[Esaias]

Originally Posted by mfblume

How doe sthat work with the compariso verse before Paul mentioned living of the gospel?

1 Corinthians 9:13-14.. Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? ..(14).. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Whatever it was that Paul meant by living of the gospel is understood by the comparison he made as a reference to how priests lived of the things of the temple and altar. When they lived of the things of the temple and altar, were they getting a meal on occasion and a bed while travelling?

In Paul's case, perhaps. But Paul said ministers of the gospel despite what others may have said about this limited to apostles.

He addressed that already in one of his posts:

Originally Posted by votivesoul

Additionally, in 1 Corinthians 9, Paul makes the case that the priests who serve at the altar partake of the altar, meaning what? They are allotted a portion of the animal that was sacrificed. Again, it's about food, not money. Then Paul states that "in the same way" they who preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel. It's about food. It's not about money for whatever need.

To take today's standard of economics and commerce and apply it retroactively to a situation 2,000 years ago is the very definition of shoe-horning and eisogesis. Per 1 Corinthians 9, Paul wouldn't recognize anything salaried ministers do with their income from the churches which pay them. He would expect only itinerate evangelists (not resident prophets and teachers) to receive a meal, some additional clothing as the need arose, a place to sleep, and at most, perhaps some extra funds for travelling to the next stop on the missionary journey. He wrote of nothing else. Suggested nothing else. Commanded nothing else. Taught nothing else.

There is then no grand-fathering a modern application into the text. The Holy Scriptures and the Christian faith do not work that way.