Conflict of Interest

Short musing today: What do you do when to preach the truth you find the truth to be self-serving? A month or so ago I asked the question of what to do when giving praise to God makes me look good as well (in relation to using our lives as positive illustrations of getting things right) but today I take that question one step further – what is a preacher to do when faithfully preaching the text can be seen as a conflict of interest?

This coming Sunday I’m preaching on 1 Timothy 5:17-25 as we continue to work through Paul’s first letter to Timothy. The section as a whole has a lot to say on how we are to treat our Elders and leaders in the church but it begins with a very problematic passage for me. Here is what it says:

The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honour, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “Workers deserve their wages.”

1 Timothy 5:17-18 (TNIV)

Now aside from some confusion or controversy regarding the word translated in the TNIV as double (I contend from my studies that two-fold is a better translation) this is a pretty straightforward statement. You should pay your pastors a fair wage for their work in the ministry. This teaching is further amplified and reinforced by passages like 1 Corinthians 9:1-18 and 2 Thessalonians 3:9 among others. I have no questions about the orthodoxy of that position but is it right for someone who benefits directly from the response and application of that teaching to be teaching it?

Some of the tenets of the Local Church Constitution of the Christian and Missionary Alliance are that Elders shall receive no remuneration for their work (something that becomes problematic in some interpretations of the term “Elder” which I think is rightly seen as a New Testament synonym with “Pastor” and “Bishop”) and that Elders are not to be involved in any decision of governance from which they may directly benefit – financially or otherwise. It’s a pretty standard governance policy in any organisation that you excuse yourself from decisions that could be seen as a conflict of interest – but what about decisions on what to preach?

As the Lead Pastor I am an Elder in the organisational/leadership capacity within the C&MA’s governance structure – can I choose in that capacity to preach a message which serves to undergird the idea that I deserve to be paid well for my services? As a pastor (with any portfolio) at this church I am an Elder in the biblical sense – can I then choose in that capacity NOT to preach this passage when it is in the Scripture before us?

My personal conviction is that the Word takes precedence in all situations – but I don’t do it with the freedom in my Spirit that I would like to have. I stumble across a great quote this afternoon while I was studying for my next sermon series after I finish 1 Timothy – it said this:

“You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity" - Thomas Wolfe

Perhaps all this conflict in my spirit is telling me is that I’m still too interested in all three of those things. Praise be to God that Jesus isn’t done with me yet.

Until next time,

Chris