God For Sale

Modern "Christianity" -

The Selling Of God's Word!

By Hal Dekker

2013.05.20

Last page update: 2024.10:31

- Introduction

2 Cor. 2:17

Luke 12:33-34

- Is Mortalkind Supposed To Pay For God's Love, Mercy, And Grace?

Mat. 5:42-48

Mat. 6:1-4, 14-15, 19-21, 24, 31-33

Mat. 19:21

Mat. 10:8-10b

Luke 15:21

- What Is The Field Which Needs To Be Harvested With The Evangelism Of Christ Jesus? To Whom Was The Evangelism To Be Given?

Luke 14:12-14

1 Cor. 1:26-28

Luke 4:18-19

2 Tim. 3:16-17

Eph. 4:11-13

- Sola Scriptura?

Acts 2:44-47

Phil. 2:13

Acts 4:32-35

1 Cor. 16:1-4

3 John 1:1-8

* Heb. 10:35 - Heb. 11:1-4 - Walking by Belief, Not by Sight

- Leadership and Followership Are All To Work With Their Own Hands For Their Own Personal Needs And Necessities!

Acts 8:9-24

Titus 1:7-11

Titus 2:7-14

Titus 3:14

* 1 Thes. 2:1-10 needs to be added

1 Thes. 4:9-12

2 Thes. 3:6-14

Acts 18:1-3

1 Cor. 4:12a

1 Cor. 9:1-25

* 2 Cor. 8:3 needs to be added

Heb. 13:10

Eph. 4:28

Acts 20:33-35

- Apostle Paul Accepts EMERGENCY Assistance From Macedonian Believers

* Phil. 4:10-18

* 2 Cor. 9:1-15 - to be like the example of the Macedonians, learning to give so God's grace can abound in your life. Apostle Paul himself had to learn this valuable lesson, to continue his personal ministry.

2 Cor. 11:7-9 - add verses and explanations through v10a. Did apostle Paul sin? Is the Truth of Christ not to take anything for doing his ministry?

2 Cor. 12:13-17

- Summary: May We Keep The Injunctions Of The Lord Of Us, Christ Jesus!

1 Pet. 1:14-19

1 John 2:3-5

1 John 3:21-24

1 John 5:2-3

2 John 1:6

John 14:15, 21

John 15:10, 14

Introduction

According to the copies of the biblical Greek texts, and not according to severely theologically paraphrased English translations, God himself, his Word, his love, mercy, and grace, the knowledge of our heavenly Father's great and precious promises under his new covenant, and anything else of the household of God, are absolutely not to be sold! But, they are to be given away gratuitously, freely, without a charge of any kind!

Apostle Paul said, he speaking of himself and for all apostles and disciples of Christ Jesus:

2 Cor. 2:17 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) we are (esmen) absolutely not (ou) as (hōs) many (polloi) [brothers, v1:8, RE], selling (kapēleuontes) the (ton) Word (logon) of the (tou) God (theou)!

BUT (all’), as (hōs) out (ex) of clear judgment (eilikrineias), BUT (all’), as (hōs) out (ek) of God (theou), down opposite in front (katenanti) of God (theou), in (en) Christ (Christō) we speak (laloumen)!

Apostle Paul says they absolutely do not speak the Word of the God because they are paid! They are not selling the Word of God! BUT, they speak out of the authority of God, in Christ! Their love for the God, his son Christ Jesus, and their fellow man was their motivation (2 Cor. 2:4).

The point blank force of this truth has been paraphrased, watered down, diluted, adulterated, moderated, toned down, and thereby obfuscated from being recognized by readers in most all Bible translations. If you look in Bible Hub to see how 2 Cor. 2:17 was translated in many other Bible translations, you'll notice that older Bible translations used the words corrupt and adulterating, and more relatively recent translations use the word peddling.

Paraphrasing or creatively "synonyming" this verse seems coincidentally convenient for those who desire to barter, trade, sell the things of God to make an income or paycheck off of them. As you shall see, if your conscience can stand to see it in God's Word, there are translations which paraphrase verses like this one, throughout God's Word, into oblivion, and which sometimes make them say even the opposite of what the ancient writers actually wrote.

In 2 Cor. 2:17 it's that specific Greek word kapēleuontes, meaning selling, a present tense, active voice, nominative case participle in masculine, first person plural form, which word, apparently all of Christianity doesn't like. The actual inflected form of this word, its specific spelling, states by its use in the text that the selling, retailing and/or bartering of God's Word for goods and services is already on-going, as if selling God's Word is already a popular reality, as it certainly is!

Disciple Luke, in his book, gave us an insight into one of the primary motivations driving the words and actions of the Pharisees in Jesus' earthly ministry about 2,000 years ago:

Luke 16:14 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) all (panta) of the (hoi) Pharisees (Pharisaioi) hearing (ēkouon) these things (tauta) are being under control (huparchontes) of lovers of silver (philarguroi).

And (kai) they were snooting him out¹⁵⁹² (exemuktērizon auton).

Luke's statement in Luke 16:14 indicates to me that there were very wealthy people in Israel at that time who were monetarily controlling what the Pharisees said and did. In my opinion, nothing has changed today from those days. You pick the subject matter, over which there are always wealthy people in the background passing out money to influence and coerce people into doing what they want other people to say and do. Given the abundance of erroneous paraphrases I "see" in virtually all Bible translations, paraphrases used to replace what the biblical writers actually wrote, there must be many people, people involved in Bible translation, who are making a lot of money selling their paraphrases to Bible publishers, who we know are virtually all into selling Bibles to make a profit.

Oh, you believe there are no "silver lovers" now in our day and time, who are trying to make as much money as they can from selling the things of the God to people searching for him! I believe Jesus Christ shall hold each and every mortal personally accountable/responsible for their words and actions. Warnings about this to readers, about living to satisfy the lusts of the flesh, abound throughout God's Word.

In Christianity today almost every so-called apostle, prophet evangelist, pastor and teacher wants to be paid cash to lift a finger to do anything for the God, for his son Christ Jesus, and for the followers of Jesus Christ, instead of working a secular job with their own two hands to earn money for their own personal needs. They want to be paid cash to help you learn and grow spiritually! In other words, they want to sell the things of God to you! So then, are they freely giving to you their love, God's love, the love of Jesus Christ, or are they selling love to you? So then, when they practice things benevolent toward you, are they freely giving those things of God to you, or are they selling those benevolent things to you? How do you know for which reason it is?

Apostle Paul stated that reality truthfully, and accurately, since under the old Mosaic covenant the Levitical priesthood legitimately passed the plate for some income, since they were prohibited from doing anything else but their priestly duties under that specific covenant. But under God's new covenant Levitical priests are no longer needed, since all of the old covenant sacrifices are no longer needed. Jesus Christ's self-sacrifice and death was the last final sacrifice for all for all time. If you go back and read about the injunctions of the Mosaic Law and realize that all of those rituals related to various required sacrifices are no longer necessary, and then notice what remains of that covenant if those rituals are discontinued, all that are left are statements about the characteristics of the God's righteous heart and desire, which things shall never change, but are a part of God's new covenant also.

Under the new covenant the new permanent dwelling place of the God, his prophesied true "house", is absolutely not, and has never been, man-made buildings, buildings made with mortal's hands, but is now the one body of Christ. Under God's new covenant the members of the one body of Christ (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, Eph. 4:11) are the replacements for the Levitical priesthood under the old Mosaic Law covenant (Heb. 7, 7:20, 23; 1 Pet. 2:5-9). Similar to the duties of the Levites to keep and maintain the temples of the God, under the new covenant each member of the one body of Christ is responsible to care for and maintain his own house/temple, his own personal being, in which God's holy Spirit now dwells within. Each believer in the one body of Christ is now an individual house/temple of God, of God's one holy Spirit.

For how Christ Jesus' disciples and apostles are to conduct themselves under God's new covenant in Jesus' shed blood and death, Jesus said, "You received gratuitously, give gratuitously" (Mat. 10:8e). Gratuitously means freely, at no cost whatsoever, no strings attached, free! Apostles John and Paul also wrote about how the things of God, through the grace of God, are given to us freely (Rom. 3:24, 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:12; 2 Cor. 11:7; Rev. 21:6, 22:17).

In Bible Hub in 2 Cor. 2:17 please notice in the first set of the following Bible translations, how most of them seem to imitate the erroneous paraphrase the KJV translators forced into their translation. This is not coincidental, to erroneously paraphrase the verse into being about corrupting God's Word instead of the topic of selling God's Word.

ASV - "For we are not as the many, corrupting the word of God:"

KJV - "For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God:"

Douay - "for we are not as many, adulterating the word of god:"

Philips - "We are not like that large number who corrupt the Word of God."

RWebster - "For we are not as many, who corrupt the word of God:"

Tyndale - "For we are not as many are which chop and change with the word of God:"

In these following translations of 2 Cor. 2:17 the translators are more honest, but still can't stop themselves from paraphrasing apostle Paul, instead of simply quoting him as in the LIT.

Darby - "for we do not, as the many, make a trade of the word of god;"

JB2000 - "For we are not as many, false merchandisers of the word of God,"

NKJV - "For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God;"

NIV - "Unlike so many, we do not peddle the Word of God for profit."

Rotherham - "For we are not, as the many, driving a petty trade with the word of God;"

RSV - "for we are not, like so many, peddlers of god’s word;"

Weymouth - "we are; for, unlike most teachers, we are not fraudulent hucksters of god’s message;"

As we can see the second set of translations are quite a bit more honest, being truer in their preservation of the meaning of apostle Paul's specific use of the word kapēleuontes. However, they still can't help themselves from paraphrasing, rather than simply quoting apostle Paul.

In the first set of "translations" the translators totally hid the idea of selling or retailing God's Word for money or other personally usable goods, and lie to their readers to cause them to believe that apostle Paul was talking about corrupting somehow the veracity of God's Word, which is exactly what those translators and translations did to this verse in 2 Cor. 2:17!

For the remainder of the verses I present throughout this study, if you wish to take the time to actually look at the Greek texts to see what the ancient writers actually wrote, you'll see that this blatant corruption of God's Word is more or less systemic throughout virtually all English translations of the Bible. And so thusly this is how the truth of God's Word is removed from our eyes, and thusly removed from being a contradiction and obstacle in the way of passing the plate.

However, collecting money and goods for the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, for anyone who can't possibly work with their own hands to adequately provide for their own necessary needs, according to God's Word, is highly encouraged. And the ones giving those things demonstrate the love, mercy, and grace and godliness of God in their lives!

All believers who can, in both leadership and followership, are to work with their own hands to provide for their own personal needs, using God's gift of his holy Spirit within them, to manifest God's sufficiency for them in their own lives. Remember that part of the Truth of God's Word which believers are to believe, one of those great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4) about our heavenly Father becoming our sufficiency in all things (2 Cor. 3:5, 9:8, *12:9)?

What I'm going to show you is that under the new covenant, starting with what Christ Jesus preached and taught, and then what Paul and the other apostles preached and taught, the biblical texts clearly state that everyone in the one body of Christ, both leadership and followership, are to work with their own hands for their own necessary needs, unless one can't possibly do that. That is what Jesus Christ and his apostles preached and taught, and that is what this study abundantly and clearly shows out of the holy scriptures.

My goal is to scripturally show to anyone who dares to read it, or who can stand to read it, given their own conscience, exactly what the writers of the holy scriptures have actually wrote about receiving a payment for speaking, preaching and teaching the things of the Word of God. I shall quote for you, through presenting the Literal Idiomatic Translation (LIT), exactly what the ancient writers wrote, so there can be no obfuscation, no "smoke", no confusion remaining whatsoever about the truth about selling the Word of God.

In great contrast to modern Levitical "church" practice, and the on-going paraphrasing and sculpting of "translations", the truth in the copies of the ancient texts of the Bible about selling God's Word is point blank in our faces. It will be shocking to some who may be knowledgeable of oral tradition, but who may be ignorant of what the ancient writers actually wrote.

This study presents an inconvenient and shocking truth to most all who read it, since the error of modern "Christianity" is so great in contrast to what the apostles wrote about selling the things of God, God's love, mercy, and grace. Are so called "church leaders" selling God's, or even their own, love, mercy and grace, to others? When the plate is invariably passed, exactly what is sold and what isn't sold?

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The subject of selling God's Word is related to the supposed legitimate subject of "new covenant tithing". But scripturally, the ancient writers deal with the new covenant concept of giving out of love to those who have need, in a context totally divorced from the old covenant of giving a tenth to support the old Levitical priesthood and the maintenance and upkeep of a physical temple. Giving out of one's love under the new covenant deals more specifically with the aspect of who is eligible to receive those things given by the one body of Christ, the things given to move forward the Evangelism of Jesus Christ, which recipients should specifically be the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, anyone ill (Mat. 15:30-31; Luke 7:22, 14:13, 21; John 5:3), anyone who can't possibly work with their own hands to adequately provide for their own necessary needs.

The old covenant is over, it's gone. There is no more Levitical priesthood. And there is no longer the need for a temple built with mortal's hands, since the bodies of born above believers are collectively the new temple of God (Mark 14:58; John 2:19-21; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21)! Tithing under the old covenant law is no longer necessary, since each born from above believer is the high priest (1 Pet. 2:5-9) of his or her own temple of God, of his own physical body, and each one is required to finance his own maintenance and upkeep, each one of us for ourselves! The one body of Christ is the prophesied new temple of God, built without mortals' hands, but built by the hand of God (Heb. 8:2; Exod. 15:17; Acts 17:24; Isa. 66:1-2; Acts 7:47-50; Exod. 25:22).

The new covenant in Jesus' shed blood is now in effect (Isa. 27:9, 59:20-21; Acts 10:43; Rom. 11:26-27; Heb. chaps. 8-10). There is no longer a law requiring tithing to a Levitical priesthood to support them, or tithing to maintain a physical building to accommodate God's visitations and all of the priestly functions required under the old covenant (Heb. 7:1-28). Under the new covenant put through in Jesus Christ's shed blood, Jesus has already fully "tithed", or "tenthed", for us, using his own tortured physical body and shed blood, and subsequent death. Jesus Christ already "paid" for everything for us. ALL of God's love, mercy and grace, his great and precious promises for our health and wholeness, it's ALL already fully paid for for us, through Christ Jesus' death!

I have noticed, and so have you, that preachers, pastors, and/or any kind of leadership who come out of training in seminary, or virtually any institution for religious training, automatically expect to receive a payment for giving the things of God to God's children, the things of their own heavenly Father, cutting themselves in as a middle-man. They automatically expect to receive (please pardon my directness) a paycheck, to call it what it really is, out of the hands of God's hard working children, through selling to them the things of their own heavenly Father, what they should already have coming to them freely as their inheritance! There is no record in the new covenant biblical texts of an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher selling the love, grace, mercy, knowledge and/or holy Spirit of the God. Jesus Christ and his disciples and apostles gave away almost everything they had, almost the shirts off of their backs.

This is what apostle Paul finally learned during his first itinerary from thinking about the meaning of what Jesus said to his apostles and disciples, "You received gratuitously, give gratuitously" (Mat. 10:8e), and what other apostles preached, taught and wrote (Rom. 3:24, 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:12; 2 Cor. 2:17, 11:7; Rev. 21:6, 22:17).

What did Christ Jesus preach and teach to all, including, and especially to his disciples?

Luke 12:33 (LIT/UBS4) Sell (pōlēsate) the (ta) things being under control (huparchonta) of you (humōn) and (kai) give (dote) [an] act of mercy (eleēmosunēn).

Make (poiēsate) collection bags (ballantia) for yourselves (heautois) not (mē) being made old (palaioumena), for [a] treasure (thēsauron) in (en) the (tois) heavens (ouranois) unable to be used up (anekleipton);

where (hopou) absolutely neither (ouk) [a] thief (kleptēs) comes near¹⁴⁴⁸ (engizei), but absolutely nor (oude) [a] moth⁴⁵⁹⁷ (sēs) thoroughly corrupts (diaphtheirei)!

These are heavenly collection bags to hold the rewards a believer may earn now while here upon earth waiting for Christ's return for his one body. Your bags will hold the treasure rewarded to you in the heavens, treasure which in the future will never be able to be used up!

Luke 12:34 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) where (hopou) the (hē) heart (kardia) of you (humōn) is (estin), there (ekei) he (ho) treasure (thēsauros) also (kai) of you (humōn) shall cause itself to be (estai).

What Jesus said here in Luke 12:34 I see as a little test of sorts, to challenge believers to discover where their own heads/hearts are at. If in the heart of a believer that believer cares for worldly things, then to that extent that believer shall want to receive earthly rewards here and now. But if a believer's heart is into heavenly things then that believer shall be concerned with earning heavenly rewards, and that's where a believer's reward treasure shall be stored, and where nothing can steal it.

So is the "treasure", which shall pay for the personal needs of food, clothing and shelter for church leadership, in the collection plate, or is it in heaven? If it's in the collection plate then that's where the heart's desire of church leadership is, it's in the collection plate, according to Luke 12:33-34!

You church leaders, ones who covet the abundance and wealth of others who work for it with their own two hands, you who teach, insinuate, suggest that the old covenant law of giving a tenth is still in place, and then use a collection plate to gather others' wealth under that false pretense, please read carefully Luke 12:15-29, in the LIT where the translation has not already been conveniently fudged for church leadership!

Christ Jesus preached and taught people to make heavenly collection bags, not earthly ones! The Greek texts speak clearly and loudly in these passages, which passages I've shown and listed, and which passages must be considered to be God's Word. Does fudging into oblivion, in Bible translations, what Jesus Christ said or what his apostles wrote, indemnify us from being personally responsible for both believing and doing God's Word? I think you know the answer as well as I do, no! I believe the old saying, "There's no excuse for ignorance of the law" is biblically based.

Out of the holy scriptures I'll present some of the most relevant passages about this vital subject, in somewhat chronological order in which those associated scriptural events occurred, or in the order in which those associated events were recorded in the holy scriptures. Under God's new covenant, which covenant we are all now under, means almost everything in defining what kind of ongoing spiritual relationship, what kind of fellowship, we are to have with our heavenly Father and his son, Christ Jesus.

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Is Mortalkind Supposed To Pay For God's Love, Mercy, And Grace?

According to holy scriptures, from which we should read out of and not into, if under the new covenant people wish to build a building in which they can meet, scripturally that's fine, as long as they know and understand that that building, under the new covenant, is absolutely not a temple of God in any way whatsoever;

and that it is absolutely not equivalent in purpose to the old covenant temple in Jerusalem, or the tabernacle in the wilderness of the exodus;

and that church leadership is absolutely not related to the old covenant Levitical priesthood in any way, shape or form;

and that the old covenant law of giving a tenth of one's wealth to support the Levitical priesthood and the maintenance of a temple is absolutely no longer required, since they no longer exist;

and that the old covenant is absolutely no longer in effect, and has long ago passed away into history, since Jesus has put through a new covenant for all mortalkind through his own voluntary sacrifice of himself and his own shed blood and death, about two thousand years ago already.

Church leadership, through continually practicing the things of the old covenant of law, and thereby teaching those things as being relevant now, subvert and side-step the teaching and practice of the new covenant of belief (Rom. 3-4)!

In Mat. 5:42-48 Jesus Christ preached about giving (v42) to others out of Godly love in one's heart. Should what Jesus preached and taught apply to everyone except church leadership? I say no, but I say emphatically, it should apply especially to church leadership who should be setting the examples with their own words and actions.

Jesus Christ speaking to the crowds on a mountainside said:

Mat. 5:42 (LIT/UBS4) To the (tō) [brother, v24, ER] requesting (aitounti) of you (se), “give” (dos), and (kai) of the (ton) [brother, v24, ER] desiring (thelonta) himself to borrow (danisasthai) from (apo) you (sou), may you not turn away (mē apostraphēs)!

And Jesus framed giving in two different contexts of love:

Mat. 5:43 (LIT/UBS4) You heard (ēkousate) that (hoti) it was stated (errethē), ‘Love (agapēseis) the (ton) neighborly (plēsion) [brother, v24, ER] of you (sou), and (kai) despise (misēseis) the (ton) hateful (echthron) [brother, v24, ER] of you (sou).’

Mat. 5:44 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) I (egō) say (legō) to you (humin), love (agapate) the (tous) hateful (echthrous) [brother, v24, ER] of you (humōn), and (kai) cause yourselves to be well-thankful to⁴³³⁶ (proseuchesthe) [God, AE] over (huper) [the sake, AE] of the (tōn) [hateful, RE] [brothers, v24, ER] pursuing (diōkontōn) you (humas);

1. giving to others who only love you back (v43),

2. and giving to others whether they love or hate you (v44).

The second kind of love, which Jesus teaches is the Godly kind of love, the kind of love which God demonstrated toward mortalkind as described in John 3:16 (agapaō, ēgapēsen), is the kind of love which when demonstrated leads a believer into becoming a son of God (v45), i.e. receiving a new birth above in God's gift of his holy Spirit (John chap. 3; Acts chap. 2; Rom. 10:9-10), completeness (v48).

Mat. 5:45 (LIT/UBS4) it so being that (hopōs) you may cause yourselves to become (genēsthe) sons (huioi) of the (tou) Father (patros) of you (humōn), of the one (tou) in (en) [the] heavens (ouranois).

Because (hoti) the (ton) sun (hēlion) of him (autou) rises up (anatellei) over (epi) evil ones (ponērous) and (kai) good ones (agathous);

and (kai) it rains (brechei) over (epi) righteous ones (dikaious) and (kai) unrighteous ones (adikous).

The first kind of love, which is the kind of love where people love only those who love them, which is the kind of love common to all sin nature-based mortalkind, does not lead to becoming a son of God, and additionally earns no wages/rewards in heaven from God for doing good works (v46; Mat. 5:12).

Mat. 5:46 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) if perhaps (ean) you may love (agapēsēte) the ones (tous) loving (agapōntas) you (humas), what (tina) wage (misthon) do you have (echete)?

<Do> the (hoi) termination-tax collectors⁵⁰⁵⁷ (telōnai) also (kai) absolutely not (ouchi) do (poiousin) the (to) same (auto)!?

Mat. 5:47 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) if perhaps (ean) you may cause yourselves to embrace (aspasēsthe) the (tous) brothers (adelphous) of you (humōn) only (monon), what thing (ti) around abundantly (perisson) do you do (poieite)?

<Do> the (hoi) ethnic groups (ethnikoi) also (kai) absolutely not (ouchi) do (poiousin) the (to) same (auto)!?

