Charging for the Gospel?

By:  Jo Smith ~~~ July 13, 2022

Should you pay to hear preaching?  Should you pay to hear singing and music?  Is tithing supposed to be money?  If so, what for?  Does a true Minister of God take pay for doing his ‘job’?

The answer to all of these is no!  What is filthy lucre?  Is it pay for a job you did?  NO!  It is when one thinks they should be paid for his ministry work.  The words ‘filthy lucre’ in Scripture are used ONLY when in connection with taking wages or pay for ministry.  It is not filthy to receive pay for Manuel labor. 

Did Paul or any other true minister take pay for his preaching?  NO!  This is clearly the mark of the beast.  Many scriptures prove this.  But it is like the one which says the Lord our God is ONE.  Most folks think in their own minds that the word, ‘one’, means the digit 1.  But no!  It means more than 1 in total unity.  So if you take the wrong meaning of a word, you will end up believing a lie every time.

Know that Scripture is God’s word, all of it.  So if God cannot lie then all Scripture must be in perfect harmony.  It cannot clearly state one idea here and then cross that in another place.  If so, one of those teachings would be a lie.

So, what did Paul mean by this:

11Cor. 11: 7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God freely?

8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service.

9 And when I was present with you, and wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.

Do you honestly think that Paul means that he took pay from other churches for his preaching?  Of course NOT!  That would cross all other Scriptures on this subject.  So then, what did he take wages for?

Let Scripture answer for us:

1Cor 4: 11 Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwellingplace;

12 And labour, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it:

13 Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day.

Wages always pertains to Pay for the work of our hands.  A job that we do to be paid for.  Ministry is never to be a job to be paid for.  That makes on to be a hireling, which God condemns. 

Leviticus 19:13

Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

See this shows that wages is pay for labor that one does as a job.  Not ministry.  You should not use your neighbors services without pay.  God condemns this. 

Jeremiah 22:13

Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

See that it brings a woe to use your neighbor’s services without WAGES.  That is what WAGES is;  pay for a job that you were hired to do.

Malachi 3:5

And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts

See that a hireling works for wages.  So when you have to pay a preacher he is a hireling and will not receive a reward in heaven, for the money is his reward.

Here is a very strong condemnation against people who do the ‘work’ of God, such as preaching and prophesying, for money;  they are making MERCHANDISE of you and the Lord’s work:

2 Peter 2

2 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

See it shows that it is FALSE PROPHETS and false teachers, who make merchandise of you;  this means they make you pay them for their false ministry and they are covetous and give you damnable heresies.  This will bring swift destruction on them.  Anyone who takes WAGES or pay for their ‘ministry’ speaks evil of the truth and are damned.  This is the sure mark of the beast.  They are the beast.  Couldn’t be clearer.

And here is SOLID PROOF OF THIS:

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

He called them BEASTS.  They are the same as Balaam who love the WAGES of unrighteousness.  Balaam went to prophesy for the king FOR A REWARD.  This is clearly the MARK OF THE BEAST.  They are beasts.

So don’t you know that the great Apostle Paul, knowing all of this, is not going to take WAGES for his ministry?  No way!  Paul is not a Balaam.  Paul took wages from other churches, not for his ministry, but for SERVICES that he performed FOR THEM WITH HIS OWN HANDS.  Paul was a tent maker by trade and worked with his own hands to supply his needs and the needs of those who worked with him in ministry.

He said, so I will not be chargeable to you.  He was at times naked, cold, hungry and other needs BUT HE DID NOT USE THIS TO MAKE MERCHANDISE OF THE MINISTRY. Paul was not a beast.

He allowed other churches to pay him for his LABOUR which he did for them working with his own hands.  He did not wish to take the wages, but those other churches were prospering at that time and the Corinthians were at that time having a hard time.  So when Paul did labor for them, he did not take pay since they were already having a hard time.  He certainly did not take pay for preaching;  He clearly stated that he preached to them FREELY AS JESUS TOLD US TO DO.

It was the other jobs that he did for them that he was doing for free since they were having a hard time.  He had taken pay from other churches for the jobs he did there, so he could not have to charge the Corinthians at this time.

I know for a fact the most churches/preachers use the thing in 11Cor. To try and justify taking pay for their false ministry.  But it is total perversion of God’s word.

Here is another place that they pervert to justify their lust for money:

1 Corinthians 16 Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye.

2 Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.

