Paul the Tentmaker
“I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. Yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me” (Acts 20:33, 34).
Paul was a tentmaker, and those who traveled with him I assume were his employees who also worked in his trade of making tents. He was chosen by God to bear the good news of salvation to the world, which he did as he traveled and worked at his trade. NOTE: He had no Church from which he received wages and he built no church buildings in the various towns he traveled to in his trade. Those who believed his teaching met in homes.
“He that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep” (John 10:12-13).
Jesus alone is the shepherd of the sheep. He has no “hireling” for he alone owns the sheep and cares for them. Men who receive wages for their service to the church, as sincere and necessary as we may deem them to be, are simply not capable of being the shepherd who can save the sheep. They may provide a service to the sheep, but they cannot save them.
Paul was a tentmaker, and those who traveled with him I assume were his employees who also worked in his trade of making tents. He was chosen by God to bear the good news of salvation to the world, which he did as he traveled and worked at his trade. NOTE: He had no Church from which he received wages and he built no church buildings in the various towns he traveled to in his trade. Those who believed his teaching met in homes.
“He that is a hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep, and flees: and the wolf catches them, and scatters the sheep. The hireling flees, because he is a hireling, and cares not for the sheep” (John 10:12-13).
Jesus alone is the shepherd of the sheep. He has no “hireling” for he alone owns the sheep and cares for them. Men who receive wages for their service to the church, as sincere and necessary as we may deem them to be, are simply not capable of being the shepherd who can save the sheep. They may provide a service to the sheep, but they cannot save them.
But of Jesus, the true and only Shepherd, Paul informs us that...
“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification...he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification...he who knew no sin became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (Romans 4:25; 2 Corinthians 5:21)