Therefore, if any believing disciple of Christ Jesus wishes to become discipled all the way to becoming a complete disciple, he must learn and demonstrate giving to others out of the second kind of love, demonstrating a love which loves either loved ones or hated ones.

Mat. 5:48 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), you (humeis) shall cause yourselves to be (esesthe) complete (teleioi) as (hōs) the (ho) Father (patēr) of you (humōn), the (to) heavenly one (ouranois), is (estin) complete (teleios).

Wow! Complete as the heavenly Father? Through loving those who are not our brothers, even the hated ones (v44), we are to cause ourselves to be complete as the heavenly Father of us, the God? It must be possible, or else why would Jesus Christ have stated that we shall cause ourselves to be complete? This is an obvious scriptural statement of a personal practice which produces great wages and rewards for us in both heaven and now here upon earth.

Therefore, a disciple who desires to become complete, who desires to become a son of God, demonstrates that completeness and sonship through giving to anyone, to ones loved or hated, to ones who love or hate us, which giving demonstrates the Godly kind of love, the John 3:16 kind of love of God (See also 1 Cor. 13:1-8; 1 John 4:7, 12).

Incidentally, here in the book of Matthew chapters 5-7 are one and the same preaching and teaching event of Jesus. Contextually, they could or should all be considered as one logical unit of orthodox teaching, on the subject thread of one giving out of the motivation of the love of God in one's heart. Readers should treat all three chapters as a whole to better assimilate the various scriptural and spiritual truths within them into the whole context into which they all belong together, which context is all about our heavenly Father's love and mercy toward us, which we should demonstrate toward one another, in all things. Church leadership especially should demonstrate our heavenly Father's kind of love and mercy, to others.

Mat. 6:1 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) pay attention to (prosechete) the (tēn) righteousness (dikaiosunēn) of you (humōn), not (mē) to do (poiein) [the righteousness of you, RE] in front (emprosthen) of the (tōn) mortals (anthrōpōn) for them (autois), toward (pros) [the sake, AE] of the (to) [righteousness of you, RE] [not, RE] to be made [a] theatrical performance (theathēnai).

Isn't Jesus' reference here to Judean leadership, the Pharisees and others? He doesn't want the leadership in his own one body acting out of the same selfish motivations and false love as they do. Isn't giving to others to receive adoration from them giving out of the wrong kind of love? Therefore, isn't giving to receive anything back from others giving out of the wrong kind of love, especially to receive money!?

But (de) if (ei) indeed (ge) [you do, RE] not (mē) [pay attention to the righteousness of you, RE], you absolutely do not hold (ouk echete) a wage (misthon) alongside³⁸⁴⁴ (para) the (tō) Father (patri) of you (humōn), the one (tō) in (en) the (tois) heavens (ouranois)!

If giving to others the knowledge of God's Word in order to receive back adoration from them, or to barter anything from them, forfeits heavenly rewards, and earthly rewards as well as we shall see, then how's that motivation of heart in giving based upon Godly love and mercy?

Isn't the desire to receive something back the motivation of heart which demonstrates that a disciple is not demonstrating the Godly kind of love in their acts of giving and other merciful acts, and the very thing which forfeits one's earning heavenly rewards from God the Father? Is God's righteousness for sale? Is your own righteousness for sale? In the church of the one body of Christ is the time and knowledge of God's Word to be sold and purchased? Does the mercy of God still have a price on its head, a price which others desire for you to put into their collection plates, which price has already been paid in full with Jesus' shed blood?

Mat. 6:2 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), when perhaps (hotan) you may do (poiēs) [an] act of mercy (eleēmosunēn) do not trumpet (mē salpisēs) [it, AE] in front (emprosthen) of you (sou), as (hōsper) the (hoi) actors (hupokritai) do (poiousin) in (en) the (tais) synagogues (sunagōgais) and (kai) in (en) the (tais) lanes (rhumais);

it so being that (hopōs) they may be glorified (doxasthōsin) under (hupo) [authority, AE] of the (tōn) mortals (anthrōpōn).

Truly (amēn) I say (legō) to you (humin), they hold away from (apechousin) the (ton) wage (misthon) of them (autōn)!

In these last two verses, Mat. 6:1-2, isn't Jesus speaking about searching for an earthly reward, which desire for an earthly reward forfeits what would have been a heavenly reward? The subject of losing a heavenly reward on account of desiring an instant earthly reward is written about in the new covenant writings by all of the writers/apostles of Jesus Christ.

See Luke 6:32-38 for parallel passages to these verses, about giving out of the love of God in your heart and expecting nothing in return except a heavenly wage (Luke 6:34-35), to be paid at Christ's return for his one body (Mat. 16:27; Col. 3:24; 2 John 1:8; Rev. 11:18, *22:12)!

Isn't giving or doing something for someone, which giving or doing is done in such a way that it forfeits one's heavenly reward, done out of mortal-based love in a person's heart rather than the Godly kind of love? Isn't that what Jesus has taught us so far?

So then, isn't it a scriptural fact that we can lose or forfeit a heavenly reward intrinsically tied to how we choose to demonstrate our own righteousness? Jesus told us to pay attention to our own demonstration of our righteousness, not to demonstrate a poor example of it (Mat. 6:1).

So then, we absolutely cannot conclude that our loss or forfeiture of a heavenly reward is on account of our heavenly Father's approval of our conduct, as we demonstrate our own incomplete righteousness!

Mat. 6:3 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) of you (sou) doing (poiountos) [an] act of mercy (eleēmosunēn), <do not let> the (hē) left (aristera) [hand, v5:30, RE] of you (sou) know (mē gnōtō) what (ti) the (hē) right (dexia) [hand, v5:30, RE] of you (sou) does (poiei);

According to ancient Hebrew customs the right hand of a man is the hand which was used for blessing others. While the left hand was the hand used to indicate the cursing of others. Even today we in modern Western cultures have been accustomed to using the right hand in handshaking to extend our feelings of welcome and respect to another, while indicating also our goodwill toward them to deal with them truthfully and honorably.

In Western cultures we obviously don't normally use both hands simultaneously, extending the right hand to welcome someone, and offer respect and goodwill to them, while at the same time holding up in the air the left hand of cursing.

When doing merciful things for people we should hold out only one hand, the right hand. We shouldn't hold out the right hand to give people something of God, while holding out the left hand to pass the plate to them to make them give something of it back! That sends a clear message to God and everyone about what is in your "secret place", your heart.

Mat. 6:4 (LIT/UBS4) it so being that (hopōs) the (hē) act of mercy (eleēmosunē) of you (sou) may be (ē) [done, v3, RE] in (en) the (tō) hidden place (kruptō).

And (kai) the (ho) Father (patēr) of you (sou), the one (ho) looking (blepōn) in (en) the (tō) hidden place (kruptō), he shall give away (apodōsei) [a wage, v2, RE] to you (soi).

The hidden place of us is our heart, the core of our minds from where our motivations come for everything we think, say and do. If we keep in our hearts a desire to give and to do gracious things for others without expecting anything in return, then Christ Jesus promises us, both here and in other writings, that our heavenly Father shall absolutely reward us for that kind of giving, rewarding us both heavenly, and openly here on earth now.

In Mat. 6:14-15 is Jesus Christ preaching and teaching that we should forgive others because they pay us to forgive them? Absolutely not!

In Mat. 6:19-21 Jesus Christ again reiterates that we are to accumulate treasures in heaven through giving and doing gracious things for others out of the Godly kind of love in our hearts; else where is the demonstration and proof of the Godly kind of love in our hearts? Else where's our demonstration of Godly righteousness?

In Mat. 6:24, all of you who wish to receive something back for giving and doing for others in the name of your supposed heavenly Father, while holding out both the right hand and the left hand simultaneously, for whom are you slaving, for your heavenly Father or for yourself?

In Mat. 6:25-34 Jesus Christ promises that all of a disciple's earthly needs shall be supplied to him or her by the heavenly Father, for giving and doing for others out of the Godly kind of love in one's heart. So then, church leadership has no need to pass the plate for a paycheck unless they are actually not believing God's great and precious promises. So then, what all does passing the plate indicate, if at least it indicates that leadership is not believing God to be his or her sufficiency? It at least indicates a serious spiritual conflict of interest, does it not?

In Mat. 6:33 Jesus Christ preaches and teaches that the key to a disciple of Christ Jesus and a son of God receiving his or her own personal needs from our heavenly Father is to search first for the Kingdom of the God. This is a very important key verse!

How can a leader who cannot believe God's promise to be his sufficiency demonstrate the kind of leadership necessary to lead others into the knowledge, understanding and belief of God's new covenant great and precious promises, which new covenant knowledge and belief have everything to do with a believer receiving those things coming to pass in his life both now and in the future!? Shouldn't a leader be demonstrating this in his own life first? Isn't that what Jesus and his apostles teach throughout the new covenant texts about requirements for leadership?

Mat 6:31 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), do not worry (mē merimnēsēte), saying (legontes), ‘What (ti) may we eat (phagōmen)?’, or (ē), ‘What (ti) may we drink (piōmen)?’, or (ē), ‘What (ti) [robe, v30] may we throw around ourselves⁴⁰¹⁶ (peribalōmetha)?’,

Mat. 6:32 (LIT/UBS4) because (gar) the (ta) ethnic groups (ethnē) search over (epizētousin) [the sake, AE] of all (panta) of these things (tauta);

because (gar) the (ho) Father (patēr) of you (humōn), the (ho) heavenly one (ouranios), has seen (oiden) that (hoti) you need (chrēzete) absolutely all (hapantōn) of these things (toutōn)!

Mat. 6:33 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) search (zēteite) first (prōton) for the (tēn) Kingdom⁹³² (basileian) of the (tou) God (theou), and (kai) the (tēn) righteousness together with (dikaiosunēn) him (autou), and (kai) all (panta) these things (tauta) shall be added (prostethēsetai) to you (humin).

Most all "Christianity" teaches that the Kingdom of the God is coming in the future, so forget about it for now. But that's not what Christ Jesus and his apostles taught! Someone must be lying about what is the true orthodoxy of Christ Jesus. Christ Jesus taught that every believer is to be searching first for the Kingdom of the God (Mat. 6:33; Luke 12:31), NOW, right NOW, if he or she expects God to be his or her sufficiency for all of their own needs. God's Kingdom must be able to be found, or else why would Jesus Christ tell us to seek for it? And when found it must become cognitively obvious to us that we've found it, or else how would we know that we've found it so we can stop searching? And if we've never searched for it, and have never found it, then how can God subsequently add to us all of the other things we need?

In the Christianity we have in the world today, every Sunday church leadership says again:

"I know you've all worked very hard last week, but please put some of your hard-earned money in the plate for me this week, because I need a paycheck, and I'm too anemic in my own personal belief to read and discover how our heavenly Father can be my own sufficiency too! Please help me, please! I'll trade you some knowledge of God's Word, a smile and a pat on the back if you give me some of your money! Okay!?"

Jesus promises that if we are motivated in our hearts to first search out to discover the Kingdom of the God then he shall be our sufficiency, and then we shall have an abundance to give to others out of the true love of God in our hearts, not expecting anything in return.

This is how we are to become complete in our discipleship to Christ Jesus. Apostle Paul taught that through the demonstration of the Godly kind of love in our hearts that this is how we become complete, complete in the measure of the fullness of the maturity of the Christ (Eph. 4:11-16).

We should give to whom?

Jesus Christ defines not only how we are to give of our own abundance, if we desire to do so, but he defines to whom we are to give it. In the holy writings Jesus states to whom we are to give of our abundance of whatever we may have, on account of the Godly kind of love in our own hearts. As we should expect, church leadership is not mentioned as being among those to whom we are to give of our abundance.

Jesus Christ, in all of his preaching and teaching about to whom we are to give and why, absolutely did not designate that church leadership are to be recipients of believer's abundant sharing. Jesus Christ specifically mentions, over and over, that believers are to give of their abundance to the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones. In fact, throughout the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and all of the remaining new covenant writings, we see records of Jesus and his apostles and disciples always giving away everything they have to the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, to the ones to whom they were preaching and teaching! Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples were certainly leadership, and instead of passing the plate to collect, they gave away almost all they had, acept for the clothes they were wearing.

Jesus Christ and his apostles gave away almost everything they had to the ones to whom they were preaching, to the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones. Jesus and his apostles taught that believers are to give of their abundance to ones who have mental and/or physical disabilities, because those disabilities make it very difficult, if not impossible, for them to work with their own hands to supply for their own personal needs of food, clothing and shelter.

Mat. 19:21 (LIT/UBS4) The (ho) Jesus (Iēsous) shed light⁵³⁴⁶ (ephē) to him (autō), “If (ei) you desire (theleis) to be (einai) complete (teleios), get underway (hupage);

sell (pōlēson) the (ta) things being under control (huparchonta) of you (sou) and (kai) give (dos) to the (tois) poor (ptōchois), and (kai) you shall have (hexeis) treasure (thēsauron) in (en) [the] heavens (ouranois).

And (kai) secondly (deuro), follow (akolouthei) me (moi)!”

If a disciple desires to become complete, to grow up into the fullness of the maturity of Christ, then Jesus teaches us to give the abundance we have to the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, as we'll see in many other passages coming up next.

*** But I'd like to make more obvious a very important axiom to which Jesus Christ's fundamental teachings point, especially his parables; and that is that we, disciples and believers in Christ Jesus, are to convert the monetary value of the abundance of our possessions over what we actually need, into the valuable exchange medium used in the Kingdom of the God, which exchange medium is the love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace of God in manifestation!

Jesus' parable in Mat. 18:22-35 is another wonderful parable about how disciples of Christ Jesus and sons of God can and should manifest God's Spirit and love within them to bring the Kingdom of the God into manifestation now, into this world. Jesus Christ in his parables talks about believers demonstrating love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace to others, to allow others to go free from whatever debt is owed, as the God allowed us to go free from the debt we owed, to go free on account of Christ Jesus paid that debt in full for us! Love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace are the exchange mediums in the Kingdom of the God.

*** Jesus Christ recognizes that we all have personal needs, for food, clothing and shelter, and that there is nothing wrong with using money to acquire those needs. But he preaches and teaches that we demonstrating the love of the God is even more valuable, and therefore even more needful, to all. And so therefore the love of the God is not only necessary in the hearts of disciples of Christ Jesus and sons of God to give according to Jesus' orthodoxy, but it is in fact the preferred, the necessary, and the required medium of exchange in the Kingdom of the God, under God's new covenant!

In this world (the cosmos) power and influence are commonly held through using money as the commonly preferred exchange medium. But Jesus Christ teaches that in both this cosmos and in the Kingdom of the God that spiritual power and influence are held through the use of the love of the God in manifestation, as the most important and effective medium of exchange between people. Because it is your desire to love others as God would love them, and you, which energizes his gift of his holy Spirit within you (1 Cor. 12)! This is how the God can be your sufficiency in all things, and you wouldn't need to pass the plate to collect money from others for a paycheck.

"Giving" is to be done Gratuitously

Jesus Christ told his twelve disciples when he sent them out:

Mat. 10:8 (LIT/UBS4) Give therapy (therapeuete) [to the ones, v6, RE] being disabled (asthenountas).

Awake (egeirete) dead ones (nekrous).

Cleanse (katharizete) leprous ones (leprous).

Throw out (ekballete) little demons (daimonia).

You received (elabete) gratuitously (dōrean), give (dote) gratuitously (dōrean)!

Mat. 10:9 (LIT/UBS4) Do not cause yourselves to acquire (mē ktēsēsthe) gold (chruson), but neither (mēde) silver (arguron), but neither (mēde) copper (chalkon) into (eis) the (tas) girdles (zōnas) of you (humōn);

Jesus taught his disciples not to accept any kind of a repayment, not gold, not silver, not copper, which were the common metals used to produce coinage for money. God can't/won't energize his Spirit in "leadership" which desires a paycheck more than desiring to grow into a complete new creation through giving the love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace of God to others, freely! But, how can they give God's love if his Spirit is not in them? Apostle Peter worked hard at growing up into a complete son of God (Eph. 4:13), and subsequently gave what he had in his possession (Acts 3:6).

Mat. 10:10a (LIT/UBS4) neither (mē) [carry, vMark 6:8, RE] [a] pouch (pēran) into (eis) [a] way (hodon), but neither (mēde) two (duo) shirts (chitōnas), but neither (mēde) under bindings (hupodēmata), but neither (mēde) [a] rod (rhabdon)!

Jesus absolutely did not send his disciples out there to acquire more personal possessions or money from people for doing the things he sent them out there to do. He expressively and clearly forbid it. Jesus sent them out there to love and give, and absolutely not to take anything in return. Jesus sent out his disciples not to fill a purse with money through selling the things of God. But just the opposite, they were to give away the things of God gratuitously, for free! This is how God's love, mercy, forgiveness and grace are to be demonstrated. This is how a disciple of Christ Jesus grows spiritually into completeness, through giving the love of God in them gratuitously.

Mat. 10:10b Because (gar) the (ho) worker (ergatēs) [is] one worthy (axios) of the (tēs) nourishment (trophēs) of him (autou).

"one worthy" - The meaning of this adjective, axios, is not quite the same now in our western culture as it was about two thousand years ago on the other side of the planet, in an ancient Middle Eastern culture. Scripturally, axios refers to one who is self-sufficient by whatever means, and more precisely, one who is equal to the task. Scripturally, one who is worthy is one who is filled with the knowledge of God's Word, and belief in it, and thereby doing those things pleasing in God's sight. It's one's comprehensive knowledge of God's Word out of one's love for it and belief in it which ultimately equips a believer with spiritual ability to be strong enough to do all things (Phil. 4:11-13), and which makes a disciple to become more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37).

The scriptural truth taught in every passage where axios is used, is that a disciple/believer of Christ Jesus is worthy of the nourishment of him; meaning, he is equal to the task of working with his own hands to earn his own living, being completely self-sufficient, on account of God's gift of his holy Spirit, the God-given "nourishment", working in and through a disciple/believer (1 Cor. 12). Without the God's holy Spirit within a believer, a person can do absolutely not one thing for the God. It's God's holy Spirit within a believer, and that believer choosing to love others with it, which energizes and makes a disciple/believer of Jesus Christ a worthy/able minister of the Evangelism of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ taught that a true disciple of him is capable, has the training, has the skills, has the God's gift of his holy Spirit working in and through a disciple, so a disciple can do work with his own hands to obtain the required necessities for his own personal needs, without needing to receive repayment for selling the things of God! Jesus taught his disciples to earn their own way as they went, through selling their own physical labor (not God's Word) to buy their own necessary things. They were absolutely not to collect gold, silver, copper, clothing or shoes from people as repayment to them for preaching and teaching them God's Word! And if they had any abundance left over beyond their own needs, they were to give that to the poor gratuitously, along with the Word of God they were preaching and teaching, for free!

Jesus' parable of the Kingdom of the Heavens (Mat. 22:1-14) being like a king (God our heavenly Father) who made marriage preparations for his son (Christ Jesus), specifically focuses upon the marriage preparation attendees, the one body of Christ, of each one making himself one worthy to serve the head of that one body, Christ Jesus. The children of Israel were called to the marriage feast but refused to come, because they couldn't prepare themselves in their hearts, they couldn't become worthy ones, with belief in their hearts toward God (Acts 13:45-46), the "King", and Father of the son (Mat. 22:8). And so the other ethnic groups were called to come to it, and some of them came. Of them one managed to get into the feast "unprepared", one not worthy to be there, one not "dressed" properly, not having belief in his heart toward God and his son Christ Jesus, which one was subsequently bound and thrown out.

This is why I believe that Jesus' statement in Mat. 10:10b, about a worker being worthy of the nourishment of him, means that a worker is one whose heart is full of belief to receive God's great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4) now available to any believer under his new covenant; a new covenant specifically designed by God so he could become a believer's complete sufficiency in any and all things pertaining to life and piety (2 Pet. 1:3). Jesus' reference to the "nourishment of him" is a reference to God's holy Spirit working in and through Jesus himself, so that Jesus could work with his own hands for his own own personal needs for food, clothing and shelter! God's holy Spirit working in a disciple/believer of Christ Jesus causes that believer to be equal to any God-given task which Christ Jesus may ask a believer to do in preaching and teaching the Evangelism of Jesus Christ in fulfillment of the present Ministry of Reconciliation.

Jesus was teaching and raising up his disciples to be workers who are worthy ones, ones capable with the inherent power of God's Spirit in them to supply their own personal needs, utilizing God's new covenant promises, and to receive "wages" from God for doing good works (Heb. 11:6); and on account of this to give therapy to weak ones not for repayment from them, or cleanse leprous ones not for repayment from them, or throw out little demons not for repayment from them, or preach God's Word not for repayment, or sell the things of God in any way for repayment! They were supposed to give away the things of God for free, no cost!

In Jesus' parable of a man's prodigal son (Luke 15:1-32), the son, after squandering all of his own goods and self-sufficiency given to him by his father, comes back to his father and says,

Luke 15:21 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) son (huios) enunciated (eipen) to him (autō), “Father (pater), I have sinned (hēmarton) into (eis) the (ton) heaven (ouranon) and (kai) in sight (enōpion) of you (sou).

I am (eimi) absolutely no longer yet (ouketi) one worthy (axios), to be called aloud (klēthēnai) ‘son’ (huios) of you (sou)!”

According to Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4-8 Jesus' disciples were to wait in Jerusalem to receive the power of God's gift of his holy Spirit into them, which would inherently power them to be properly outfitted/furnished witnesses of Jesus Christ, and of God's Word, for which Jesus Christ has prepared them, and into which ministry he sent them.

Back to Mat. 10:8...

"You have received gratuitously, give gratuitously" They received what, and how? Jesus Christ taught his disciples the knowledge of God's Word, particularly the prophesies of the promised coming redeemer, of Jesus Christ himself, who was sent to deliver people from the penalty of sin, and death. Jesus' disciples received that precious knowledge of God's Word, the knowledge of deliverance, and subsequently received their own salvation/wholeness for free! Jesus taught them for free. Jesus didn't pass the plate to his disciples, or anyone, ever, and then skim off from it for his own personal needs!

