Marksman said: " I don't agree with paid pastors because they didn't exist in the NT Church, but if you insist on ignoring scripture....."
Just because the NT or scripture didn't say they were paid doesn't mean they weren't paid. (*) I believe back when the NT was written there weren't any stand alone Christian churches. People just met in each other's homes for church. Probably small gatherings of people. Now days you have Churches that have members in the thousands with multiple employee's. Using your idea that we "shouldn't pay someone to be a Christian" means you probably wouldn't have a very good choice of people to choose from as pastor. I guess only people who are independently wealthy should apply? Everyone else stay home no matter how good of a pastor you might be? Think of it this way. We don't pay them to be a Christian. They are already a Christian and we are paying them to manage the church (business) and bring us closer to our almighty God.
(*)I defer to DODO DAVE on the history of our early church. From reading the stuff he has written he is more of a scholar in that area than I am.
Just because the NT or scripture didn't say they were paid doesn't mean they weren't paid. (*) I believe back when the NT was written there weren't any stand alone Christian churches. People just met in each other's homes for church. Probably small gatherings of people. Now days you have Churches that have members in the thousands with multiple employee's. Using your idea that we "shouldn't pay someone to be a Christian" means you probably wouldn't have a very good choice of people to choose from as pastor. I guess only people who are independently wealthy should apply? Everyone else stay home no matter how good of a pastor you might be? Think of it this way. We don't pay them to be a Christian. They are already a Christian and we are paying them to manage the church (business) and bring us closer to our almighty God.
(*)I defer to DODO DAVE on the history of our early church. From reading the stuff he has written he is more of a scholar in that area than I am.