1 Corinthians 9:13

1 Corinthians 9:13 says, 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?  Paul was referring again to God's provisions for those who ministered in the temple.  They lived from the things brought into the temple.  God will never leave His ministers to provide for themselves, but through the church will provide for them, if His people give as they should.  This does not mean that there are not to be bi-vocational preachers, but that it should be their choice.  There are smaller churches that cannot provide for all the needs of ministers, but there are larger churches that could help smaller ones if they chose to. Verse fourteen adds, Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. Paul said that God's plan was for those who preach the gospel to be free to live life free to preach without worrying about providing for material needs.  Verse fifteen continues, But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.  Paul said he didn't write these things so that he would not have to work.  He did not rely on his fellow Christians to provide for him, and said he would rather die than have people claim that he preached for the money.  This he said would void his work.  There are those today who preach the gospel who still choose to work, especially in smaller churches.  This does not mean that the church doesn't have a responsibility to do all they can to help the preacher materially.  Verse sixteen states, For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!  Paul said he was called to preach the gospel, and instead of glorying in preaching, he would suffer from not doing so. It was not a choice, but was his spiritual gift from God.  Anytime we fail to use our spiritual gifts, we should suffer the woe of disobedience, but when we do exercise them, we should not glorify ourselves.  Verse seventeen adds, For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.  Paul said if he were just preaching because he decided to or wanted to, his reward would be what he received materially from doing so.  He said that the spreading of the gospel was against his will, or was not something he just decided to do, but was a calling from God and his reward would be spiritual and everlasting.  We cannot decide that some would make a good preacher and push them in that direction.  There must be a call from God, and then all the glory must go to God.  If we begin to look at man-made qualifications more than a calling from God, then we need to reevaluate our thinking.  Verse eighteen continues, What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.  Paul said that his reward was preaching the gospel without charge so that he didn't abuse his power in the gospel.  If we begin to expect to get rich through the gospel of Christ, then we are misunderstanding the real riches and power of the gospel.  We are never promised that following Christ will make us materially rich, but instead that it will give us a cross, a dying to the things of this world, daily.