The priests, or ancient ministers, (i.e. bishops, priests) deserve a double honour; i.e. to be more liberally supplied and maintained by the flock, especially when they labour in preaching the word.
Thou shalt not muzzle See 1 Corinthians ix. 9. (Witham)
It is the obligation of the faithful to provide a decent maintenance for their pastors, and the duty of pastors to be content with little. Happy the church where there is no further difference found than between the liberality of the former and the disinterestedness of the latter!
The honor of which he here speaks is attention to them, and the supply of their necessities, as is shown by his adding, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain Deuteronomy 25:4; and, The laborer is worthy of his reward. Luke 10:7 So when he says, Honor widows, he means, support them in all that is necessary. Thus he says, That it may relieve those that are widows indeed; and again, Honor widows that are widows indeed, that is, who are in poverty, for the greater their poverty, the more truly are they widows. He alleges the Law, he alleges the words of Christ, both agreeing herein. For the Law says, You shall not muzzle the ox that treads out the grain. See how he would have the teacher labor! For there is not, indeed there is not, any other labor such as his. But this is from the Law. But how does he quote from Christ? The laborer is worthy of his reward. Let us not then look only to the reward, but to the terms of the commandment. The laborer, he says, is worthy of his r...
For this is the ultimate aim of their teaching: to lead their disciples, both by what they do and what they say, into the way of that blessed life which Christ commanded. Example alone is not sufficient instruction. And this statement is not mine but the Savior’s. For he says, “Whoever shall do and teach, he shall be called great.” Now if to do were the same as to teach, the second word would be superfluous. It would have been enough to say, “Whosoever shall do.” But in fact by distinguishing these two he shows that example is one thing and instruction another. Each requires the other for perfect edification.
Preaching really entails hard work. This fact Paul made plain when he said, “Let the presbyters who rule well be held worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and in teaching.” But you are responsible for making this toil light or heavy. If you despise my words or, though you do not despise them, do not embody them in your deeds, my toil will be heavy, because I am laboring fruitlessly and in vain. But if you pay attention and make my words manifest in your deeds, I shall not even be aware of the perspiration, for the fruit produced by my work will not permit me to feel the laboriousness of the toil.
The “honor” of which he here speaks is attention to them and the supply of their necessities…. But what is double support? Double that of the widows, or of the deacons, or simply liberal support.
