Notes on 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?
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 altar are partakers with the altar?
14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

The immediate issue here is that at least some of the Corinthians were criticizing Paul and Barnabas (an odd reference, since Silas was Paul's companion minister at this point) for, so they thought, living at their expense. It was not true, of course, as Paul plied his trade of tentmaker to support himself. The underlying attitude was a reluctance to support the Lord's work, a fact emphasized later by the church's obvious reluctance to fulfill its promise to make a collection for the Jerusalem church. Money is still a dirty word in many churches, and they often struggle to meet their bills when the individual members live in ease and comfort. It is true, of course, that many charlatans posing as pastors or evangelists make an extravagant living at the expense of God's people, but a church that will not meet its pastor's basic needs is clearly out of the will of God. The Levitical class of priests was supported by the rest of Israel, from a part of the offerings brought to the temple for the Lord. We have no less an obligation as the new Israel to support those who dedicate their lives and all of their time to the Lord's service, though that obligation does not extend to affording a life more comfortable than our own.

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.

We lay people don't often appreciate the burden of the minister of the Gospel. Preaching is not just a matter of choice, but of calling. Telling a preacher not to preach is like telling a painter not to paint, a singer not to sing, or a teacher not to teach. Spirit-directed preaching is not just someone speaking words of their own devising, but expressing thoughts from the mind of Christ. That's why preaching convicts of sin, because the Spirit knows all things about us. It's not a matter of the preacher's meddling in someone's affairs, but of the Spirit's putting a finger on areas of need we refuse to acknowledge otherwise.

Just as Christ came in the guise of a servant, a pastor is first of all a servant, to Christ and to his congregation. He has authority, yes, but not apart from his role as a servant. Becoming all things to all people does not mean entering into their weaknesses, but identifying with what makes them unique, or different from other groups. That is not for the purpose of validating their divisions, but to demonstrate their unity in Jesus Christ, regardless of their nationality, race, or background. To identify with all people to reach them for Christ means to share in the basic needs and understanding that make us all human, and all in need of reconciliation with God in Christ. When a pastor or evangelist shares the Gospel, it is just this act of sharing that makes it possible to identify with any group, anywhere.

All of us who witness of Christ to others have that same responsibility, that same burden, that same privilege. All of us who accept Christ run the same race for the same prize, the promise of eternal life. How we get from salvation to our passage to eternity, though, is up to each of us. How we make the journey is our choice, and the standard for our behavior, Paul says, is temperance, self control. That control, though, doesn't come from the self, but from the Holy Spirit. Keeping our body, our flesh, under subjection isn't something we can do on our own, through our own efforts. Not only is salvation a matter of grace, of the working of God's power, but so is living a Christian life afterward. We can take not credit for either, other than choosing to be the slave of Christ, rather than the slave of sin.

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