Lessons #283 and 284
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+ 1. It is best to use this note after you have listened to the lessons because there are +
+ comments given in the actual delivery not in the note. +
+ 2. The Bible abbreviations are as follows: CEV =Contemporary English version, +
+ CEB = Common English Bible, ESV= English Standard Version, +
+ GW = God’s Word Translation, ISV = International Standard Version, +
+ NAB=New English Bible, NASB= New American Standard Bible, +
+ NEB= New English Bible, NET = New English Translation, +
+ NLT = New Living Translations NJB = New Jerusalem Bible, +
+ NJV = New Jewish Bible, TEV = Today’s English Version. +
+AMP = Amplified Bible, UBS = United Bible Society +
+ 3. Notes have not been edited for grammatical errors. +
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Defense of Paul’s right of support and marriage (1 Cor 9:4-14)
... 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.
Recall the message of the first half of the ninth chapter of 1 Corinthians is that ministers of the gospel of Christ have the right of support from believers. In our last study, we focused on the apostle’s quotation from Deuteronomy 25:4 that is given in 1 Corinthians 9:9 “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.” We did this because the apostle used the quotation to demonstrate that the concept that people are rewarded from their services finds support in the OT Scripture. Furthermore, we argued that the last Greek sentence of verse 9 should not be translated to give the impression that God was not concerned about oxen as one may gather from the translation of the question given in the last part of verse 9 in the NIV Is it about oxen that God is concerned? Instead, that the question should be framed in a way that indicates that God is concerned for all His creation and for His justice or fairness and so we stated that a good way to translate the Greek is by adding the word “only” as it is done in a handful of our English versions such as the NLT that rendered it as Was God thinking only about oxen when he said this? Such rendering indicates that the original instruction in Deuteronomy 25:4 was meant to convey God’s care for all His creation, especially humans. That God is concerned not only about oxen but about humans is supported in verse 10 which is where we begin our study today.
Be that as it may, Apostle Paul wanted to convey to the Corinthians and so to all believers that the truth that what he quoted from Deuteronomy 25:4 was not limited to animals but applies more importantly to humans, specifically believers. It is this truth that is given in the rhetorical question given in 1 Corinthians 9:10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Literally, the Greek reads Or doubtless does he speak for our sake? as given in the LEB.
The word “surely” of the NIV is translated from a Greek adverb (pantōs) that may be used to express inevitable conclusion in view of data provided so it may mean “doubtless, of course” as the word is used to report the conclusion the islanders of Malta reached about Apostle Paul when a snake attached itself on his hand, as we read in Acts 28:4:
When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”
The translators of the NIV used the meaning “must” in translating the Greek adverb here since the sentence of the NIV This man must be a murderer is more literally Doubtless this man is a murderer. The adverb may be used for a strong assumption or affirmation with the meaning “certainly, surely, by all means.” It is in this second meaning that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:10 so that it may be translated “certainly” or “surely” or any similar word. The implication is that God in Deuteronomy 25:4 was certainly speaking about us and not merely about oxen although some take the position that the Greek adverb should be given the meaning “entirely” as in the NRSV, implying that the passage the apostle cited was entirely about Christian gospel workers and not oxen, a position we refuted in the previous verse.
The rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians 9:10 that as we have indicated literally reads Or doubtless does he speak for our sake? demands a positive answer. It is for this reason that some of our English versions inserted the word “not” in their translations that is not in the Greek text to help the English reader to recognize that the expected answer to the rhetorical question should be in the affirmative. The NCV rendered the question as a positive statement in that its translators begin verse 10 with the sentence He was really talking about us. That aside, the apostle in his rhetorical question wants to give the reader the understanding that the quotation from Deuteronomy although it is directed to the oxen but that even in its original context, the instruction was intended for application to humans where fairness should govern believers understanding that those who render service should benefit from their service with emphasis on those who minister the word of God to others. By the way, the pronoun “he” by strict interpretation should refer to Deuteronomy 25:4 but it is God who spoke what is recorded and so the pronoun refers to God.
