📖 Biblical Definition
Wage is what is owed the worker in exchange for labor — an obligation Scripture takes with the highest seriousness. Paul: the labourer is worthy of his reward (1 Tim 5:18). James: withheld wages cry out (5:4). Romans: to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt (Rom 4:4). Wage is debt owed; grace is gift given. The two must not be confused.
📜 Webster 1828 Definition
That which is paid for service rendered; salary; hire; the compensation for work.
expand to see more
WAGES, n. plural. Hire; reward; compensation; especially payment for service rendered by labor.
Two New Testament uses converge: the literal wage owed the laborer (1 Tim 5:18; James 5:4) and the figurative wages of sin (Rom 6:23) — what sin pays its workers. Both are owed; neither is grace.
📖 Key Scripture
Romans 6:23 — "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
1 Timothy 5:18 — "The labourer is worthy of his reward."
Luke 10:7 — "For the labourer is worthy of his hire."
Matthew 20:8 — "Call the labourers, and give them their hire."
⚠️ Modern Corruption
Modern Christianity sometimes confuses wage and grace; Scripture sharply distinguishes them.
expand to see more
Romans 4:4 sets the doctrine: to the worker, the wage is reckoned of debt, not of grace. Romans 6:23 splits the lines: sin pays wages (death); God gives a gift (eternal life). The kingdom never confuses what is owed with what is given.
The household's practical payment of wages should match. Pay what is owed; pay it promptly; pay it generously. Then give gifts on top — gifts of grace, distinguishable from wages, expanding the scope of the household's witness.
🔗 Greek & Hebrew Roots
Greek misthos (wage, reward) and Hebrew sakar (wage, hire) carry the term.
expand to see more
Greek misthos — wage, reward; what is paid for service.
Hebrew sakar — wage, hire, reward; the worker's due.
Usage
"Wage is debt; grace is gift; do not confuse them."
"Pay what you owe promptly; pay it generously; then give gifts on top."
"The wages of sin is death; the gift of God is eternal life."