Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1908-05-14
REPLY TO JOE aAcKwOsTH's AR6u-
MENT FOR NOT PAYING PREACHERS.

Editor News:
AS we have never said that the church
of Christ was not to give a free gospel
to a lost and perishing world, we en-.
ter reply this week We know that
the church should support the ministry
of Christ and through it give free
oosnel to sinners, who are not suppos-
ed to support the ministry, because not
members of the church. 1t is the du-
nv of the church to relieve the necessl
ty of the saints for 1 John 3:l7 says,
but whose hath this worlds goods,
and seeth his brother have need, ana
shutteth up his bowels of compassion
from him, how dwelleth the love OF
God in him. 4" We learn from the pre-
ceeding verse of Scripture that II we
have means to help our needy untor-
tunate brother and will not do 1t, that
the love of God is not in us. Pauls
scriptural plan in which he com
manded the church at Corinth concern
ing the collection of the saints was TOT
every one upon the first day OF tine
week to lay by him in store as Goa
prospered him to avoid collection
when Paul came Il Cor. 1912.
This plan that God gave Paul Dy
revelation is not man made plan but
was given to the church by command.
ment or order for the collections OF
saints. If the church neglects a needy
saint in any degree, she neglects
Christ Matt 25:45. Paul did not
excuse any of the Corinthian brethren
from this duty, but said, 'Let every
one of you lay by him in store as GOO
hath prospered him" 1t is God that
gives power to get wealth, (Deut. 81
| 1877, We notice from Deuteronomy 49,
| II that no man was excused from CIV
| ing. Every man was to give as ne
was able, according to the blessings OF
| the Lord which were given him. From
the above facts we learn that 1T was
duty to contribute to the Lords cause,
| both under Old Testament and Gospel
dispensations. When Moses stood on
top of hill in Rephidim with the rod
of God in his hand, Israel prevailed
against Ameleck just so long as Moses
held up his hands. When his hands
became heavy Aaron and Hur took a
stone and put it under him, and he sat
thereon and Aaron and Hur stayed up
his hands, the one on the one side and
the other on the other side, and his
hands were steady until the going
down of the sun. Joshua discounted
Amelek and God told Moses to write
this for memorial in book and re-
hearse it in the ears of Joshua. Elk.
17:t0,14. The grand reason for IA,
ron and Hur staying up the hands Of
Moses was Israel failed in battle whe1
Moses hands were not up. AS nation
al Israelites failed only when Moses
hands were not up, SO will the splritua
Israel fail when she fails to stay III
God ministry by support, which NJ
means for her to give Perhaps somt
may say God never loses a battle
True God himself never does, but hi
boys in uniform sometimes do. Tit
army in the intrenchment is the one
that fails. She may have brave com
mander, yet if she lies entrenched ant
does not assist in the cause for which
he is battling the battle is lost for lacl
of support Had not Aaron and HUI
stayed up Moses hands Israel neve
would have prevailed against Amalil
and the battle would have been lost OF
account of failing to perform duty. l
Gods ministers are supported by tn
church so they can give themselve
continually to prayer and the min1str,
of the Word, there would be NOR
converted men and women and tn
army of the Lord would be strengthen
ed thereby If preachers are forced t
earn living and preach to churche
the church can't be so tlourishing be
cause they can't give the time to then
that they ought to have. No bushes
man wants to employ man that
serving three or four churches, as hi
business would suffer on account of hi
absence.
We pity the man who would be sill
enough to think that God did not mea
for men whom he called to work fo
4 him not to live of their services Go
q prospers his church and through thi
church prosperity means for his min
istry to have support. know this
true for Paul commanded the churc
of Corinth to lay by in store upon tn
first day of the week as God had pros
pered them God prospers his churc
and if any members whom God Ia
prospered fails to give of their means
they will certainly fail to do their dr
? ty in this respect by not contributin
to the necessity of the saints, which
bound to be the cause of Christ. III
man who thinks preachers preach jul
for money has an extremely base opiI
- ion of the ministry of Christ None
:, with those called of God is a secon
consideration | have never known
= preacher to refuse the products of til
= soil They are workmen that can ga
. what others do. Jesus said that til
workman was worthy of his hirt
:, hire means nothing short of the nece
= sites of life, Luke 1917 because Je
). us contrasted with the true shephel
- one who works for hire and has 1
personal interest in the sheep for the
;, belong to the shepherd. Only son
= fail to get the import of his Language
y Sheep tending was very extensiN
business in Palestine and it was on
Il to those actually hired men employt
:, by those Palestine shepherds that Jes,
70 referred to and not TO the true al
;, faithful minister who labors for Il
= salvation Of souls, and is given a fe
= dollars by some kind church or XIII
y soul that has enough of the love of GC
!, in his heart not to shut up his bowe
of compassion from him. 1t is reasOI
= able to suppose that the owner of
~ Palestine herd of sheep cared more f
" them than any one he may emplo
" All of Jesus hearers were famih
with the details of caring for shee
Since christian people are sometim
called sheep they must of necessi
have shepherd and a sheepfold f
Jesus said, There shall be one 70
and one shepherd. " John 1916. II