What About Professionals?

7. Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?

8. Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?

9. For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

10. Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

12. If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

13. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?

14. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

—1 Corinthians 9

Paul made it clear that those who spread the gospel are due monetary payment. There is definitely a place for professionals within the Christian church. But who? And how many? Do we need one professional for every ten families? If we have fewer, we end up with church professionals making more money than the donors. OK, I omitted the cost of facilities, but still. If the first tithe is meant to support a professional priesthood, we end up with a rather large amount of money available for paying priests. And if we apply the Body of Christ principle, then we don’t need that many professionals. A small church need not have any. On the other hand, large church probably would be hard to manage without some full time staff.

But just who is supposed to be paid according to Paul’s quote above. Was every deacon and bishop a full time professional? (The term “bishop” meant something different from the modern term. There were multiple “bishops” in a town in Paul’s letters [Philippians 1:1].) The church leaders were to be esteemed highly [1 Thessalonians 5], but were they paid?

A possible clue comes from the first New Testament precedent for paid spreading of the gospel message:

5. These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:

6. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

7. And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.

8. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.

9. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

10. Nor scrip for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves: for the workman is worthy of his meat.

11. And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy; and there abide till ye go thence.

12. And when ye come into an house, salute it.

13. And if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it: but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

14. And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

15. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.

—Matthew 10

In this passage, the disciples were to be paid for their labor – but not very much. It was purely pay as you go. They were not to carry any money or supplies on the road. Under such conditions, the disciples were poor. It may have been a voluntary poverty, but it was poverty nonetheless.

This describes many modern missionary efforts. I definitely believe that many modern missionaries qualify as “New Levites” for this reason. (And the “listen to the leader” approach does make more sense than the “body of Christ” approach for a startup church composed of people newly converted.)

All this said, support for some paid missionary outreach and a few professionals in the bigger churches leaves plenty of tithe money left over for doing good works.

And if the churches do enough good works, there is little need for paid evangelism in areas near existing churches. Doing good works is the most effective form of evangelism.

16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

—Matthew 5:16

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