The poor and afflicted people, the ones who were willing to listen about Christ Jesus, received the knowledge of the evangelism of Christ Jesus gratuitously! They received it for free! God knows they couldn't afford to buy it, to pay for it. But they didn't need to because God so loved that he gave (John 3:16). How did God give? He gave gratuitously, out of his love, just as Jesus Christ gave, and just as he taught his disciples and us how to give! With the change in God's covenant in how he dealt with mortalkind, from the old covenant based upon works to the new covenant based upon one's belief in God's Word, what Jesus Christ and his disciples and apostles did was just the opposite of what the Levitical priesthood did under the old Mosaic Law covenant. Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples gave to poor people anything and everything they had! They never collected anything from anyone in exchange for the knowledge, love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of God, not one thing! If religious leaders are not willing to give the things of God freely, then how can God's grace be given away and passed out among the people?

The charge, the fee, which is collected in the plate which is passed, is used to replace God's grace. The God has already given to us his Word, through all of his mouthpieces, his prophets and his son Christ Jesus and his apostles and disciples, graciously, which means freely. They all taught it and preached it for free. But with the coming of Constantine's ultimatum to all Christians, to put money in his plate along with those of other religions, or else, and then he will let them live, now all phony religious leaders follow Constantine's successful example, and make themselves middlemen holding the preaching and teaching of God's Word hostage for the payoff.

In Mat. 17 Christ Jesus said there should be no charge for the children of the God (Mat. 17:24-27)! If the children of the Kings of the land can go from city to city without be required to pay a termination tax, essentially a tax charged upon entrance to a city to pay the king back for the money he spent to make that city's public facilities available to all, then why should the children of the King, the "King" in Jesus' parable being the God himself, pay an entrance fee, a tax, a charge of some kind from requiring people to put money in a passed plate, to enter into the kingdom of the God? Religious leaders are supposedly charging people for the knowledge of how to enter into the Kingdom of the God. But in fact, they are going so far as to teach people that the kingdom of the God is not now available to enter into, which may make their passing of the plate a little less repugnant, but not less repugnant by any amount visible in the plate.

The word translated gratuitously in the text of Mat. 10:8 is dōrean, the adverb form of the verb dōreomai, which means to give a gift! Dōrean is most often translated in many translations as freely. Jesus Christ instructed his disciples to give away God's Word, the knowledge of it, which when believed brings wholeness and salvation, freely! Give God's Word and his other gracious things away for free, gratuitously, and not for [a] repayment of some kind, (e.g., a paycheck, a donation, a fee, a tax, or thirty pieces of silver, or whatever you wish to call the charge religious leaders charge) for the knowledge, love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of God, which most all religious leaders sell, to repay themselves now, for their services rendered!

It amazes me that religious leaders would rather have cold, hard cash now, rather than wait for God's repayment back to them on his own terms. This indicates to me both their lack of knowledge in God's new covenant great and precious promises, and their subsequent lack of belief in God's Word in their hearts. But all of the false religious leaders in the world presently have things turned their way, as they continually try to collect every bit of wealth they can from their followers through implied lies, while erroneously and implicitly using old covenant references to make people feel both guilty and sinful if they don't do the old covenant required tithe of 10% of their income to those so-called "Christian" religious leaders.

The examples in the holy scriptures are for all believers to follow, beginning with the church leadership at the top of the chain of service (who are supposed to set the pattern to be followed and imitated by all) all the way to the least highly esteemed in the assembly. We all are to use God's gift of his holy Spirit to energize and boost our own talents and skills, or to make known to us some we didn't know we had, so we can use them effectively. We are to walk, i.e., think, say, and do, by the Spirit given to us through the grace of our heavenly Father, under his new covenant, not old covenant, to finance our own personal needs with God's gift of his holy Spirit working in and through us, so as not to sell the things of God. If a person doesn't have the God's gift of holy Spirit working in and through him, or refuses to learn how to use it as apostle Paul teaches us in all of his letters, then should that person be in a position of leadership? I don't think so. All of these kinds of religious leaders talk, talk, talk, but they can't walk the walk, which is why they need you to pay them money from your own hard work, which they also should be doing with their own two hands. These people are wolves in sheep's clothing; I don't care if they have a great big syrupy sweet smile on their faces, and they are all decked out in the latest religious clothing fashions.

All of the talk is very repugnant without the walk to go with it. All of that talk about the things of God is all an act, and purposely designed to mislead you into thinking they are something they are not, if they wish to be paid for not graciously giving to you the knowledge of God's Word for free. If any so-called Christian religious leaders are not working for you for free, then you know they are absolutely not who or what they claim or appear to be. It's a sales job! They are using the same old tried and retried sales job on you that they are somehow related to the Levitical priesthood under God's old covenant, which covenant has long since been replaced by God's new covenant which Jesus Christ put through for us in his own shed blood. Jesus Christ and all of his apostles and disciples thought that street clothes were just fine to work in. It is what they said and did, like giving to people everything they had, instead of collecting from them, and especially the signs and miracles which followed, which God gave to them through his son Jesus' preaching, which convinced people of their motives, so people could believe.

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What Is The Field Which Needs To Be Harvested With The Evangelism Of Christ Jesus?

To Whom Was The Evangelism To Be Given?

The evangelism of Jesus Christ was, and still is, to be preached especially to the to the poor, for free (Mat. 11:5; Luke 14:12-14, 7:22; 1 Cor. 1:26-29)! Why?

In Luke 14 Jesus Christ taught in the house of one of the chief Pharisees, into which house he was invited to eat bread on a sabbath day. Before Jesus begins teaching God sets the stage by first working in and through Jesus as his agent, to heal a man there who was apparently drinking bitter water (hudrōpikos) (v2), which, if so, is a common natural remedy known to be beneficial for a number of various ailments. The plant from which this bitter drink is made belongs to the family of Asteraceae. The bitter leaf plant is commonly referred to as ironweed, a plant with intensely purple flowers which later take on a rusty hue. Ancient and modern usage of this remedy includes making a tea from the leaves, and chewing both the stems and the leaves. The plant flourishes in a variety of climates. Now we'll see how God's healing of that bitter water drinker got everyone's attention to listen to what Jesus was going to say next.

Jesus taught that if anyone was to give a reception, call the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones to come to eat. And the one feeding them would be repaid for their service at the standing up (resurrection) of the righteous ones (Luke 14:14)! Jesus Christ taught not to receive repayment from them, but that God would repay them at the standing up of the righteous ones. Jesus taught them all publicly to wait to be repaid by God! That's the opposite of passing the plate to get cash now! If Jesus taught this to the Pharisee, and all others present there on that occasion, don't you think he taught this to his disciples as well, the ones who were to be the church leadership after his ascension?

Luke 14:12 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) he was speaking (elegen) to the one (tō) also (kai) having called him aloud (keklēkoti auton):

“When perhaps (hotan) you may make (poiēs) [a] breakfast (ariston), or (ē) [a] dinner (deipnon), do not call (mē phōnei) for the (tous) friends (philous) of you (sou), but nor (mēde) for the (tous) brothers (adelphous) of you (sou), but nor (mēde) for the (tous) genera together with (sungeneis) you (sou), but nor (mēde) for wealthy (plousious) neighbors (geitonas), whether or not in time (mēpote) they (autoi) also (kai) may call you aloud opposite (antikalesōsin se) [to them, AE] and (kai) it may cause itself to become (genētai) [a] repayment (antapodoma) to you (soi)!

Jesus Christ is deliberately teaching about the importance of not charging the target audience of the evangelism, the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, or anyone! We are to invite not family and friends, but the poor ones, crippled-up ones, lame ones, and blind ones because they are the ones who have needs, and they can't afford to pay us back for teaching them God's Word! Moreover, they are the ones apostle Paul says are much more likely to believe (1 Cor. 1:23-28), since God has chosen to specifically call them out!

Luke 14:13 (LIT/UBS4) BUT (all’) when perhaps (hotan) you may make (poiēs) [a] reception (dochēn), call aloud (kalei) poor ones (ptōchous), crippled-up ones (anapeirous), lame ones (chōlous), blind ones (tuphlous),

To the same ones to which Jesus Christ was sent to minister, he is sending his disciples and apostles also to minister. Look what apostle Paul said commenting on what he experienced and saw, about who were the ones believing the evangelism of Jesus Christ, the ones whom God was calling:

1 Cor. 1:26 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) look at (blepete) the (tēn) calling (klēsin) of you (humōn), brothers (adelphoi), that (hoti) down according to (kata) [the] flesh (sarka) [there, AE] [are] absolutely not (ou) many (polloi) wise ones (sophoi);

[there, AE] [are] absolutely not (ou) many (polloi) inherently powered ones (dunatoi);

[there, AE] [are] absolutely not (ou) many (polloi) well-begun ones (eugeneis)!

1 Cor. 1:27 (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), the (ho) God (theos) caused himself to call out (exelexato) the (ta) moronic ones (mōra) of the (tou) cosmos (kosmou), in order that (hina) he may put down to shame (kataischunē) the (tous) wise ones (sophous)!

And (kai) the (ho) God (theos) caused himself to call out (exelexato) the (ta) disabled ones (asthenē) of the (tou) cosmos (kosmou), in order that (hina) he may put down to shame (kataischunē) the (ta) strong ones (ischura)!

1 Cor. 1:28 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the (ta) unwell-begun ones (agenē) of the (tou) cosmos (kosmou), and (kai) the ones (ta) having been rejected as absolutely nothing (exouthenēmena), the (ho) God (theos) caused himself to call out (exelexato)!

And (kai) [the God caused himself to call out, RE] the ones (ta) not (mē) being (onta), in order that (hina) he may idle down²⁶⁷³ (katargēsē) the ones (ta) being (onta);

Back to Luke 14...

Luke 14:14a (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) you shall cause yourself to be (esē) [a] happier one (makarios) that (hoti) they absolutely do not have (ouk echousin) to repay (antapodounai) you (soi)!

Because (gar) it shall be repaid (antapodothēsetai) to you (soi) in (en) the (tē) standing up (anastasei) of the (tōn) of righteous ones (dikaiōn)!”

Why shall a disciple of Christ Jesus be a happier one now if he doesn't collect repayment from people for serving God and them in the Evangelism of Jesus Christ, the Ministry of Reconciliation? The implication is that the repayment God has in store, his inheritance which Christ shall share with his one body, is by far much greater than the cash you're going to collect now here on earth for charging people for God's love, grace, mercy, and knowledge of his Word! The implication is that the portion of inheritance which is to be given then, which is earned through doing good works, becomes forfeited for accepting repayment now while here on earth. By selling the love, mercy, grace, and knowledge of God's Word you've put a price on them, an extremely discounted value (Mat. 5:46, *6:1-34, 10:42, 16:27; *Luke 6:27-36; Rom. 4:4; 1 Cor. 3:8, 9:18; Col. 3:24; Heb. 11:26; 2 John 1:8; Rev. 11:18, 22:12).

We should be happy also that we are not placing an additional burden upon the ones to whom we are ministering, if we wish to be and remain pleasing in Jesus' and the Father's eyes! We should be happy and joyful about giving the things of God away for free, his love, mercy, forgiveness and grace! God so loved that he gave... (John 3:16)! And God's firstborn son, Jesus Christ, so loved that he gave also (John 13:1)! Now, likewise, we should so love that we give also (1 John 2:4-10, 4:7-21, 5:3), freely! The new medium of exchange under the new covenant in Jesus' shed blood is the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of the God, not money! The medium of exchange in the kingdom of God is love, the love of God manifested and working instrumentally in and through a believer as an agent of our heavenly Father! Through you selling the love, mercy, foregiveness and grace of the God, you've placed a value upon them, an extremely discounted value, which earthly value is all you're going to get, because the great heavenly rewards you would have earned, which rewards God's Word states are beyond our imagination (1 Cor. 2:9), have been forfeited on account of you accepting an earthly reward. I believe some Christian church leadership go for the quick earthly take on account of they can't spiritually "see" or understand the greatness of the heavenly rewards. And in addition to this, I believe that some church leadership go for the earthly take on account of they haven't yet believed or asked the God to energize his holy Spirit within them to show them how to use their own hands to earn and provide for their own living, and personal earthly needs.

Luke 14:14b (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) it shall be repaid (antapodothēsetai) to you (soi) in (en) the (tē) standing up (anastasei) of the (tōn) righteous ones (dikaiōn)!”

It's not only obvious that the poor ones, crippled-up ones, lame ones, and blind ones cannot afford to pay to support church leadership, but Jesus Christ plainly states that the repayment to church leadership, or anyone, for doing good works, and for doing all those things which are pleasing in God's sight, shall come to them from God himself, at the time of the standing up of the righteousness ones!

One more time: When shall those rewards be given to us? And who shall reward us? God shall give them to us at the standing up of the righteous ones, the ones who are the one body of Christ, which standing up is the first resurrection. That's God's plan for a disciple serving the God God's way. Those who don't like that plan want to be rewarded now, in cash! To me, this obviously calls into question the believability of the veracity and character of those "disciples" so eager to collect an earthly reward for loving others.

At Jesus' feeding of the crowd with the loaves and the fishes, Jesus told part of the crowd following him that they were following him only to fill their own bellies (John 6:24-27). Modern "Christianity" still insists upon believing that the first covenant, the Mosaic covenant, is still in effect now, and they preach and teach others that this is true, so that people will keep on putting money in the plate for the church leadership, who are absolutely not of the old testament Levitical priesthood. Everyone, now hear this, the old Mosaic covenant has been replaced by God's new covenant, put through by Jesus with his own shed blood, broken body, and death (Heb. 8:13). For the God's prophecy of his coming new covenant, see Jer. 31:31-34; 2 Cor. 3:2-3; Heb. 8:8-13, 10:16-17).

Luke 4:18 (LIT/UBS4) “Spirit (pneuma) of [the] Lord (kuriou, Adonay, YHWH) [is] upon (ep’) me (eme).

He christened (echrisen) me (me) on account (heineken) of which (hou) to cause myself to evangelize (euangelisasthai) to poor ones (ptōchois).

He has sent (apestalken) me (me) to preach (kēruxai) of [a] deliverance (aphesin) to ones captured at spear point (aichmalōtois);

and (kai) [to preach, RE] to blind ones (tuphlois) of [an] ability to look up (anablepsin);

to send (aposteilai) ones having been shattered (tethrausmenous) in (en) to [a] deliverance (aphesei);

Luke 4:19 (LIT/UBS4) to preach (kēruxai) [an] acceptable (dekton) year (eniauton) of [the] Lord (kuriou, YHWH).”

If you need to take repayment from others for giving to them the things of God, then you're not rising up to the standard of God's new covenant Word, to work with your own hands to supply the things for your own personal needs, and to be able to give to others out of your own abundance, which you are not believing to acquire for yourself! If anyone lacks, let him ask of God who gives freely, without indebtedness! (Mat. 6:8, 7:7-11, 18:19, 21:22; Luke 11:9-13; John 14:13-14, 15:7, 16, 16:23-26; *Eph. 3:20; *James 1:5-6, 4:2-3; 1 John 3:22, 5:14-16).

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Apostle Paul states that if any believer, any disciple of Christ Jesus, needs to become fully outfitted toward every good work for our heavenly Father, then the writings, the knowledge of God's Word in those writings, are profitable for teaching, for reproof, for straightening up and child training of one's self! Apostle Paul is talking about one's growth in his or her own discipleship.

2 Tim. 3:16 (LIT/UBS4) Every (pasa) writing (graphē) [is] God-blown (theo-pneustos), and (kai) profitable (ōphelimos) for (pros) teaching (didasklian), for (pros) reproof (elegchon), for (pros) straightening up (epanorthōsin), for (pros) child-training (paideian) in (en) the (tēn) righteousness (dikaiosunē);

2 Tim. 3:17 (LIT/UBS4) in order that (hina) the (ho) mortal (anthrpos) of the (tou) God (theou) may be (ē) fit (artios), having been outfitted (exērtismenos) for (pros) every (pan) good (agathon) work (ergon).

Paul was writing to Timothy to inform him of what Paul preached and taught to the Ephesian believers and others:

Eph. 4:11 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai), truly (men), he (autos) gave (edōken) the ones (tous) [being] apostles (apostolous), but (de) the ones (tous) [being] prophets (prophētas), but (de) the ones (tous) [being] evangelists (euangelistas), but (de) the ones (tous) [being] shepherds (poimenas), and (kai) [the ones being] teachers (didaskalous),

Eph. 4:12 (LIT/UBS4) for (pros) [the sake, AE] of the (ton) making fit (katartismon) of the (tōn) holy ones (hagiōn) into (eis) [the] work (ergon) of [the] ministry (diakonias), into (eis) [the building, AE] of [a] domed-roof house³⁶¹⁹ (oikodomēn) of the (tou) body (sōmatos) of the (tou) Christ (Christou);

Eph. 4:13 (LIT/UBS4) until (mechri) all (pantes) the (hoi) [holy ones, v4:12, RE] may come down adjacent²⁶⁵⁸ (katantēsōmen) into (eis) the (tēn) oneness (henotēta) of the (tēs) belief (pisteōs) and (kai) of the (tēs) experiential knowledge (epignōseōs) of the (tou) son (huiou) of the (tou) God (theou), into (eis) [a] complete (teleion) male (andra), into (eis) [a/the] measure (metron) of the (tou) fullness (plērōmatos) of maturity (hēlikias) of the (tou) Christ (Christou);

If you haven't grown up yet enough in your own discipleship to Christ Jesus, toward the measure of the fullness of the maturity of the Christ, to make yourself a worthy one, one able to work with your own hands to supply for yourself your own personal needs, without selling the things of God to receive a repayment back, then what in Jesus' name are you doing in a leadership role? You need to teach, reprove, and correct yourself, what you're thinking in your own mind, with what God's Word says. The truth of God's Word will absolutely motivate you to work with your own hands, if you wish to cooperate with God and his son Jesus, and grow in your own discipleship closer to the fullness of the maturity of Christ!

If you're an overseer in the one body of Christ, or think you are, and you're taking repayment for preaching, teaching and "healing", then you're not manifesting the power of God's gift of his Spirit in you. You're not believing to manifest it! You're not believing God's great and precious promises, in the verses I've listed above, for him to make all grace abound into you, in all things (2 Cor. 3:5, 9:8)! Yes, God says he'll make all grace abound toward you so that you can be self-sufficient and abundant in all things, which includes having all of your own personal needs met without selling the things of God for a paycheck. You yet still need to allow God, through his son Christ Jesus, to make you fit in every good thing (Heb. 13:20-21), instead of selling the things of God for a paycheck! You have a talent or skill (or more) which you are ignoring.

You're not believing to manifest and use the talents and skills inherent within you, to work with your own hands, instead of charging everyone around you for you doing what you're doing! If you're not growing in your own discipleship, then in what? Are you a false apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher? Why can't you believe and do what the holy scriptures say, and not take repayment from people for the things of God's Word, for his love in you, for his grace in you, for his mercy in you, if you have any of his? Or is it false love, and false grace in you that you're selling? You're not recognizing the standard of the love of God he and his son Christ Jesus demonstrated in the holy scriptures, of which you are now supposed to be imitating and demonstrating as a son of God also!

The false leadership in Israel (John 8:44) in the days of Jesus' earthly ministry compelled everyone to follow their erroneous twisting of the meaning of the holy scriptures (Mat. 23:23), in some cases stripping people of all money they had, causing the already poor to become destitute to support the pitifully false and spiritually destitute lives of that false leadership (Mark 12:42-44; Luke 21:1-4)!

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Sola Scriptura?

Exactly how did the first century believers provide for the needs of those who could not work for their own needs, to provide for the poor ones, for the crippled-up ones, for the lame ones, and for the blind ones?

In Luke 3:21-22 is a record of when the man Jesus Christ received a new birth above, a down payment in God's gift of his holy Spirit, which balance of his heavenly Father's inheritance Jesus received after his ascension (Acts 2:33). And subsequent to that, on the day of Pentecost, about 3,000 received a new birth above in God's gift of his holy Spirit, (Acts 2:41), a down payment of their heavenly Father's inheritance to them, on which day was the birthday of the birth of the one body of Christ (John 2:18-21), the new holy place of the one true living God almighty (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16), the true prophesied "tent" of God which he built with his own hand (Exod. 15:17; 2 Sam. 7:5-7; Amos 9:11; Acts 7:44-50, 17:24; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; Eph. 2:19-22; Heb. 8:1-2; Rev. 21:3)!

Do you believe in sola scriptura, that the only legitimate source for counsel on belief and practice is the holy scriptures of God's Word? If your answer is "yes" then here it is! According to the scriptural evidence given to us by the ancient writers of the new covenant texts of the Bible, which I'm presenting to you, modern Christian leadership is decoupled from following and teaching these vital truths and injunctions of the first century church. While erroneously claiming to hold the head of the church, Christ Jesus, as their Lord, they by and large make themselves their own head, making and following their own mortal-made injunctions as they see fit, ignoring the injunctions of Christ given in the holy scriptures of God's written Word.

Are the words of "Spirit and life" (John 6:63) for sale? How has modern Christian leadership made itself a retailer of them (2 Cor. 2:17; Titus 1:10-11)? God gave them to us at a cost which has already been paid! Modern Christian leadership behavior demonstrates, and thereby implies, that God and his son did not pay the full price for the wholeness of all mortalkind? Now they're going to make us pay more!? And now they're going to exact it out of as many as they can to support their own failure to walk by God's Spirit in them, by their own belief in their own hearts of God's great and precious promises he has given to us under his new covenant in Jesus' shed blood and death? Then isn't passing the plate a form of taking blood money in exchange for handing over the knowledge of God's Word, blood money as were the thirty pieces of silver for which Judas sold and handed over Christ Jesus to those religious leaders in Jerusalem!?

The cost of the words of "Spirit and life", the evangelism of God's Word of Christ Jesus, has already been paid in full in the blood and through the death of God's firstborn son, the death of all of the ancient prophets, and of all of the believers in history! They all gave their lives so we, you and I, and everyone, both the rich and the poor, could have the knowledge of God's Word to believe for free, in order that wholeness and salvation could be given to all mortalkind for free, for simply believing God's Word! How dare you sell God's Word to support yourself, while standing in the blood of all those who gave their lives for it so it could become known for free!

The first century assemblies (ekklēsiai) of those who believed upon the name of Jesus met in small gatherings, usually outdoors or in believers' homes (Acts 2:46). Those believers who were growing in their discipleship, and subsequently abounding in God's promises coming to pass for them in their lives, those who had any abundance beyond what they determined they needed for their own personal needs, gave it to the leaders in the ministry to give out to others who yet still had needs, to both poor believers and to the poor unbelievers to whom they were preaching (Acts 5:2)! The leadership in the one body of Christ was, and still is, not to misappropriate the gifts and offerings of others for themselves. The gifts and offerings were to be given to the poor ones, crippled-up ones, lame ones, and blind ones (Luke 14:13)!

The apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers gave those goods, ALL of them, to the poor and disabled people to whom they were preaching and teaching God's Word (Mat. 11:5, 19:21, 26:9; Mark 10:21, 14:5; *Luke 4:18, 7:22, *14:13-14, 21, 18:22, 19:8; *John 13:29; *Rom. 15:26; *2 Cor. 6:10, 8:9, 9:9; Gal. 2:10; James 2:5), to share with them the abundance in the household of God, and to move the growth of the ministry forward (1 Cor. 9:11-12, 17-19), the leadership absolutely not passing the plate to charge anyone for the things of God and his Word, or to collect repayment (Luke 14:12-14), of "silver and gold" for themselves (Mat. 10:9-10)! This is sola scriptura!

What arrangements did Jesus teach his apostles regarding stewarding the abundance of the household of God for the administration and growth of the evangelism of Christ Jesus? We can clearly see exactly what those arrangements were, exactly how the God designed love, mercy and grace to replace worldly money as the exchange in the Kingdom of God.

On the day of Pentecost, the day of the birth of the one body of Christ, all of those who believed upon the name of Jesus received a new birth above in God's gift of his holy Spirit, making them truly paternal sons of the God through a birth in his paternal seed (1 Pet. 1:23). How did all of those who became newborn sons of God begin to demonstrate their own sonship?

Acts 2:44 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) all (pantes) the ones (hoi) believing (pisteuontes) were being (ēsan) [ones believing,, RE] over (epi) [the sake, AE] of the (to) same (auto) [belief, RE].

And (kai) they were holding (eichon) absolutely all things (hapanta) [as, AE] [being] things shared (koina).

Acts 2:45 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) they were selling (epipraskon) the (ta) acquisitions (ktēmata) and (kai) the (tas) subsistence (huparxeis), and (kai) they were thoroughly dividing (diemerizon) them (auta) to all (pasin), because down on account of (kathoti) perhaps (an) anyone (tis) was having (eichen) [a] need (chreian).

The ones who had any abundance gave it freely to their new spiritual brothers and sisters who were legitimately lacking in having their own personal needs met. These were the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, and anyone who had any kind of a disability which hindered them from working with their own hands to supply for their own personal needs. This is exactly how, in the household of God, the Kingdom of God, worldly goods are to be managed and dispensed, and the reason why they are to be dispensed, and to whom they are to be dispensed.

Acts 2:46a (LIT/UBS4) And (te) down (kath’) [each, AE] day (hēmeran) they were persevering forward (proskarterountes), like-passioned (homothumadon) in (en) the (tō) sacred place (hierō).

How did they all become like-passioned, like-minded, one-minded? In the name of Jesus, those who truly repented to God had a true change of heart. God had not only placed his Spirit in them, but he placed his Word in them as well, his knowledge and wisdom in their hearts, as he said he would do, along with the Word they had heard through the preaching of Jesus' apostles (Ps. 10:17, 40:8; Isa. 57:15; *Jer. 31:31-34, 32:37-40; *Ezek. 11:16-21, 36:24-31, 37:21-28; *Joel 2:28-29). We can see the types of this in Exod. 35:5, 21, 26, 29, 30-35, 36:2. God's Word in their hearts changed their minds, changed their thinking, changed their values, to value the things of God more than the things of this cosmos, to value love, mercy, forgiveness and grace, the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of God, their new heavenly Father! God's Word in them changed their hearts to desire the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of their new heavenly Father, and to manifest them to others (Mat. 5:8, 6:21, 12:35).

Acts 2:46b (LIT/UBS4) And (te) they were ones breaking (klōntes) bread (arton) down (kat’) [each, AE] house (oikon), partaking (metelambanon) of food (tropsēs) in (en) jumping for joy (agalliasei), and (kai) [in, RE] singleness of purpose (apselotēti) of heart (kardias)

If it is the one and the same God working instrumentally to energize himself in and through each member of the one body of Christ, to accomplish his own expectations (Phil. 2:13), then how can all the members not be in singleness of purpose of heart? Then how can anyone who may be in disagreement with this truth in God's Word be a legitimate member of the one body of Christ, if in disagreement with its purpose!?

Phil. 2:13 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) God (theos) is (estin) the one (ho) energizing (energōn) in (en) you (humin);

both (kai) to desire (thelein) the (to) [wholeness,v12, RE], and (kai) the (to) [desire, RE] to be energized (energein) over (huper) [the sake, AE] of the (tēs) good expectation (eudokias) [of God, RE].

Back to Acts 2...

Acts 2:47 (LIT/UBS4) they were praising (ainountes) the (ton) God (theon).

And (kai) they were holding (echontes) grace (charin) toward (pros) the (ton) whole (holos) people (laon).

But (de) the (ho) lord (kurios) was adding to (prosetithei) the ones (tous) being made whole (sōzomenous) down (kath’) [each, AE] day (hēmeran), over (epi) [the sake, AE] of the (to) same (auto) [belief, v2:44, 47, Eph. 4:5, Tit. 1:4, RE].

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Here again is the standard of the Word of God about believers giving out of love:

Acts 4:32 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) of the (tou) plethora (plēthous) of the ones (tōn) having believed (pisteusantōn), it was being (ēn) one (mia) heart (kardia) and (kai) soul (psuchē).

And (kai) but absolutely not (oude) one (heis) was saying (elegen) any (ti) of the (tōn) things being under control (huparchontōn) to him (autō) to be (einai) his own (idion), BUT (all’), to them (autois) absolutely everything (hapanta) was being (ēn) shared (koina)!

Acts 4:33 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) [through, AE] great (megalē) inherent power (dunamei) the (hoi) apostles (apostoloi) were giving away (apedidoun) the (to) witness (marturion) of the (tēs) standing up (anastaseōs) [out of dead ones, AE] of the (tou) lord (kuriou), Jesus (Iēsou).

The apostles were giving away the knowledge of God's Word of the evangelism of the Lord Jesus, for free! They did not pass the hat or the plate! Do you see the word in the text apedidoun, it's a compound word made from the preposition apo, meaning away from, appended onto the word didōmi, meaning to give. Apedidoun is in the imperfect tense, meaning the apostles were repeatedly, time after time, giving away their witness of Jesus' standing up out of dead ones. They kept on giving it away for free!

And (te) great (megalē) grace (charis) was being (ēn) upon (epi) them (autous) all (pantas),

Acts 4:34-35a (LIT/UBS4) because (gar) but absolutely not (oude) anyone (tis) among (en) them (autois) was being (ēn) one in bondage (endeēs)!

Ones in bondage to what? Ones in bondage to personal needs, of any kind! The poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, they were all released from whatever bondage they may have been in, whether spiritual, mental, physical or financial. They all received the particular "healing" they needed, because of God's grace being upon them as his reward for their belief in their hearts in the name of his son, Jesus! That they were giving away for free the evangelism of Christ Jesus is the standard, the norm, the level of the bar of God's Word, to which level those who consider themselves as spiritual leaders must rise up, to not be false leaders.

Acts 4:34-35b (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) as many as (hosoi) [of the plethora, v32, RE] [were being] owners (ktētores) of parcels (chōriōn) or (ē) of houses (oikiōn) being under control (hupērchon) [of them, AE], they were selling (pōlountes) [them, AE], bringing (epheron) the (tas) values (timas) of the things (tōn) being sold (pipraskomenōn) and (kai) placing (etithoun) [them, AE] alongside (para) of the (tous) feet (podas) of the (tōn) apostles (apostolōn).

But (de) [the value, RE] was being distributed (diedideto) to each one (hekastō), because down on account of (kathoti) perhaps (an) anyone (tis) was having (eichen) need (chreian).

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After this exact pattern apostle Paul made this same arrangement with all of the assemblies of the one body of Christ, throughout all of Asia, and wherever he may have preached and taught.

1 Cor. 16:1 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) about (peri) the (tēs) collection (logeias), the (tēs) [collection, RE] into (eis) the (tous) holy ones (hagious), so be it as (hōsper) I thoroughly arranged (dietaxa) for the (tais) assemblies (ekklēsiais) of the (tēs) Galatia (Galatias), thusly (houtōs) you (humeis) also (kai) do (poiēsate).

1 Cor. 16:2 (LIT/UBS4) Down on account (kata) of one (mian) [day, RE], [a] sabbath day (sabbatou), <let> each one (hekastos) of you (humōn) gathering treasure (thēsaurizōn) place (tithetō) alongside (par’) to himself (heautō) something (ti), if perhaps (ean) whatever (ho) may make you well on the way (euodōtai), in order that (hina) they may not cause themselves to become (mē ginōntai) collectors (logeiai) when perhaps (hotan) I may come (elthō) then (tote).

"whatever may do you well on the way" - Obviously perishables wouldn't last long on a long trip back to Jerusalem from Corinth. Nowadays with long-haul trucking, planes and trains, all with refrigeration units, just about anything can be sent long distance safely. I'm guessing that in those days as much as possible was sold so the value could be converted to coinage, which would be much easier to transport over long distance.

The ones "gathering treasure" were the ones believing, the members of the one body of Christ who were working with their own hands for their own living, for their own needs, and for the needs of others. They were the ones believing God's Word, his great and precious promises, for him to energize his Spirit in them to instrumentally work in and through them. They were the ones believing God's Word for them to manifest his Spirit in them, for their heavenly Father to energize and manifest his love, mercy, forgiveness and grace in and through them, to others. They were the believers who were loving and desiring to do the will of their heavenly Father, and therefore the ones who were functioning properly, spiritually, in the household of God, the Kingdom of God.

1 Cor. 16:3 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) when perhaps (hotan) I may cause myself to become alongside (paragenōmai), if perhaps (ean) whom (hous) you may approve (dokimasēte) through (di’) epistles (epistolōn), these ones (toutous) I shall send (pempsō) to bring away (apenenkein) the (tēn) grace (charin) of you (humōn) into (eis) Jerusalem (Hierousalēm).

The believers in the assemblies in the area of Corinth knew whom they determined to be believable, legitimate, and true believers. Since they were the ones graciously giving of their abundance to support the poor, crippled-up, lame and blind believers in Jerusalem, apostle Paul gave them the choice to determine into whose hands they would place their gracious gifts to be transported into Jerusalem for those weak and destitute believers.

1 Cor. 16:4 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if perhaps (ean) he may be (ē) [a] worthy one (axion) of the (tou) [approved ones, v3, RE], and I (kame) am caused to go (poreuesthai) [to you, AE], they shall go (poreusontai) together with (sun) me (emoi).

Apostle Paul wanted to travel with worthy ones, believers who could support themselves, believers who could work with their own hands to earn their own living and to supply for their own traveling costs and personal needs.

The records in God's Word of how the apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers handled giving and receiving under the new covenant, show that they absolutely did not ever pass the plate for their own personal needs. What was given to them to be under their authority to steward for God, they absolutely did not siphon off or skim off the top for their own personal needs, since they had already learned how to believe to energize and manifest their own gift of God's Spirit within them. But those things which were given and collected were given to believers who had disabilities, personal challenges, disabilities which precluded them from working with their own hands for their own personal needs. The things given out by believers, from out of their abundance, were redistributed to the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, both locally in the area of Corinth and back in Jerusalem, in a practical demonstration of God's love, mercy, forgiveness and grace to those who believed, but who yet still had needs. This is sola scriptura!

If God's Spirit is not working in you robustly to energize in you talents and skills so you can support your own self through working with your own hands for your own personal needs, and so that you have enough to give to others in need, if God's Spirit is not energizing instrumentally in and through you to help the poor, crippled, lame and blind, then you yourself haven't yet grown up into the level of the maturity of Christ (Eph. 4:10-16) to be in a leadership position! Or you're a false believer, an "actor" as Christ Jesus called them (Mat. 6:2, 5, 16, 23:1-39; *Mark 7:6). This study will equip any believer to accurately see and distinguish with abundant clarity, who are true and who are false members of the one body of Christ; who are the true sons of God, and who are the actors!

The sons of God and the disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ are the ones graciously giving of their abundance, because they are the ones believing to have an abundance, for free. The false believers, the actors, are the ones passing the plate and skimming off the top for a paycheck, but yet they don't have any legitimate disabilities to stop them from working with their own hands for their own needs. True sons of God voluntarily give of their time and resources, freely, because God so loved, and Christ Jesus so loved, and now they, in imitation of them, desire to so love also. The false believers, the actors, take out of the plate because they are not believing, and are lazy!

The scriptural standard of the spiritual norm of leadership presented in the records in God's Word shows Jesus' apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, and Jesus' disciples, preaching and teaching God's Word in not only words, but in demonstration of the power of God's gift of his Spirit within them (Luke 10:17-20; Acts 19:12; 1 Cor. 2:1-4), as Jesus Christ demonstrated first and foremost, as recorded in the new covenant writings! This whole presentation of exactly what the ancient writers wrote is sola scriptura!

Is there absolutely not anyone who is willing to believe and do what Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples taught and wrote about this!? Or is the mortal-made "Christianity", and the money for which it seems to be all about, too much mortal-made religious tradition to walk away from?

See also: Mat. 4:1-11; Luke 1:1-4, 10:26; Acts 17:11-121 Cor. 4:6; 2 Tim. 3:16-17.

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The apostle John, writing to an elder named Gaius (this may be the one who was apostle Paul's traveling companion in Acts (Acts 19:29)), advises him on how he should conduct himself in his own personal ministry, which advice is extended to all of those also who claim to be disciples of Christ Jesus, about doing and giving instead of taking.

3 John 1:1 (LIT/UBS4) To Gaius (Gaiō), the (ho) elder one (presbuteros), the (tō) beloved one (agapētō) whom (hon) I (egō) love (agapō) in (en) Truth (alētheia).

3 John 1:2 (LIT/UBS4) Beloved one (agapēte), about (peri) all things (pantōn) I am caused to avow (euchomai) of you (se) to be made well on the way (euodousthai), and (kai) to be wholesome (hugiainein), down according to as (kathōs) the (hē) soul (psuchē) of you (sou) is made well on the way (euodoutai).

3 John 1:3 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) I was caused to rejoice (echarēn) very greatly (lian), brothers (adelphōn), we causing ourselves to come (erchomenōn) and (kai) we witnessing (marturountōn) to the (tē) Truth (alētheia) of you (sou), down according to as (kathōs) you (su) walk around (peripateis) in (en) Truth (alētheia)!

3 John 1:4 (LIT/UBS4) I absolutely do not have (ouk echō) [a] joy (charan) greater than (meizoteran) these things (toutōn), that (hina) I may hear (akouō) the (ta) ones born (tekna) of me (ema) walking around (peripatounta) in (en) the (tē) Truth (alētheia)!

3 John 1:5 (LIT/UBS4) Beloved one (agapēte), you do (poieis) [a] believable thing (piston) if perhaps (ean) whatever (ho) you may cause yourself to work (ergasē) [you work it, AE] into (eis) the (tous) brothers (adelphous), and (kai) [into, RE] these (touto) outsiders (xenous),

Apostle John is talking about doing good works for others, about giving to others.

3 John 1:6 (LIT/UBS4) ones who (hoi) witnessed (emarturēsan) the (tē) love (agapē) of you (sou) in sight (enōpion) [of the, AE] assembly (ekklēsias);

The apostle John characterizes doing good works for others, and giving to others, as demonstrating the love of God! If love is characterized and defined here as doing good works for others, and giving to others, then in this context how should the opposite, taking from others, be characterized? If one giving to others out of an abundance is demonstrating the love of God, then what is it when able-bodied people snatch money out of the plate for their own personal needs, instead of working with their own two hands for it?

for whom (hous) you shall do (poiēseis) beautifully (kalōs) having sent [the brothers, v5, RE] forward (propempsas) [to walk, v4, RE] worthily (axiōs) of the (tou) God (theou).

Apostle John is asking Gaius to teach and train others to become worthy ones! A worthy one, as I mentioned already, as defined in the holy scriptures by the biblical writers (sola scriptura), is a disciple of Jesus Christ who is totally self-sufficient with God's gift of his Spirit working in that believing disciple, as Jesus taught in Mat. 10:10.

3 John 1:7 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) over (huper) [the sake, AE] of the (tou) name (onomatos) they came out (exēlthon) taking (lambanontes) not one (mēden) [thing, AE] from (apo) the (tōn) ethnic ones (ethnikōn).

Was it because Jesus Christ had already paid the price for all of God's love, mercy, forgiveness and grace with Jesus' own shed blood and death, that apostle john and his companions took not one thing from the ethnic groups? Jesus Christ didn't want mortalkind to pay anything for God's Word! Apostle John says, in a reference I believe is about apostle Paul's itineraries, that the ones who went to preach and teach the name of Jesus Christ to the ethnic groups, they took not one thing in repayment from them, for the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace they gave to them, and the things they taught to them. Not one thing! They did not sell one thing, especially the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of God to the ethnic groups, else, can forgiveness for sin and salvation be purchased? May it not come to pass.

3 John 1:8 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), we (hēmeis) owe (opheilomen) to undertake (hupolambanein) the things (tous) of these (toioutous), in order that (hina) we may cause ourselves to become (ginōmetha) workers together (sunergoi) for the (tē) Truth (alētheia)!

In virtually every English translation this verse has been replaced with a mortal-made paraphrase, a fudging which makes it sound like it's perfectly okay for a preacher or whomever to collect money and goods from those to whom he is preaching and teaching.

Apostle John says that they were not owed (passive voice) by them, by those to whom they preached and taught, and did good works, and loved with the love of God, BUT, "we owe" (3 John 1:8) (active voice) them, and who else, something, "to undertake the things like these". We owe it to whom?

The old covenant ten commandments were broken down into two categories of debt, to partake in that old covenant, debt to God, and debt to our fellow man, to love God and then to love our fellow man. Apostle John says we owe who, what? Read it closely! God's Word is absolutely not a drive through window at a fast food joint! Apostle John uses the word opheilomen, meaning having an obligation, having a debt which needs to be paid, or having a duty which needs to be performed. Apostle John said we owe. Believers owe what to whom? The whom is easy, our heavenly Father and his son Christ Jesus, and our fellow man. The what is easy too, if we've been paying close attention to the context.

The things we owe to the God, his son Christ Jesus, and to our fellow mortals, are:

- to be wholesome (v2)

- to be walking around in truth (v4)

- to be doing good works for others, and giving to others (v5)

- to be showing and giving God's love to others (v6)

- helping other disciples to develop themselves into becoming worthy ones, ones completely self-sufficient with God's gift of his Spirit working in and through them instrumentally (v6, and in many other passages throughout the new covenant writings!).

Now, why do we owe them these things?

3 John 1:8b (LIT/UBS4) in order that (hina) we may cause ourselves to become (ginōmetha) workers together (sunergoi) for the (tē) Truth (alētheia)!

To perform the duties of the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-6:1) is why the one body of Christ has been called out.

If a disciple of Christ Jesus is not yet self-sufficient, then the first thing that disciple must do is believe God's great and precious promises for his or her own prosperity, then ask for what he or she needs; wisdom, a skill, a job, a whatever, then thank God for it when it comes to pass. Anything and everything is available under God's new covenant in Christ Jesus' shed blood, through any and all of his great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:1-10). It is absolutely available for any son or daughter of God to become 100% self-sufficient, on account of God's gift of his paternal Spirit working in and energizing in a child of his, to do the ministry of reconciliation, to preach and teach God's Word! The God told apostle Paul that God's grace being given to Paul was enough for Paul to do and complete his ministry. That's God telling apostle Paul that God's going to make him sufficient to do any and all things Paul needs to do to carry out his ministry to the ethnic groups.

But "Christian" leadership desires to pass the plate because it needs to sell God's Word instead of working with their own hands to earn the money to buy the things for their own personal needs, because they can't believe, or ask, or thank God for what they need, as if the God is powerless. The next time the plate is passed, ask the preacher how much he's getting out of the plate, besides the money in the plate that's been supposedly earmarked for charity. If church leadership is already boldly robbing the plate in full view of God's eyes, then what are they doing with the money in the plate when the plate is kept out of sight? Of course it's all been approved by church leadership, and the majority of the followership, which "approval" is exactly the problem. I'm showing you out of the biblical texts that it is not approved by God for church leadership, or anyone, to collect money from other believers to pay for one's own personal needs, when one is capable of working with one's own two hands for one's own personal needs. But what do false Christians do when they don't like what God says in his Word, they forge lies into a Bible translation to "fix" it.

Here's how 3 John 1:8 has been fudged/forged in many popular English "translations", to replace what apostle John wrote with wording which sounds like preachers and teachers are owed by those to whom they preach and teach:

KJV - "We therefore ought to receive such, ..."

Darby - "We therefore ought to receive such, ..."

YLT - "we, then, ought to receive such, ..."

Do you see that word receive in these forged-in paraphrases? It's not in the biblical Greek texts from which these "translations" are made. The idea and concept of preachers, teachers and leaders receiving money for themselves out of the plates was boldly forged into 3 John 1:8 by false believers. Apostle John wrote "we owe", while the false believers removed that out of their Bibles and forged them to say, "we ought to receive"! Do you think that people who are willing to mistranslate, forge and destroy the Truth in God's Word, to forge it to make you think that you owe them money, are trustworthy? First of all, they already have no respect, no regard whatsoever, for God and his Word, Truth; and secondly, they have no respect for the biblical writers as well. If they, the translators and false believers, demonstrate no respect for God and his Word, Truth, then what is it they do respect?

Here's what the biblical text actually says in 3 John 1:8:

LIT - "Therefore, we owe to undertake the things of these..."

In the KJV, Darby and YLT translations, who ought to receive what? First the translators of those Bibles erroneously change the meaning of opheilomen from owe to ought! And then they erroneously add receive! There are no words in the Greek texts for the English rendering of "ought to receive such"! Next the "translators" fudge the meaning of the word hupolambanein, which clearly, and literally means to undertake, a compound of hupo meaning under, and lambano meaning take. Other, less exact wording may be to take responsibility, to take accountability, to take liability, etc.. Hupolambanein, to undertake, appears to be a play on words from lambanontes in v7, meaning taking. Apostle John says that instead of taking from others to preach and teach to them, we owe to undertake to do and give the things the other workers for God did and gave, the ones who took not one thing in return for preaching and teaching and giving the ethnic groups the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of god, and the knowledge of God's Word!