It is true that the principle contained in the quotation of the apostle from Deuteronomy 25:4 applies to humans in general in that anyone that renders service should benefit from the service rendered but the apostle applied the principle specifically to those in the ministry of the word and so to those involved in the ministry of the word that at the time of the epistle consisted of the apostles and those who assisted them in preaching the word of God. We said this because of the pronoun our in the question of the literal translation Or doubtless does he speak for our sake? or us in the NIV is subject to two possible interpretations. It could refer to all believers inclusive of the apostle or it could refer to the apostles and all those involved in gospel work. We believe that the apostle limited the quotation to those who are gospel workers. This is because, for his argument to be valid then the ox that works in threshing floor should represent ministers of the word of God. In effect, only if the apostle used the word “ours” or “us” in the NIV to refer to gospel workers would he have a strong support for his argument. Of course, there is a sense that the pronoun could apply to all believers because all believers are to understand the quotation to enable them to recognize their responsibility to support those in the ministry of God’s word. Nonetheless, we contend that the apostle had in mind the apostles and other gospel workers in the use of the pronoun our or us since his defense concerns his right of support by the Corinthians.
In any case, to ensure that there is no misunderstanding that the question of 1 Corinthians 9:10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? demands a positive answer, the apostle provided a statement that should enable believers to recognize that the expected answer to the rhetorical question should be in the affirmative. It is for this reason the apostle wrote next in 1 Corinthians 9:10 Yes, this was written for us. The word “yes” is translated from a Greek word (gar) that has several usages. For example, it can be used as a marker of inference with the meaning “so, then, by all means” or it can be used as a marker of cause or reason for something in which case it may be translated “for, because.” In our clause of 1 Corinthians 9:10 that we are considering, it is used to confirm the positive answer expected of the question that preceded it in which case it may be translated “yes” or “certainly” or “indeed.” Thus, we can be certain that the apostle meant for believers to understand that what is written in Deuteronomy 25:4 is for the benefit of believers or for the sake of believers. Of course, the pronoun us refers to believers in general with special application to those who are in the work of the ministry. We say this because, all believers are to understand the application of what is stated in the passage of Deuteronomy to recognize that they are to support the gospel workers but then those in gospel work should understand this truth so they should not be distracted by making a living in another way as to ignore the primary function of the work of the ministry. They should trust that the Lord will provide for them through fellow believers or those they serve. This truth was applied to the disciples of Jesus Christ He sent out to preach the good news of the kingdom of God during His earthly ministry. We know they were supported because they did not lack anything during their missionary work as we may gather from the question of the Lord Jesus to them as recorded in Luke 22:35:
Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?”
“Nothing,” they answered.
The answer of the disciples implies that if anyone is in the ministry of the word lacks the basic necessity of life, such a person should ask himself if the Lord sent him into the ministry or he was presumptuous in being in the ministry of the word. That aside, the point is that the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul conveys to us that the passage of Deuteronomy 25:4 while certainly involved animals but that ultimately what is stated there is for believers, especially those in the ministry of the word of God.
The apostle having communicated that his quotation of Deuteronomy 25:4 is for the sake of believers, proceeded with further explanation of his reason in stating that the passage he quoted, applied to believers, especially those in the work of the ministry. This explanation is given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 9:10 because when the plowman plows and the thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. This clause could be interpreted either as providing further explanation to his assertion that the passage he quoted from the OT Scriptures applies to us or the clause may be viewed as providing the reason for what he stated. The reason for the two possible interpretations of the clause is because it is introduced in the Greek text by a Greek conjunction (hoti) that here could be interpreted as a marker of explanation with meaning “that, namely” or as marker of cause or reason based on an evident fact in which case it may be translated “because, since, in view of the fact that.” While it is possible to consider our clause as an explanation of what preceded it, it is more likely that the apostle wrote the clause we are considering as a justification or reason for applying the quotation of Deuteronomy 25:4 to believers since that makes better sense with the two related activities of plowing and threshing the apostle mentioned in the clause. Some take the position that the clause is a quotation by the apostle but the problem with that interpretation is that we do not know of any text the apostle would have quoted and so it is better to believe that apostle used the clause for justifying his quotation from Deuteronomy 25:4.
