July
29th
1 Corinthians 9 Support for the Lord’s servants
1:
Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not seen Jesus Christ our
Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2: If I be not an apostle unto
others, yet doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship
are ye in the Lord. 3: Mine answer to them that do examine me is
this, 4: Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5: Have we not power
to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the
brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6: Or I only and Barnabas, have not
we power to forbear working? 7: Who goeth a warfare any time at his
own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit
thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the
flock? 8: Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same
also? 9: For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle
the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care
for oxen? 10: Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes,
no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope;
and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.
11: If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if
we shall reap your carnal things? 12: If others be partakers of this
power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this
power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of
Christ. 13: Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things
live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the alter
are partakers with the alter? 14: Even so hath the Lord ordained that
they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. 15: But I
have used none of these things: neither have I written these things,
that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die,
than that any man should make my glorying void. 16: For though I
preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid
upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17: For if
I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a
dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18: What is my
reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the
gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the
gospel. 19: For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself
servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20: And unto the Jews I
became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under
the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the
law; 21: To them that are without law, as without law, (being not
without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain
them that are without law. 22: To the weak became I as weak, that I
might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by
all means save some. 23: And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I
might be partaker thereof with you. 24: Know ye not that they which
run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye
may obtain. 25: And every man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible
crown; but we an incorruptible. 26: I therefore so run, not as
uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: 27: But I
keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any
means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
In
this passage Paul speaks about his own ministry. He asks four
rhetorical questions to which the answers are all yes. Am l an
apostle? Yes of course you are Paul the Corinthians believers might
answer. Am l not free? (Paul means here that he is not financially
obliged to his hearers v19) Yes of course you are Paul. Have l not
seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Yes you did on the road to Damascus. Are
you not my work in the Lord? Yes, we are your converts say the
Corinthian believers. There were some that doubted or even denied his
Apostolic credentials. Paul says if l am not an apostle to anyone I’m
an without any doubt an apostle to you. You are the proof of my
apostolic authority. What l would say to those who would examine me
is. Do we apostles not have the authority to be feed and watered
because of our ministry? Don’t we have authority to have a sister
or a wife supported in our ministry as the other apostles have? Is it
only me and Barnabas that can refrain from profitable employment?
What soldier goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard
and does not eat of the fruit for himself? Who looks after the sheep
that does not drink the milk of the flock? Paul is saying that those
who preach the word are able to be financially renumerated for their
work. Paul says is this just me speaking? Or is it not the law which
says that the ox that treads out the corn is allowed to eat of the
corn. If God looks after the oxen then should he not look after me?
The man who plows the field looks forward to having the benefit of
the harvest. If we have sown spiritual things for you then should we
not have the benefit of the things of the body? There are other
people who benefit from you, why not us? However we have not used
this privilege but we suffer all things so that the Gospel of Christ
is not hindered. Paul says Don’t you know that priests who serve in
the Temple have some of the meat served at the altar? God in the same
way has ordained that those who preach the Gospel should be supported
in their work. Paul reminds them that he has not used this privilege
nor has he requested it. He says l would rather die than make my
boasting empty. Paul says even though l preach the gospel l have
nothing to glory in. Daily needs come to me constantly, but what a
terrible thing it would be if l did not preach the Gospel. Paul says
l have this arrangement of my own choice and if l am supported it is
against my will. I have a stewardship of the Gospel committed unto
me. So says Paul. What is my reward for preaching the gospel? My
reward is simply that l make my gospel free to listen to the hearers.
This makes me completely free from all obligations to men. Paul says
even though l am not paid by anyone yet l have made myself a servant
of every one so that l may gain more. To the Jews l remain a Jew, so
that l might convert the Jews. To those who are under the Mosaic Law
l remain a law abiding Jew so that l can win them for Christ. To
those who are Gentiles l am as one who is without the Mosaic law.
(This does not mean that l am lawless but that l am under the
authority of Christ) So that l might win those who are outside the
Mosaic law. To the weak l am weak so that l may gain the weak. Now
this is the motto of Paul in evangelistic ministry - I am all things
to all men. So that by all these means l might save some. Now Paul is
not saying that he puts on a cloak to suit his hearers. Paul does not
chop and change being a Jew to Jews and being a Gentile to Gentiles.
What Paul is saying is that he has taken up a permanent position in
which he is acceptable and accessible to both Jews and Gentiles.
Lastly Paul speaks about him own personal race. He says we all run in
a race but only one receives the prize. So as christians we are all
to run so to obtain the prize. Every athlete strives to master
himself and is moderate in everything so that he might obtain a
laurel wreath but we do this to obtain a golden crown. And so l run
with a clear objective. And l fight to win the fight. And to do this
l keep my body in check in case after l have preached to others l
myself might find that l am disqualified in my ministry. Paul says l
live so that God will not find me useless in his service and cast me
aside. (There are some people who think that Paul is saying that he
might be cast away in the sense that his salvation can be lost. Paul
in this chapter is talking about his ministry not his salvation. Paul
is saying it is possible to do something that disqualifies him from
public ministry and then he was will cast side as an unfit vessel for
Gods service)
- Why does Paul feel the need to defend his Apostolic authority?
- How does Paul defend his Apostolic authority?
- How does Paul characterise his own ministry?
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