This was laying up food and other material goods that the poor saints at Jerusalem might need.  IT WAS NOT MONEY OR TITHING.  Paul did not want them out in their fields gathering in the crops to send to the people in need after he arrived, because He wanted them to hear his teachings.  Prepare your gifts ahead of my coming, so we can fellowship while I am here and then we will take your love gifts of FOOD, CLOTHS, etc. to the needy.

NOW IF ONLY WE HAD CHURCHES WHO OPERATE THIS WAY TODAY!

The store houses were a place where FOOD was stored up in the OT to feed the poor and the priests, who had no secular job or home.  It was also to feed people who traveled by on their way.  This was their TITHE.  It was FOOD.  IT WAS CORN, MEAL, FLOUR, OIL, ETC.

The word is clear on this issue.  TITHING was never ever money.  Get that, tithing was never MONEY.  It was FOOD.  They were even told that if their meat offering was too large for them to carry a long way to Jerusalem, to change it for MONEY and then go buy the FOOD later to offer their sacrifice.  They never gave money to priests.

Modern day preachers, who lust after money and an easy ‘living’ or ‘job’ have totally made havoc of the word of God by declaring, over and over, that you must tithe YOUR WAGES to them bring that money into ‘their’ store house.  That was LAW AND IS NEVER TRUE IN A GRACE MESSAGE OR CHURCH.  Besides, the tithe was not money; it was food.

Jesus himself condemned money changing in the Temple and overturned their MONEY TABLES.  He will do the same for you money-loving preachers some day.

When a man tells you to ‘sow’ a ‘seed’ of faith, into the kingdom of God by giving them MONEY, you better get as far away from the lying false prophet as you can.  He will not only rob you of your wages from your job, but will rob you of your salvation by deceiving you into thinking that is how you serve God.

This is a horrible sin, crime and shame.

Now here is solid proof that the ministry of food was involved:

Acts 6 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.

3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

See that Peter showed the difference here in those who were serving tables or natural food and the ministry of the Word.  Both were done FREELY. It was not to make money.

So now you see that not many in the world today serve the Word.  They are all out to make money or take the wages of unrighteousness. 

And in conclusion here is solid proof that they were to care for each other’s needs as one would prosper and others be in need.  BUT REMEMBER IT IS NOT DEALING WITH WAGES HERE, BUT WITH SUPPLYING THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE;

2 Corinthians 8 Moreover, brethren, we do you to wit of the grace of God bestowed on the churches of Macedonia;

2 How that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.

3 For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves;

4 Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.

5 And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God.

6 Insomuch that we desired Titus, that as he had begun, so he would also finish in you the same grace also.

7 Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also.

8 I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.

9 For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

10 And herein I give my advice: for this is expedient for you, who have begun before, not only to do, but also to be forward a year ago.

11 Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have.

12 For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not.

13 For I mean not that other men be eased, and ye burdened:

14 But by an equality, that now at this time your abundance may be a supply for their want, that their abundance also may be a supply for your want: that there may be equality:

15 As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing over; and he that had gathered little had no lack.

So when you hear these wolves in sheep clothing hammering out their TITHING message, give to the preacher;  give 10% of your work wages to us, you are listening to a devil.

‘sow’ a seed of FAITH by giving me a thousand dollars!  What?  See how this will destroy your real chance to get salvation or faith, because it is evil COVETOUSNESS.

Here is the proof:

Acts 8: 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.

20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.

21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.

There is the sure MARK OF THE BEAST…. Thinking that the gift of God may be purchases with MONEY.  Peter condemned this sorcerer.  And so is all who preach to you to give them MONEY.

God does not deal in Money.  The love of money is the root of all EVIL. 

Isa 58: 6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

Now that shows the true ministry… feed the hungry, cloth the naked etc.  This is the way to minister, not for money but out of love.  Jesus said FREELY YOU HAVE RECEIVED, FREELY GIVE.

Is he speaking of the WAGES that you received at your work job?  Of course not.  You did not freely receive those wages.  You worked for them.

 So what?  You freely received the gift of God, salvation, prophecy, healing, teaching and knowing the true word of God.  This was freely given to you and you must freely give it to others.

No minister that I know of FREELY GIVES OUT HIS MESSAGES.  So he is a hireling.  A beast.  A robber.

And is the crowing Jewel of this message:

Isaiah 55:1

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.