What is your "pastor's" favourite go-to verses proof-texted in order to guilt you into giving your hard-earned money to support his lifestyle? Or perhaps it is your "elders" who are guilty of proof-texting these verses. I will share some of the more common ones, and then we will examine their context.
"Stay in that house, eating and drinking what they give you; for the laborer is worthy of his wages. Do not keep moving from house to house. Whatever city you enter and they receive you, eat what is set before you; and heal those in it who are sick, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'" Luke 10:7-9
"I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my own needs and to the men who were with me. In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:33-35
"For it is written in the Law of Moses, 'YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.' God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel." 1 Corinthians 9:9-14
"Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you without charge? I robbed other churches by taking wages from them to serve you; and when I was present with you and was in need, I was not a burden to anyone; for when the brethren came from Macedonia they fully supplied my need, and in everything I kept myself from being a burden to you, and will continue to do so." 2 Corinthians 11:7-9
"The one who is taught the word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him." Galatians 6:6
"You yourselves also know, Philippians, that at the first preaching of the gospel, after I left Macedonia, no church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving but you alone; for even in Thessalonica you sent a gift more than once for my needs. Not that I seek the gift itself, but I seek for the profit which increases to your account. But I have received everything in full and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God. And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:15-19
"For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10
"The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, 'YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING,' and 'The laborer is worthy of his wages.'" 1 Timothy 5:17-18
These are the passages favoured my the majority of Bible teachers who fleece the flock for their own gain. This is not including the various extremely over-the-top eisegeted passages used by the false teachers of the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel, which is no gospel at all. They will rip verses from the Old Testament out of their immediate context and force them to have something to do with giving them money.
In looking at Luke 10:7-9, what is the first thing that stands out to you? "...eating and drinking what they give you" and "eat what is set before you." So this passage is concerned with food and drink as wages for proclaiming the Gospel. In a similar passage, it reads: "Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give. Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two coats, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support" (Matthew 10:8-10). The labourer of the Gospel is worthy of his support, but it has nothing to do with money.
Does Acts 20:33-35 have anything to do with paying a minister of the Gospel? No, it does not. Not in the least. The lesson is found in the final sentence: "It is more blessed to give than to receive." This has nothing to do with money. Paul worked with his own hands, building tents, to provide for his needs and the needs of those with him. Paul said, "I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus," which were, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." What did Jesus say in Matthew 10:8? "Freely you received, freely give."
What does 1 Corinthians 9 have to do with? Go ahead, read the entire chapter. Do you find the mention of money found anywhere in this chapter? What things stand out while you are reading? "Do we not have a right to eat and drink?" and "For it is written in the Law of Mosess, 'YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.'" Where is the concept of monetary gain derived from the words "is it too much if we reap material things from you"? Where is there mention of monetary payment in the words "those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel"? When Jesus sent out the 12 and the 70, he said, "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, . . . for the worker is worthy of his support," "...eating and drinking what they give you" and "eat what is set before you." This passage speaks of eating and drinking, too.
In 2 Corinthians 11:7-9, the word translated as "wages" is opsonion (ὀψώνιον), which means "whatever is bought to be eaten with bread, as fish, flesh, and the like. And as corn, meat, fruits, salt, were given to soldiers instead of pay" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). "It primarily signifies whatever is bought to be eaten with bread, provisions, supplies for a soldier's pay" (The Complete Word Study Dictionary New Testament). In other words, a soldier's rations. It is a derivative of opsarion (ὀψάριον), which means "whatever is eaten with bread, especially food boiled or roasted; hence specifically, fish" (Thayer's); "which meant whatever in general is eaten with bread, but later came to be applied particularly to fish (TCWSDNT). Compare this passage with every other one we have looked at, and will look at, and tell me what is in view here. Money or food?
Where in Galatians 6:6 is there any mention of monetary payment for a minister of the Gospel? You have to read such a concept into the text, which is the performance of eisegesis! It is amazing how so many preachers who claim to preach the Bible verse-by-verse, line-by-line, precept-by-precept, fail to explain these passages correctly according to their context. It is more amazing how they can willfully take all these passages and force them to support their wages. If these ministers were honest with the Word of God, they would have to get a real job and work for a living like everybody else! Yet ignorant individuals within the church still think it is okay to steal money from the needy, the widows, the fatherless, the poor, the sick, and the imprisoned, in order to line the preacher's pocket.
The Philippian church sent gifts several times to aid Paul in the administration of the Gospel. Where does it ever state that these gifts were monetary? When you examine "tithing" in the Old Testament, not once does it have anything to do with money. It always has to do with food. In the New Testament, it appears the preaching of the Gospel and the wages in return has to do with the same!
In 2 Thessalonians 3:7-10, what things stand out to you? "...nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it" and "if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either." Again, in connection with wages for the Gospel, food is mentioned. And what do we find in between these two verses: "...not because we do not have the right to this..." What do they have the right to? What did he just say? "...nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it." What does he say in the end? "...if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either."
What about 1 Timothy 5:17-18? Is there any mention there about monetary payment for preaching the Gospel? No, no there is not! What does it mean to be "considered worthy of double honor"? Well, it surely does not having anything to do with monetary gain. Peter addresses this pretty clearly: Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory" (1 Peter 5:1-4). It seems pretty clear to me what Peter is saying: "Shepherd the flock of God . . . not for shameful gain." What does Peter warn about later? "...in their greed they will exploit you..." (2 Peter 2:2-3). What does Paul tell Timothy? That men "suppose that godliness is a means of gain" (1 Timothy 6:3-5).
It is pretty interesting that most of the passages used above tend to have something to do with food and drink as wages for one's labour. It is also pretty interesting how the only time money is related to ministers is in regard to false teachers. But then again, every preacher who attempts to teach that "tithing" is a biblical requirement is a false teacher. Either they are ignorant and have not done their Bible study very accurately, which means they have failed to fulfilled 2 Timothy 2:15, or they are willfully deceiving the flock by telling them what they know not to be so. In either case, they are unfit to teach.
Not only is the position of "pastor" unbiblical, but so too is the concept of paying him to deliver you a message. This practice originated with the Greek Sophists, and was instituted by Emperor Constantine shortly after he built temples for Christians to worship in (a practice we have retained ever since, despite the early church having no such buildings for the first 200 years of its existence). And your church claims to "do everything by the Book"? They need to spend some time examining what the Book actually teaches, because much of their practices cannot be found in, let alone substantiated by, the Book.
By the way, Paul's talk about wages had nothing to do with "pastoring" a church. It had to do with the function of apostles who traveled and planted churches. How often did Paul remain with a church before moving on? How much time passed before he saw these churches again, if he ever saw them again? Spend some time researching this. It will benefit you immensely. Let the truth set you free from the shackles that have been placed upon you.