“Does God Care About Oxen?” Paul the Anti-Vegan Asks. By Dr. Chapman Chen

“For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written…we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things?” declares Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:9-11 (NKJV).

To support this argument, Paul even cited a teaching of Jesus, a thing he seldom did: “In the same way the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel,” maybe referring to Jesus’ teaching that “the laborer deserves his wages” (1 Corinthians 9:14; Luke 10:7).

This passage tells us two things about Paul.

First, Paul looks down upon innocent non-human creatures of God and even mocks the animal welfare provisions of the Torah (cf. Tabor 2012, 201), such as Deuteronomy 25:4 (which Paul himself quotes in the passage above) and Exodus 20:10, which stipulates that animals should be allowed to rest from work on the seventh day.

Second, Paul is very concerned with what he will gain materially from his spiritual labour (cf. Tabor 2012, 201).

Regarding the first point: God indeed cares about an ox. For “God is love” (1 John 4:8). He loves the world” (John 3:16), which includes all His creation (Psalm 24:1). And Jesus Himself assures us that “not one sparrow will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care” (Matthew 10:29).

Regarding the second point: When Jesus sent out His disciples (Luke 10:1–12), He told them to travel lightly, take no purse or bag, and to rely on the hospitality of those they served. The phrase “the labourer deserves his wages” (Luke 10:7) did not justify demanding or negotiating payment, but simply reassured them that God would provide for their needs through willing hosts. On a deeper level, the “wages” are spiritual—eternal life, joy, and fellowship with God (John 4:36). Paul twists this into a justification for a professionalised ministry dependent on financial support, which runs counter to Jesus’ radical trust in divine providence.

Ironically, Paul once quoted Jesus, saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Yet Paul’s concern often lay more with what he might receive financially for his service than with what he might give. By contrast, Peter declared, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you” (Acts 3:6). Peter cared more about what he could give in his service to God than what benefits he might reap.

Further, whilst Paul encourages people to eat anything sold in the meat market without guilt (1 Cor. 10:25), Peter emphasizes that the Golden Rule is “to abstain from the table of devils, not to taste dead flesh” (Clementine Homilies, Hom. 7, Ch. IV).

To conclude: the meaning of life is to serve God by serving His creatures. Do not worry about money, food, or possessions, “for your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:32–33). #VeganChrist #VeganGod #VeganTheology #VeganChurch

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