“The Lord Commanded…”
“The Lord Commanded…”
Blessings folk!
The Spirit continues to reveal to us Truth through Paul and the Word to the Body in Corinth.
Read carefully.
Note the patterns of giving and provision.
1 Co 9:9-14
For it is written in the Law of Moses,
“You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.”
Is it for oxen that God is concerned?
Does he not certainly speak for our sake?
It was written for our sake,
because the plowman should plow in hope
and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.
If we have sown spiritual things among you,
is it too much if we reap material things from you?
If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right,
but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?
In the same way,
the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
We should not muzzle those teaching/proclaiming the Gospel of Christ/Kingdom.
Refusing to provide material needs is muzzling.
The plowman plows in hope.
The thresher threshes in hope.
In hope of a harvest.
In hope of a shared crop.
In the same way, those who sow spiritual things among you should reap material things from you.
Paul had chosen to not exercise this right with the Corinthians.
He knew it might be an obstacle to them.
Still, he now teaches them what they should be doing.
It is for their benefit.
Paul uses the example of Old Covenant Temple service.
Those employed in such received from the sacrificial offerings.
In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
Note it is a command!
Ask yourself…
Ask the Lord…
Where should you be sowing?
To whom should you be the source of provision?