A Very Tents Job

And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers.  And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.  But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. (Acts 18:2-5 NASB)

Ministry positions where the minister is required to have some sort of vocation besides the ministry is often referred to as a "tent-making" ministry because of this passage.  Ironically, this is the single reference to Paul having and using a trade while ministering.  That's not to say that he never did, but Luke only mentions it here, and then makes another comment that he stops as soon as Silas and Timothy arrive from Berea.

As a side note, those of you families who have someone among your family destined for the ministry, please don't use this passage as your support that the minister should have a way to support themselves.  The text actually says otherwise and you'll be shown to be wrong pretty fast.   While having another vocation in one's back pocket may be a good ministry option in our country, it's because of the unfaithfulness of churches not as a general rule of ministry.  Way too many congregational-governed churches simply don't want to pay for the services they gain from a minister, it's just that simple.  A living wage for the minister is considered a "persecution of the saints" for some reason.

The difference that Silas and Timothy made is that they brought a gift from Berea and other places which supplied his needs without the need to work as well.  Perhaps Silas and Timothy worked, perhaps not.  What Luke relates clearly is that Paul devoted himself entirely to the study of the Scriptures and discussion with the Jews regarding the Messiah, Jesus.

In letters back to Corinth, Paul states that perhaps he did the church there a disservice by not relying on them for his living as he had a right to do.  They interpreted that as an indicator that he wasn't really an apostle at all because he had other means of support besides that local group (1 Corinthians 9).  It might seem strange, but Paul considered taking a wage from them might be a hindrance, which might make sense, but they turned it on him, denouncing his apostleship because of it.  The Enemy is very ironic at times and has a wicked sense of humor.

The reality that Paul deals with in this chapter regarding support is that it was not always easy or possible to be supported by those to whom he ministers.  He considered it a possible hindrance to ask.  So he was ready to work to support himself until the Master provided from another quarter, which seemed to come once Silas and Timothy arrived.

I thought it interesting that a rabbi from Tarsus, who studied to be a Pharisee, is a tent-maker.  I suppose there must have been more demand for tents, or tent repair, than I imagine in Europe and Asia Minor.  I imagine the "Roman world" to be more "metropolitan", but merchants may have still required the services of tent making.  Even in Rome it would seem since Aquila and Priscilla came from there.  Perhaps working on sails or awnings or other sorts of shelters was all considered tent-making since the material might be similar.

The point is that this ministry of Paul was supported from something other than the church to which he ministered.  The second point is that this was a choice by Paul not to use his entitlement to the support from the church.  The third point is that Paul suffered consequences from this choice, but accepted them.

There are more details not really explicit here, but left implicit here and in other places.  Paul had a host with whom he stayed in any place, so he was not without a local means of support whether working a trade or not.  He may not have been earning a wage, but he was neither hungry nor without shelter.  He may have been "homeless" as he says in 1 Corinthians 9, but that was his calling to be moving about rather in a fixed location.  It's very different than a "parsonage" which a lot of churches use like a "bird house".  He had a host who provided meals and a place to sleep, possibly work and study.

I think that what this does for me is free me up to see what I do at my local church as ministry.  That would change my view of it, and perhaps take my work level up a notch.  It may not be a vocation, but it becomes a "calling",  I may be "tent-making" but I'm then in a vocation to support my work in our church.  If others who attended had this view, the work of the church would be very different as would the life and work of the pastor.  They'd find lots of eager hands to serve and help with our Master's work in our community.  It might make their lives a lot easier.