Reflections on 1 Corinthians 9

1 Corinthians 09 (Contemporary English Version)
1. I am free. I am an apostle. I have seen the Lord Jesus and have led you to have faith in him.
   
2. Others may think that I am not an apostle, but you are proof that I am an apostle to you.
   
3. When people question me, I tell them
   
4. that Barnabas and I have the right to our food and drink.
   
5. We each have the right to marry one of the Lord's followers and to take her along with us, just as the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Peter do.
   
6. Are we the only ones who have to support ourselves by working at another job?
   
7. Do soldiers pay their own salaries? Don't people who raise grapes eat some of what they grow? Don't shepherds get milk from their own goats?
   
8. I am not saying this on my own authority. The Law of Moses tells us not to muzzle an ox when it is grinding grain. But was God concerned only about an ox?
   
9. (SEE 9:8)
   
10. No, he wasn't! He was talking about us. This was written in the Scriptures so that all who plow and all who grind the grain will look forward to sharing in the harvest.
    
11. When we told the message to you, it was like planting spiritual seed. So we have the right to accept material things as our harvest from you.
    
12. If others have the right to do this, we have an even greater right. But we haven't used this right of ours. We are willing to put up with anything to keep from causing trouble for the message about Christ.
    
13. Don't you know that people who work in the temple make their living from what is brought to the temple? Don't you know that a person who serves at the altar is given part of what is offered?
    
14. In the same way, the Lord wants everyone who preaches the good news to make a living from preaching this message.
    
15. But I have never used these privileges of mine, and I am not writing this because I want to start now. I would rather die than have someone rob me of the right to take pride in this.
    
16. I don't have any reason to brag about preaching the good news. Preaching is something God told me to do, and if I don't do it, I am doomed.
    
17. If I preach because I want to, I will be paid. But even if I don't want to, it is still something God has sent me to do.
    
18. What pay am I given? It is the chance to preach the good news free of charge and not to use the privileges that are mine because I am a preacher.
    
19. I am not anyone's slave. But I have become a slave to everyone, so that I can win as many people as possible.
    
20. When I am with the Jews, I live like a Jew to win Jews. They are ruled by the Law of Moses, and I am not. But I live by the Law to win them.
    
21. And when I am with people who are not ruled by the Law, I forget about the Law to win them. Of course, I never really forget about the law of God. In fact, I am ruled by the law of Christ.
    
22. When I am with people whose faith is weak, I live as they do to win them. I do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can.
    
23. I do all this for the good news, because I want to share in its blessings.
    
24. You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win!
    
25. Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever.
    
26. I don't run without a goal. And I don't box by beating my fists in the air.
    
27. I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won't lose out after telling the good news to others.
    
    

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    Paul is defending his apostleship in this chapter. There were some in Corinth who questioned that he was an apostle since he was not one of the twelve and had not seen Jesus. Paul's claim, though not made here, was that he had seen Jesus on the road to Damascus. In this passage, Paul's claim to apostleship was based on two factors: the Corinthians themselves, and his refusal to accept support from his ministry.
    
    The first factor Paul used only with the Corinthians as he pointed out in verse 2: "If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord." He was their spiritual father which he saw as evidence of his appointment by the Lord. But it was the second factor that was his main defense of his apostleship: "My defense to those who examine me is this: Don't we have the right to eat and drink?" (9:3-4) To this question, could be added "at the expense of the church?" This was the first of several questions aimed at his right as a minister of the gospel to receive support from the church for his ministry as did other ministers. However, he refused support from the church choosing to support himself through tentmaking so no one could question his motives. He did not preach the gospel for personal gain.
    
    Though he voluntarily gave himself fully to preaching the gospel without remuneration, it was not something about which he could boast, for he had no choice. "Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!" (9:16) He was compelled by Christ to preach. Furthermore, he said, "Although I am free from all people, I have made myself a slave to all, in order to win more people." (9:19) If he were not an apostle would he have any other motivation to do these things and make these personal sacrifices to preach the gospel? Not likely. His only other motive would be personal gain and he had given up any source of personal gain - both materially and in recognition. Besides material gain recognition and honor would be the other motivation, but he had chosen to be a slave to everyone instead of being served by them.