Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
The question is whether these things are spoken merely from human reasoning, or whether the law says the same thing also, so that Paul's teaching about supporting workers is not mere human opinion but is confirmed by the law teaching the same principle. The law's instruction not to muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain establishes the right of workers to share in the results of their work, and that principle applies to those who serve the church. The law agrees that those who labor in spiritual things should be supported by those for whom they labor. It is God's will that ministers of the gospel receive support, and everyone who preaches the gospel, whether men or women, is entitled to fair payment for services.
The verse belongs to Paul's argument defending the right of gospel ministers to material support for preaching. Ministers have as much right to wages as workers employed in the Review and Herald Office and laborers in the Pacific Publishing House, and to pay them meager wages is robbery. Those who give their time, thought, and labor in the Master's service should receive wages sufficient to provide food and clothing for their families. The minister pays tithe according to ability and should receive what is due even though the work involves self-denial in separation from family and travel from place to place requiring costlier clothing. The same is true even though he must take the lead in donations where he labors, help meet tent expenses, provide his own food and accept whatever fare is available, and carry pledges as a debt because donations and expenses leave him no surplus.
Those who labor and invest resources have the right to reap the fruit of their labor. Those who at great outlay of money and much time in experiments developed processes for special health foods and provided costly facilities for manufacture should be allowed to control the business and a reasonable income from the products for advancing God's work, and no one who learns the secret formulas may take over the business, imitate the foods, or sell them for selfish personal profit. Paul chose to support himself by tentmaking and set aside his right to support so as not to burden poor churches or give opponents reason to question his motives, in order to protect the effectiveness of his ministry. At Corinth he gave up his right to support and worked at his trade while preaching so that suspicion that he was after money would not weaken his message.
The question is whether these things are spoken merely from human reasoning, or whether the law says the same thing also, so that Paul's teaching about supporting workers is not mere human opinion but is confirmed by the law teaching the same principle. The law's instruction not to muzzle the ox while it treads out the grain establishes the right of workers to share in the results of their work, and that principle applies to those who serve the church. The law agrees that those who labor in spiritual things should be supported by those for whom they labor. It is God's will that ministers of the gospel receive support, and everyone who preaches the gospel, whether men or women, is entitled to fair payment for services.
The verse belongs to Paul's argument defending the right of gospel ministers to material support for preaching. Ministers have as much right to wages as workers employed in the Review and Herald Office and laborers in the Pacific Publishing House, and to pay them meager wages is robbery. Those who give their time, thought, and labor in the Master's service should receive wages sufficient to provide food and clothing for their families. The minister pays tithe according to ability and should receive what is due even though the work involves self-denial in separation from family and travel from place to place requiring costlier clothing. The same is true even though he must take the lead in donations where he labors, help meet tent expenses, provide his own food and accept whatever fare is available, and carry pledges as a debt because donations and expenses leave him no surplus.
Those who labor and invest resources have the right to reap the fruit of their labor. Those who at great outlay of money and much time in experiments developed processes for special health foods and provided costly facilities for manufacture should be allowed to control the business and a reasonable income from the products for advancing God's work, and no one who learns the secret formulas may take over the business, imitate the foods, or sell them for selfish personal profit. Paul chose to support himself by tentmaking and set aside his right to support so as not to burden poor churches or give opponents reason to question his motives, in order to protect the effectiveness of his ministry. At Corinth he gave up his right to support and worked at his trade while preaching so that suspicion that he was after money would not weaken his message.