Gehazi? or Elisha?
by Ronald W Robey
2 Kings 5:20-22 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him. So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well? And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.
Acts 20:33-35 I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, had witnessed a miracle performed on Naaman the Syrian. Naaman was full of leprosy and sought the man of God that he might be restored to health and reunited with his people. Elisha gave Naaman a strange order, to wash seven times in the muddy waters of the Jordan river.
Naaman was bewildered. How could an unclean man wash himself clean by washing in waters that also were unclean? Wouldn’t water that was much purer do what was needed? No, it had to be the filthy waters of the Jordan river. Naaman, a man of great wealth, known and respected by many before the disease of leprosy had come upon him had to humble himself to the point that he would do that which to most men of nobility would seem degrading and humiliating… he had to humble himself to the point that he would actuully bathe in filth.
And when he obeyed, Naaman’s health was restored. The leprosy was gone!! What could be done for the man of God for such a miracle? Elisha offered to pay Elisha, but Elisha would not have anything to do with it. God’s work cannot be bought with silver or gold. Elisha knew full well that it was not his hand that had healed the leper, but the hand of Almighty God. God deserved the glory and praise, not man.
And so, Elisha returned to Samaria. But Gehazi, with greed in his heart, turned and followed after Naaman. When he caught up with him, he lied to Naaman and told him that his master Elisha had changed his mind and wanted payment for the healing.
When Elisha knew what Gehazi had done, Elisha decreed that Gehazi would be plagued with the same disease that had once been upon Naaman. Gehazi became the leper and outcast that Naaman once was.
Sadly, today there are many preachers who want to fashion their lives after both Elisha and Gehazi. They will stand behind pulpits, preaching the Word of God, while expecting the gain of man. Granted, not all preachers are out there for filthy lucre, but many are.
Pastors should be leading by example. They are to feed the Church of God, expecting nothing of man for that work. Elisha did not expect pay. Jesus commanded the the seventy disciples whom He sent out in Luke 10 not to accept pay. He told them, “Freely ye have received, freely give.” The Apostle Paul, in Acts 20, told the Elders of the Church that he accepted no pay for his preaching of the Gospel. Paul said that he worked with his own hands to support himself and that they should follow his example.
Does this mean we cannot give a love offering once in a while? Not at all. I encourage love offerings for the pastor. But it is clear when reading God’s Word that the man of God was not to be paid for work he was doing for the Lord.
Too many pastors expect their flock to take care of them financially, when the Word of God reveals that the pastor should be working to meet his own financial needs. It is not the congregations responsibility to pay the preacher a weekly salary.
Pastors, follow the examples of Elisha and Paul. Don’t be a Gehazi.
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Giving to the Lord
by Ronald W Robey
It is strange how so many relate the giving ten percent of their money to their local church as “giving to God,” when nowhere in the Bible does it say that giving to your local church is giving to God.
The wise king Solomon said
Proverbs 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.
Jesus said
Matthew 25:24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Sadly, many with money in their pockets will pass a poor beggar on the street.as they are on the way to Sunday Morning Worship Services and they will drop that money in a collection basket…thinking they are giving to the Lord.
They had an opportunity to give to the Lord…but dismissed it.
Proverbs 29:7 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor: but the wicked regardeth not to know it.
God sees you more righteous when you stop to assist the poor, than when you drop money in a collection basket at a religious institution.
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I Glorify God on This Behalf
by Ronald W Robey
Seeing that Christ never called any of His followers “Christian” in the Gospels, is it wrong for me to identify myself as a Christian?
I don’t believe I am wrong.
Agrippa was almost persuaded by the apostle Paul to become a “Christian”.
Acts 26:28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
I see nothing in the New Testament epistles that says one should not be called a “Christian”. Matter of fact, I see a verse that seems to encourage the label.
1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
Those who want to persecute me for identifying myself as a Christian, have at it. I glorify God on this behalf.
Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
One can be a believer and still go to hell. Committing to being a “Christian” requires much more than just believing Christ…it also requires following Him.
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Food, Drink, and Lodging…Not Monetary Payment
by Ronald W Robey
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.
Many have used the above verses to teach that Paul was telling local church members that their church leaders are to be supported financially through tithing of their monetary wages and household income. They claim that Pastors should not work secular jobs, but should attend to the matters of the church alone and be provided for by tithes brought into the church.
However, is that really what the apostle is saying in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14? I contend that it is not. Paul is not speaking of local church leadership at all…he is speaking of the right of apostles to food, drink, and lodging in the houses of those they minister to.
At the beginning of the chapter, Paul establishes the fact that he is an apostle of Christ. He then establishes the fact that as an apostle, he has the right, as do others who do the work of the apostles, to food, drink, and lodging. He goes on to say that he has not exercised that right but chose to work to support himself.
He basically preached the same message to church leaders in Acts 20. There, we read:
Acts 20:33-35 I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. Acts 20:35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Interestingly, historians place the meeting with the church leaders in Ephesus (Acts 20) a year AFTER the first epistle to the church at Corinth was written. Since the apostle stated that church leaders should work to support themselves and the weak a year after saying “they which preach the Gospel should live of the Gospel,” he could not have been speaking of church leaders being supported by the congregation through tithes.
Paul was not a double-minded man.
Read the first twelve verses of 1 Corinthians 9. Compare them with the first twelve verses of Luke 10. The language in the two chapters is almost identical. Apostles are sent out to preach the Gospel have a right to food and drink. The seventy that were sent out to preach the Gospel in Luke 10 had a right to food and drink.
But notice also in the text of Luke 10:4…those sent were to take neither purse nor wallet with them. This indicates that they were not to accept any money for their preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Taking money for preaching the Gospel was forbidden by Jesus Christ. And the apostle Paul would not take money for preaching the Gospel either.
He had no right to require money for his preaching. But, he did have a right to food, drink, and lodging. However, he did not exercise that right. He worked with his hands to provide for himself as an example for others to follow.
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