Is Tent-Making the Biblical Norm?

Some well-meaning believers promote tent-making as the preferred biblical pattern for pastors today. By “tent-making,” I am referring to an approach to pastoral ministry in which a pastor works a full-time vocational job to support his family while also serving as a pastor. Thom Rainer encourages this perspective in an article entitled, “Eight Reasons Why Some Full-Time Pastors and Staff Should Go Bivocational.” Chuck Lawless makes a similar case in an article entitled, “10 Reasons Bivocational Ministry Matters.”

In response to this viewpoint, I would like to offer a reminder about what the New Testament teaches regarding pastoral compensation. Though tent-making may be necessary in some cases and though it may serve as a strategic, frontline strategy for missions, it does not represent the biblical norm and the goal to which every congregation should aspire.

The Biblical Norm

Whenever possible, a church should embrace the responsibility of providing necessary resources, finances, and care in support of pastors who lead them well. That’s what Paul indicates when he says, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches” (Gal 6:6).

• The one who is “taught in the word” is a member of a church.
• The one “who teaches” is a pastor of a church.
• The word share means, “to share one’s possessions,” as a partner of their teaching ministry.
• The “all good things” refers to the things that they need to live and survive.

This agrees with what Paul taught the church at Corinth. He wrote to them because some people were criticizing his ministry. They were saying that he was only teaching them and ministering to them because he wanted money and material things from them. Here is how he answered that criticism (1 Cor 9:3-14).

“My defense to those who examine me is this: do we have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?” (1 Cor 9:3-6)

In these verses, he argued that full time gospel ministers like him, Barnabas, Cephas, James and Jude had every right to have their material needs provided, just as much as anyone else who worked in other ways which were not full-time gospel ministry. This right extended to having meeting the needs of their wives and families as well for those who were married.

“Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?” (1 Cor 9:7)

In this verse, he asked questions that help us think clearly about the situation. When a soldier goes to war, the country that he is fighting for provides for his material needs. When a man plants a garden, he doesn’t just give the produce away to other people; he eats some of it for himself. When a person cares for a flock of goats or a herd of cows, he doesn’t just sell the milk at the market; he drinks some of it himself. The point here is that whomever you are serving – and in this case it is the church – they should be the source of your material and financial support.

“Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? For it is written in the law of Moses, ‘You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.’ Is it oxen God is concerned about?” (1 Cor 9:8-9)

In these verses he showed us that he was not just using secular, human logic. He was actually using biblical thoughts and biblical logic. He quoted from the Old Testament to prove this. Then he realized that some people might say, “How does taking care of oxen teach us how to take care of a full-time gospel worker?” To answer that question, he said this:

“Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.” (1 Cor 9:9-10)

In these verses, Paul pointed out that this principle from the Old Testament (which is in Deut 25:4), given by God, applies to other situations as well, including how to take care of a pastor. That’s why he said God gave it not only to teach us how to take care of cattle, but also to teach us how to take care of ourselves (“our sakes,” meaning full-time gospel workers).

“If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?” (1 Cor 9:11-12)

In these verses he makes the connection clear. People like apostles and pastors serve the church and give them spiritual teaching and help (“spiritual things”). As a result, it should not be a big deal to ask the church to return the favor by providing a pastor with the material things that he needs. After all, the believers at Corinth were giving support to other teachers, but not to him.

“Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.” (1 Cor 9:12)

Even so, Paul told them that to avoid having this debate he chose to refuse his right of asking for financial and material support. He didn’t want that to get in the way of helping them grow in the gospel in other ways. Then he went on to make another point that teaches why churches should support their pastors financially.

“Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar?” (1 Cor 9:13)

Here he reminded the church about how the priests had served the nation of Israel in the Temple. They served full time and they were provided with the food and housing they needed to live and to serve without distraction and hindrance. They didn’t serve in the Temple and then grow gardens, build buildings, run businesses, and care for animals on the side. So then, Paul goes on to say the same thing about pastors today:

“Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.” (1 Cor 9:14)

In this verse, he pointed out that a church should care for their pastor(s) the same way that the Israelites provided for their priests. He even said that the Lord Jesus himself commanded this. Where did he command this? We find this at least twice in the gospels.

“Provide neither gold nor silver nor copper in your money belts, nor bag for your journey, nor two tunics, nor sandals, nor staffs; for a worker is worthy of his food.” (Matthew 10:9-10)

“And remain in the same house, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not go from house to house. Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.” (Luke 10:7-8)

These statements from the teaching ministry of Jesus underscore what Paul is teaching. They demonstrate that he was not teaching novel or worldly ideas.

Tent-Making When Necessary

Some pastors may choose to support themselves or to supplement their income through secular employment. Paul, who made a clear case for pastoral remuneration (see above and study 1 Tim 5:17-18), also chose to support himself through secular employment on at least three occasions:

• When he pastored the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 9:12).
• When he pastored the church at Thessalonica (1 Thess. 3:7-10).
• When he pastored the church at Ephesus (Acts 20:33-35).

To do this, he utilized the trade skills of tent making he learned as a boy (Acts 18:3). Even so, he revealed that during these periods of public employment, he also relied on supplemental income from other sympathetic churches (2 Cor. 11:7-9; Phil. 4:14-18).

To the church at Corinth, he said this:

“Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.” (2 Cor 11:7-9)

He preached the gospel and served them “free of charge.” To do this, he said that he “robbed other churches, taking wages from them instead.” This means that other churches helped to meet his needs while he served the church at Corinth, even though the church at Corinth should have taken care of him instead.

To the church at Philippi, he said this:

“Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God.” (Phil 4:14-18)

This means that when he served the churches in Macedonia (Thessalonica, Berea, etc.) the church at Philippi was the only one that provided for his financial needs. Because they did this, he thanked and commended them for doing the right thing.

The NT provides a precedent for “tent-making” pastors in certain situations, which could be when a church is unable to provide financially or when a church is spiritually immature and unwilling to do so. One could even make a case that tent-making is an effective missionary strategy for infiltrating new fields with the gospel.

Even so, the NT (both Jesus himself and Paul) urged congregations to adequately support and compensate pastors who lead and teach them. This – not tent-making – is the biblical norm, just as the Israelites provided for the financial needs of the priests who served in the tabernacle and Temple.

An Important Disclaimer

Having made a clear case for why paying a pastor a full-time wage is the normal biblical expectation (with exceptions), I also need to make an important disclaimer. This is an important disclaimer because this is an awkward, difficult, and sensitive topic to address. As you might guess, it is not easy for a pastor to make a case for why a church should support him financially – especially if money is not his motivator in the first place.

Peter teaches the obvious when he says that a pastor should never oversee a church as a lucrative enterprise. Though a church should supply an adequate salary for their pastor(s) (or a more-than-adequate one in some cases, according to 1 Tim 5:17-18), a pastor should never view his role as a profiteering venture.

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly” (1 Pet 5:2).

The phrase “not for dishonest gain” means “not in a way that is shamefully greedy for financial and material gain and profit.” It is appropriate for a pastor to expect to be paid, especially if he is married (1 Cor 7:32-33; 9:5-6). At the same time, it is not appropriate for a pastor to expect to get rich or to allow a love for money to motivate what he does as a pastor. When this happens, it is the mark of a false teacher, not a pastor according to God’s own heart (John 10:1, 13; 2 Pet 2:3, 13-14).

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Thomas Overmiller serves as pastor for Faith Baptist Church in Corona, NY and blogs at Shepherd Thoughts.

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