I've shown how the KJV, Darby, and YLT translations have been fudged/forged to state just the opposite, "we ought to receive", of what apostle John wrote, "we owe", in 3 John 1:8. Here's how the NASB has been fudged/forged:

NASB - "Therefore we ought to support such men, ..."

This translation of the first part of 3 John 1:8 ambiguously and vaguely says we are to "support" whom, how? "Ought to support" is absolutely not in the biblical text of 3 John 1:8. Is "support" supposed to hint at giving money, or donations, or tithing, or paychecks, or paybacks, or kickbacks, or repayments, or whatever, to someone, a preacher, a teacher, a pastor, etc.? Apostle John said:

A quote translation (the LIT) of exactly what apostle John said shows he says nothing about paying anyone anything for doing anything. But he says that workers for the truth do things, as Jesus Christ instructed his disciples (Mat. 7:21), and these are the same things apostle John says we owe to undertake to do them:

- to be wholesome (v2)

- walking around in truth (v4)

- doing good works for others, and giving to others (v5)

- showing and giving God's love to others (v6)

- helping other disciples to develop themselves into becoming worthy ones, ones completely self-sufficient with God's gift of his Spirit working in them (v6)

And who are the ambiguous and erroneous "such men" which the NASB fudged into their translation? Are they the gentiles? Or are they the ones who went and preached and taught God's Word about Christ Jesus to the gentiles? Apostle John didn't say, "support such men"! He said "we (hēmeis) owe (opheilomen) to undertake (hupolambanein) the things (tous) of these (toioutous)"; using tous, an accusative plural article, and toioutous, a demonstrative, plural, pronominal adjective, which phrase refers back what he said in verses 2 through 6.

- to be wholesome (v2)

- walking around in truth (v4)

- doing good works for others, and giving to others (v5)

- showing and giving God's love to others (v6)

- helping other disciples to develop themselves into becoming worthy ones, ones completely self-sufficient with God's gift of his Spirit working in them (v6)

Here are some more very bad translations, i.e. lies, "translated" in place of the first words apostle John wrote in 3 John 1:8

Montgomery NT - "Hence we ought to support such..."

God's Word - "We must support believers who go on trips like this so that we can work together with them in spreading the truth."

HCSB - "Therefore, we ought to support such men, ..."

ASV - "We therefore ought to welcome such, ..."

Wesley NT - "We ought therefore to receive such, ..."

WEY - "It is therefore our duty to show hospitality to such men, ..."

NWT - "We therefore we are owing to be receiving under the such ones..."

All of these translations shown above, and many more, produce ambiguous and obfuscated paraphrases of 3 John 1:8, to hint, suggest, imply, insinuate, intimate, and/or indicate that those who preach and teach God's Word should be paid somehow for it, by those to whom they are preaching and teaching.

Again, here's what apostle John actually wrote:

Apostle John says nothing in v8 about paying anyone anything for doing anything! But he says in v7:

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Leadership and Followership Are All To Work With Their Own Hands For Their Personal Needs And Necessities!

Apostle Peter practiced what Jesus Christ personally taught him and the other disciples, not to receive repayment for the things of God (Mat. 10:8-10; Luke 14:12-14; 2 Cor. 2:17; 3 John 1:5-8). In Acts 8:9-24, Simon the Magi tried to buy, i.e. barter, with apostle Peter to acquire the gift of God through giving Peter things for his own necessary needs (v20)! Apostle Peter was repulsed by the idea of himself selling something of God for money, enunciating and warning Simon the Magi that the thought of it in Simon's heart was "evil" (v22).

Acts 8:9 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) [a] certain (tis) male (anēr), Simon (Simōn) by name (onomati), was previously (proupērchen) in (en) the (tē) city (polei).

And (kai) being [a] Magi (mageuōn) he is making ecstatic (existanōn) the (to) ethnic group (ethnos) of the (tēs) Samaria (Samareias), saying (legōn) himself (heauton) to be (einai) someone (tina) great (megan);

Acts 8:10 (LIT/UBS4) to whom (hō) all (pantes) were paying attention (proseichon), from (apo) [a] small one (mikrou) unto (heōs) [a] great one (megalou), saying (legontes), “This (houtos) [Magi, v9, RE] is (estin) the (hē) inherently powered one (dunamis) of the (tou) God (theou), the one (hē) being called aloud (kaloumenē) [a] great one (megalē).”

Acts 8:11 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) they were paying attention (proseichon) to him (autō) through (dia) the (to) time (chronō) suitable (hikanō), for the (tais) magic things (mageiais) to have made them ecstatic (exestakenai autous).

Acts 8:12 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) when (hote) they believed (episteusan) the (tō) Philip (Philippō), he causing himself to evangelize (euangelizomenō) about (peri) the (tēs) Kingdom⁹³² (basileias) of the (tou) God (theou) and (kai) the (tou) name (onomatos) of Jesus (Iēsou) Christ (Christou), they were being baptized (ebaptizonto), both (te) males (andres) and (kai) females (gunaikes).

Acts 8:13 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Simon (Simōn) himself (autos) also (kai) believed (episteusen).

And (kai) having been baptized (baptistheis), he was being (ēn) one persevering toward (proskarterōn) the (tō) Philip (Philippō);

and (te) he observing (theōrōn) signs (sēmeia) and (kai) great (megalas) inherently powered works (dunameis) being caused to come to pass (ginomenas), he was causing himself to be ecstatic (existato)!

Acts 8:14 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (hoi) apostles (apostoloi) in (en) Jerusalem (Hierosolumois) having heard (akousantes) that (hoti) the (hē) Samaria (Samareia) had caused itself to receive (dedektai) the (ton) Word (logon) of the (tou) God (theou), they sent (apesteilan) to (pros) them (autous) Peter (Petron) and (kai) John (Iōannēn);

Acts 8:15 (LIT/UBS4) the ones whom (hoitines) having walked down (katabantes), they caused themselves to be well-thankful to⁴³³⁶ (prosēuxanto) [God, AE] about (peri) them (autōn), it so being that (hopōs) they may receive (labōsin) holy (hagion) Spirit (pneuma).

Acts 8:16 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar), but it was absolutely not yet being (ēn oudepō) fallen (epipeptōkos) upon (ep’) absolutely not one (oudeni) of them (autōn)!

But (de) they had been baptized (bebaptismenoi) only (monon), they being under control (hupērchon) into (eis) the (to) name (onoma) of the (tou) lord (kuriou), Jesus (Iēsou).

Acts 8:17 (LIT/UBS4) Then (tote) they were putting (epetithesan) the (tas) hands (cheiras) upon (ep’) them (autous) and (kai) they were receiving (elambanon) holy (hagion) Spirit (pneuma).

Acts 8:18 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) Simon (Simōn), having seen (idōn) that (hoti) through (dia) the (tēs) putting upon (epitheseōs) of the (tōn) hands (cheirōn) of the (tōn) apostles (apostolōn) the (to) Spirit (pneuma) is given (didotai), he brought to (prosēnegken) them (autois) necessities (chrēmata),

Acts 8:19 (LIT/UBS4) saying (legōn), “Give (dote) the (tēn) authority (exousian) of this (tautēn) to me also (kamoi), in order that (hina) if perhaps (ean) for whomever (hō) I may put upon (epithō) the (tas) hands (cheiras) [of me, AE] he may receive (lambanē) holy (hagion) Spirit (pneuma).”

Simon the Magi attempted to barter or buy from apostle Peter the power of the gift of holy Spirit.

Acts 8:20 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) Peter (Petros) enunciated (eipen) to (pros) him (auton), “The (to) silver (argurion) of you (sou), together with (sun) you (soi), may possibly be (eiē) into (eis) [a] loss (apōleian), because (hoti) you decided (enomisas) to cause yourself to acquire (ktasthai) the (tēn) gift (dōrean) of the (tou) God (theou) through (dia) necessities (chrēmatōn)!

And now in modern "Christianity" so-called leaders are receiving repayment for giving people what is supposed to be God's Word, the words of "Spirit and life" (John 6:63). They are selling Spirit and life of the one true God almighty, and they think God and his son Christ Jesus are not keeping track of it! They're receiving payment, money, a paycheck, thirty pieces of silver, for preaching, teaching, selling books and doing speaking engagements, supposedly for God. It's no wonder whatsoever that God's power is not working in their purviews, and especially in their lives. The devil, the false god of this age (2 Cor. 4:3-4) is supplying their needs, money!

Christianity by and large claims that God no longer does miracles like he did in the past, in the time of the old covenant, and like he did through Jesus and Jesus' apostles. But the truth is, God is not working in many so-called Christian leaders today because they are selling the things of the household of God to feed their own bellies, to afford to satisfy their own lusts. They've turned true Christianity into false Christianity, and they are bartering the things of God, his love, mercy, forgiveness and grace, and especially his Word, like the money changers in the temple, whom Jesus cleaned out!

Acts 8:21 (LIT/UBS4) There is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) [a] part (meris) for you (soi), but absolutely not (oude) [a] lot (klēros) [for you, RE] in (en) this (toutō), the (tō) Word (logō)!

Because Simon the Magi wanted apostle Peter to sell him the power of the gift of God's holy Spirit, Peter told Simon that he had no part in the Word, the evangelism of Jesus Christ. Many leaders also in modern Christian leadership have no part in the ministry of the evangelism of Jesus Christ. This is why they are spiritually powerless, except for what they can buy with all of the money they are taking to feed their own bellies with the bread that others have earned through working with their own hands.

Because (gar) the (hē) heart (kardia) of you (sou) is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) straight (eutheia), [it, AE] [being] opposite (enanti) of the (tou) God (theou)!

So whose heart is not straight and righteous in God's eyes? Is it the one desiring to purchase the gifts of God with money and barter, or is it the one desiring to sell the things of God for money? Or are both heart's desires wrong?

Acts 8:22 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), repent (metanoēson) from (apo) this (tautēs), of the (tēs) evil (kakais) of you (sou), and (kai) be caused to beg (deēthēti) of the (tou) God (theou), if (ei) so (ara) the (hē) thought (epinoia) of the (tēs) heart (kardias) of you (sou) shall be let go (aphethēsetai) to you (soi)!

Acts 8:23 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) I gaze at (horō) you (se) being (onta) into (eis) bitterness (pikrias) of gall (cholēn), and (kai) [into, RE] [a] bond together with (sundesmon) unrighteousness (adikias).”

Acts 8:24 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) having been caused to make [a] decision (apokritheis), the (ho) Simon (Simon) enunciated (eipen), “You (humeis) be caused to beg (deēthēte) to (pros) the (ton) Lord (kurion) over (huper) [the sake, AE] of me (emou);

it so being that (hopōs) nothing (mēden) may come over (epelthē) upon (ep’) me (eme) of which (hōn) you have stated (eirēkate)."

Even Simon the Magi understood enough to know that doing evil earned its ill rewards, just as doing good works for the one true God earns rewards.

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During apostle Paul's second itinerary, his most expansive one, as he made his way preaching and teaching the evangelism of Jesus Christ in Syria, Cilicia, Galatia, Asia, Macedonia and Achaia. Apostle Paul's preaching and teaching always taught believers to work with their own hands for the things they needed, which preaching and teaching he certainly practiced himself.

Apparently apostle Paul began his second itinerary with Titus, one to whom he personally taught the evangelism of Jesus Christ. Titus was a very dear companion to Paul, very close to his heart. Paul's letter to Titus was written some years after Paul's letters to the Corinthian believers, his letters of doctrine, reproof, and correction to them. But in Paul's letter to Titus Paul speaks about finding and promoting leaders in the assembly of believers in Crete. Paul lays out for Titus how he is to find and appoint others as overseers in the one body of Christ, based upon the belief in the name of Jesus Christ they demonstrate. Apostle Paul speaks about the personal values an overseer must have and demonstrate to qualify as an overseer.

Titus 1:7 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) it is required (dei) of the (ton) episcopate (episkopon) to be (einai) unquestionable (anenklēton) as (hōs) [a] house steward (oikonomon) of God (theou);

not (mē) self-pleasing (authadē);

not (mē) angry (orgilon);

not (mē) [a] wino (paroinon);

not (mē) [a] hitter (plēktēn);

not (mē) shamefully employed (aischrokerdē).

Titus 1:8 (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), [a] lover of alienated ones (philoxenon);

[a] lover of good (philagathon);

whole-thoughted (sōphrona);

righteous (dikaion);

hallowed (hosion);

empowered (enkratē);

As we saw in Acts 4:34-35, an overseer is to be empowered, manifesting God's gift of his Spirit in him, for the benefit of the one body of Christ. That an overseer must believe to manifest God's gift of his Spirit in him is a requirement of leadership. Belief in God's Word, according to God's Word, is both inward in believers' hearts, and outward in believers' words and actions. God's power should be working in any believer (Eph. 3:20), especially in leadership, otherwise an overseer is a charlatan, self-appointed, and absolutely not appointed by God through Christ!

So how empowered should an overseer be? Empowered enough to pass the plate, but not empowered enough to work with his own hands to acquire the things for his own personal needs? God's grace is huge! If anyone needs anything for his own self-empowerment, ask God for it! Jesus Christ, the head of his one body, the one whom you should be trying to imitate, teaches his disciples to ask God for the things they need (Mat. 6:8, 7:7-11). James, the brother of Jesus, said you don't have what you need because you don't ask for it (James 1:5-7).

Both Jesus and James say to ask whom for what you need? Ask GOD, absolutely not your brothers and sisters in Christ! Stand on your own two spiritual feet instead of being a burden on others, needing to pass the plate for a paycheck! If you were operating God's gift of his Spirit you should be earning, through working with your own hands, and having more than enough for your own personal needs, and an abundance yet still, to give to others who have needs, such as the ones to who you should be preaching the evangelism, to the poor ones, to the crippled-up ones, to the lame ones, and to the blind ones!

Titus 1:9 (LIT/UBS4) holding himself alongside (antechomenon) of the (tou) believable (pistou) Word (logou), down according to (kata) the (tēn) orthodoxy (didachēn);

in order that²⁴⁴³ (hina) [the episcopate, v7, RE] may be (ē) [an] inherently powered one (dunatos) to console (parakalein) [others, AE] also (kai) in (en) to the (tē) teaching (didaskalia);

to the (tē) [teaching, RE] being wholesome (hugiainousē);

and (kai) to reprove (elenchein) the ones (tous) speaking in opposition (antilegontas) [to it, AE]!

Titus 1:10 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) there are (eisin) many (polloi) insubordinate ones (anupotaktoi) also (kai);

empty-talkers (mataiologoi), and (kai) thought-deceivers (phrenapatai), mostly (malista) the ones (hoi) out (ek) of the (tēs) circumcision (peritomēs),

Titus 1:11 (LIT/UBS4) of whom (hous) it is required (dei) to put [a] cover over their mouths (epistomizein);

ones who (hoitines) upturn (anatrepousin) whole (holous) houses (oikous), teaching (didaskontes) things which (ha) are not required (mē dei);

[ones who, RE] favor (charin) shameful (aischrou) gain (kerdous).

Apostle Paul used the word "thought-deceivers" (v10) to describe those who encourage others to pay them money, repayment, a paycheck, a kickback, or whatever you want to call it, for preaching and teaching to them, to sell to them the things of God, which things of God Jesus Christ taught his disciples to give away freely (Mat. 10:8)!

Apostle Paul identifies why the false preachers and teachers were supposedly preaching and teaching God's Word, for shameful gain! They were using God's Word as a commodity, selling it for shameful gain. They were using the things of God to fill their own bellies, as Jesus Christ addressed in another passage (John 6:26).

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As I mentioned in the previous section, in Paul's letter to Titus, Paul speaks about finding and promoting leaders in the assembly of believers in Crete. Paul lays out for Titus how he is to find and appoint others as overseers in the one body of Christ based upon their values and upon the behaviors they demonstrate. In this passage apostle Paul continues to speak about the personal values an overseer must have and demonstrate to qualify as an overseer, as a leader in the one body of Christ.

Titus 2:7 (LIT/UBS4) About (peri) all things (panta) be causing yourself to hold alongside (seauton parechomenos) [a] type⁵¹⁷⁹ (tupon) of beautiful (kalōn) works (ergōn), in (en) the (tē) teaching (didaskalia) of un-disintegration (aphthorian) of integrity (semnotēta),

Titus 2:8 (LIT/UBS4) of [a] healthy (hugiē) undenounceable (akatagnōston) Word (logon);

in order that (hina) the one (ho) out (ex) of opposition (opposition) may be caused to be respectful (entrapē), having (echōn) not one thing (mēden) worthless (phaulon) to say (legein) about (peri) us (hēmōn)!

In this section apostle Paul speaks to Titus about the idea of a believer's personal integrity not coming into disintegration, so the ministry cannot be accused of or blamed for anything unrighteous in the eyes of others. Apostle Paul spoke of this to the Corinthian believers as well (2 Cor. 6:3).

Titus 2:9 (LIT/UBS4) Slaves (doulous) [are] to be put in submission⁵²⁹³ (hupotassesthai) to their own masters (idiois despotais), to be (einai) well agreeable (euarestous) in (en) all things (pasin), not (mē) speaking in opposition (antilegontas) [to them, AE];

Titus 2:10a (LIT/UBS4) not (mē) causing themselves to misappropriate (nosphizomenous), BUT (alla), indicating (endeiknumenous) all (pasan) good (agathēn) belief (pistin);

As we can see, apostle Paul announces loud and clear that misappropriation of the things of God by a believer indicates a disintegration of that believer's personal integrity, and thereby believability to be a legitimate believer, let alone an overseer of the one body of Christ.

Just as slaves are not to steal or misappropriate goods from their masters, believers as slaves (douloi) to our heavenly Father and his son Christ Jesus (Luke 17:9-10; 1 Cor. 9:19; Eph. 6:5-6; Phil. 1:1) are not to misappropriate those gifts and offerings of believers which are given to help the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, to help those who can't work with their own hands to provide for their own personal needs.

Everything that is given by the body of Christ is to go to those who can't help themselves! A believer, especially an overseer, is to indicate all good belief through believing God's great and precious promises under his new covenant in his Word, the Law of Belief (Rom. 3:27). A believer is to walk by the power of God's gift of his Spirit in him (Mat. 6:8, 32-33; Mat. 7:7; Phil. 4:19). It is the power of God's gift of his Spirit energizing in a believer which gives a believer the ability to work with his own hands for his own personal needs. God has given to us, through his love and grace, his gift of his holy Spirit, which makes us whole, and worthy ones (Mat. 10:10; Luke 15:21; 1 Cor. 16:3-4; 3 John 1:6).

Titus 2:10b (LIT/UBS4) in order that (hina) in (en) all things (pasin) they may set in order (kosmōsin) the (tēn) teaching (didaskalian), the one (tēn) of the (tou) Savior⁴⁹⁹⁰ (sōtēros) of us (hēmōn), God (theou)!

This teaching about believers, especially overseers, as being self-sufficient and worthy ones, ones manifesting God's Spirit within them, is the teaching of God, the one who made us whole! I'm showing book, chapter and verse, time after time, over and over, right here now, in front of everyone's eyes, the orthodox biblical teachings that we are not to sell the things of God, but give them away freely. When is legitimate church leadership going to get it? False church leadership will never get it, because money is one of the important reasons for why they are there. How long are they going to keep holding out their hands to other believers, like beggars, being too lazy to work with their own hands for their own personal needs? How long are they going to keep on teaching believers that other believers are supposed to financially support them, as if they're a Levitical high priest under the old covenant? The old covenant is over and gone. This teaching of God is the new present truth under the new covenant (2 Pet. 1:1-12)!

Titus 2:11 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) the (hē) grace (charis) of the (tou) God (theou) was shined upon (epephanē) [us, AE], wholeness (sōtērios) to all (pasin) mortals (anthrōpois);

Titus 2:12 (LIT/UBS4) child-training (paideuousa) us (hēmas), in order that (hina) we having caused ourselves to deny (arnēsamenoi) the (tēn) impiety (asebeian) and (kai) the (tas) cosmological (kosmikas) lusts (epithumias), we may live (zesōmen) thinking wholly (sōphronōs), and (kai) righteously (dikaiōs), and (kai) piously (eusebōs), in (en) the (tō) age (aiōni) now (nun);

A believer who desires other believers to pay his way for him for his own personal needs, instead of working for them with his own hands given the power of God's gift of his Spirit with himself, does not walk by belief and by the Spirit, and does not participate in the new covenant for which Christ gave his blood and died, the Law of Belief, BUT demonstrates impiety and cosmological lust! Apostle Paul spoke and taught about this (*Acts 20:33-35; *1 Thes. 4:11-12; *2 Thes. 3:7-8, and many more!).

Titus 2:13 (LIT/UBS4) ones causing ourselves to receive to ourselves (prosdechomenoi) the (tēn) happy (makarian) hope (elpida);

and (kai) [the, AE] epiphany (epiphaneian) of the (tēs) glory (doxēs) of the (tou) great (megalou) God (theou),

and (kai) [the, RE] [epiphany, RE] of [the] savior (sōtēros) of us (hēmōn), Jesus (Iēsou) Christ (Christou);

Titus 2:14 (LIT/UBS4) one who (hos) gave (edōken) himself (heauton) over (huper) [the sake, AE] of us (hēmōn), in order that (hina) he may cause himself to redeem (lutrōsētai) us (hēmas) from (apo) every (pasēs) act of lawlessness (anomias), and (kai) he may cleanse (katharisē) [a] reserved (periousion) people (laon) for himself (heautō), [[a] people, RE] zealous (zēlōtēn) of beautiful (kalōn) works (ergōn)!

Those in leadership in modern false Christianity may now be the greatest practitioners of false pretense on this planet. It's pretty much all showbiz now, because they have put in place systematic methods of conveying wealth from people into their coffers, which methods began with passing the plate for "God's work". Almost everyone involved in Christianity is asking for and accepting a monetary or otherwise gain for their "good works" they do, instead of working with their own hands for their own personal needs. They haven't come to Christianity to give, they've come to take, to pass the plate to get a paycheck. They can't believe, ask, and thank God for their needs, and they can't teach "their" flock how to do it either. But all of the flock is required to work with their own hands all week to have to give to the overseers each week on Sunday when the plate is passed. This is the modern "Christian Levitical Priesthood", the result of mortal-made, or should I say devil-made, religion, which is false Christianity. Christ Jesus warned everyone about this (Mat. 7:13-).

