Pastoral Epistles: 1 Timothy 5:17-18 - Worthy of his Wages

Paul stated that elders who rule well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. The assumption is that some elders will not work as hard at preaching and teaching as others. Their role may be less prominent in those areas. “Work hard” means “to work to the point of fatigue or exhaustion.” It does not stress the amount of work, but rather the effort. Excellence combined with diligence mark a man worthy of the highest honor.Mediocrity is a result of a called man of God not putting forth the effort needed to excel at preaching and teaching the Scripture. Oswald Chambers: “Willingness to renounce personal preferences, to sacrifice legitimate and natural desires for the sake of His kingdom, will characterize those marked out by God for positions of influence in His work.”