Once again, here’s my fairly literal translation of this verse:
6And the one being taught the Word should share in all good
things with the one teaching.
This has been an interesting passage to study. At first
glance it would appear to be simply another passage encouraging people to
properly compensate their teachers. In fact, that is pretty much the
universally agreed interpretation of the passage. The NIV definitely subscribes
to this interpretation: “Nevertheless, the one who receives instruction in the word should
share all good things with their instructor.”
The problem, and some commentators raise serious objection
here, is that isn’t exactly what the passage says. The objectors raise two
issues. First, the Greek literally reads, “share in all good things.” Note that the NIV leaves out the “in.” One
might insist that is not a big difference but, on the other hand, I think
honest exegesis has to at least admit that its inclusion does allow for a
somewhat broader understanding than just financial support.
The second issue is in the word “share.” We are instructed to
“share in all good things” with our teachers. The objectors note that, had Paul
been referring to financial compensation, he could have used other more
specific verbs than “share.” Certainly in many other passages, he uses clearer
terms to say this. Once again, I think honest exegesis has to admit that “share
in all good things” does allow for broader understanding than simply to say we
should support our pastors and their families.
The objectors would maintain the passage should be
understood to refer not to financial compensation but rather to a much broader
principle. They would say something like the “all good things” refers to the
blessings of knowing and applying the Word, that after a teacher has opened our
understanding to some aspect of truth, we should, in effect, join with them in
enjoying the application of that truth to our lives. Having proffered this
interpretation, they would assert this passage does not address the question of financial support for full-time
ministers and should not be used to that end.
What to do? For those who would like to use the passage for
ministerial support, there needs to be an honest admission that the objectors
have, in fact, raised legitimate exegetical issues. Regardless of our
predispositions, we are still to be about the business of “rightly dividing”
and that clearly starts with honest exegesis. I think myself while it does seem
to teach us to support our teachers, then again, that isn’t exactly what it says, leaving me to look
more closely and ask, “So what does it mean?”
For anyone who might stumble across this blog, I would like
to offer perhaps a different approach. I think this problem of interpretation arises
largely because we’re all still thinking legalistically. In other words, we’re
still looking for God to “give us the rules.” We want the passage to read like
a rule. “Those who are taught the Word should provide financially for their
teachers.” There you go. Now that is a clear rule. If only it read like that,
we could be done with our study and move on. But it doesn’t.
“The one being taught
the Word should share in all good things with the one teaching.” That
doesn’t make for a very good rule. If I’m looking for a rule, I would even say
the passage is a little frustrating. “Why couldn’t it have been clearer?” we
might ask. “Just give us the rules, make them clear, and we’ll keep them.”
Hmmmm. Sounds strangely reminiscent of the foot of Mt. Sinai – “All that the
Lord commands us, we will do.” Only they didn’t. Law didn’t work for them and
it doesn’t work for us. At this point in the book of Galatians, we should have
repented of our love of rules, yet here we are, trying to turn Paul’s
concluding admonitions into rules. He’s concluding an entire book on the
supremacy of grace over law and we want to turn his words into law! Can I
suggest that is the real reason why we’re struggling with this passage to begin
with?
I would suggest that, in order to understand what he means
here, the first thing we have to do is get off our law-thing. This is Galatians
6,
for crying out loud. At this point in the book, we should understand that people
who are under grace and indwelt by the Holy Spirit don’t need rules. “Laws are
for law-breakers.” By the Spirit, we have the ability to see the bigger
picture. We have the ability to see our world through God’s eyes, to have His
heart, and then to let that understanding fuel our thinking and our decisions.
I think the passage before us is a classic case. When it
comes to the teaching of the Word of God, this passage would call us to realize
there is way more going on than just the dissemination and reception of rules,
for which we should dutifully support our teachers. “This is eternal life, that they might know Thee.” Instruction in
the Word is all about life, it’s
about living, it’s about actually having a life worth living, it’s about unfolding before our eyes the enormity of
just who God is and what Christ has done for us. When someone opens the Word
for us, they in fact invite us into a world of “good things.” They invite us in
fact to share with them in this world of “good things.” Teaching and receiving
of the Word is all about this sharing of life between the teacher and the
taught and everyone with each other.