Preachers and teachers searching for an earthly repayment, a wage of some kind, is totally the opposite of all of the records we see in the gospel records of the examples of Jesus and his disciples, and throughout the other new covenant writings of Jesus' apostles. All of Christianity is now back under a stylization of the old covenant law, which is why what is called Christianity is now so dysfunctional and impotent. God and his son Christ Jesus haven't changed!

Christian leadership conducts itself as some kind of modern Levitical priesthood, living off of the things being brought into their little temple on some corner. Do they ever talk about God's new covenant? They may speak of it accidentally, once or twice a year if that, but in daily practice and operation they're behaving and conducting their little temple of God on the corner as if they and it are all under the old covenant. They ignore the new covenant, all of the gracious great and precious promises for a believer's health, wholeness, abundance and prosperity, and the option to earn additional abundance through doing good works, and then they claim God doesn't do miracles anymore!

Titus 3:14 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the ones (hoi) of ours (hēmeteroi) also (kai), let them learn (manthanetōsan) of beautiful (kalōn) works (ergōn) into (eis) the (tas) necessary (anankaias) needs (chreias) [of others, AE], to cause themselves to stand before (proistasthai) [God, AE];

in order that (hina) they may not be (mē ōsin) unproductive ones (akarpoi).

Apostle Paul here writes a little about a disciple's new covenant daily duties, which duties should include going about helping those who can't possibly provide for their own personal needs. These people are mostly the ones being blind, crippled, leprous, deaf, poor, and so on, according to Christ Jesus (Mat. 11:5; 1 Cor. 12:22-23). According to apostle Paul, painstakingly holding forth the knowledge of Christ Jesus, and God's promises associated with him (John 10:9-10; Phil. 4:19), which is biblically referred to as the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-21), and Ministry of Righteousness (2 Cor. 3:9), and referred to using other various phrases, was not desired much, relatively speaking, by the middle and upper classes of people (1 Cor. 1:24-31).

With the power of God's gift of his Spirit homing-down in a believer, each and every believer has been given the ability to be self-sufficient. God placing his Spirit within believers is God giving of his sufficiency, which gives those believers the ability to become self-sufficient (2 Cor. 9:8) themselves. God's plan is to cause all of his children, those born from above in God's Spirit, to be abundant and prosperous for the purpose that they may have, in order that they my be able give (Eph. 2:10, 4:28; 1 John 3:16-23) to the ones to which they are preaching and teaching, to the poor ones, to the crippled-up ones, to the lame ones, and to the blind ones.

How is someone in church leadership supposed to help others receive their necessary needs when he or she can't manage to manifest God's holy Spirit within him or her to develop or use a talent/skill to supply for their own personal needs? This is a tell about church leadership, or any claiming to be Christians, who are collecting money out of a plate passed, about whether they are rising up to the level of the bar of personal discipleship to Christ Jesus if they refuse to work with their own hands to supply for their own necessary needs.

In the 4th century Constantine made the collection of money from religious followers, from both Christians and those of other religions, a top priority, in order for him to be able to build his own lasting legacy, his tombstone, Constantinople. In the world, and especially for Constantine, Constantinople, far outside of Rome, may have been one of the world's greatest building projects.

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Continuing along the path of apostle Paul's second itinerary, Paul taught the Thessalonian believers to work with their own hands for the things they needed for themselves.

1 Thes. 4:9 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) about (peri) the (tēs) brotherly love (philadelphias), you absolutely do not have (ou echete) [a] need (chreian) [for me, AE] to write (graphein) to you (humin), because (gar) you (humeis) [being] of him (autoi) are (este) ones taught of God (theodidaktoi) into (eis) the (to) [brotherly love, RE], to love (agapan) one another (allēlous);

1 Thes. 4:10 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) because (gar) you do (poiete) it (auto) into (eis) all (pantas) of the (tas) brothers (adelphous), of the ones (tous) in (en) the (tē) whole (holē) Macedonia (Makedonia)!

But (de) we accost (parakaloumen) you (humas), brothers (adelphoi), to abound (perisseuein) more (mallon),

1 Thes. 4:11 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) to aspire (philotimeisthai) [to abound, v10, RE];

to refrain (hēsuchazein) [from covetousness and uncleanliness, v6-7, RE], and (kai) to habitually practice (prassein) the things (ta) of your own (idia);

and (kai) to cause yourselves to work (ergazesthai) the (tais) hands (chersin) of you (humōn) for your own things (idiais), down according to as (kathōs) we gave instructions (parēngeilamen) to you (humin);

1 Thes. 4:12 (LIT/UBS4) in order that (hina) you may walk around (peripatēte) well-planned (euschēmonōs) toward (pros) the ones (tous) outside (exō), and (kai) you may have (echēte) [a] need (chreian) of not one thing (mēdenos)!

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In Paul's second letter to the believers in the Thessalonian assembly he addresses this matter (2 Thes. 3:6-12) with yet more seriousness and punch, deliberately accosting their thinking.

2 Thes. 3:6 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) we give instruction (parangellomen) to you (humin), brothers (adelphoi), in (en) [the] name (onomati) of the (tou) lord (kuriou) of us (hēmōn), Jesus (Iēsou) Christ (Christou):

you (humas) are to set yourselves (stellesthai) away from (apo) every (pantos) brother (adelphou) walking around (peripatountos) not arranged (ataktōs), and (kai) not (mē) [walking around, RE] down according to (kata) the (tēn) tradition (paradosin) which (hēn) they received alongside (parelabosan), alongside (par’) of us (hēmōn).

2 Thes. 3:7 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) you (autoi) have seen (oidate) how (pōs) it is required (dei) to cause yourselves to imitate (mimeisthai) us (hēmas);

that (hoti) we were absolutely neither unarranged (ouk ētaktēsamen) among (en) you (humin),

2 Thes. 3:8 (LIT/UBS4) but absolutely nor did we eat (oude ephagomen) [a] gift (dōrean) of bread (arton) alongside (para) anyone (tinos)!

BUT (all’), in (en) labor (kopō) and (kai) hardship (mochthō), night (nuktos) and (kai) day (hēmeras), we are causing ourselves to work (ergazomenoi) for (pros) the (to) [bread, RE], not (mē) to be [a] weight upon (epibarēsai) any (tina) of you (humōn)!

but absolutely nor did we eat [a] gift of bread - Apostle Paul states emphatically, using a compound of the mild antithetic conjunction de, and the emphatic particle of negation ou, that they absolutely did not accept bread as gifts from the people to whom they were supposed to be preaching the evangelism of Jesus Christ, to the poor ones, to the crippled-up ones, to the lame ones, and to the blind ones!

not to be [a] weight upon any of you - If apostle Paul and his companions would absolutely not accept bread as a gift, then it seems safe to assume that they didn't accept gold, silver, or copper money also! They did not accept gifts! No gifts! Gifts are too much like repayment, aren't they? By now we should be able to remember what Jesus taught about accepting repayment for giving people the evangelism of Jesus Christ, or for giving anything of the household of God, which things are all to be given away freely!

2 Thes. 3:9 (LIT/UBS4) Because (hoti) absolutely not (ouch), we absolutely do not have (ouk echomen) authority (exousian) [to be [a] weight upon you, v8, RE]!!

Now look here at apostle Paul's double, back to back, use of the emphatic particle of negation, ou, here in v9. If we could hear Paul teaching live he would be using additional animation like vocal inflections, waving of his hands, maybe pounding the pulpit a little to wake people up, and to get the attention of all of those who are just joining us now, that the apostles absolutely did not have authority to be a weight upon any of the ones to whom they were ministering, whether they be ones in or out of the one body of Christ.

BUT (all’), [we are causing ourselves to work, v8, RE] in order that (hina) we may give (dōmen) ourselves (heautous) to you (humin) for [a] type⁵¹⁷⁹ (tupon), into (eis) the (to) [type for you, AE] to cause yourselves to imitate (mimeisthai) us (hēmas).

Did Jesus and his disciples ever pass the plate? NO! All Jesus ever required from anyone to receive anything he could give them was that they believe in his heavenly Father and in him. Period! Apostle Paul and his companions were behaving themselves as types of Jesus Christ himself. Apparently that's too much for God and his son to ask from Christian church leadership today, all of whom desire to be paid a salary, receive a paycheck, receive payment of thirty pieces of silver, over and over, month after month, to hand over to you the knowledge of the Ministry of Reconciliation!

2 Thes. 3:10 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) because (gar) when (hote) we were being (ēmen) toward (pros) you (humas) we were giving this instruction (touto parēngellomen) to you (humin):

that (hoti) if (ei) anyone (tis) absolutely does not desire (ou thelei) to cause himself to work (ergazesthai), but do not let him eat (mēde esthietō)!

Jesus Christ and his disciples/apostles, and apostle Paul and his companions, didn't accept bread, or gifts of anything for the kind of work they were doing, for handing out the things of God freely. They worked with their own hands to earn the things they needed for their own personal needs, just like they preached and taught everyone else to do. They did not consider themselves as exceptions from the truth of God's Word, to the teaching of Jesus Christ! They didn't consider themselves as being above the Law of Belief (Rom. 3:23-27). They themselves needed to believe God's Word in order to receive anything from God, just like everyone else must believe God's Word in order to receive anything from God. This is the level of the bar of discipleship for any believer, to walk around in belief of God's Word over what we may see with our eyes (2 Cor. 5:7).

2 Thes. 3:11 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) we hear (akouomen) of some (tinas) among (en) you (humin) walking around (peripatountas) not arranged (ataktōs), causing themselves to work (ergazomenous) not once (mēden), BUT (alla), causing themselves to work around (periergazomenous) [work, AE]!

causing themselves to work not once - Apostle Paul's not talking about the work of the ministry of the evangelism of Jesus Christ, for which no one should be accepting gifts or repayment of any kind.

causing themselves to work around [work, AE] - All the ones who are always trying not to work, to work around working with their own hands, are to start working with their own hands to provide for their own needs and necessities. This includes everyone in the one body of Christ, the leaders and followers, everyone. They're to start when? NOW! Get started!

2 Thes. 3:12 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) to the ones (tois) like these (toioutois), we give instruction (parangellomen).

And (kai) we accost (parakaloumen) [the ones like these, RE] in (en) [the] lord (kuriō) Jesus (Iēsou) Christ (Christō), in order that (hina) they causing themselves to work (ergazomenoi), together with (meta) silence (hēsuchias), they may eat (esthiōsin) the (ton) bread (arton) of themselves (heautōn)!

Work together with silence, i.e., don't complain and grumble about it, just do it. Eat your own bread, not the bread of other believers, who have worked with their own hands for their own bread! Quit charging other believers for giving to them the things of God, or for doing for them good works, which work of the ministry Jesus taught you should wait until the resurrection out of dead ones for your repayment. Remember (Luke 14:14)?

2 Thes. 3:13 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) you (humeis), brothers (adelphoi), do not give in to evil (mē enkakēsēte) doing beautiful things (kalopoiountes).

Apostle Paul implies that accepting gifts from believers for doing the work of the ministry, and not working with one's own hands for one's own bread, and working around working, is giving in to evil!

2 Thes. 3:14 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if (ei) anyone (tis) absolutely does not obey (ouch hupakouei) the (tō) Word (logō) of us (hēmōn) through (dia) the (tēs) epistle (epistolēs), cause yourselves to make note (sēmeiousthe) of this (touton) [brother, v13, RE];

I guess we better start making a note of most all leadership in modern Christianity!

do not mix up together with (sunanamignusthai) him (autō) in order that (hina) he may be caused to be respectful (entrapē)!

What!? Don't mix up with him? Who is he? Many like "him" are the ones standing in pulpits preaching and teaching, for a paycheck! I've discovered, over and over, when I point out to Christians exactly what the apostles actually wrote about taking payment in return for giving people God's Word, love, mercy, forgiveness and grace, freely, that they become some of the most hateful people on the planet. Why do you suppose that is? Why are people hateful of the Truth?

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Apostle Paul taught the Corinthian believers also, as he taught everyone, what Jesus Christ taught his own disciples and apostles about not selling for gold, silver, and copper the things of God (i.e., God's love, mercy, forgiveness and grace, and the works of inherent power God's Spirit would do in and through them). Paul preached, taught and walked as a living example of his Lord Christ Jesus. Apostle Paul imitated Jesus as much as he could. Just as Jesus Christ and his disciples worked with their own hands for the things of their own personal needs, Paul manifested God's gift of holy Spirit within him to develop and use his own talents and skills so that he could finance himself in his own ministry, so he could be self-sufficient in all things.

Acts 18:1 (LIT/UBS4) With (meta) [the passing, AE] of these things (tauta), [Paul, v17:33, RE] having been separated (chōristheis) out (ek) of the (tōn) Athens (Athēnōn), he came (ēlthen) into (eis) Corinth (Korinthon).

Acts 18:2 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he having found (heurōn) someone (tina), [a] Judean (Ioudaion) by name (onomati) of Aquila (Akulan), [a] Pontican (Pontikon) for the (tō) genus (genei), and (kai) Priscilla (Priskillan) [a] female (gunaika) of him (autou), he lately (prosphatōs) having come (elēluthota) from (apo) the (tēs) Italy (Italias) through (dia) [the sake, AE] of the (to) Claudius (Klaudion) to have thoroughly arranged (diatetachenai) for all (pantas) of the (tous) Judeans (Ioudaious) to be separated (chōrizesthai) away from (apo) the (tēs) Rome (Rhōmēs), he came to (prosēlthen) them (autois).

Acts 18:3 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) through (dia) the (to) [sake, AE] to be (einai) of like technical ability (homotechnon), he was staying (emenen) alongside (par’) them (autois), and (kai) he was causing himself to work (ērgazeto);

because (gar) they were being (ēsan) tent-makers (skēnopoioi) for the (tē) technical ability (technē) [of them, AE].

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Here's what apostle Paul taught the Corinthian believers, and everyone everywhere he went, by word and example, throughout his entire ministry of the evangelism of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul worked with his own hands for his own personal needs.

1 Cor. 4:12a (LIT/UBS4) and we labor (kopiōmen), we causing ourselves to work (ergazomenoi) the (tais) hands (chersin) [being] our own (idiais).

Apparently, apostle Paul believed that the God didn't desire for other believers to be Paul's financial sufficiency, because God himself promised to Paul to be the sufficiency (2 Cor. 9:8), which promises is to all those believing upon the name of Jesus Christ. God himself desires to be our sufficiency. He and his firstborn son, Christ Jesus, now have everything in place under the new covenant, for anyone who may desire to covenant and fellowship with the God their heavenly Father, and his son Christ Jesus (1 John 1:1-7).

God himself desires to be your sufficiency, through you walking by belief in his great and precious new covenant promises (2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Heb. 8; 2 Pet. 1:1-4), walking with enough belief (2 Cor. 5:7) to work with your own hands to supply your own personal needs, belief in the power of God's gift of his Spirit in you to cause you to prosper using your own hands!

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According to Paul in 1 Cor. 9:1-25b, he and his traveling companions covered their own traveling costs to carry out the Ministry of Reconciliation to spread the Evangelism of Jesus Christ. Any gifts they received along the way they didn't spend them on, or consume them for, themselves personally, but they gave them out to others who were willing to hear the evangelism of Jesus Christ, to the disabled ones among them. Apostle Paul and his companions didn't accept personal gifts, but rather they used those gifts to further the Evangelism of Jesus Christ, through giving those gifts to those to whom they witnessed, to the poor ones, to the crippled-up ones, to the lame ones, and to the blind ones.

1 Cor. 9:1 (LIT/UBS4) Am I (eimi) absolutely not (ouk) [a] free one (eleutheros)?

Am I (eimi) absolutely not (ouk) [an] apostle (apostolos)?

Have I absolutely not gazed at (ouchi heōraka) Jesus (Iēsoun), the (ton) lord (kurion) of us (hēmōn)?

Are (este) you (humeis) absolutely not (ou) the (to) work (ergon) of me (mou) in (en) [the] lord (kuriō)?

1 Cor. 9:2 (LIT/UBS4) If (ei) to others (allois) I am (eimi) absolutely not (ouk) [an] apostle (apostolos), BUT (alla), to you (humin) indeed (ge) I am (eimi), [it, AE] [is] because (gar) you (humeis) are (este) the (hē) seal (sphragis) of the (tēs) apostleship (apostolēs) of me (mou) in (en) [the] lord (kuriō)!

1 Cor. 9:3 (LIT/UBS4) The (hē) defense (apologia) of me (emē) to the ones (tois) adjudicating³⁵⁰ (anakrinousin) me (eme), is (estin) this (hautē):

1 Cor. 9:4 (LIT/UBS4) Do we no, absolutely not, have (mē ouk echomen) authority (exousian) to eat (phagein) and (kai) to drink (pein)!?

1 Cor. 9:5 (LIT/UBS4) Do we no, absolutely not, have (mē ouk echomen) authority (exousian) to lead around (periagein) [a] sister (adelphēn), [a] female (gunaika), as (hōs) [do, RE] the (hoi) remaining (loipoi) apostles (apostoloi) also (kai), and (kai) the (hoi) brothers (adelphoi) of the (tou) lord (kuriou), and (kai) Cephas (Kēphas)!?

1 Cor. 9:6 (LIT/UBS4) Or (ē) <do> only (monos) I (egō) and (kai) Barnabas (Barnabas) absolutely not have (ouk echomen) authority (exousian) to cause ourselves not to work (mē ergazesthai)!?

Apostle Paul here seems to suggest that he and Barnabas have the authority to cause themselves not to work with their own hands, to earn the things for their own personal needs. During apostle Paul's second and third itineraries, as Paul learns and gains more spiritual insight from Christ Jesus, he reverses his belief, and begins preaching and teaching that if no one is willing to work for their own personal needs then they shouldn't eat (2 Thes. 3:6-12). From other passages we know that those with disabilities were exempt from this rule.

1 Cor. 9:7 (LIT/UBS4) Who (tis), in time past (pote), causes himself to be [a] soldier (strateuetai) [with, AE] his own (idiois) rations (opsōniois)?

Who (tis) plants (phuteuei) [a] vineyard (ampelōna) and (kai) absolutely does not eat (ouk esthiei) the (ton) produce (karpon) of it (autou)!?

Or (ē) who (tis) shepherds (poimainei) [a] flock (poimnēn) and (kai) absolutely does not eat (ouk esthiei) out (ek) of the (tou) milk (galaktos) of the (tēs) flock (poimnēs)!?

1 Cor. 9:8 (LIT/UBS4) I speak (lalō) these things (tauta) not (mē) down according to (kata) [a] mortal (anthrōpon).

Or (ē) <does> the (ho) law (nomos) also (kai) absolutely not say (ou legei) these things (tauta)!?

1 Cor. 9:9 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) in (en) the (tō) law (nomō) of Moses (Mōuseōs) it has been written (gegraptai), “You absolutely do not muzzle (ou kēmōseis) [a] bovine (boun) treading (aloōnta)!”

(See Deut. 25:4; 1 Tim. 5:18)

Do not (mē) the (tōn) bovines (boōn) matter (melei) to the (tō) God (theō)?

Apostle Paul seems to be forgetting, or else he hasn't yet learned it at the time of the writing of his letters to the Corinthian believers, that since the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2 and elsewhere, which day occurred in or around 30 AD, God's new covenant put through by Jesus Christ in his own shed blood has now come to pass, and the old Mosaic law covenant has passed away into history, and it is now almost invisible through reason of its greatly diminished usefulness (Heb. 8:1-13). God's old covenant and associated Mosaic law could never provide complete salvation/wholeness from the penalty of sin, but only temporary/monthly forgiveness of sins, based upon the shed bloods of animals, which were only substitute bloods until Jesus Christ came to shed his own blood and die for us!

1 Cor. 9:10 (LIT/UBS4) Or (ē) does [the God, v9, RE] say (legei) [this, AE] altogether (pantōs) through (di’) [the sake, AE] of us (hēmas)?

Because (gar) through (di’) [the sake, AE] of us (hēmas) it was written in (egraphē) [the law, v9, RE], that (hoti) the one (ho) plowing (arotriōn) owes (opheilei) to plow (arotrian) over (ep’) hope (elpidi);

and (kai) the one (ho) threshing (aloōn) [owes to thresh, AE] over (ep’) [the sake, AE] of the (tou) hope (elpidi), to have some [produce, v7, RE] together with (meteschein) [it, AE].

1 Cor. 9:11 (LIT/UBS4) If (ei) we (hēmeis) sowed (espeiramen) Spirit-based things (pneumatika) to you (humin), [is] [it, AE] [a] great thing (mega) if (ei) we (hēmeis) shall harvest (therisomen) the (ta) flesh-based things (sarkika) of you (humōn)?

Does Paul mean "harvesting" things like money, bread, clothing, any goods whatsoever, from fellow believers?

The timing of when apostle Paul wrote this letter to the believers in the area of Corinth, especially when he wrote this specific passage, which is believed to be after his second itinerary, in which itinerary was the first time he introduced God's Word to the Corinthian believers, is important, because it helps us pinpoint a time during Paul's ministry when Paul starts teaching the opposite, that all believers in Jesus' name are to work with their own hands for their own personal necessities, instead of collecting them from the Asian and European Judeans of the dispersion as some kind of payback.

1 Cor. 9:12 (LIT/UBS4) If (ei) others (alloi) of the ones (tēs) of you (humōn) hold together with (metechōn) [this, AE] authority (exousias), <do> absolutely not (ou) we (hēmeis) [hold together with, RE] [it, AE] more (mallon)!?

Apostle Paul states that if other Judean religious leaders have the authority to collect/harvest goods from the people then why shouldn't apostle Paul and his associates have the same authority to collect goods from people? But Paul and those religious leaders are all operating under the assumption that the old covenant, together with its Levitical priesthood, is still more relevant than God's new covenant which began the moment Jesus Christ died. Under the new covenant, according to God's Word which I'm showing you now, the new temple of God is no longer made with the hands of mortals, and it's no longer made of stone, wood and other materials, and the leadership in God's new temple, made without human hands, but by God's own "hand", is composed of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. God's new permanent dwelling place, his true prophesied temple, is in each and every believer who has believed upon the name of Jesus, the Christ. Please see my study, The Domed Roof House.

BUT (all’), we absolutely did not cause ourselves to use (ouk echrēsametha) the (tē) authority (exousia) for this (tautē)!

