The Laborer Deserves His Wages

In one paragraph

This message came from 1 Timothy 5:17 through 6:2, part of First Baptist Jackson's ongoing chronological study of the New Testament. The pastor worked through four distinct sections of the text at a quick pace, covering how the church should treat its elders, how church discipline works, what ordination requires, and how believers are to conduct themselves at work. The passage opens with a charge...

Read together

1. 1 Timothy 5:17 opening verse on elders who rule well being worthy of double honor
2. 1 Thessalonians 5:12 same Greek word used for those who are 'over you' and labor among you
3. Romans 12:6-8 gifts of the Spirit listed, including the one who leads with zeal
4. Deuteronomy 25:4 do not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain, applied to paying ministers
5. 1 Corinthians 9:8-10 Paul quotes the muzzled ox law and argues it was written for our sake
6. 1 Timothy 5:18 the laborer deserves his wages, cited after the ox illustration
7. Luke 10:7 the laborer deserves his wages, Jesus sending out disciples
8. Matthew 10:10 the laborer deserves his food, Jesus sending out disciples without bag or sandals
9. 1 Corinthians 9:14 the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by it
10. Deuteronomy 19:15 a single witness shall not suffice, only on two or three witnesses shall a charge be established
11. Matthew 18:15-20 church discipline passage on winning your brother and where two or three are gathered
12. James 2:1-9 show no partiality, the man with the gold ring versus the poor man in shabby clothing
13. 1 Timothy 4:14 elders laid hands on Timothy ordaining him, do not neglect your gift
14. 1 Timothy 5:23 use a little wine for your stomach and frequent ailments
15. 1 Timothy 3:3 overseer must not be a drunkard
16. 1 Timothy 3:8 deacons not addicted to much wine
17. 1 Timothy 5:24-25 sins of some are conspicuous and go before them to judgment, good works also cannot remain hidden
18. 1 Timothy 6:1-2 bond servants to regard masters as worthy of honor so God's name is not reviled, and those with believing masters must serve all the better
19. Revelation 1:5-6 closing benediction, to him who loves us and freed us from sins by his blood

Talk about it

1. The pastor talked about the word translated 'rule well' being a positive word meaning to lead diligently and humbly, not to lord over people. Think of a leader in your life, inside or outside the church, who led that way. What did it look like in practice, and how did it affect the people around them?
2. The ox and threshing floor illustration, drawn from Deuteronomy and used by both Paul and Calvin, makes the point that workers deserve to benefit from their labor. Where have you seen that principle honored well, or ignored, in a workplace or ministry setting? What was the result?
3. The pastor walked through Matthew 18 on church discipline and noted that the goal Jesus keeps returning to is winning your brother, not removing him. Why do you think that goal gets lost so easily when conflict actually arrives, and what would it take to keep it in view?
4. The pastor was careful to say that the two-or-three-witness standard should never become a reason to silence someone who has experienced abuse. How do you think a church community holds both of those things at the same time: protecting leaders from false charges and protecting victims who come forward alone?
5. The closing passage on bond servants was applied to every employee and employer relationship today. The pastor used Florian at Smith's as an example of someone whose daily work is a genuine ministry. What would it look like, concretely, for your own work this week to serve as a witness to the reputation of Christ?