So, I wrote about reaping what you sowed a couple of weeks ago, but we never made it that far on Sunday morning. This week we are back on that passage, so I wanted to refresh our thoughts on the subject and go into greater detail on a verse that I had previously glanced over but hadn’t paid much attention.
The more I've studied this passage, the more uncomfortable I am preaching on it. Not because it is some complicated theological topic or a divisive doctrine but because of the right contextual subject matter of it. Read the passage and see for yourself:
The one who is taught the message must share all his good things with the teacher. Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit. So we must not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, we must work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith. (HCSB Gal_6:6-10)
It would be real easy just to breeze right past verse six. I mean really easy. Verse 7 is such a great proverbial truth and is so easy to preach, but we can't leave out verse 6.
"The one who is taught the message must share all his good things with the teacher." (HCSB Gal_6:6)
I have to say I read this verse over and over and checked commentary after commentary just be sure because I couldn't believe what Paul was saying but sure enough, he was telling the churches in Galatia to pay their pastors. Now sure there are other lessons you could glean from this passage, but that is the verbiage that Paul uses.
Now to be clear Paul wasn't advocating six figure salaries for the elders/pastors of the church. Don’t miss Paul's primary concern in this passage; he is talking about money, but his concern isn’t the money
.
What was Paul’s burden? The furtherance of the gospel. Paul knew that the God-ordained means for accomplishing this was the steady proclamation of the Word of God by faithful teachers. But these teachers would be greatly hindered if they could not take care of their daily responsibilities. He knew they would have to make their rent payment or buy feed for their donkey. Therefore, Paul is recognizing that by caring for the needs of the teacher, the church says in effect, "We want the Word of God taught faithfully and effectively, so we will help support you."
This excerpt from the Bible Exposition Commentary explains it like this:
“We must realize the spiritual principle that lies behind this precept. God does not command believers to give simply that pastors and teachers (and missionaries, Phil. 4:10-19) might have their material needs met, but that the givers might get a greater blessing (Gal. 6:7-8). The basic principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout the entire Bible. God has ordained that we reap what we sow. Were it not for this law, the whole principle of "cause and effect" would fail. The farmer who sows wheat can expect to reap wheat. If it were otherwise, there would be chaos in our world.
But God has also told us to be careful where we sow, and it is this principle that Paul deals with here. He looks on our material possessions as seed, and he sees two possible kinds of soil: the flesh and the Spirit. We can use our material goods to promote the flesh, or to promote the things of the Spirit. But once we have finished sowing, we cannot change the harvest.
Money sown to the flesh will bring a harvest of corruption (see Gal. 5:19-21). That money is gone and can never be reclaimed.
Money sown to the Spirit (such as sharing with those who teach the Word) will produce life, and in that harvest will be seeds that can be planted again for another harvest, and on and on into eternity. If every believer only looked on his material wealth as seed, and planted it properly, there would be no lack in the work of the Lord. Sad to say, much seed is wasted on carnal things and can never bring glory to God.” (Wiersbe 2003)
To whoever might actually read this, please heed Paul’s plea and care for those who teach, not out of obligation or tradition, but because you love the Word of God and want to see it spread to the ends of the earth.
What are you sowing?
See you Sunday!
Bibliography
HCSB. 2010. Holman Christian Standard Bible. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
Wiersbe, Warren. 2003. Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Free (Galatians). WORDsearch CROSS e-book. Colorado Springs, CO
What was Paul’s burden? The furtherance of the gospel. Paul knew that the God-ordained means for accomplishing this was the steady proclamation of the Word of God by faithful teachers. But these teachers would be greatly hindered if they could not take care of their daily responsibilities. He knew they would have to make their rent payment or buy feed for their donkey. Therefore, Paul is recognizing that by caring for the needs of the teacher, the church says in effect, "We want the Word of God taught faithfully and effectively, so we will help support you."
This excerpt from the Bible Exposition Commentary explains it like this:
“We must realize the spiritual principle that lies behind this precept. God does not command believers to give simply that pastors and teachers (and missionaries, Phil. 4:10-19) might have their material needs met, but that the givers might get a greater blessing (Gal. 6:7-8). The basic principle of sowing and reaping is found throughout the entire Bible. God has ordained that we reap what we sow. Were it not for this law, the whole principle of "cause and effect" would fail. The farmer who sows wheat can expect to reap wheat. If it were otherwise, there would be chaos in our world.
But God has also told us to be careful where we sow, and it is this principle that Paul deals with here. He looks on our material possessions as seed, and he sees two possible kinds of soil: the flesh and the Spirit. We can use our material goods to promote the flesh, or to promote the things of the Spirit. But once we have finished sowing, we cannot change the harvest.
Money sown to the flesh will bring a harvest of corruption (see Gal. 5:19-21). That money is gone and can never be reclaimed.
Money sown to the Spirit (such as sharing with those who teach the Word) will produce life, and in that harvest will be seeds that can be planted again for another harvest, and on and on into eternity. If every believer only looked on his material wealth as seed, and planted it properly, there would be no lack in the work of the Lord. Sad to say, much seed is wasted on carnal things and can never bring glory to God.” (Wiersbe 2003)
To whoever might actually read this, please heed Paul’s plea and care for those who teach, not out of obligation or tradition, but because you love the Word of God and want to see it spread to the ends of the earth.
What are you sowing?
See you Sunday!
Bibliography
HCSB. 2010. Holman Christian Standard Bible. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.
Wiersbe, Warren. 2003. Bible Exposition Commentary – Be Free (Galatians). WORDsearch CROSS e-book. Colorado Springs, CO
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