David closed his eyes for a moment. He could still remember the Sunday, three years earlier, when the conviction had settled in his chest like a stone that wouldn’t move. The big church downtown had just announced another building campaign. The senior pastor’s salary was already public knowledge. It was more than most families in the congregation earned. When David quietly asked one of the elders why the church needed a full-time paid preacher, the elder had smiled politely and said, “We can’t expect a man to shepherd a church of four hundred people and still clock in at a factory every morning.”
David had nodded, but something inside him had shifted. He began reading the New Testament with new eyes. He noticed how the early churches had elders—plural—in every city. Believers met in homes. Ministry was described as something every member did, not something one professional performed while everyone else watched. He saw warnings against leaders who served for “shameful gain.” He kept coming back to Paul’s choice to refuse support so the gospel would not be hindered. The New Testament doesn’t illustrate a professional clergy class that lives off the church. Instead, it shows elders who shepherd because they love the sheep, not because it’s their job.
When he finally told Sarah he could no longer sit under a paid pastorate without feeling uneasy, they left quietly. There was no dramatic exit, just a simple letter to the elders thanking them for their care and explaining they felt called to a simpler expression of church life.
David has some valid beliefs. There should be a plurality of elders. All church members should do ministry. However, the Bible does record a long tradition of having paid religious leaders. Numbers 18 makes it clear that in ancient Israel the Levites were paid for their work in the tabernacle. Likewise, there are passages in the New Testament that call for gospel workers to earn their living from the gospel.
After the Israelites began wandering through the wilderness, Korah, a Levite, launched a rebellion against the leadership of Moses and Aaron. Yahweh intervened and made it clear He had chosen Aaron and his descendants to be the priests.
Num. 18:8 ¶ Then Yahweh spoke to Aaron, “Now behold, I Myself have given you the responsibility of My contributions, even all the holy gifts of the sons of Israel I have given them to you as a portion and to your sons as a perpetual statute.
Notice the name “Aaron”. Most passages in Numbers tell us Yahweh spoke to Moses. This passage says Yahweh spoke to Aaron.
Num. 18:9 This shall be yours from the most holy gifts reserved from the fire; every offering of theirs, even every grain offering and every sin offering and every guilt offering, which they shall render to Me, shall be most holy for you and for your sons.
This verse lists the offerings that belonged to Aaron and his sons.
Num. 18:10 As the most holy gifts you shall eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy to you.
Notice the word “male”. Only the males could serve as priests; thus, the offerings listed in verse 9 that belonged to the priests could only be eaten by the males.
Num. 18:11 This also is yours, the contribution from their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual statute. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.
Look at the phrases “sons and daughters” and “everyone of your household”. The items listed in verse 11 also belonged to Aaron and his sons, and the females were permitted to eat these.
Don’t miss the word “clean”. Since these were items that were brought to Yahweh, everyone who ate them had to be clean.
Num. 18:12 All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to Yahweh, I give them to you.
Num. 18:13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to Yahweh, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it.
Once again we see the phrase “everyone of your household”. The Old Testament sacrificial system was set up so that Aaron and his descendants earned their living through serving in the tabernacle.
Num. 18:14 Every devoted thing in Israel shall be yours.
Num. 18:15 Every first issue of the womb of all flesh, whether man or animal, which they bring near to Yahweh, shall be yours; nevertheless the firstborn of man you shall surely redeem, and the firstborn of unclean animals you shall redeem.
Num. 18:16 Now as to their redemption price, from a month old you shall redeem them, by your valuation, five shekels in silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs.
Num. 18:17 But the firstborn of an ox or the firstborn of a sheep or the firstborn of a goat, you shall not redeem; they are holy. You shall splash their blood on the altar and shall offer up their fat in smoke as an offering by fire, for a soothing aroma to Yahweh.
Num. 18:18 And their meat shall be yours; it shall be yours like the breast of a wave offering and like the right thigh.
Num. 18:19 All the contributions of the holy gifts, which the sons of Israel raise up to Yahweh, I have given to you and your sons and your daughters with you, as a perpetual statute. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before Yahweh to you and your seed with you.”
In this verse we see the phrase “your sons and your daughters”. These were more items that supported the families of the priests.
Num. 18:20 Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “You shall have no inheritance in their land nor own any portion among them; I am your portion and your inheritance among the sons of Israel.
The final destination of the Israelites was the promised land. They were destined to conquer and inhabit the land of Canaan. However, Yahweh warned Aaron that he and his descendants would not receive an inheritance, meaning they would not inherit land in which to earn a living. Instead, their inheritance was to serve as priests and earn a living in the tabernacle.
Num. 18:21 ¶ “Now to the sons of Levi, behold, I have given all the tithe in Israel for an inheritance, in return for their service which they perform, the service of the tent of meeting.
Look at the phrase “sons of Levi”. The descendants of Aaron who served as priests were a subset of the sons of Levi. The Levites who were not priests also had duties related to the tabernacle and also received their income from the tabernacle.
Num. 18:22 And the sons of Israel shall not come near the tent of meeting again, or they will bear sin and die.
Num. 18:23 Only the Levites shall perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they shall bear their iniquity; it shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations, and among the sons of Israel they shall have no inheritance.
Num. 18:24 For the tithe of the sons of Israel, which they raise up as a contribution offering to Yahweh, I have given to the Levites for an inheritance; therefore I have said concerning them, ‘They shall have no inheritance among the sons of Israel.’”
Verse 24 repeats the rule in verse 21. The tithe of the sons of Israel went to the sons of Levi to serve as their income.
The Mosaic Law was clear that the Levites were to be paid for their tabernacle service. There was a clear distinction between the tribe of Levi which served as the religious workers and all the other tribes who fought the wars, worked the land, and paid the Levites for serving as the religious workers.
We see something similar and yet different in the New Testament. The Apostle Paul wrote that those who proclaim the gospel should earn their living through the gospel (see 1 Corinthians 9:14). He also wrote that elders who rule well are worthy of double honor (see 1 Timothy 5:17). The word “honor” is a reference to money. Thus, there is justification and direction to pay gospel workers.
On the other hand, the New Testament does not require paid clergy. 1 Corinthians 9:14 may refer to missionaries, not pastors. 1 Timothy says it is okay to pay elders, but that is not required.
When reading through the New Testament, the overall sense is that it does not establish a class of paid clergy who should serve as pastors. Instead, the shepherding and leading of the church is to be distributed among a group of men, who may or may not be paid.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”