There is a world out there of brands which transform themselves to icons and prototypical examples of the whole category of things. Do you need some Kleenex? Do you have Rollerblades? Do you want a Band-Aid? Did you Google it? In the world of Christian ‘missionary’ work, ‘tent-making’ has also suffered this fate.
Tent-making was a trade of the Apostle Paul. He literally, made tents. Today there isn’t much of a tent-making profession out there, but many Christian missionaries refer to their work as ‘tent-making’ or to themselves as ‘tent-makers’. This then, refers to any sort of salaried position that is done alongside of intentional, often cross-cultural mission. In many countries ‘tent-making’ is the only legitimate way to gain access into a country. “Hi, I’m a Christian missionary,” just won’t cut it at some immigration offices.
Tent-making poses more problems than you’d think for the Christian missionary trying to raise financial support (See introduction and part 1). Case in point: us. Loretta and I are trained in skilled ‘professions’. The question then, simply becomes, “So, why aren’t you tent-making?” To expand: You went to college, you went to university. Why should I/we support you financially with funds when you could be legitimately working and doing your mission? The Apostle Paul did, so why don’t you?
The last question is the zinger. The Apostle Paul stands as a giant of faith for Christians in general and Christian missionaries in particular. Scratch below the surface of his letters and we find a man who had a dizzying travel schedule, who had to mother, nurse and coddle the church in its literal infancy, and whose writing, mission, and fervor seemed to soar during imprisonment. On top of this he ‘worked’ and made tents?
Or did he?
Well yes…and no. Paul definitely made tents alongside his ministry – but the New Testament only records that for us three times. That is to say, while tent-making is a legitimate and sometimes necessary mode of missions, it is not the only legitimate one. In fact, the evidence suggests that the particular context and situation of the particular church Paul found himself in required him to ‘tent-make’ alongside his ministry. This insight was helpfully brought to my attention in Funding Your Ministry by Scott Morton. One example will suffice:
“The first [time Paul modeled tent-making] was in Thessalonica. Why there? Acts 17 tells us it was a young church hastily founded. Scholars say Paul was there only three to six months. Also, many Greeks were converted there, making it a cross-cultural ministry for Paul. Obviously, a Jew wouldn’t ask new Gentile believers for support.
Later, the Thessalonian church became lazy, waiting around in excited idleness for the Lord to return. Paul chose to model physical labor for the good of the church. He says in 2 Thesslonians 3:8-9: ‘With labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we might not be a burden to any of you; not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model.’
So Paul had good reason for not accepting support at Thessalonica: It was a young, cross-cultural church with a tendency toward laziness.” (p. 47 of Funding Your Ministry)
Although for different reasons in Corinth and Ephesus, Paul likewise worked and did not receive financial support from these churches. Does this somehow lessen Paul and his ministry? I don’t think so. As we’ll see in our final reflection, Jesus himself relied on the support of others. We just simply can’t assume that Paul was always tent-making alongside his ministry and neither can we assume that for missionaries today.
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