This passage runs contrary to ministry culture in the US and probably challenges our paradigms.
Paul, a successful church planter & author of much of our New Testament, is making tents? Surely if anyone deserves a full-time paid salary, it's Paul. Paul even talked about how he had the right to support from churches as a traveling preacher (1 Cor 9), but in some cases "did not use this right" because he didn't want anything to "hinder the gospel of Christ." He wanted to preach the gospel "free of charge."
Paul told the Ephesian elders:
I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” Acts 20:33–35 NIV
Wow! His "hands" supplied his "own needs." Perhaps for similar reasons he gave the Corinthian church in 1 Cor 9. Not only his own needs though, according to these verses in Acts 20, Paul also worked to help provide for "the needs of his companions" as well. And he identified what he was doing as "hard work."
But wasn't Paul distracted by all of this "hard work?" Apparently not. The Spirit's results through him speak for themselves. Perhaps some of this "hard work" is part of what made him effective.
So, in summary, you have Paul, arguably the most worthy full-time paid Christian worker ever, making tents, working hard, using his hands to supply his needs, and even working extra to help supply the needs of others as well. Wow!
This is definitely not most people's ideal picture of ministry life in the US context. Most people I went to seminary with wanted to be paid full-time by a church/ministry. Anything else would've been a disappointment. I say US context because Paul's example is very often emulated in other overseas contexts where there aren't sufficient funds to pay Christian workers like we have in the US.
This isn't to say that all pastors, missionaries & Christian leaders should "work hard tentmaking" like Paul and not take pay from their organizations. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:8 that at times he would receive support from other churches for his work too. It's situational & the Holy Spirit will give you direction.
I just believe that more pastors, missionaries & Christian leaders should see tentmaking as viable way to fund their ministry if that's how the Lord leads. Not a disappointment or less than ideal. And I think that's sometimes how it's seen. But for some, it could be exactly how the Lord wants them to support their ministry, like it was for Paul.
I've loved seeing an excitement lately about bi-vocational & co-vocational ministry. People are writing books about it, talking about it at conferences, and truly viewing these as legitimate ways to fund your ministry, not just stepping stones to full-time paid vocational ministry. Even better, in many cases, these jobs/businesses are leveraged to give strategic access for even greater ministry!
The ultimate question is: How does the Lord want you to fund your ministry? And don't be surprised if for some of you his answer is the same one he gave to Paul... tentmaking.
