well so that I can know how to honor them.
Honoring pastors/elders is often a “hot button” topic in churches. Of course, many times it is not even considered because the pastors/elders are paid a salary. Might I encourage you, even if your pastors/elders are paid a salary, consider how you might honor them for their teaching and leadership. You might find that God chooses to bless both you and your elder because of this. Of course, desiring a blessing is not the reason to honor elders. But then, unfortunately, obedience to God and demonstrating love to others is not always as good of a motivator as perhaps it should be.
Perfect Pastors?
Although he hasn’t been blogging much lately, I always enjoy reading Brandon’s posts at “Eleutheros“. His latest post is simply called “Grace“. I love to read about the journey that Brandon and his family is taking with God. We had hoped to meet up with them while we were in the Atlanta area over Christmas and New Years. Unfortunately, our schedules never meshed.
In this post, Brandon writes about one of the things that God has taught him over the last few months. He says:
I think the biggest challenge in this season for me has been being willing to trust pastors/leaders again. The problem is that I had built up a false image of what a pastor is from a spiritual standpoint. The fact is, no matter how perfect they appear both on and off the platform, they’re just men. Now that might not be a revelation for most but it was for me. I had managed, in my mind, to elevate pastors to some super christian status or standard that would be impossible for anyone to live up to.
I think this can be a struggle for all Christians, even pastors. We tend to place our human leaders on pedestals – where they do not belong. We tend to idololize our Christian celebrities to the point where we spend more time reading the books of our favorite authors more than we read Scripture.
Brandon ends his post like this:
Leaders limit their ability to lead when they put up a false appearance of perfection to appear “qualified” to lead. If perfection is the true standard for church leadership then there is only One who is qualified to lead the Church. There is freedom is realizing that you don’t have to be perfect to give leadership.
There is only One who is qualified to lead the church. I’m not that one, and you are not that one. There is only One who is perfect. I’m not that one, and you are not that one. We lead best from a human perspective when we are honest about our imperfections, and yet we continue to allow God to use us as an example to others.
House Church Workshop – Session 3
This weekend, my son Jeremy and I are attending a House Church Workshop put on by New Testament Restoration Fellowship. The notes below are from the third session called “Elder-Led Congregational Consensus” which was led by Steve Atkerson. These thoughts are primarily Steve’s, and not my own. I’ll be glad to interact with any of the information below in the comments.
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Session 3 – Elder-Led Congregational Consensus
(Steve Atkerson)
Everybody agrees that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. Opinions disagree from that point down. Primarily, the church copies the governance of their culture. Some are more like monarchies. Some have a plurality of dictators – more of a representative form of government. Some hold to congregationalism, which models the democracy of the United States and other countries. The Bible does not demand a certain form of church government, but there are patterns in Scripture. We argue for “Elder-Led Congregational Consensusâ€, which is a form of congregationalism.
Luke 22:23ff
The words of Jesus should be the starting point of everything that we understand about church government. The argument is over who is the greatest. Jesus says that we should not be like the “Gentilesâ€. What does it mean to “lord it over†someone? It means to force someone to do what you tell them to do. They use force or manipulation to force people to do what they tell the people to do. What does it mean to “exercise authority†over someone? It means about the same thing: bossing someone around – ordering them to do something. Notice that the leaders call themselves “benefactors†– they are saying that they are just here to help you. Church leaders are not supposed to be like these government leaders. Instead, church leaders are supposed to be like children and like servants. Children and servants do not have authority. Church leaders are not supposed to exercise authority either. The church needs leaders – this is not anarchy. But, these leaders are not like governmental leaders.
The apostles wrote their letters to the whole church, not just to the leaders. Elders are important, but primarily they are not singled out nor are they given special attention. In the NT, the church did not revolve around pastors and elders. In fact, there are very few passages in Scripture that speak about elders or other types of leaders. Leaders in the NT led by example, and their authority comes from their ability to persuade people of God’s truth by their teaching and their lifestyle.
Matt 16 & 18
Church leaders are not to make decisions for the church; they make decisions with the church. Leaders can teach and guide and suggest, but they should not make decisions for the church.
Leaders do not build consensus in a church meeting. Instead, it happens all the time when the leader is spending time with other believers. You have to love each other enough to work through disagreements and problems.
In Scripture, the relationship of the apostles to the church is different from the relationship of elders to the church. But, even when the apostles exercised more authority, they did it by explaining, reasoning, and discussing, not by handing down their judgments alone. The church chose a replacement for Judas, not just the apostles (Acts 1). The church chose servants in Acts 6, not just the apostles. In Acts 15, the apostles, elders, and church discussed and decided about the issue of Gentiles being added to the church.
1 Corinthians 5:4-5; 6:1-3
The church was to decide to put the unrepentant sinner out of the church. This was not a decision for the elders to make alone. Similarly, the church was to judge matters among believers, not just the elders.
If authority lies with the church and not with the leaders, why does the church need leaders? Leaders provide protection, guidance, feeding… they help the church achieve consensus.
Consensus is based on unity
Psalm 133:1; 1 Cor 1:10; Eph 4:3-6; Phil 2:2; Col 3:15; John 17:11, 20-23; 1 Cor 10:17
Developing consensus maintains the unity that we have together in Christ. Do we really trust the Holy Spirit to work this unity and consensus in our body? Some people think this is too utopian and will never work. It might not work with a large group, but it can work with a small group of believers who know and love one another.
1 Cor 10:17
One of the Spirit-inspired ways to maintain unity among a group of believers is to share one loaf of bread during the Lord’s Supper.