The apostle was concerned with the expectation of the individual involved in the activities he described in the clause we are considering as given in the NIV. The reason for this statement is that although the word “hope” appears only once in the NIV, the apostle used it twice in the Greek of the clause we are considering. The reason the NIV used the word “hope” once is because the translators combined the expectation of the two activities mentioned in the clause as being the sole goal of those involved in them. That aside, the word “hope” is translated from a Greek word (elpis) with different meanings. It may mean “hope, expectation, prospect” in the sense of looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting its fulfillment. It is in the general sense of “hope, expectation, prospect” that the word is used in describing the state of the situation among the people in the ship that was transporting Apostle Paul to Rome to stand trial before Caesar as recorded in Acts 27:20:
When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.
The meaning “hope” may, of course, pertain to matters spoken of in God’s promises, as Apostle Paul used the word regarding Abraham in Romans 4:18:
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Here “hope” has the sense of “confident expectation” so that Abraham waited expectantly for God to do what He promised. The Greek word translated “hope” may refer to the Christian expectation, as the apostle used it regarding the subject of love in 1 Corinthians 13:13:
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The Greek word translated “hope” may mean the basis for hoping so that it could mean the foundation of hope, as implied in the description of Jesus Christ in 1 Timothy 1:1:
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
“Hope” here in 1 Timothy 1:1 includes the element of certainty and firm conviction that Christ is not only the basis of our conviction for the future or eternity with God but He is also the source of our trust or the One whom we trust. Another meaning of the Greek word translated “hope” is “something hoped for”, as that is the sense of the word in Titus 2:13:
while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
In one context, the Greek word translated “hope” has the meaning of faith. This seems to be the sense of the word in Romans 8:24:
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
We are saved by faith in Christ so that the first use of the word “hope” has the sense of faith or it has a meaning close to “faith”. That aside, in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:10, the word means “hope” in the sense of looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting its fulfillment or having a feeling that a desire will be fulfilled. As we indicated, the translators of the NIV recognized that the thing desired is the same for the individuals involved in the two activities mentioned in the clause of 1 Corinthians 9:10 we are considering and so probably considered it redundant to use the word “hope” twice in their translation.
Be that as it may, the first activity the apostle used as the reason for applying the passage from Deuteronomy is farming activity of plowing a field as we read in verse of the clause of the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9 when the plowman plows. Literally, the Greek reads the one plowing ought to plow in hope. The word “ought” is translated from a Greek word (opheilō) that basically means “to owe.” To owe, could mean to be indebted to someone financially, as the word is used for the action in the Parable of the Shrewd Manager recorded in Luke 16:7:
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ “‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. “He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
To owe could mean to be under obligation to meet certain social or moral expectations. It is in this sense that Apostle Paul used the word to indicate believers should love others in Romans 13:8:
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
The instruction Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another in the NIV is more literally Owe nothing to anyone, except to love one another. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:10, the sense of the word is “to be obliged,” that is, “to be or become bound by obligation.” Hence, the apostle indicates that a man who plows is obliged to do so because of what he confidently looks forward to derive from his ploughing activity that is not explicitly stated. In our passage, the idea of plowing is used for a whole range of farming activity. We say this because the word “plows” in the clause of the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9:10 when the plowman plows is translated from a Greek word (arotriaō) that means “to plow,” in the sense of to break and turn over earth, especially with a plow. If a farmer merely breaks the ground without planting seed and taking care of the resultant plant that would be a wasted effort. A farmer breaks the ground and plants seed. When the seed germinates and grows into a plant, the farmer would still weed the unwanted grass that would compete with the plant for the nutrients in the ground as that is part of taking care of the plant that would provide, say, the grain at the time of harvest. Thus, we should recognize that the word “plow” is used for a whole range of activities involved in farming, that is, tilling the soil, planting, weeding and eventually harvesting of the group. Anyway, as we have stated, the apostle did not immediately tell what the farmer or the one who plows expect from his work but proceeded to describe the second activity that is related to the first.
