[votivesoul]

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.

Brother, I know you know the Scriptures well, so I won't belabor the point, but only say as follows:

Paul's comparison was to those "who are employed in the temple service [and] get their food from the temple, and [to] those who serve at the altar [who] share in the sacrificial offerings" (1 Corinthians 9:13, ESV).

Who are these that are employed in temple service and serve at the altar?

They are priests of the Levitical order, wouldn't you agree?

There were 24 orders of priests designated by King David (1 Chronicles 24:7-18), according to the family names and heads of each family.

These did not live exclusively and permanently in Jerusalem, because the Levites were given cities and villages throughout the various tribal lands of Israel. While they lived in those cities and villages, the Levites had farms to work and could provide for their own sustenance:

Joshua 14:4 (ESV),

For the people of Joseph were two tribes, Manasseh and Ephraim. And no portion was given to the Levites in the land, but only cities to dwell in, with their pasturelands for their livestock and their substance.

Joshua 21:3 (ESV),

So by command of the Lord the people of Israel gave to the Levites the following cities and pasturelands out of their inheritance.

But then, when a particular course of the Levitical order was called up to serve in Jerusalem, all the members of that family, according to the head of each clan, went up to Jerusalem to minister:

Luke 1:5-8 (ESV),

5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.

8 Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense...

While each individual family from the Levitical priesthood were in Jerusalem and away from their homes, their cities, and their pasturelands where they could provide for themselves, they were permitted by God to eat portions of the holy things which were sacrificed on the altar (e.g. Exodus 29:33, Leviticus 21:22). Money was never sacrificed there, even though there were offering boxes outside of the temple, at least in the Court of the Women, across from the Treasury (Mark 12:41-43 and Luke 21:1-3).

So, while the various courses of priests served in the temple, and had to travel perhaps long distances from their ancestral homes to Jerusalem, they were given a place to live/rest/sleep, a change in garments (their official work uniform, see, e.g. Exodus 28, and Exodus 31:10), food to eat, and presumably, funds for travelling back home when their course was over.

Then Paul writes:

In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.

Those who proclaim the gospel should have available to them the very same things the Levites had available to them when they travelled to Jerusalem in order to complete their service in the temple:

- Free housing
- Change of garments
- Food to eat
- Funds for travelling

No more, no less.