So far down through this passage apostle Paul appears to make an argument that as the Levitical priesthood under the old covenant and Mosaic law, for their own personal needs partook of the offerings of the people to God, so the holy priesthood of believers in Jesus' name, the one body of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5-10), also has authority to partake of the offerings of the believers for the work of the ministry under the new covenant. Under the new covenant there is now only one alter, the heart within each and every believer. Under the new covenant the only thing people need to bring to that alter is belief in God's Word, and praise and thankfulness on the lips of all believers. But please be reminded once again, that what Paul has written so far here in 1 Cor. 9:1-12 appears to contradict what Jesus taught his disciples in Mat. 10:8-10b and Luke 14:12-14.

BUT (alla), we cover⁴⁷²² (stegomen) [the costs, v18, RE] of all things (panta), in order that (hina) we may not give (mē dōmen) any (tina) interruption (enkopēn) to the (tō) Evangelism (euangeliō) of the (tou) Christ (Christou)!

With this statement Paul sounds like he is beginning to get it, but with the next statement we shall see that he still hasn't fully comprehended Jesus Christ's injunction stated in Mat. 10:8-10b and Luke 14:12-14.

Please look at Paul's use of the very emphatic conjunction of antithesis, alla. He is emphatically stating that the authority he concludes to have under the new covenant, to use the offerings given by believers for the moving forward of the evangelism of Jesus Christ, he and his traveling companions absolutely do not use that authority, so as not to interrupt the evangelism of the Christ! But what about the gift from the Macedonians about which Paul admits he used some/all of it for his own personal needs (Rom. 15:26; 2 Cor. 11:9)?

Now Paul still continues to argue that they have the authority to personally consume offerings given, through referring again to the Mosaic law under the old covenant:

1 Cor. 9:13 (LIT/UBS4) Have you absolutely not seen (ouk oidate) that (hoti) the ones (hoi) causing themselves to work (ergazomenoi) the things (ta) of [the] sacred places (heira) eat (esthiousin) the things (ta) out (ek) of the (tou) sacred place (hierou)!?

The ones (hoi) settling alongside (paredreuontes) to the (tō) altar (thusiastēriō) cause themselves to share (summerizontai) [the things, RE] for the (tō) altar (thusiastēriō)!

Under the old covenant this was true for the Levitical priesthood, because the Levitical priesthood was given the responsibility to maintain the physical temple, the place where God would come and temporarily meet with his adopted children, the children of Israel. But under the new covenant in Jesus' shed blood, God's new temple is not one built with mortal hands, which temples were only temporary meeting places for God (Acts 7:47-49, 17:24). God's new "tent", the temple which he has built with his own hand, is his new permanent domicile (2 Sam. 7:11c-16; Rom. 8:11; Col. 1:19-20, 2:9). The "tent" God has built with his own hand is the prophesied "tent" of David which God has now raised up, according to the prophecies (Exod. 15:17; Acts 15:13-19; Heb. 8:2). This new "tent" which God has built with his own hand is the one body of Christ (Mat. 26:6, 27:40; *Mark 14:58, 15:29; *John 2:19-21; *1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; *2 Cor. 6:16; *Eph. 2:21; Rev. 7:15, *21:3)!

1 Cor. 9:14 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) thusly (houtēs), the (ho) Lord (kurios) thoroughly arranged (dietaxan) the ones (tois) reporting down (katangellousin) the (to) Evangelism (euangelion) to live (zēn) out (ek) of the (tou) Evangelism (euangeliou).

As of yet I have found no corroborating passages in God's Word which substantiate this statement of Paul as being true under God's new covenant also, as it was under the old covenant. But as we've seen there are many passages which contradict this statement, such as this one also in Heb. 13:10, which is specifically related to the new covenant in Jesus shed blood.

Heb. 13:10 We hold (echomen) [an] altar (thusiastērion), out (ex) of which (hou) the ones (hoi) serving (latreuontes) the (tē) tent (skēnē) absolutely do not have (ouk echousin) authority (exousian) to eat (phagein)!

Under the new covenant physical temples made with human hands, which have alters made of wood and/or stone, are no longer the places where the God goes to visit with his people. Under the new covenant, which Jesus Christ put through with his own shed blood, the God's new temple is referred to as a "tent", and it is collectively the one body of Christ. Under the new covenant there are many alters, each alter being a believers' own heart. What the God expects to see on all of these new alters within people's hearts, is people's confession and belief in God's Word, and in his firstborn son, Christ Jesus, and well-thankfulness to God upon their lips. Under the new covenant it is impossible for anyone to please the one true God almighty without demonstrating belief in one's heart (Mat. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; Heb. 11:6).

At the foundation of the old Mosaic law covenant it was based upon a law of works (Rom. 3:25-4:3). Mortal high priests and the Judean people were required to do physical works of many kinds to interact with that works covenant in order for God to reciprocate monthly with forgiveness of their sin, all of their sin, including the sin of the high priests themselves. But the new covenant is a law of belief (Rom. 3:27), whereas one's belief in their own heart in the God and his Word, and in his son Christ Jesus, along with confession of well-thankfulness to God, is now acceptable to God instead of the works of the law (Rom. 9:29-33; Gal. 2:16, 3:2-29).

So if God's new alter is collectively the hearts of all of the believers who have believed in the name of Jesus Christ, which is Jesus Christ's one body, and the things each believer is required to bring to their own personal alter is both belief and confession of well-thankfulness to God, then exactly what is there on God's new alters that other mortals can physically take and eat? Nothing. Only the God can "eat" from the alters of believers' hearts. As for the belief in our hearts in the God, and in his Word, and in his firstborn son Christ Jesus, God eats it up, he absolutely loves our belief and well-thankfulness!

The old Mosaic Law covenant was a covenant based upon Judeans doing physical works of various kinds, in order to keep it, in order for God to respond to them. The new covenant in Jesus shed blood is a spiritual covenant, in which covenant functionality and reciprocity is based upon a believer's belief in his or her own heart toward God. Since the God lives, and he is living within each and every believer who has believed upon the name of Jesus and who has received a new birth above in God's gift of his holy Spirit, the number of works now required for a believer to do to obtain reciprocity and fellowship with God and his son Christ Jesus, is minimal, only believe and be thankful. However, the verb believe, whether used by the prophets or Jesus' apostles, still connotes action, the action of loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength, and loving our fellow man as we love ourselves. Those are the only works we are to focus upon now.

I believe apostle Paul wrote the biblical letter to the Hebrews, and that what he or maybe someone else wrote in Heb. 13:10, was closer toward the end of the first century, after Paul's' itineraries, but at the height of Paul's understanding of, and participation with, God's holy Spirit. Under the new covenant, with each and every believer having God's gift of his holy Spirit dwelling within them, each believer now has the ability to begin to understand and participate with God and his firstborn son Christ Jesus, in God's new covenant. Having God's gift of his holy Spirit is required in order to be able to participate in fellowship with God and Christ Jesus, and with other believers.

I believe apostle Paul realized later that he was in error in this statement in 1 Cor. 9:14 to the Corinthian believers; by equating the liberties of the Levitical priesthood in the old temple under the old covenant to the like liberties of God's new priesthood, the one body of Christ, in God's new "tent" made with his own hand under his new covenant. And he corrects his misperception at that time here in Heb. 13:10 in his letter to the Hebrews.

Under the new covenant there is no longer a requirement for a temple made with human hands, since God's prophetic new holy place is each and every believer who has believed upon the name of Jesus, the one body of Christ. Under the new covenant there is no commandment to collect tithes and offerings for the maintenance and upkeep of the temple and the Levitical priesthood, which both no longer exist. The new priesthood is after the order of Melchisedek.

1 Cor. 9:15a (LIT/UBS4) But (de) I (egō) absolutely do not cause myself to use (ou kechrēmai) absolutely not one (oudeni) of these things (toutōn)!

Apostle Paul states here that he doesn't use his supposed authority to impose a sort of "love tax" upon other believes, in order for them to support he and his companions financially. But since the one body of Christ is being God's new temple made without human hands, then when those believers decide to give to the Ministry of Reconciliation out of their abundance, that it is actually the new temple of God which is offering goods and services to others, and especially to unbelievers, it is actually God himself offering them; not that believers are God himself, but that it is God energizing within them, through his holy Spirit within them, to both will to do, and to do God's will (Php. 2:13-15).

Although apostle Paul appears to make the argument that he has the authority to partake of the gifts and offerings from believers to use for his own personal needs (which supposed authority still seems very questionable to me), even under the new covenant. But he emphatically states that he hasn't used this authority, using the emphatic particle of negation ou, that he and his companions absolutely do not have the authority to be a weight upon them (2 Thes. 3:8-9), for Paul and companions to request to be financially supported by other believers.

1 Cor. 9:15b But (de) I absolutely did not write (ouk egrapsa) these things (tauta) in order that (hina) thusly (houtōs) it may cause itself to come to pass (genētai) in (en) to me (moi)!

Because (gar), [is] [it, AE] more (mallon) beautiful (kalon) for me (moi) to die away (apothanein), or (ē) absolutely not one (oudeis) shall make empty (kenōsei) the (to) boast (kauchēma) of me (mou)!?

Apostle Paul seems to be somewhat thinking out loud in his letter to the Corinthian believers, of his concern that his ministry to the other ethnic groups is having the kind of impact upon their minds and beliefs as he hopes he is having upon them, in bringing others into the knowledge, understanding and subsequent belief upon the name of Jesus. I take it that Paul wonders whether it is better for him to die away now, with the reputation he has established for himself up to this point, or to keep on doing his itineraries and witnessing to the ethnic groups if in years from now it will all have proven itself to be a waste of time.

1 Cor. 9:16 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) if perhaps (ean) I may evangelize (euangelizōmai) is there (estin) absolutely not (ouk) [a] boast (kauchēma) to me (moi)!?

Because (gar) [a] necessity (anankē) is laid upon (epikeitai) me (moi), because (gar) [it, AE] [is] woe (ouai) to me (moi) if perhaps (ean) I may not cause myself to evangelize (mē euangelisōmai)!

Christ Jesus accosted Paul on Paul's way to Damascus, appearing to him in at least a very bright light with an audio component, Jesus Christ speaking directly to Paul. Paul was another apostle hand-picked by Christ himself, not a charlatan. If Paul refused his personal commissioning then it would have been woe to Paul. But since Paul has been uniquely selected to be an apostle of Jesus Christ, he believes it is necessary for him to comply. Apostle Paul does not want to let his lord and savior down. Since Paul knows he has been called upon personally to evangelize to the ethnic groups, how can he refuse, based upon his own apprehensions, to cooperate with Christ Jesus, who is the head of his one body?

If through apostle Paul's evangelism to the ethnic groups he couldn't establish roots of belief among them, then in the long run would Paul's personal ministry for the God and his son Christ Jesus have a lasting and profound influence upon their lives for years to come? Apparently this is a real concern plaguing Paul's thoughts. After all of Paul's itineraries, hard work and suffering, of both he and his companions, to fish for and find those among the ethnic groups who are willing to believe their evangelism, of both Judeans and non-Judeans, I believe he's wondering whether he'll still have a boast, in the years and decades to come, about the fountainheads of belief he cultivated and established among those ethnic groups.

1 Cor. 9:17 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) if (ei) I habitually practice (prassō) this (touto) willingly (hekōn), I have (echō) [a] wage (misthon)!

Apostle Paul recognizes that because of his work in the Evangelism to the ethnic groups that he is storing up wages in heaven from the God, to be paid back to him at some time, at any moment going forward, or at Christ's return.

But (de) if (ei) [I, AE] [am] [an] unwilling one (akōn), I still have been caused to believe (pepisteumai) [I have, RE] [a] house stewardship (oikonomian).

Apostle Paul appears to state that even if he didn't do, or failed to do, the Ministry of Reconciliation to the ethnic groups, that he would still have a position in the household of God, which household is the one body of Christ, as a house steward, which five positions of leadership in the household of God are as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

1 Cor. 9:18 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun) what (tis) is (estin) the (ho) wage (misthos) of me (mou)?

I am causing myself to evangelize (euangelizomenos) in order that (hina) I may place (thēsō) the (to) Evangelism (euangelion) without cost (adapanon);

into (eis) the (to) [boast of me, v16] not to cause myself to thoroughly use (mē katachrēsasthai) the (tē) authority (exousia) of me (mou) in (en) the (tō) Evangelism (euangeliō)!

Here's another kind of boast in which Paul is interested, to be able to brag that he established belief among the ethnic groups without the necessity of him having to beg them to support he and his companions financially. It's obvious from this verse that Paul's heart is going into the right direction, which is to depend alone upon the might of God's awesome abundant grace, to be all of Paul's sufficiency.

Now apostle Paul appears to begin to agree with what Jesus taught his disciples in Mat. 8:8-10b and Luke 14:12-14, and elsewhere, to give away all of the things of God freely without repayment. from them.

1 Cor. 9:19 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar), one being (ōn) [a] free one (eleutheros) out (ek) of all (pantōn), I have made [a] slave (edoulōsa) of myself (emauton) to all (pasin), in order that (hina) I may gain (kerdēsō) the (tous) more (pleionas)!

This is another example of how those in leadership positions in the one body of Christ, in the household of the God, should conduct themselves, making themselves a slave to all, which example Jesus Christ showed and taught to his disciples and apostles.

1 Cor. 9:20 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) I caused myself to become (egenomēn) as (hōs) [a] Judean (Ioudaios) to the (tois) Judeans (Ioudaiois), in order that (hina) I may gain (kerdēsō) Judeans (Ioudaious);

as (hōs) [being] under (hupo) law (nomon) to the ones (tois) under (hupo) law (nomon), (myself (autos) not (mē) being (ōn) under (hupo) law (nomon)), in order that (hina) I may gain (kerdēsō) the ones (tous) under (hupo) law (nomon);

1 Cor. 9:21 (LIT/UBS4) as (hōs) [a] lawless one (anomos) to the (tois) lawless ones (anomois) ([myself, v20, RE] not (mē) being (ōn) [a] lawless one (anomos) of God (theou), BUT (all’), one in law (ennomos) of Christ (Christou)), in order that (hina) I may gain (kerdēsō) the ones (tous) of lawlessness (anomous)!

1 Cor. 9:22 (LIT/UBS4) I caused myself to become (egenomēn) [a] disabled one (asthenēs) to the (tois) disabled ones (asthenesin), in order that (hina) I may gain (kerdēsō) the (tous) disabled ones (astheneis).

To the ones (tois) [of these, AE] I have become (gegona) all things (panta) to all (pasin), in order that (hina) by all means (pantōs) I may make whole (sōsō) some (tinas)!

1 Cor. 9:23 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) I do (poiō) all things (panta) through (dia) [the sake, AE] of the (to) Evangelism (euangelion), in order that (hina) I may cause myself to become (genōmai) [a] partaker together (sunkoinōnos) of it (autou).

1 Cor. 9:24 (LIT/UBS4) Have you absolutely not seen (ouk oidate) that (hoti) the ones (hoi) running (trechontes) in (en) [a] stadium (stadiō) truly (men) all (pantes) run (trechousin), but (de) one (heis) takes (lambanei) the (to) umpire’s award (brabeion)!?

Thusly (houtōs) you run (trechete), in order that (hina) you may take (katalabēte) [it, AE].

1 Cor. 9:25a (LIT/UBS4) But (de) anyone (pas), the one (ho) causing himself to agonize (agōnizomenos), he is empowered (enkrateuetai) of all things (panta).

Although the agonizing in v25a lies within the context of running in a physical race in a stadium (v24), the greater spiritual context implies believers agonizing to carry out their own personal ministries of making known the Evangelism of Jesus Christ, as was apostle Paul's personal ministry. So therefore Paul makes a huge statement here, that anyone causing himself to agonize over the sake of the Evangelism causes himself to be empowered of all things! Does Paul mean spiritually empowered by God's holy Spirit working in a believer? By "of all things" does Paul mean all of the gracious things God can do for us to assist us? Yes, I believe that is Paul's meaning in this verse.

Again apostle Paul agrees with what Jesus Christ showed and taught to his disciples, about being empowered spiritually to work with their own hands to provide the things for their own personal needs, to be able to give away freely the things of God.

1 Cor. 9:25b Therefore (oun), truly (men), those ones (ekeinoi) [cause themselves to agonize, RE] in order that (hina) they may receive (labōsin) [a] corruptible (phtharton) crown (stephanon);

but (de) we (hēmeis) [cause ourselves to agonize in order that we may receive, RE] [an] incorruptible (aphtharton) [crown, RE].

Again apostle Paul agrees with what Jesus showed and taught to his disciples, that the repayment for their hard work of the evangelism of Jesus Christ would come at a time in the future, which time Jesus referred to as the time of the standing up of the dead ones (Luke 14:14), which is the first resurrection, the resurrection of the dead in Christ.

Please consider these two questions, and what you may think:

1. What is the new holy place of God under his new covenant in Jesus' shed blood? Is it not, according to the holy scriptures, each and every believer who has believed upon the name of Jesus and subsequently has received a new birth above in God's gift of his paternal holy Spirit, and who has become the one body of Christ (Mark 14:58; John 2:19-21, 14:23; Acts 7:48-49, 15:16, 17:24; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Cor. 5:1, 6:16; Eph. 2:21-22; 1 Tim. 3:5, 15; 2 Tim. 1:14; Heb. 3:6, 8:2, 9:11, 24; James 4:5; 1 Pet. 2:5; Rev. 7:15, 13:6, 15:5, 21:2-3)?

2. What, in God's new household, his new permanent holy place, the one body of Christ, is the new priesthood (hierateuma) under God's new covenant in Jesus' shed blood? It is not the same answer as to the first question, each and every believer, the ones who have believed upon the name of Jesus and subsequently have received a new birth above in God's gift of his paternal holy Spirit (1 Pet. 2:9), Christ Jesus himself being the chief sacrificial priest (archiereus, Heb. 2:17, 3:1, 4:14-15, 5:5, 10, 6:20, 7:26, 8:1, 9:11)?

If God is instrumentally working in and through his paternal children, who each one is a high priest under God's new covenant, according to apostle Peter, then are we not false priests if we're not believing God's promises for him to cause/choreograph his abundant grace into our lives?

And then after God has made us abundant, who did Jesus Christ teach were the ones to whom we are commanded to give of our abundance? You may have guessed it again, we are to give it to "the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones" (Luke 14:12-13), and all those like these, according to the scriptural evidence of God's Word? If we're living in the household of God, our heavenly Father, isn't there enough abundance in God's household to make us abundant if we're believing God's Word, so that we would have enough to be able to give to others who have needs, instead of asking/requiring other believers to give of their abundance to us, if we're capable of working with our own two hands?

So then are not all those who are living like Levite high priests, consuming those things of the alter, are they not still living under the old covenant, the Law of Works? If they're encouraging others to support them, as the Levitical priesthood was supported under the old covenant, then which temple, which holy place of God are they serving? Are they living and serving under God's new covenant, in God's new temple made without human's hands, or are they representing and preserving the continuance of the old covenant of law in order to accommodate themselves?

Continuing along the path of apostle Paul's second itinerary, we see that he keeps on preaching the same thing, that all believers, those of both leadership and followership, are to labor, working with their own hands for their own necessary things.

While in Ephesus Paul taught all of the believers to work with their own hands for their own needs, and so that they may have an abundance to share with those who could not work with their own hands, those who are, again you may have guessed it, "the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones" (Luke 14:12-13).

Eph. 4:28 (LIT/UBS4) The one (ho) stealing (kleptōn), steal (kleptetō) no longer yet (mēketi)!

But (de) <do> more (mallon) labor (kopiatō), he causing himself to work (ergazomenos) the (tais) hands (chersin) [being] his own (idiais);

in order that (hina) he may have (echē) the (to) good thing (agathon) to share together with (metadidonai) the one (tō) having (echonti) need (chreian)!

Those of the modern "Christian Levitical Priesthood" don't believe that this truth of God's Word applies to them!

Apparently there were some in the assembly in Ephesus who stole for a living. When apostle Paul was rescued by the Macedonian believers he considered it stealing from them, "stripping" them! Paul's exhortation to the Ephesian believers was to do more labor, to work more with their own hands for the things they need for themselves, instead of stealing those things from others who were laboring and working with their own hands for their own needs. Those having needs were the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, which is the target audience to whom the evangelism of Jesus Christ was sent, and still is, to be preached and taught. Those who could work with their own hands were instructed to labor not only for their own needs, but so that they may have an abundance from which to give to those who could not work with their own hands for their own needs.

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Continuing further along the paths of apostle Paul's itineraries, during Paul's third itinerary, while he was at Miletus in Asia he sent back to Ephesus and called for the elders of the assembly to meet together with him in order that he may further impart some important spiritual truths to them (Acts 20:18-38). At the end of his meeting with them he wished to leave them with some important spiritual advice:

Acts 20:33 (LIT/UBS4) Of silver (arguriou), or (ē) of gold (chrusiou), or (ē) of [a] garment (himatismou), of absolutely not one (oudenos) did I lust (epethumēsa)!

Of all of the goods which have been given by the believers in Asia to support those believers elsewhere who are poor ones, crippled-up ones, lame ones, and blind ones, of all of the goods which have been placed in apostle Paul's custody on their behalf, Paul says that he lusted for absolutely not one thing of all of the things placed in his hands for safe-keeping for the believers with greater needs.

Acts 20:34 (LIT/UBS4) You know (ginōskete) yourselves (autoi) that (hoti) for the (tais) needs (chreiais) of me (mou), and (kai) for the ones (tois) being (ousin) together with (met’) [me, RE], the (hai) hands (cheires) of me (emou), these ones (hautai), have under-oared⁵²⁵⁶ (hupēretēsan)!

Apostle Paul says that he worked with his own hands for his own personal needs. This is the description of a mature believer who has grown up spiritually into being a worthy one (Mat. 10:10; Eph. 4:1, 14-15; Phil. 1:27; Col. 1:9-12; 1 Thes. 2:11-12; 2 Thes. 1:11-12; 1 Tim. 5:18; 3 John 1:5-6), one fit and outfitted for service through manifesting God's gift of his Spirit within, the inherent power of God! Apostle Paul, in all of the records of his itineraries, sets the pattern for ministry, outreach, and "missionary" work as well, the pattern for how believers are to conduct themselves in their own personal ministries as worthy ones themselves, working with their own hands for their own needs. According to sola scriptura, money and goods collected from other believers are meant to be given only to poor believers, to those who are physically incapable of supplying for their own needs with their own hands.

