The Dorean Principle by Conley Owens Chapter 1: The Command of Christ Part 2

REVIEW

Ministerial reciprocity = Support (material or otherwise) given to a minister out of a sense of direct obligation for his ministry of the gospel.

• The term reciprocity describes a contribution offered out of a direct obligation—i.e., one that is not mediated by God

Ministerial co­labor = Support (material or otherwise) given by man to a minister out of a sense of obligation to God, to honor or aid in the proclamation of the gospel.

• Unlike the direct sense of obligation involved in reciprocity, co­labor acknowledges a mediated obligation, the giver considering himself indebtedVdirectly to the Lord, and through that obligation finding himself duty-bound to give to a minister.

[Owens] – “Jesus forbids ministerial reciprocity in Mat­thew 10:8 when he commands his disciples to “give without pay.” On the other hand, he permits and even promotes ministerial co­labor in Mat­thew 10:9–10 when he instructs the disciples not to bring their own provisions because “the laborer deserves his food.””

The Dorean Principle: In the the context of gospel proclamation, accepting support as anything other than an act of co­labor compromises the sincerity of ministry!

Wages as Colabor

Note: The Dorean Principle is not against any kind of wages, salary, or support, but we view them as an acts of Colabor

• With these definitions established, the author explains that Jesus’ described pattern of support in Matthew and Luke should be understood as an example of colabor

First, the disciples are not to receive money from all who benefit from their ministry but are to restrict themselves to the hospitality of one in each city (Matt. 10:11; Luke 10:7).

• If they were to gather support more broadly, we might imagine a pattern of ministerial reciprocity.
• All recipients of ministry would be counted as owing the disciples, and at least the willing ones would be called to compensate them with their resources.
• However, the selective sources of support indicate that the disciples are not permitted to broadly impose direct obligation on those to whom they minister.

Second, an act of colabor takes place when two servants coordinate their efforts for the sake of a common master, and indeed, those who support the disciples share the same Master.

• While we may only be able to term them citizens of the kingdom of God anachronistically (cf. Matt. 10:7; Luke 10:9), those who support the disciples are firmly established among God’s people.
• Jesus restricts the disciples from going to Gentile or Samaritan territories (Matt. 10:5), but within each Judean city they visit, they are to find one who is “worthy” (Matt. 10:11–12) and “a son of peace” (Luke 10:6).
• The text explains that the vocabulary signifies someone already qualified to collaborate for the advancement of the coming kingdom.
• The passages highlight the expectation of support from the Judean population, with rejection met by symbolic acts of condemnation, such as shaking dust off their feet.
• Jesus emphasizes that judgment will be harsher for those rejecting the gospel than for Sodom and Gomorrah.
• A parallel command in Luke reinforces this principle of colabor. (Luke 22:36)
• Jesus altered his instructions to the disciples on the night of his betrayal.
• Initially, they were told not to carry moneybags, as they could rely on support from fellow servants of God.
• However, Jesus later instructed them to take moneybags, preparing them for a hostile environment where such support could no longer be expected.
• This shift reflects the anticipation of opposition and persecution, first from Jews and later from Gentiles, emphasizing that those not aligned with Christ are opposed to him. (Matthew 12:30; Luke 11:23)

[Owens] – “However, we should hesitate to conclude that Jesus only sought to address overt hostility. The disciples encountered curious minds more than willing to pay for their services (cf. Acts 8:18). In settings absent of the converted, they found lands potentially ripe for reciprocity but barren for co­labor. It seems reasonable to suspect Christ instructed his disciples to carry moneybags not merely because they could not predictively expect support but because they could not even ethically receive it.”

Zeal For Christ

Note: In one particular event—recorded by all four gospel authors—Jesus forcefully chased money changers out from the temple (Matt. 21:12–13; Mark 11:15–17; Luke 19:45–46; John 2:13–17).

• Clearly, he objected to the misuse of the things of God for the sake of gain, and his disapproval is no small matter.
• In fact, the disciples recognized this consuming zeal as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (John 2:17).