We have a brother who is out of work because of a permanent injury and he is asking for monthly contributions to support a website he has created to spread the gospel. \u00a0He feels that because he is committing his time fully to spreading the gospel he can make a living at it. However, he is not talking about preaching to a congregation, he is wanting to continue posting on his website and answering questions kind of like what you do. But he wants monthly support for doing so. He is not asking to be supported by the treasury, just donations from the members for his work in spreading the gospel. I cannot find any example of Christians paying Christians to preach the gospel to the world. We pay preachers to preach to us. We spread the gospel for free. Is this correct, or am I overlooking something?<\/p>\n\t
Preachers are not the only ones who can be paid for the work that they do.<\/p>\n
“Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches<\/em>” (Galatians 6:6).<\/p>\n
“Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer is worthy of his wages”<\/em>” (I Timothy 5:17-18).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
If Christians are getting benefits from this man’s teachings or wish to support his efforts, then there is nothing wrong with doing so. When offering to teach someone the gospel, it should be freely offered to the recipient. “What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel<\/em>” (I Corinthians 9:18). Paul was able to do this because others were willing to support his efforts in teaching in new areas; thus, Paul wasn’t paid by the Corinthians while he sought to establish a new work in Corinth.<\/p>\n
Whether someone is worthy of being supported should be based on the accuracy of his teachings and the example he lives in his life.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: We have a brother who is out of work because of a permanent injury and he is asking for monthly contributions to support a website he has created to spread the gospel. \u00a0He feels that because he is committing his time fully to spreading the gospel he can make a living at it. However,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[451],"class_list":["post-46865","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-teaching"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":32741,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-i-support-your-work\/","url_meta":{"origin":46865,"position":0},"title":"How can I support your work?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 3, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I am a fellow Christian myself and a casual reader of your website.\u00a0 I would like to express my heartfelt thanks for the wonderful ministry (website), especially the Q&A section.\u00a0 The sound doctrine has helped me build up some basic theology foundation, as well as learning more about God.\u00a0\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34460,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/any-advice-for-a-person-aspiring-to-preach\/","url_meta":{"origin":46865,"position":1},"title":"Any advice for a person aspiring to preach?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"August 21, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: What is some advice you have for a person aspiring to be a preacher? 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You can't preach accurately what you don't know. \"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth\" (II\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":51459,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/why-churches-should-rethink-their-preachers-salary\/","url_meta":{"origin":46865,"position":2},"title":"Why Churches Should Rethink Their Preacher’s Salary","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 22, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"by Wes McAdams via\u00a0Radically Christian The job a preacher does, and the money he takes home seems pretty cut-and-dry to most church members, \"Our preacher 'ministers' to this congregation - he visits the sick, he counsels, he evangelizes, he preaches, he teaches, he writes bulletin articles, and does whatever else\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":41761,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/what-do-you-think-about-accepting-donations-for-teaching-on-the-internet\/","url_meta":{"origin":46865,"position":3},"title":"What do you think about accepting donations for teaching on the Internet?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"January 11, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hi, I'm a student and also preach the gospel when given the opportunity. I read your site often and I trust you to give the truth in a time when I sometimes feel that many congregations are straying from the original New Testament form. That is why I am\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34825,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/isnt-it-unfair-that-north-koreans-cant-know-about-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":46865,"position":4},"title":"Isn’t it unfair that North Koreans can’t know about God?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"September 16, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Isn't it unfair that North Koreans can't know about God? Do they just go to hell? It's not really their fault at all. The leader tells them everything. They have no way of knowing about God, no outside communication whatsoever. Will they go to hell for something they have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":46428,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-we-not-worry-about-false-teachers-because-at-least-christ-is-being-preached\/","url_meta":{"origin":46865,"position":5},"title":"Should we not worry about false teachers because at least Christ is being preached?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Does Philippians 1:12-18 mean that whatever way the gospel is preached it is not too important? What will then be the reward of a person or people involved in preaching the gospel out of envy and strife? 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