1 Timothy 5:18

The context

First Timothy 5 gives instructions on widows, then turns to elders. Verse 17 speaks of double honor for those who labor in preaching and teaching, and verse 18 supports that with two quotations: the command not to muzzle the ox, and a saying about the worker's wages. The letter is presented as Paul's instruction to a younger coworker.

What it establishes

The church is told to support those whose work is teaching. A line from the law and a saying of Jesus stand side by side as authority for one point. Material support for ministry is treated as an obligation, not a courtesy.

What it does not establish

It does not settle a payment model. Nothing here fixes an amount, a salary, or a structure of clergy support. The verse also raises a disputed question: the saying of Jesus is quoted as Scripture, which bears on how the letter dates and how its author regards the Gospel traditions.

Short note, first pass, October 2026. Corrections welcome.

Cited in these answers

• How can you take the gospels as inspired when they don't even make that claim for themselves?
• I only trust the words of Jesus. Why should I accept Paul and the rest of the New Testament?

Part of Scripture, Opened — the exegetical layer behind every citation on this site. Scripture quotations are from the ESV.