17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those who work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”**

In these two verses, Paul emphasizes how a leader’s good work in the church should be rewarded. Whatever duties the person performs, he or she should be treated with respect while fulfilling it (1st quoted verse), and should be compensated for time and effort afterward (2nd quoted verse).

Why does Paul stop and make this point about church elders/leaders? Because often church leaders get critiqued rather than supported, even in our modern church. When too many people start wanting the church to cater specifically to them, pleasing everyone while still serving God can be an impossible task. The truth is, leading even a small ministry is difficult, but often we regular members forget just how hard others are working behind the scenes to make each Sunday morning and Wednesday night happen. Hearing only criticism and getting no support from the church body can thus make ministry service a thankless task.

Paul’s advice here, then, is for church members to consciously remember to praise and reward their leaders, rather than ignore and/or chastise them. It’s not that regular members need to go out and buy their church leaders a new car every month, and for certain the congregation should not start praising and worshipping a human instead of God. But kind words of appreciation and a little monetary support can be more of a blessing to ministry leaders than we’ll ever know.

**(Side note: the first Scripture quote in verse 18 comes from Deuteronomy and the second comes from Luke–by this time, the New Testament writings were as trusted by Christians as the Old Testament.)