Do not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain

 

Do not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain

 

1 Corinthians 9:5-10 『Do we not have the right to take along with us the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas, our sisters in the faith? Or do I and Barnabas not have the right not to work? Who will serve in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk of the flock? Do I speak this according to human customs? Or does not the law also say this? In the law of Moses it is written, ‘You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain.’ Does God take care of the oxen? Does he not speak for our sakes? Indeed, it was written for our sakes, that the one who plows should plow in hope, and the one who threshes should thresh in hope of being partakers.』

Deuteronomy 25:4 "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain." It is natural for an ox to eat while plowing the field. Whether it is a soldier or a farmer, the work they do is done with a hope in mind, and when that hope is realized, they experience the joy of obtaining the fruit of their hope.

Deuteronomy 25 is a regulation on judgment. The premise that judgment is not a human decision but God’s decision is in the process of judgment. There are several decisions of God who is just. First, those who commit serious crimes are to be flogged. Second, there is a clear standard of conduct that cannot be exceeded even in extreme situations of fighting, and those who commit sins that can render them sexually disabled are not to be pitied. Third, in business transactions, it is abominable in the eyes of God to deceive people by using two weights or two measures. Fourth, the Amalekites who attacked Israel during the Exodus are to be completely destroyed.

Even though the judgment of this righteous God and the results of that judgment are strictly proclaimed, God’s love for humanity continues to seep out. First, even if it is a punishment, it should not exceed 40 lashes, and it should not be punished to the extent that human dignity is damaged or human life is threatened. Second, it is said not to muzzle an ox that is threshing grain in the threshing floor. Third, when one of the brothers dies, the other brother has the duty to take care of the family, and through the system of the law of marriage, it provides a way for families that have suffered sudden misfortune or accidents to survive. In the end, it is said that life is given by God and is precious.

"Isn't he speaking only for our sake?" Here, the issue of the saints' eating and living is for maintaining at least physical life for themselves, and for giving resurrection life to others. Whether they are soldiers or farmers, the purpose of working hard is to obtain fruit. The ox that plows the field also works hard, but if the ox has hope, it eats as much as it has worked. The hope of the saints working hard for the gospel is to bear spiritual fruit. Fruit is the fruit of resurrection. Just as Christ became the first fruit of the resurrection, those who participate in the resurrection in Christ become fruit.

Paul solved the problem of living off his own means and devoted himself to proclaiming the gospel. Regarding the words, “Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain,” Paul intended not to connect this with the necessary cost of preaching the gospel.

In order for a pastor to devote himself to ministry, he must receive compensation for his work and live off of it. This is to maintain the physical body, and the purpose of ministry is not to make money from it. The pastor must devote himself to ministry in order to bear the fruit of heavenly life. Likewise, we can see that the saints’ diligent preaching of the gospel is also to bear the fruit of heavenly life.

The church where Paul preached the gospel and had the largest number of believers who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit was the church in Corinth. Although the Christians at that time did not consider Paul an apostle, he is telling the believers in the church in Corinth that they should not do so. In 1 Corinthians 9:2-3, it says, "Even if I am not an apostle to others, I am to you. You are the seal (sphragis) of my apostleship in the Lord. This is how I should make my defense (apologia) to those who criticize me." Apologia (ἀπολογία) means to answer. This means that he was sealed in the Lord for his apostleship. At that time, Paul did self-supporting ministry. He did his ministry by working in tents without receiving any money, so the Christians questioned his apostleship because of this.

In 1 Corinthians 9:4-6, "Do we not have the right (exousian) to eat and drink? Do we not have the right (exousian) to take along with us a wife, a sister in the faith, just as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas did? Or do only Barnabas and I not have the right to refrain from working?" Exousian (ἐξουσίαν) means a right given by God. Paul is saying that he could work, receive wages, eat and drink, get married, and live, but even though these were rights given by God, he did not do them for the sake of the gospel.

Paul says that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is related to the Holy Spirit, and the believers’ offering is a religious act. It is not excessive for the believers to take a portion of the offerings given by the ministers as a religious act. Of course, Paul could have taken it, but he says he did not take it because it was an obstacle to the gospel.

Paul explains that gospel ministers receive compensation for their work by comparing them to those who worked in the temple in the Old Testament. However, Paul expresses it with the phrase, “I would rather die than receive compensation,” because he is afraid that the gospel may be misunderstood because of the compensation. 1 Corinthians 9:13-15 “Do you not know that those who serve in the temple eat the produce of the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered? Even so the Lord has ordained that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel. Yet I have not written any of these things; nor do I write these things so that you should do this to me. For I would rather die than let anyone make my boasting meaningless.”

However, preaching the gospel is not something to boast about. It is a mission that must be preached. The church provides a salary because ministers need money to live, but if there are those who demand excessive salary, it is because they are more interested in money than in the mission of preaching the gospel. Paul does not associate preaching the gospel with money. Since preaching the gospel is something that is preached without cost, he is saying that he will not use his right to expect compensation for his ministry here.

Paul spoke of many things he gave up in his life to spread the gospel. He said that those who receive the Holy Spirit are free from sin, but have become servants to all people. The reason for this was to make more people into God's people.

The situation of church communities today is very contrasting. There are megachurch communities, and there are small, shabby church communities that are built in contrast. The reason for the conflicts in megachurches and the desire to pass the church down to their children is probably related to money. You can imagine that they are more interested in the case fee than in the fruit of resurrection life. Small communities are struggling to even maintain a minimum livelihood. Believers should reexamine what the calling of church communities is.