The second activity that is related to the first involves an activity of obtaining the grain from the grain plant as in the clause in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9:10 and the thresher threshes. Literally, the Greek reads one threshing in hope. The literal Greek describes a man but does not say what he does but based on the first part of the clause one can fill in the activity as “threshing” that is the reason the translators of the NIV added the word threshes. The literal word “threshing” or “thresher” of the NIV is translated from a participle of a Greek verb (aloaō) that refers to act of separating grain from the husk of plants either by beating or by being tread on by farm animals hence means “to thresh, tread out.” It appears three times in the Greek NT, all by Apostle Paul in quoting from the OT Scripture. Besides its usage in verses 9 and 10 of 1 Corinthians 9, it is also used in 1 Timothy 5:18:
For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.”
Threshing would be the final step in the farming of grain. It is possible that the farmer who harvested the plant may not be the person that is involved in the threshing activity. In effect, it is possible that a farmer may leave the job for someone else. If that is the case, both the farmer and the one who does the threshing expect to benefit from their activities.
The expected benefit to the farmer and the one who is involved in the threshing operation is to share in the resultant grain. It is this expectation that is given in the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:10, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. The word “harvest” does not appear in the Greek since literally the Greek reads in hope of having share of. The word “sharing” of the NIV is translated from a Greek verb (metechō) that may mean “to share” as it is used in the Lord Jesus sharing in our humanity in Hebrews 2:14:
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
The word may mean “to partake” as it is used in eating in common with other believers as it relates to the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 10:17:
Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf.
It is in the sense of “to partake,” that is, to receive a share of something that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:10. It appears that the translators of the NIV understood what the apostle wrote as involving two different individuals as being involved in plowing and threshing since they used the personal pronoun they in their translation they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. Although the word “harvest” is not in the Greek, it makes sense so also the word “crop.” That aside, the apostle’s point is that because those who are involved in farming activities expect to benefit from their activities that the quotation from Deuteronomy 25:4 supports his declaration that the passage he quoted is for our benefits. In any event, we have considered the second argument of the apostle in support of his defense for his right to be supported by the Corinthians and by implication the right of all gospel workers to be supported by believers. This second argument as we considered, first involves support from human activities of military service and husbandry where those involved in these activities are supported by their activities. The second involves the support of the concept from the Scripture. This he did by claiming scriptural support for his position and then quoting from the OT Scripture. So, with this summary, we proceed to consider the third argument of the apostle.
Paul’s third argument is that his work in Corinth gives him more the right of support from the Corinthians than other gospel workers they have had. This argument the apostle presented with two rhetorical questions in verses 11 and 12. The first rhetorical question is preceded by a statement of fact that is presented in a conditional way in the clause of 1 Corinthians 9:11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you. The word “if” is translated from a Greek conditional particle (ei) that in this clause is used to introduce a condition that must occur or be met before the rhetorical question that follows it could be answered in the affirmative. The apostle was careful not to appear arrogant to the Corinthians so that he presented what has happened among them in a conditional manner instead of making an emphatic statement of what has taken place among the Corinthians. It is also possible that the apostle was aware that there were some in Corinth that may deny his statement of fact, so he put the fact in such a way that for the sake of the rhetorical question, the clause is to be taken a true.
The action of the apostle that is the basis for his rhetorical question of verse 11 that we will get to at the appropriate time had already taken place is his ministry of the word to the Corinthians. His ministry of the word among the Corinthians is stated in the sentence we have sown spiritual seed among you. The translation of the NIV is interpretive since it implies that the word “spiritual” qualifies the word “seed” but that is not what the Greek reads. Literally, the Greek reads we sowed spiritual (things) among you. This is because of the Greek words used. The word “sown” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (speirō) that means “to sow seed.” It is used literally of sowing seed in the parable of Jesus Christ in Luke 8:5:
“A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up.
