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Church Staff in the Bible
Biblical Study
The New Testament early Church does not have quote-unquote church staff. Instead, it has diverse lay
ministers. When the local church is benefiting from a particular ministry to the point that the congregation desires more out of that minister than the minister can practically do while still having a secular job, they decide to pay the minister so that he can devote all his time to that ministry. No where in the New Testament is this rationale reserved for pastoral ministry alone, but is applicable to all the spiritual gifts. But most often, congregations do choose to employ ministers of this kind.
Here are a few Scriptures related to vocational ministry:
"The elders who rule well are to be
considered worthy of double honor, especially those who
work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture
says, 'YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS
THRESHING,' and 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.'" (1
Timothy 5:17-18,
NASB).
"Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own
expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the
fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the
milk of the flock? The plowman ought to plow in
hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the
crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too
much if we reap material things from you? Do you
not know that those who perform sacred services eat the
food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to
the altar have their share from the altar? So also the
Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their
living from the gospel." (1 Corinthians 9:7,11,13-14,
NASB).
The problem that is most common with employing one minister and not all the ministers is: the Church and the public gradually conclude that the vocational minister is THE Minister and the congregation is the recipients of ministry. Biblically, all Christians are ministers and the vocational minister is one among many ministers. We all are both recipients and dischargers of ministry. Listen to God's Word:
"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons" (1 Corinthians 12:4-6,
NASB).
Another
related problem is that many people esteem vocational
ministers too high and do not esteem volunteer ministers
high enough. Why do many churches not allow elders,
deacons, or non-ordained leaders preside over communion?
(There is no Scripture requiring vocational or ordained
ministers to be the only ones to do this.) This and
many other large and little issues are only an issue because
too many people esteem ordained ministers too highly.
While there remain problems with the way we do ministry
within the Church, the methodology of calling certain
ministers to work fulltime in their particular gifted
ministry is the best way to do ministry. If we did not
hire ministers, everyone's energy for ministry would be
divided between putting bread on the table and feeding the
spiritual needs of those they minister to.
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