1 Corinthians 9
9
1Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren't you the results of my work in the Lord? 2Even if I'm not an apostle to others, at least I am one to you. The proof of my being an apostle of the Lord is you!
3Here is my reply to those who question me about this: 4Don't we have the right to be provided with food and drink? 5Don't we have a right to be accompanied by a Christian wife, like the rest of the apostles, the Lord's brothers, and Peter? 6Is it only Barnabas and myself who have to work to support ourselves?#9:6. The original is given in terms of a double negative. The suggestion is that only Paul and Barnabas are not given the privilege of not having to work. 7Which soldier ever had to pay his own salary? Who plants a vineyard and doesn't get to eat its fruits? Who feeds a flock and doesn't consume its milk?
8Am I just speaking from a human point of view? Doesn't the law say the same thing? 9In the law of Moses it's written, “Don't muzzle the ox when it's threshing out the grain.”#9:9. Quoting Deuteronomy 25:4. Was God just thinking about oxen? 10Wasn't he directing this at us? Surely this was written for us—for anyone who plows should plow in hope and anyone who threshes should hope to share in the harvest. 11If we sowed what is spiritual with you, does it really matter if we reap some material benefit? 12If others exercise this right over you, don't we deserve it even more? Even so we did not exercise this right. On the contrary we would rather put up with anything than hold back the gospel of Christ.
13Don't you know that those who work in temples receive their meals from temple offerings, and those who serve at the altar receive their portion of the sacrifice on the altar? 14In just the same way the Lord ordered that those who announce the good news should live from supporters of the good news. 15But I have not made use of any of these provisions, and I'm not writing about this to suggest it should be done in my case. I'd rather die than to have anyone take away my pride in not having received any benefit.
16I have nothing to boast about in sharing the good news because it's something I feel compelled to do. In fact it's dreadful for me if I don't share the good news! 17If I'm doing this work because of my own choice, then I have a reward. But if it wasn't my choice, and an obligation was placed on me, 18then what reward do I have? It's the opportunity to share the good news without charging for it, not demanding my rights as a worker for the good news.
19Even though I am free and serve no one, I have placed myself in service to everyone so that I might gain more. 20To the Jews I behave like a Jew so that I might win Jews. To those who are under the law I behave as someone under the law (even though I am not obligated under the law), so that I might win those under the law. 21To those who don't operate according to the law,#9:21. Meaning those who are not Jews, who do not observe the law of Moses. I behave like them (though not disregarding God's law, but operating under the law of Christ), so that I might gain those who don't observe the law.
22To those who are weak,#9:22. Probably referring to the “weaker believer” issue mentioned in 8:7 and on. I share in their weakness so that I may win the weak. I have ended up being “everyman” to everyone so that by using every possible means I might win some! 23I do all this for the sake of the good news so that I too may share in its blessings!
24Wouldn't you agree that there are many runners in a race, but only one gets the prize? So run your best, so you may win! 25Every competitor who participates in the games maintains a strict training discipline. Of course they do so to win a crown that doesn't last. But our crowns will last forever!
26That's why I run straight in the right direction. I fight accurately, not punching the air. 27I also treat my body severely to bring it under my control, for I don't want somehow to be disqualified after sharing the good news with everybody else.
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Dr. Jonathan Gallagher. Released under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Version 4.3. For corrections send email to jonathangallagherfbv@gmail.com
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 the result of my work in the Lord? 2Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas#9:5 That is, Peter? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?
7Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”#9:9 Deut. 25:4 Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more?
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.
13Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.
15But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.
Paul’s Use of His Freedom
19Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
The Need for Self-Discipline
24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
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