Brethren, as I stated in my bulletin article I am searching for a scriptural reason to charge people to come hear the gospel. I have bought tapes, DVD’s, books and other kinds of materials to help my understanding of the scriptures. I have debate books and commentaries that help me to better understand a scripture or guide my thinking. I have purchased books at stores, lectureships and some gospel meetings. AT no time have I ever been forced to buy a product in order to attend some function where the Word of God is being taught. When I buy such material, my money would go to the person or school who produced it. Are such books selling the gospel?
Paul came to the city of Ephesus and began teaching there (Acts 19). When opposition grew to the point of disturbing the work of Paul, he pulled the disciples away. He began to do his teaching in the school of one Tyrannus (Acts 19:9). He continue to argue for the cause of Christ for some two years. Would it have been alright for him to charge people to come hear him in his defense of the Christian faith? I am not addressing how Paul paid for the use of the school nor what it took for him to live on for the two years. I am asking could Paul have charged individuals to come hear him preach and defend the faith?
Paul, at the close of the book of Acts, was under some kind of house arrest. Acts 28 teaches that Paul was in his own hired house and people came to him. This arrangement lasted for some two years (Acts 28:30,31). Could Paul have charged people money to come to his house as he explained the kingdom of God and things concerning Jesus the Christ? The speakers at “Polishing the Pulpit” should be paid for their efforts as well as the materials being used. Someone needs to find a better way for that to be done other than charging people money to come. Until such arrangement could be made I would not want to attend “Polishing the Pulpit”. Sometime back I wrote to the elders over this work and raised these concerns. They were very Christ-like in their treatment of my letter. Their response was this was something the speakers wanted to do. Brethren, let us try to correct this because there is no scriptural reason for the practice.