1 Corinthians 9
9
1 Corinthians 9
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?
2If I am not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3¶ My answer to those that examine me is this,
4Do we not have authority to eat and to drink?
5Do we not have authority to bring with us a sister, a wife, as also the other apostles and as the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
6Do only Barnabas and I not have authority to forbear working?
7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? or who feeds a flock and does not eat of the milk of the flock?
8Do I say this only according to men? or does not the law say the same also?
9For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the grain. Does God take care for oxen?
10Or does he say 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.
11If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap material things from you?
12If others are partakers of this authority over you, why not us? Nevertheless we have not used this authority, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.
13Do ye not know that those who work with sacred things live of the things of the sanctuary? and those who serve at the altar partake of the altar?
14Even so the Lord has ordained that those who 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 anyone should make this my glory void.
16For though I preach the gospel, I have no reason to glory, for it is an obligation laid upon me; for woe is me, if I do not preach the gospel!
17For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, the stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me.
18What reward, then, shall I have? That preaching the gospel, I may make the gospel of the Christ without charge, that I abuse not my authority in the gospel.
19¶ Therefore, though I am free regarding everyone, yet I have made myself slave unto all, that I might gain the more.
20And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to those that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those that are under the law;
21to those that are without law, as without law (being not without law of God, but under the law of Christ), that I might gain those that are without law.
22To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to everyone, that I might by all means save some.
23And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker together of it.
24¶ Know ye not that those who run in a race indeed all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that ye may obtain it.
25And every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we, an incorruptible one.
26I therefore so run, not as unto an uncertain thing; so I fight, not as one that beats the air;
27but I keep my body under, and bring it into subjection, lest preaching to others, I myself should become reprobate.
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1 Corinthians 9: JUB
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The Jubilee Bible 2000 (JUB) by Ransom Press International
1 Corinthians 9
9
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle. 1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?#1 Cor 9:19 / 2 Cor 12:12 / 1 Cor 15:8–9 / Acts 9:17; 26:16. 2Although I may not be an apostle for others, certainly I am for you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3My defense against those who would pass judgment on me#My defense against those who would pass judgment on me: the reference to a defense (apologia) is surprising, and suggests that Paul is incorporating some material here that he has previously used in another context. The defense will touch on two points: the fact of Paul’s rights as an apostle (1 Cor 9:4–12a and 1 Cor 9:13–14) and his nonuse of those rights (1 Cor 9:12b and 1 Cor 9:15–18). is this. 4#9:4–12a] Apparently some believe that Paul is not equal to the other apostles and therefore does not enjoy equal privileges. His defense on this point (here and in 1 Cor 9:13–14) reinforces the assertion of his apostolic character in 1 Cor 9:2. It consists of a series of analogies from natural equity (7) and religious custom (1 Cor 9:13) designed to establish his equal right to support from the churches (1 Cor 9:4–6, 11–12a); these analogies are confirmed by the authority of the law (1 Cor 9:8–10) and of Jesus himself (1 Cor 9:14). Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5Do we not have the right to take along a Christian wife, as do the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 6Or is it only myself and Barnabas who do not have the right not to work?#Acts 4:36–37; 13:1–2; Gal 2:1, 9, 13; Col 4:10. 7Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating its produce? Or who shepherds a flock without using some of the milk from the flock?#2 Tm 2:3–4. 8Am I saying this on human authority, or does not the law also speak of these things? 9It is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”#Dt 25:4; 1 Tm 5:18. Is God concerned about oxen, 10or is he not really speaking for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope, and the thresher in hope of receiving a share.#2 Tm 2:6. 11If we have sown spiritual seed for you, is it a great thing that we reap a material harvest from you?#Rom 15:27. 12If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we still more?#2 Cor 11:7–12; 12:13–18; 2 Thes 3:6–12.
Reason for Not Using His Rights. Yet we have not used this right.#It appears, too, that suspicion or misunderstanding has been created by Paul’s practice of not living from his preaching. The first reason he asserts in defense of this practice is an entirely apostolic one; it anticipates the developments to follow in 1 Cor 9:19–22. He will give a second reason in 1 Cor 9:15–18. On the contrary, we endure everything so as not to place an obstacle to the gospel of Christ. 13#The position of these verses produces an interlocking of the two points of Paul’s defense. These arguments by analogy (1 Cor 9:13) and from authority (1 Cor 9:14) belong with those of 1 Cor 9:7–10 and ground the first point. But Paul defers them until he has had a chance to mention “the gospel of Christ” (1 Cor 9:12b), after which it is more appropriate to mention Jesus’ injunction to his preachers and to argue by analogy from the sacred temple service to his own liturgical service, the preaching of the gospel (cf. Rom 1:9; 15:16). Do you not know that those who perform the temple services eat [what] belongs to the temple, and those who minister at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?#Nm 18:8, 31; Dt 18:1–5. 14In the same way, the Lord ordered that those who preach the gospel should live by the gospel.#Mt 10:10; Lk 10:7–8.
15#Paul now assigns a more personal motive to his nonuse of his right to support. His preaching is not a service spontaneously undertaken on his part but a stewardship imposed by a sort of divine compulsion. Yet to merit any reward he must bring some spontaneous quality to his service, and this he does by freely renouncing his right to support. The material here is quite similar to that contained in Paul’s “defense” at 2 Cor 11:5–12; 12:11–18. I have not used any of these rights, however, nor do I write this that it be done so in my case. I would rather die. Certainly no one is going to nullify my boast.#2 Cor 11:9–10. 16If I preach the gospel, this is no reason for me to boast, for an obligation has been imposed on me, and woe to me if I do not preach it!#Acts 26:14–18. 17If I do so willingly, I have a recompense, but if unwillingly, then I have been entrusted with a stewardship.#4:1; Gal 2:7. 18What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.#2 Cor 11:7–12.
All Things to All. 19#In a rhetorically balanced series of statements Paul expands and generalizes the picture of his behavior and explores the paradox of apostolic freedom. It is not essentially freedom from restraint but freedom for service—a possibility of constructive activity. Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible.#Mt 20:26–27. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew to win over Jews; to those under the law I became like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win over those under the law. 21To those outside the law I became like one outside the law—though I am not outside God’s law but within the law of Christ—to win over those outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win over the weak. I have become all things to all, to save at least some.#10:33; Rom 15:1; 2 Cor 11:29. 23All this I do for the sake of the gospel, so that I too may have a share in it.
24#A series of miniparables from sports, appealing to readers familiar with Greek gymnasia and the nearby Isthmian games. Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? Run so as to win.#Heb 12:1. 25Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.#2 Tm 2:5 / 2 Tm 4:7–8; Jas 1:12; 1 Pt 5:4. 26Thus I do not run aimlessly; I do not fight as if I were shadowboxing. 27No, I drive my body and train it, for fear that, after having preached to others, I myself should be disqualified.#For fear that…I myself should be disqualified: a final paradoxical turn to the argument: what appears at first a free, spontaneous renunciation of rights (1 Cor 9:12–18) seems subsequently to be required for fulfillment of Paul’s stewardship (to preach effectively he must reach his hearers wherever they are, 1 Cor 9:19–22), and finally is seen to be necessary for his own salvation (1 Cor 9:23–27). Mention of the possibility of disqualification provides a transition to 1 Cor 10.
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