Paul shares his departing thoughts with the elders in Acts 20:20,  “how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable. . .I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. . .I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; . . .I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.”

Paul did not work for his own profit, but for the profit of the believers.  Real profit, not monetary but spiritual.  He says something similar in Galatians 1:10 “  For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”  He goes on to point out that his teaching is not motivated by other social pressures such as avoiding persecution.

In I Timothy 6:5 he warns against false teachers who teach“imagining that godliness is a means of gain”.  There is good money in being a false teacher, or even in being a mediocre or semi-false teacher.  Exegesis without application, sells.  Application and exegesis of all but the pertinent passage, sells.  And pure lies also sell.

That seems to be a concept we don’t have much concern for these days.  Paul also says that pastors and anyone who works or serves should be compensated.  But on the other side is the consideration that pastors today are motivated by money or career advancement.  If a pastor wants his church to grow he has to cater his message accordingly.  His livelihood is connected to his message.  Paul was free of these restrictions.  Paul was not afraid to say any truth that needed to be said.  Pastors today fear being fired.  And then what is to become of all that training?  Who will pay those school debts?

Not rocking the boat isn’t necessarily a good thing.  We all get comfortable in our sin.  The whole point of a pastor is to speak truth that we are uncomfortable with.  If we were comfortable we would just do it ourselves, pastors would not be necessary.  But who keeps pastors, too comfortable in their position, accountable?   Firing a pastor for not being judgmental enough sounds like the ultimate in judgmental evil bad, nasty. . . implausible.  I’m offending myself.