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17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” ~ 1 Timothy 5:17-18
The effectiveness of advancing the causes of the Lord Jesus in this world is largely dependent upon the believer's ability to remain true to God's word and authentic with our fellow man. And so there’s a premium, as there always has been, on authentic leadership among God's people.
Leadership will always parallel how valued the people feel by those who are leading them. John Maxwell once said, "To add value to others, one must first value others." And, the context of today's text is right in the middle of teaching which tells us to do just that.
In v.17 we read, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching."
In our text for today, the Apostle Paul begins with honoring elders. The word the Apostle uses here translated elder is the Greek word presbuteros which means one who is of a plurality of biblically qualified men who jointly shepherd and oversee a local body of believers. Our text emphasizes the teaching responsibility of those who are being used of God to lead the local church.
Now, in the Scripture we are presented a shared leadership model with a team approach concept. The Bible emphasizes a plurality of leadership who equally share the responsibilities of leadership, though our functions in specifics may be somewhat different. This shared leadership is the design of God. It wasn’t any different in Timothy’s day as it is today. There is wisdom in many counselors.
The Greek word used here for honor is timē which means respect or regard. This means we are supposed to show respect to the elder. This word, timē, also used in 1 Timothy 5:3 included the idea of remuneration for the work rendered. Today, we use the word honorarium to describe this practice.
When writing to the Corinthians, the Galatians and the Philippians, the Apostle Paul referred to money as fellowship. The sharing of money or having fellowship with an elder conveys a heart attitude, a motive, a sense of love and intimacy and spiritual significance. The bottom line here is that the one who has dedicated his life to the leadership of the sheep is to be honored in terms of respect and remuneration. The phrase double honor means generous respect and generous remuneration.
In v.18 we read, "For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages."
Here the Apostle quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 and Luke 10:7. The picture here is that if we have an ox grinding out grain and that ox is providing food for us, then we should allow the ox to eat. Paul is saying, "Don’t muzzle his mouth while he’s doing that, let him eat as he works."
The picture is that of a threshing floor where bundles of grain were thrown out on the threshing floor for the grain to be crushed under the feet of the ox and the grain would be released from the chaff. The threshing floors were built on a flat rock, high on a hill, so that the wind would blow the chaff away from the grain. And when the oxen had done his job, he would have separated the kernels from the chaff which would have been blown away from the wind. And, if an ox performed this work to produce food, then he was allowed to eat some of the grain.
God’s desire is that the full time worker is provided for and He moves the hearts of the people to have fellowship with the teacher. The Greek word misthos, “his wages” is used here in v.18. This is not a reward, it is a wage. The worker is due to pay for his work is the idea.
As you know, I taught Bible and coached at a local Christian school for thirty one years. Then, I decided the Lord would have me to begin a discipleship program for anyone who desired it. This meant that the expected and guaranteed salary from the school was going away. I have to say, it was a tough decision to step out in faith and trust the Lord. But, do you know what? The Lord has not missed a beat. I essentially receive every month the equivalent of what I received at that Christian school. And, I have discovered that just as the Lord met my needs while teacher there at the Christian school, He meets my needs now. The key? Walking in His will and being defined by His word.