Hebrews 13:7
Leaders are to impact and persuade the flock through their manner of living – their way of life. (cf. 1 Thess 5:12-13, 1 Peter 5:3)
Hebrews 13:17
The author is not telling the people to “obey leadersâ€, but to be persuaded by them. This is not a picture of a master barking orders to a servant, but of a leader persuading people to following him. Similarly, the people are not told to “submit†to leaders, but to yield or surrender to them. It does not refer to a structure (like the government) to which one submits, but to a process or battle after which one yields (surrenders). Submission still occurs, but the picture is one of serious discussion and dialog prior to one party giving way.
1 Peter 5:5
This verse uses a different verb – one that does mean “submitâ€. Notice that it is specifically directed to “younger menâ€.
James 3:17
God’s wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, open to reason… This is the kind of wisdom that leaders should use.
Congregational consensus is the NT norm for church government. Churches are to be elder-led rather than elder-ruled.
House Church Workshop
Session 1 – Apostolic Traditions
Session 2 – Participatory Church Meetings
Session 3 – Elder-Led Congregational Consensus
Session 4 – The Lord’s Supper
Summary Remarks
By working like this
Last October, I wrote a series of posts where I argued that paying a salary to an elder/pastor because of their position cannot be supported from Scripture. The summary to the series, and links to the other posts in that series, can be found in the post “Summary – Should elders/pastors be paid a salary?“
Recently, there have been some really good anonymous comments left in some of the posts of that series. One comment in particular by Jerry deserved further consideration. Jerry writes:
He [Paul] says that they (and he) must work hard to support the weak, embodying the principle of giving over receiving as spoken by Jesus and modeled by Paul in his providing for the men with him from his enterprises. I think you are reading more into outws in Acts 20:35 than can be substantiated from the greater context of scripture. Were they to work “exactly†as Paul did they would all have to enter the craft of tentmaking. Paul clearly argued that there were some in ministry positions who had the right to earn their living from the gospel (1 Cor 9:14). Paul didn’t assert this right, this is to his credit, but Paul’s example here cannot be exegetically construed to be prescriptive to all ministry workers lest a number of problems with the text arise.
The primary passage that Jerry references is Acts 20:33-35:
I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 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 20:33-35 ESV)
In context, this is the end of a speech that Paul gives to the elders of the church in Ephesus. This is a very valuable passage, because it is one of the few places in Scripture where elders are specifically addressed. (By the way, one other passage is 1 Peter 5:1-4.)
Jerry raises the question concerning the referent of “outws” (οὑτως), which is an adverb that is generally translated “thus” or “in this manner”. It is translated “in this manner/way” in the ESV, NASB, and NET and “like this” in the NKJV and HCSB. Of course, the question is, “To what does ‘outws’ refer?” The NIV interprets the reference for us: “this kind of hard work”. But, is this a valid interpretation?
In verses 33-34, Paul says that he has demonstrated to these elders how he “worked hard with his hands” while he was among them. He did this in order to provide for himself and for others and so that he would not covet other people’s money – at least, according to the text this is why he did it. Notice that Paul does not mention how he worked. He does not mention that he made tents. That information is not necessary for his argument. What is necessary is that he worked hard with his hands in order to provide support for himself and others.
Next, in verse 35, Paul says that he showed the Ephesian elders (“you” – his audience was composed of elders from the church in Ephesus) that it was necessary for them to work “like this”. Literally, this verse reads, “In all things I showed you that it is necessary to help the weak by working hard like this…” The phrase “by working hard like this” is fronted both in the Greek text and in our English translations for emphasis. How do elders help the weak? Paul’s answer is, “By working hard like this”. Of course, this still brings up the question, “To what was Paul referring when he said “like this”?
From the context, Paul was using his own work (“with his hands”) as an example to the elders. They were to work in the same manner – that is, “with their hands in order to provide for themselves and others”. Again, Paul does not mention tentmaking in this argument, but it was not his emphasis. He did not expect nor encourage the elders to begin making tents like he did. However, he did expect each of them to “work hard with his hands”. This is the reference for “outws” – “in this way” or “like this”.
The remainder of verse 35 reinforced what Paul is saying. By working hard with their hands, the elders would be able to support themselves and to have enough to help others, especially those who are weak. Therefore, they would be remembering and living out Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
By the way, this is not a nice suggestion on Paul’s part. Instead, he says, “It is necessary”. This is one of the strongest imperatival forms in the New Testament. Paul could have said, “It is fitting” or “It is proper”, which carries less weight. However, he did not. He said that it is necessary for elders to help the weak by working hard with their hands in order to support themselves and others.
One more quick note. As I’ve said before, I do not think that paying a salary to a pastor/elder because of their position is scriptural. First, this does not mean that I think the practice is always wrong. A practice does not have to be in Scripture to be appropriate at times. However, I do not think a salaried pastorship is necessary, and I think it is detrimental in many contexts. This does not mean that I condemn every pastor who receives a salary. In fact, I do not even bring up the topic with pastors that I personally know who receive a salary. Why? Because for the most part they are very godly people, interested in serving God and the church. Also, while I think they are wrong in their understanding of this topic, I also recognize that I could be wrong. In humility, I prefer to let God sort that out, and live in unity with other believers instead of causing division. Finally, I do believe that giving financially to pastors/elders is scriptural, when it is done by individuals in response to that person’s teaching, leading, and other forms of service. I have gratefully accepted money from people many times, as well as other types of support – that is, financial and non-financial. I have also been the recipient of hospitality from many different brothers and sisters in Christ. I also give cheerfully to others in response to their needs or in response to their teaching, leadership, and other forms of service and offer hospitality to others. “Money” is not the issue in my argument. Instead, the issue is whether or not a pastor/elder should be paid a salary based on their position as pastor/elder.