Acts 20:35 (LIT/UBS4) I have shown (hupedeixa) all things (panta) to you (humin), that (hoti) laboring (kopiōntas) thusly (houtōs) is required (dei), to cause yourselves to receive (antilambanesthai) the ones (tōn) being disabled (asthenountōn);

and (te) [it, AE] [is required, RE] to remember (mnēmoneuein) the (tōn) words (logōn) of the (tou) lord (kuriou), Jesus (Iēsou), that (hoti) he enunciated (eipen) himself (autos), “He is (estin) [a] more (mallon) happier one (makarion) to give (didonai) than (ē) to receive (lambanein).”

Apostle Paul says he and his companions who were preaching and teaching the evangelism of Jesus Christ, they being leadership, they worked with their own hands to acquire the things they needed for their own necessities (Acts 20:34), for their own food, clothing and shelter, and traveling costs. Apostle Paul absolutely did not pass the plate wherever he and his companions went preaching and teaching. If Jesus Christ and his disciples and apostles did pass a "plate" of any kind, it was a plate full of the abundance they had gathered through believing God's great and precious promises and working with their own hands to receive God's promised abundance to come to pass in their own lives. They worked for not only their own needs, but so they could have a plate to pass to give to other new believers who could not possibly work with their own hands for their own needs, the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones and the blind ones. Jesus Christ and his disciples and apostles passed a plate full of their own abundance so that others could take from the plate for their own needs!

Apostle Paul and his companions were following the new covenant arrangements Jesus and his apostles put in place. Jesus Christ and his apostles and disciples didn't pass the plate to collect a paycheck, wherever they went preaching and teaching. They passed a "plate" to give away to others having needs! Paul was a tent-maker, repairing, making and selling tents to earn the money to buy the things he needed for himself, and for others. What do you suppose apostle Peter may have done, caught and sold fish, or maybe tanned skins for a living for himself and others? You look it up.

Now think for a minute: how do these spiritual truths in this study relate to why Jesus cleaned out the temple (John 2:13-16)?

Who do you think should be cleaned out of God's new "temple", the "tent" he has built with his own hand, the raised up "tent" of David, the one body of Christ?

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Apostle Paul Accepts EMERGENCY Assistance From Macedonian Believers

Next, in 2 Cor. 11:7-9, apostle Paul recounts the details of a rescue mission the Macedonian brothers launched for him and his companions, when travel costs stripped them of their own personal resources for which they were working with their own hands, and spending to move forward the ministry and evangelism of Jesus Christ.

2 Cor. 11:7 (LIT/UBS4) Or (ē) did I do (epoiēsa) [a] sin (hamartian) humbling (tapeinōn) myself (emauton), in order that (hina) you may be set above⁵³¹² (hupsōthēte), because (hoti) gratuitously (dōrean) I caused myself to evangelize (euēngelisamēn) to you (humin) the (to) Evangelism (euangelion) of the (tou) God (theou)?

If apostle Paul's second letter to the Corinthian believers was written after his third itinerary, we can see here that Paul is now further along in his realization of what Jesus meant when he told his disciples how to preach and teach, to give God's Word away freely (Mat. 10:8; Rom. 3:24, 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:12; 2 Cor. 11:7; Rev. 21:6, 22:17). Apostle Paul followed what Jesus Christ taught all of his apostles and disciples to do, to gratuitously evangelize the evangelism. Apostle Paul didn't pass the plate among the believers in the area of Corinth. He spent his own money out of his own pocket, which he earned working with his own hands, doing... perhaps tent-making, as was his trade (Acts 18:3), which we know he practiced during his second itinerary.

2 Cor. 11:8 (LIT/UBS4) I stripped⁴⁸¹³ (esulēsa) other (allas) assemblies (ekklēsias), having taken (labōn) rations (opsōnion) for (pros) [the sake, AE] of the (tēn) ministry (diakonian) of you (humōn)!

Apostle Paul says he stripped (esulēsa), robbed the other assemblies, which includes the Macedonian believers, so that he could bring the knowledge of the ministry of God to the Corinthian believers, gratuitously, free of charge! Paul didn't use the word doma, meaning generally a gift of some kind to refer to what the other assemblies gave him to continue on, or the word misthos, meaning a wage, or the word charis, meaning a thing given out of graciousness of them, but he specifically used the word esulēsa, a term meaning that he robbed, which is how the word esulēsa, meaning stripped, is used in other contexts in the holy scriptures, such as in Col. 2:8.

Paul says he stripped/robbed (v2 Cor. 11:8) other assemblies of believers so he could keep on moving forward the evangelism of God, to give the knowledge of the ministry to the Corinthian believers gratuitously (v7), free of charge! Doesn't stripped mean just the opposite of freely? Luke quotes Christ Jesus giving us a definition of this word esulēsa, stripped, in his parable (Luke 10:30).

Apostle Paul says he stripped/robbed other believers of rations (opsōnion). Paul received emergency assistance from other believers, rations, a military term describing the minimum amount of food necessary to keep healthy and carry on, for Paul to carry on the ministry of the evangelism of Jesus Christ. Paul received only the bare minimum of what he needed. He wasn't living a comfortable or extravagant life style off of the rations they gave to him. Paul says he stripped the Macedonian believers, implying he now felt indebted to them to pay them back.

2 Cor. 11:9 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) I being one alongside (parōn) to (pros) you (humas), and (kai) one having lacked (husterētheis), I was absolutely not [a] burden²⁶⁵⁵ (ou katenarkēsa) of absolutely no one (outhenos)!

Because (gar) the (to) lack (husterēma) of me (mou) the (hoi) brothers (adelphoi) filled up toward (prosaneplērōsan) [me, RE], they having come (elthontes) from (apo) Macedonia (Makedonias).

And (kai) in (en) everything (panti) I watchfully kept (etērēsa), and (kai) I shall watchfully keep (tērēsō), myself (emauton) unburdensome (abarē) to you (humin).

At a point during Paul's second itinerary, after he departed from Macedonia and arrived in Achaia, he ran out of personal resources to continue to finance himself in the spread of the evangelism of Jesus Christ. Some of the believers of the Macedonian assemblies, from which he had recently departed, in a rescue mission to Paul, sent down to him things Paul needed in order to continue forward, rations. It may have been out of their own abundance, or maybe not out of their own abundance, since Paul refers to his acceptance of needed things from the Macedonian brothers as "stripping" them. Accepting things for personal needs from believers was no longer standard operating procedure for apostle Paul and his companions, and it humbled and sorrowed him greatly for him to feel as though he was being a burden, stripping/robbing Macedonians and other believers for his own personal needs.

For Paul being absolutely not a burden, see 2655 in the LIT Notes.

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In 2 Cor. 12:13-17, in connection with apostle Paul's accomplishments during his second itinerary, he summarizes to the assembly of believers in the area of Corinth the motivation of his heart for them, openly demonstrating his imitation of the love of our heavenly Father, and the love of Christ, to only give freely, and never to take repayment from them of anything in return.

2 Cor. 12:13 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) what (ti) is (estin) [it, AE] over (huper) [the sake, AE] of which (ho) you were made inferior (hēssōthēte) of the (tas) remaining (loipas) assemblies (ekklēsiais), if (ei) not (mē) that (hoti) I (egō) myself (autos) was absolutely not [a] burden²⁶⁵⁵ (ou katenarkēsa) of you (humōn)!?

Cause yourselves to be gracious (charisasthe) to me (moi) [because, AE] of the (tēn) unrighteousness (adikian) of this (tautēn).

V13 appears to be a reference to Paul's first itinerary when he apparently accepted personal gifts from them. Paul is now "begging" the believers in the area of Corinth to be gracious to him on account of his unrighteousness toward them for accepting from them something in return for his service to them in spreading the evangelism of Christ Jesus. Apostle Paul is stating that it was unrighteous of him to accept anything from them, as though he was trading the precious knowledge of God's Word, over which Christ Jesus gave his life to give it away freely, gratuitously (Mat. 10:8), in exchange for goods of some kind!

2 Cor. 12:14 (LIT/UBS4) Behold (idou), this (touto) third (triton) [time, AE] I hold (echō) ready (hetoimōs) to come (elthein) to (pros) you (humas), and (kai) I shall absolutely not be [a] burden²⁶⁵⁵ (ou katanarkēsō)!

Because (gar) I absolutely do not search (ou zētō) for the things (ta) of you (humōn), BUT (alla), for you (humas)!

Because (gar) the (ta) ones born (tekna) ought (opheilei) to absolutely not gather treasures (ou thēsaurizein) for the (tois) parents (goneusin), BUT (alla), the (hoi) parents (goneis) [owe to gather treasures, RE] for the (tois) ones born (teknois)!

2 Cor. 12:15 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) I (egō) shall hedonistically spend (hēdista dapanēsō), and (kai) I shall be spent out (ekdapanēthēsomai) over (huper) [the sake, AE] of the (tōn) souls (psuchōn) of you (humōn)!

If (ei) I love (agapō) you (humas) abundantly (perissoterōs), am I loved (agapōmai) inferiorly (hēsson)?

Apostle Paul demonstrated the love of God, saying others' demonstration of God's love is inferior to his demonstration of it, thusly challenging others to rise up to the level of the bar of God's love.

2 Cor. 12:16a (LIT/UBS4) But (de) let it be so (estō), I absolutely did not weigh you down (ou katebarēsa humas),

I absolutely did not weigh you down! - Please notice Paul's use of the emphatic particle of negation, ou, to make his point, to both the Corinthian believers and to us now! Apostle Paul says that over the sake of them, for the sake of their growth as disciples of Christ, and growth as sons of God (please see the context), it is his desire to spend out his own soul over the sake of their souls, and absolutely not weigh them down with his own personal needs. That's the love of God demonstrated (John 3:16). I see no passing of the plate here, but exactly the opposite, as we can see in ALL of the records in God's Word! Apostle Paul didn't ask for anything in return, not weighing them down with a debt to repay to him for giving to them the knowledge of God's Word, and God's love and grace!

2 Cor. 12:16b BUT (alla), I being one under control (huparchōn), [an] all-working one (panourgos), I [absolutely did not, RE] take (elabon) you (humas) [with, AE] deceit (dolō)!

I being one under control, [an] all-working one - Apostle Paul wasn't always an all-working one. In his first itinerary he did allow others to give him some assistance. But as he continued he learned how to manifest God's holy Spirit within him to be able to work to supply all of his own needs, and supply the means to continue his ministry. Apostle Paul learned to work with his own hands to pay for ALL of his own personal needs, not to mention for ALL of his traveling costs, which we can assume amounted to no small bill given the size of the area he covered during his three or more large itineraries, not to mention how many possible unknown smaller ones.

deceit - Apostle Paul didn't use deceitful trickery through words to get something from them for himself. Apostle Paul learned to become an all-working one, working himself for all of the things he needed to spread the ministry of reconciliation with the Word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19). He traveled to them, preached to them, and taught them the evangelism of God, entirely at his own cost, he and his companions financing their own way for their own necessary personal needs.

2 Cor. 12:17 (LIT/UBS4) Through (di’) not (mē) anyone (tina), of ones whom (hōn) I have sent (apestalka) to (pros) you (humas), of him (autou) did I covet (epleonektēsa) you (humas).

Through not anyone did I covet you - I believe that Paul means that not through anyone of the ones whom Paul sent to them, to collect the gracious things of them for the blind, poor, etc., did he take any of it for his own personal needs! He did not skim off of those gracious things for himself. Neither did he pass the plate!

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Summary: May We Keep The Injunctions Of The Lord Of Us, Christ Jesus!

Apostle Paul, one of the great leaders of the first century assembly, came around to understanding and believing not covet anything of the gracious things being given, so as not to hinder any of the ones who had little or nothing, the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones (Luke 14:12-13) from getting their own needs met by God, who was instrumentally working IN and THROUGH them, the leadership! Apostle Paul and the leadership were not poor ones from having a physical or mental incapacity to work, they were not crippled-up ones, lame ones, or blind ones. They could work with their own hands, and they did, manifesting the power of God's Spirit in them, as God intended it to be! And if anyone desired healing, and they could believe enough to receive it, then they received healing from God through the apostles, the apostles walking in Christ's stead.

The God, who by the way is still on his throne, through his new covenant which Christ Jesus put through in his own shed blood and death, is still honoring his new covenant, working together (sunergei, Rom. 8:28) all things into good for those who are actively participating in and owning and holding up their own new covenant responsibilities.

For those participating in God's new covenant, they are taking advantage of God's great and precious promises found therein, through they believing them and confessing them with their mouths, in prayers of well-thankfulness to God, through which believing actions God choreographs for them the supply of their needs to come to them (2 Cor. 9:10; Gal. 3:5; Col. 2:19; 2 Pet. 1:11), if they are willing to work with their own hands. This is living and walking through belief, and not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7; Phil. 3:16). Those who are not walking and living day by day through their own belief in their own hearts of God's Word, of his great and precious promises under his new Covenant in Jesus' shed blood (Heb. 8:6-), they are not working with their own hands, and so they must pass the plate to other believers to support them, since God is not choreographing for them their abundance! This is why apostle Paul refers to God's new covenant as the Law of Belief, as opposed to the old covenant being the Law of Works (Rom. 3:27).

Coveting the things of others is practicing the Law of Works, under which covenant the Levitical priesthood lived off of the labor of others who contributed 10% to them for the maintenance and upkeep of the temple, and all of the associated activities required to be done by the Levitical priesthood under the injunctions of the Mosaic law. But since the day of Pentecost, which occurred in about 30 A. D./C. E., the promised new covenant of God has come, as evidenced by the outpouring of God's Spirit upon all those who believed upon the name of Jesus (Acts 2). And so now the "works" of the old covenant are no longer required in lieu of the precious name of Jesus, and is now so far replaced that it is almost invisible (Heb. 8:13). And now the temple is gone also, courtesy of the Romans in about 70 A. D. And so now the Levitical priesthood is gone also (Heb. 8-9)!

But in practice and practical application modern "Christianity" has obliterated, in its Bible "translations", the truth of the new covenant arrangements put in place by Jesus and his apostles. And half-truths (if that!) are preached and taught in place of the evangelism of Jesus Christ, by pseudo Levitical priests, in an abundance of pseudo Holy Places on every corner. And all of the pseudo Levitical high priests of all of those pseudo temples, either directly, or indirectly through implication, insinuation, innuendo, suggestion, hinting, or allusion, expect all of those in their congregations, their flocks, to support them through their passing of the plate to them, so the congregations have an "opportunity" (as if opportunities may be scarce) "to give to God and his work"!

The modern "Christian Levitical Priesthood" does not work with their own hands for the things of their own personal needs, and they do not give of their own personal time gratuitously, free of charge, as a love offering to God and to their fellow man, according to the examples Jesus Christ and his apostles set in place for them and us to follow (Mat. 5:42-48)! And the modern "Christian Levitical Priesthood" in all of those little "temples" desire the people listening to them to repay them in cash (Luke 14:14; 2 Cor. 2:17; Titus 1:10-11)! The modern "Christian Levitical Priesthood" wishes to be paid now, in cash, but Jesus said to his disciples (they were not yet apostles) to not accept gold, silver, copper, clothing or shoes in repayment (Mat. 10:8-10), but that they would be paid back in the resurrection of the righteous ones (Luke 14:14)! The modern "Christian Levitical Priesthood" has turned all their followers into "Johnnys", making them pay them for the "services rendered", which purchasing of the things of God was repugnant to apostle Peter, when Simon the sorcerer desired to buy from Peter the power of the gift of God's Spirit (Acts 8:18-23)!

Apostle Peter said:

1 Pet. 1:14 (LIT/UBS4) As (hōs) ones born (tekna) of attentive hearing (hupakoēs), do not be scheming yourselves together with (mē suschēmatizomenoi) the (tais) previous (proteron) lusts (epithumiais) in (en) the (tē) ignorance (agnoia) of you (humōn).

1 Pet. 1:15 (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), down on account (kata) of the (ton) holy one (hagion) having called you aloud (kalesanta humas), you be caused to become (genēthēte) holy ones (hagioi) yourselves (autoi) also (kai), in (en) every (pasē) behavior (anastrophē)!

1 Pet. 1:16 (LIT/UBS4) Through the reason that (dioti) it has been written (gegraptai) that (hoti), “You shall cause yourselves to be (esesthe) holy ones (hagioi), because (hoti) I (egō) am being (eimi) [a] holy one (hagios).”

1 Pet. 1:17 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) if (ei) you cause yourselves to call aloud upon (epikaleisthe) [the] Father (patera), the one (ton) judging (krinonta) down according to (kata) the (to) work (ergon) of each (hekastou) without taking at face value (aprosōpolēmptōs), cause yourselves to turn up³⁹⁰ (anastraphēte) in (en) fear (phobō) [in, RE] the (ton) time (chronon) of the (tēs) side-housing (paroikias) of you (humōn);

1 Pet. 1:18 (LIT/UBS4) you having seen (eidotes) that (hoti) you were absolutely not redeemed (ou elutrōthēte) for corruptible things (phthartois), for silver (arguriō), or (ē) for gold (chrusiō), out (ek) of the (tēs) empty (mataias) behavior (anastrophēs) of you (humōn) given alongside of the fathers (patroparadotou) [of you, v17, RE],

1 Pet. 1:19 (LIT/UBS4) BUT (alla), for highly valued (timiō) blood (haimati) of Christ (Christou), [blood, RE] as (hōs) of [an] unblemished (amōmou) and (kai) unstained (aspilou) lamb (amnou)!

For how much, this coming Sunday, is the plate passed to sell the shed blood of Christ?

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Apostle John said:

1 John 2:3 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) in (en) this (toutō) we know (ginōskomen) that (hoti) we have known (egnōkamen) him (auton):

if perhaps (ean) we may watchfully keep (tērōmen) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou).

1 John 2:4 (LIT/UBS4) The one (ho) saying (legōn) that (hoti), “I have known (egnōka) him (auton)”, and (kai) [is] not (mē) watchfully keeping (tērōn) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou), he is (estin) [a] false one (pseustēs), and (kai) the (hē) Truth (alētheia) is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) in (en) this (toutō) [false one, RE]!

1 John 2:5 (LIT/UBS4) But (d’) perhaps (an) whoever (hos) may watchfully keep (tērē) the (ton) Word (logon) of him (autou), truly (alēthos) in (en) him (toutō) the (hē) love (agapē) of the (tou) God (theou) has been made complete (teteleiōtai)!

In (en) this (toutō) we know (ginōskomen) that (hoti) we are (esmen) in (en) him (autō):

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1 John 3:21 (LIT/UBS4) Beloved ones (agapētoi), if perhaps (ean) the (hē) heart (kardia) of us (hēmōn) may not denounce (mē kataginōskē) [us, RE], we have (echomen) boldness (parrēsian) toward (pros) the (ton) God (theon);

1 John 3:22 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) if perhaps (ean) whatever (ho) we may request (aitōmen) we receive (lambanomen) [it] from (ap’) him (autou), because (hoti) we watchfully keep (tēroumen) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou), and (kai) we do (poioumen) the things (ta) agreeable (aresta) in sight (enōpion) of him (autou).

1 John 3:24 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) the one (ho) watchfully keeping (tērōn) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou) stays (menei) in (en) him (autō), and (kai) he (autos) [stays, RE] in (en) him (autō).

And (kai) in (en) this (toutō) we know (ginōskomen) that (hoti) he stays (menei) in (en) us (hēmin), out (ek) of the (tou) Spirit (pneumatos) which (hou) he gave (edōken) to us (hēmin).

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1 John 5:2 (LIT/UBS4) In (en) this (toutō) we know (ginōskomen) that (hoti) we should love (agapōmen) the (ta) ones born (tekna) of the (tou) God (theou), when perhaps (hotan) we may love (agapōmen) the (ton) God (theon), and (kai) we may do (poiōmen) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou).

1 John 5:3 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) this (hautē) is (estin) the (hē) love (agapē) [of us] of the (tou) God (theou):

that (hina) we may watchfully keep (tērōmen) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou).

And (kai) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou) are (eisin) absolutely not (ouk) weighty things (bareiai)!

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2 John 1:6 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) this (hautē) is (estin) the (hē) love (agapē), in order that²⁴⁴³ (hina) we may walk around (peripatōmen) down according to (kata) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of him (autou).

This (hautē) is (estin) the (hē) injunction (entolē) down according to as (kathōs) you heard (ēkousate) from (ap’) [the] beginning (archēs), in order that (hina) we may walk around (peripatētē) in (en) her (autē).

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Jesus Christ said:

John 14:15 (LIT/UBS4) If perhaps (ean) you may love (agapate) me (me), you shall watchfully keep (tērēsete) the (tas) injunctions (entolas), the ones (tas) [being] mine (emas).

John 14:21 (LIT/UBS4) The one (ho) holding (echōn) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of me (mou), and (kai) watchfully keeping (tērōn) them (autas), that one (ekeinos) is (estin) the one (ho) loving (agapōn) me (me).

But (de) the one (ho) loving (agapōn) me (me) shall be loved (agapēthēsetai) under (hupo) [authority, AE] of the (tou) Father (patros) of me (mou).

And I (kagō) shall love (agapēsō) him (auton), and (kai) I shall manifest myself in (emphanisō emauton) to him (autō).”

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John 15:10 (LIT/UBS4) If perhaps¹⁴³⁷ (ean) you may have watchfully kept (tērēsēte) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of me (mou), you shall stay (meneite) in (en) to the (tē) love (agapē) of me (mou);

down according to as (kathōs) I (egō) have watchfully kept (tetērēka) the (tas) injunctions (entolas) of the (tou) Father (patros) of me (mou), and (kai) I stay (menō) in (en) to the (tē) love (agapē) of him (autou).

John 15:14 (LIT/UBS4) You (humeis) are (este) loved ones (philoi) of me (mou), if perhaps (ean) you may do (poiēte) [the] things for which (ha) I (egō) cause myself to give [an] injunction (entellomai) to you (humin).

For more examples of the apostle, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, and disciples of Christ Jesus NOT selling or bartering the knowledge and things of God for personal gain, or of NOT accepting money or personal gifts for themselves, but rather working with their own hands to provide for their own personal necessary needs, and the needs of the poor ones, the crippled-up ones, the lame ones, and the blind ones, see Luke 7:19-22, 41-43; Rom. 3:24, 8:32; 1 Cor. 2:12, 4:12, 4:1-13; 1 Tim. 3:3; 3 John 1:7; Rev. 21:6, 22:17.

May we follow the preaching and teaching of Jesus Christ and his apostles, and not mortal-made "Christian" traditions!

Brother Hal Dekker