That is the big picture which this passage (and Paul’s
choice of words) would call us to see, not as petty legalists but as big-hearted
Spirit-indwelt, born-again God-lovers.
Now, then, as for the interpretations proffered above, let
me suggest, contrary to the objectors’ understanding, the matter of financial
support for our teachers is, in fact, a completely legitimate application of
this passage. They are correct in observing the passage means more than just
financial support, but I think they are in error to maintain that it therefore
does not refer to financial support
and shouldn’t be used to that end.
Here is what I mean: In this world of sharing in “all good
things” how could I not want to make
sure my teacher is properly supported? If I see this big picture of the Word
allowing us all to share in all these “good things,” how could I possibly be
content to let my teacher devote his time to the studying of the Word, then be
unconcerned that he is thereby unable to provide for his family the way I do
for mine? How could I possibly be happy to receive the “good things” of the
Word from him, thereby share them with him, and not in turn want to be sure he and his
family are enjoying the good things of life like me and my family?
I would suggest that, under grace, I don’t need a rule to
tell me I should support him. Under grace, I can’t not want to support him. I appreciate him. I appreciate someone
opening the Word for me and my family. I realize that a man can’t possibly work
a full-time job, care for his own family (= take his kids fishing) and his own
health, and then also give himself to
the kind of extensive careful exegesis it would take to prepare even one
genuinely edifying lesson a week. I have personally been doing my own exegesis
for years while I work full-time, but I think I would be hard-pressed to come
up with one message a month. If someone
wanted me to teach more than that, it would mean I had to work less, which
would mean a cut in my paycheck, which would mean I’ve got to come up with some
kind of support from somewhere. A pastor, in particular, is in exactly that
position. For him to give his time to the ministry of the Word and prayer,
somehow someone is going to have to make up the difference in what it takes to
support the man and his family.
Once again, it’s not a matter of a rule, it’s a matter,
under grace, of seeing the big picture of what is going on here. But then may I
go even further and say too, that same grace-driven thinking gives me a love
that goes way beyond just, “Are we paying him enough?” We’re talking about
sharing together “in all good things.” Grace makes me want to be sure all his needs are cared for. Under grace
we’ll say, “Sure we’re paying him enough, but what more does he need? What more
can we do for his family?”
So, yes, the passage does mean more than just financial
support, but it is short-sighted to say it doesn’t include it.
One other question Paul’s choice of wording would move us to
ask is, “Are we in fact sharing in the good things ourselves?” That is the
point – we should share in all good
things with our teachers. Am I taking the Word I’m taught and living it myself?
Am I in fact sharing in the good things the teacher is sharing with me? Am I
myself enjoying that world of “good things?” That is one more way of loving my
teacher – by actually living what I’m taught. It is a heartache to Bible teachers
when their students don’t put their teaching into practice, when they don’t see
them literally sharing in all those good things. And I highly suspect that,
along with the blindness of legalism, that is exactly why many people feel no
obligation to support their teachers – because the truth is they are not
sharing in the good things. The truth bounces off their ears but, since they
don’t apply it in their own lives, there’s no profound sense of appreciation
for what the teacher shared with them – so why should they share with the
teacher? There’s no exchange of good things, no sharing in them. But that is
not the teacher’s fault, though he suffers for it.
Back to the positive truth before us, I hope anyone reading
this sees what I mean. Under grace there is a much bigger picture going on than
just the cataloging of rules, either by our teachers or us. The Spirit wants us
all to truly share in all good things.
Once again, Paul is giving us some immediately practical
applications of what Spirit-indwelling should mean in our local church setting.
Even this one seemingly simple verse is brimming with truth to rock our worlds.
Spirit, may we yield to You more and more. Conquer our evil spirits and help us
keep You on the throne of our hearts. May we really truly be people who “share in
all good things,” and may we truly appreciate and share with those who teach
us.
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