I Corinthians 9
9
A Pattern of Self-Denial
1Am #Acts 9:15; 2 Cor. 12:12I not an apostle? Am I not free? #Acts 9:3, 17; 18:9; 22:14, 18; 23:11; 1 Cor. 15:8Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? #1 Cor. 3:6; 4:15Are you not my work in the Lord? 2If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are #2 Cor. 12:12the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3My defense to those who examine me is this: 4#1 Cor. 9:14; (1 Thess. 2:6, 9); 2 Thess. 3:8Do we have no right to eat and drink? 5Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, #Matt. 13:55the brothers of the Lord, and #Matt. 8:14; John 1:42Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I #Acts 4:36; (2 Thess. 3:8)who have no right to refrain from working? 7Who ever #2 Cor. 10:4; 1 Tim. 1:18; 2 Tim. 2:3goes to war at his own expense? Who #Deut. 20:6; Prov. 27:18; 1 Cor. 3:6, 8plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who #John 21:15tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock?
8Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also? 9For it is written in the law of Moses, #Deut. 25:4; 1 Tim. 5:18“You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? 10Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that #2 Tim. 2:6he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11#Rom. 15:27; 1 Cor. 9:14If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? 12If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more?
#(Acts 18:3; 20:33); 1 Cor. 9:15, 18Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things #2 Cor. 11:12lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. 13#Lev. 6:16, 26; 7:6, 31Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the #Num. 18:8–31; Deut. 18:1temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? 14Even so #Matt. 10:10; Luke 10:7, 8; 1 Tim. 5:18the Lord has commanded #Rom. 10:15that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel.
15But #Acts 18:3; 20:33; 1 Cor. 9:12, 18I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for #2 Cor. 11:10it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. 16For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for #Acts 9:15; (Rom. 1:14)necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! 17For if I do this willingly, #John 4:36; 1 Cor. 3:8, 14; 9:18I have a reward; but if against my will, #1 Cor. 4:1; Gal. 2:7; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25I have been entrusted with a stewardship. 18What is my reward then? That #1 Cor. 10:33when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I #1 Cor. 7:31; 9:12may not abuse my authority in the gospel.
Serving All Men
19For though I am #1 Cor. 9:1free from all men, #2 Cor. 4:5; Gal. 5:13I have made myself a servant to all, #Matt. 18:15; 1 Pet. 3:1that I might win the more; 20and #Acts 16:3; 21:23–26; Rom. 11:14to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21#(Gal. 2:3; 3:2)to #(Rom. 2:12, 14)those who are without law, as without law #(1 Cor. 7:22; Gal. 6:2)(not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22#Rom. 14:1; 15:1; 2 Cor. 11:29to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. #1 Cor. 10:33I have become all things to all men, #Rom. 11:14that I might by all means save some. 23Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.
Striving for a Crown
24Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? #Gal. 2:2; 2 Tim. 4:7; Heb. 12:1Run in such a way that you may obtain it. 25And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for #2 Tim. 4:8; James 1:12; (1 Pet. 5:4; Rev. 2:10; 3:11)an imperishable crown. 26Therefore I run thus: #2 Tim. 2:5not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. 27#(Rom. 8:13)But I discipline my body and #(Rom. 6:18)bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become #Jer. 6:30; 2 Cor. 13:5disqualified.
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I Corinthians 9: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
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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