The concept of "Ploughing of the Labour Ministers" is not directly found in the Bible, but it can be understood through the lens of biblical principles related to work, stewardship, and ministry. The imagery of ploughing is frequently used in Scripture to symbolize preparation, diligence, and the cultivation of spiritual and physical resources.

Biblical Imagery of Ploughing

Ploughing is a fundamental agricultural activity in biblical times, representing the preparation of soil for planting seeds. This imagery is used metaphorically in the Bible to describe spiritual readiness and the hard work required in ministry. In Luke 9:62 , Jesus says, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God." This verse emphasizes the commitment and focus required in following Christ and serving in His kingdom.

Labour in Ministry

The Bible places a high value on labor, especially in the context of ministry. In 1 Corinthians 15:58 , Paul encourages believers, "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." This passage highlights the eternal significance of laboring for the Lord, suggesting that ministers are to be diligent and unwavering in their service.

Stewardship and Responsibility

Ministers are often seen as stewards of God's work, responsible for nurturing and growing the spiritual lives of those they serve. The parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 illustrates the importance of faithful stewardship. Ministers, like the servants in the parable, are entrusted with resources and opportunities to expand God's kingdom. Their "ploughing" involves preparing hearts and minds to receive the Gospel and grow in faith.

The Role of Ministers

Ministers are called to be laborers in God's harvest field. In Matthew 9:37-38 , Jesus says to His disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest." This call to labor underscores the urgency and necessity of ministry work, likening it to the agricultural process of sowing and reaping.

Challenges and Rewards

The work of ministry is not without its challenges. Ministers often face spiritual, emotional, and physical demands. However, the Bible assures them of God's presence and reward. Galatians 6:9 encourages, "Let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." This promise serves as a reminder of the ultimate reward for faithful labor in God's service.

In summary, the "Ploughing of the Labour Ministers" can be understood as the diligent, committed, and faithful work of those called to serve in ministry. Through biblical imagery and principles, it reflects the preparation, stewardship, and perseverance required to fulfill God's purposes in the world.1 Corinthians 9:10
Or said he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

A Sermon of the Reverend Father Master Hugh Latimer, Preached in ...
... The bodily ploughing is taken in and inclosed through singular commodity ... sustentation
of the body, so diligently must the prelates and ministers labour for the ...
/.../latimer/sermons on the card and other discourses/a sermon of the reverend.htm

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
... state, our ordinary and civil actions, even ploughing the ground ... alarmed to look
about us, and to labour by all ... 6. And how do they hate such ministers as preach ...
/.../brown/christ the way the truth and the life/chapter xix and the life.htm

The Risen Lord's Charge and Gift
... but a great many of you believe that it is ministers that are ... our work, that so much
of our work is ploughing the sands, and so often we labour for vanity ...
/.../the risen lords charge and.htm

The Servant-Lord
... condition of those whom the Lord thus ministers to, and ... There is rest from labour,
care, change, and fear ... Which of you, having a servant ploughing or feeding ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture e/the servant-lord.htm

The Tares.
... were yet green are the human ministers of the ... 7-10), a servant, who has been ploughing
or feeding ... shows conclusively that the division of labour which obtains ...
//christianbookshelf.org/arnot/the parables of our lord/ii the tares.htm

Struggles of Conscience
... say, "Come unto Christ all ye that labour and are ... what Hugh Latimer said of many
ministers in his ... the heart and the conscience of men, ploughing deep, hitting ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/struggles of conscience.htm

A Revival Sermon
... Between the harvest and the ploughing there is a ... Notice the activity of labour which
is mentioned in ... Why, time was when our ministers, thought that preaching ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/a revival sermon.htm

Cheer Up, My Comrades!
... a most blessed office, and doing work which many ministers find it ... so he says, "You
keep to your ploughing and your ... to see it, that you did not labour in vain ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 26 1880/cheer up my comrades.htm

Effectual Calling
... The ministers of God are only the pipes and organs ... It is not the farmer's industry
in ploughing and sowing ... us work out our salvation with fear, and labour to be ...
//christianbookshelf.org/watson/a divine cordial/effectual calling.htm

Of the Sacraments.
... when preached by man, he compares ministers to husbandmen ... who, after they have expended
labour and industry ... For what would ploughing, and sowing, and watering ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 14 of the sacraments.htm

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