If A Man's Principles ...
1 Corinthians 9:1-23
In reading this passage – which appears at
first blush to be a defense of Paul’s apostleship – we must keep
things in context. Paul has been pressing the Corinthians to
refrain from doing things which they were permitted to do (in
this instance, eating meat) for the sake of others. Paul now
uses himself as an example of that. In this lesson we shall see
three things, I trust:
·
That Paul, as an apostle,
had certain rights and privileges which came with that
task.
·
That Paul voluntarily gave
up those rights and privileges for the sake of the
Corinthian church.
·
That as his example served
for them, it should serve for us as well.
(1 Cor 9:1-23 NIV) Am 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? {2} Even 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. {3} This is my defense to those who sit
in judgment on me. {4} Don't we have the right to food and
drink? {5} Don'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 ? {6} Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for
a living? {7} Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who
plants a vineyard and does not eat of its grapes? Who tends a
flock and does not drink of the milk? {8} Do I say this merely
from a human point of view? Doesn't the Law say the same thing?
{9} For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Do not muzzle an ox
while it is treading out the grain." Is it about oxen that God
is concerned? {10} Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes,
this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the
thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in
the harvest. {11} If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is
it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? {12} If
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.
{13} Don't you know that those who work in the temple get their
food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in
what is offered on the altar? {14} In the same way, the Lord has
commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their
living from the gospel. {15} But 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. I would rather die than have anyone deprive
me of this boast. {16} Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot
boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not
preach the gospel! {17} If I preach voluntarily, I have a
reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust
committed to me. {18} What then is my reward? Just this: that in
preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not
make use of my rights in preaching it. {19} Though I am free and
belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as
many as possible. {20} To 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. {21} To 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. {22} To
the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all
things to all men so that by all possible means I might save
some. {23} I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may
share in its blessings.
I Have a Right!
Paul begins the argument by establishing his
rights.
The right to be called an apostle
Evidently there was some challenge to this;
otherwise, Paul would not have taken such care in establishing
it. He argues as follows:
·
He has seen the risen Lord –
who has given him the task. It was recognized in the
early church that no man could claim to be an apostle
unless he had seen the risen Lord. Not all those who had
seen him could make that claim; only those whom the Lord
had appointed. Paul argues here both the sight and the
appointment.
·
If further proof is needed,
he submits to the Corinthians – themselves! If he is an
apostle, then there is fruit to his work, and the
Corinthians are just such fruit. If he were not an
apostle, his work would have failed had he claimed such
fraudulently.
·
If this is not adequate for
us, it should have been adequate for them, at least.
This only shows that the argument is always there. “Why
should I listen to you?” – the cry of those who want the
appearance of righteousness on their own terms.
Is there a right to such support?
Just because you’re an apostle, are you
entitled to support? In verse 14 Paul makes the explicit claim
that the Lord has so commanded it. He cites these examples:
·
First, the other apostles.
They journey about; Peter takes his wife with him. They
are supported by the churches. If Peter, why not Paul?
·
Next, he cites the common
example of agriculture of the time. The worker was paid,
often, from the harvest directly. If this is so for the
harvesting of crops, how much more so the harvesting of
souls?
·
Another example is the
soldier. The soldier’s pay may not be much – I never
thought it overly generous – but at least he gets it. If
it is so with the wars of the earth, how much more so
the war for the souls of men?
·
Finally, there is the
explicit example from the Old Testament. The priests who
ministered in the temple were fed by the sacrifices.
Conclusion
I conclude the following (and not I alone):
·
A minister of the Gospel is
entitled to be supported by those to whom he ministers.
God’s work; God’s charges.
·
Such support is not just for
the barest of necessities, but the normal conduct of
life (for example, taking your wife along).
·
But note: the work comes
first, then the support. We are not called to support
every person who thinks it might be a good idea to ask.
Giving up those rights
The next step in Paul’s argument is that he
gave up those rights. Let us be clear as to what he has given up
– and what he cannot give up.
Duty – preaching the Gospel
·
As Paul’s description of the
incident on the road to Damascus makes clear, he has no
choice but to preach the Gospel. He is commanded to do
so.
·
So he claims no credit for
preaching the Gospel to them. There is no extra credit
on the exam for the mandatory questions.
We, as Christians, sometimes fail to
understand this. We often believe that simply doing what we are
commanded to do puts God greatly in our debt. This is a grave
misunderstanding.
Above and beyond duty – not at their expense
What is above and beyond his duty is this: he
did not preach to them and rely on them for support.
·
How was he supported?
Sometimes he worked as a tentmaker. Sometimes he was
supported by other churches. He tells us that he “robbed
other churches” for their sake. No doubt the other
churches considered it a sacrifice of love – but see
that in either case it was not a matter of commandment,
but love exceeding the commandment.
·
Why would they do such a
thing? Is it not a sacrifice in imitation of their Lord?
Consider the reward God gives to those who make
sacrifices in his cause!
The extent of his sacrifice
Paul did not just sacrifice his right to be
supported. He also adds these other sacrifices:
·
His freedom to be “out from
under” the Mosaic Law. When it was needed, he stayed
under that law – for the sake of Christ.
·
His comfort in being in the
Law! Consider how it must have felt to have been raised
in the Law, knowing its rules to be sufficient – and
then to behave like a Gentile, for the sake of Christ.
·
His strength – so that the
weak would have someone like them.
All things to all men – for the sake of the
Gospel. It is a challenge and inspiration to us yet today.
If a man’s principles don’t cost him anything
– they aren’t worth very much.
That’s what my father taught me. Anyone can
be high-principled as long as it’s cheap. So let me ask a few
questions:
What does our Christianity cost us?
·
Do we meet the minimum? Do
we sacrifice those things we should just to obey the
commands of Christ?
·
Do we exceed that, for the
love of our Lord? Do we sacrifice above and beyond what
is commanded?
I have become all things
This too is a sacrifice. Consider, if you
will, what it takes to become “all things to all men so that by
all means I might win some..”
Sacrifice of who we are
·
Are we willing to sacrifice
our comfort level to bring the Gospel to others? Some go
to the mission field; for some, it’s just associating
with those they find undesirable.
·
Are we willing to sacrifice
our dreams and ambitions? Does the next career move come
ahead of staying home for our children? Are our spare
hours dedicated to God, or to moving up the corporate
ladder?
·
Are we willing to sacrifice
our position? If you are in some sense a ruler over men
– a manager, for example – are you willing to be the
servant of all? Or does that sacrifice your “dignity?”
Sacrifice of what we have
·
Some of us find it hard to
part with money – and even harder to part with
possessions. Will you sacrifice them for the sake of
your brothers and sisters in Christ? Will you sacrifice
them for your own sake?
·
More than money and
possessions, will you sacrifice your time? Or do you see
God’s needs taken care of on Sunday morning only?
Sacrifice of what is ours by right
This may be the hardest of all, for we tell
ourselves that we have earned it, it is ours by right, it is
righteous that we should have it – and all this can be true. But
are we willing to sacrifice even these things?
·
Are we willing to sacrifice
justice for ourselves for the sake of the unity of the
church – as we saw a few weeks ago?
·
Are we willing to sacrifice
justice for ourselves so that we might be merciful?
·
Are we willing to sacrifice
what we know to be the treatment which is our due – as
husband or wife, for example – so that the cause of
Christ might triumph?
·
Perhaps the greatest of all:
when we know we have the “right answer” – to whatever
the question – are we willing to let someone else’s
wrong answer prevail – for the sake of Christ?