The word is used metaphorically in proverbial sayings, so it is used in matter of blessing associated with generosity in 2 Corinthians 9:6:
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.
Similarly, it is used in the spiritual law of sowing and reaping stated in Galatians 6:7:
Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
It is metaphorically used for the word of God as we read in Mark 4:14:
The farmer sows the word.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:11, it is used metaphorically for preaching of the word of God as implied also by the word spiritual used in the NIV as an adjective.
The word “spiritual” is translated from a Greek word (pneumatikos) that has to do with divine Spirit with the meaning “spiritual” and so it is used for impersonal things. For example, it is used about song believers are to sing in Ephesians 5:19:
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
Likewise, it is used to refer to wisdom that the Holy Spirit gives in Colossians 1:9:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.
The word is used of a person guided by the Holy Spirit as we read in Galatians 6:1:
Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
When the word is used with a definite article in plural, it may mean “spiritual things or matters.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:11, it means “spiritual” in the sense of being characterized by the Holy Spirit. Thus, the things that are the concern of the apostle are contrary to earthly things.
Be that as it may, when, according to the NIV, the apostle stated we have sown spiritual seed among you or literally we sowed spiritual (things) among you, he meant that he preached and taught the word of God in Corinth. We know he preached the gospel to people in Corinth as implied in Acts 18:5:
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
The sentence Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ refers primarily to the preaching of the gospel in Corinth. This is because the verbal phrase devoted himself exclusively to preaching is literally began to be occupied with the word. There are two activities that would be involved when the apostle was occupied with the word of God. The first is that of preaching the gospel. It is this preaching of the gospel in a careful manner that is meant in the verbal phrase testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Preaching of the gospel is centered on the person of Jesus Christ so that the apostle focused on convincing the Jews in Corinth that Jesus is the Christ since belief in this truth is necessary for salvation as the Holy Spirit conveyed through Apostle John in John 20:31:
But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
It is true that the apostle focused on convincing the Jews that Jesus is the Christ but certainly when he preached to the Gentiles in Corinth his focus was the same with probably the emphasis that He is the Son of God that died for their sins. Anyway, the point is that the first thing the apostle was devoted concerning the word of God in Corinth was the preaching of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel is the first step involved in the ministry of the word to anyone or to a group. Once the gospel is presented to an individual and the person responds then the second aspect of the ministry of the word should be the focus. This focus is that of teaching the various doctrines of the Christian faith so that the saved person would indeed become a disciple of Jesus Christ. This step is in keeping with the Great Commission the Lord gave to the church as we read in Matthew 28:19–20:
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
That what follows salvation is the teaching of the Christian doctrines is given in the clause teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. This is an aspect of the Great Commission that is often neglected. There is the push on some quarters to preach the gospel and baptize converts but there is no push on teaching doctrine to believers. This lack of teaching of doctrine is in part responsible for not having many disciples of Jesus Christ today. I am saying that because of lack of the teaching of the word of God there are few Christians who are truly devoted to Christ as His disciples. That aside, the point I want to make is that Apostle Paul fulfilled the two aspects of dealing with the word of God while in Corinth. He preached the gospel to Jews and Gentiles as the first part of the Great Commission then he followed it up with teaching of doctrines to those who responded to the gospel message in Corinth. We are sure of this because the same Greek word (didaskō) that is translated “teaching” in Matthew 28:20 is used by Luke to report the other activity of Apostle Paul regarding the word of God while in Corinth as we read in Acts 18:11:
So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
Teaching, as we have explained in the past, and implied in referencing the Great Commission is an activity that is directed to believers because it is an activity that requires providing detailed instruction regarding what one should do or not do as a believer. Take for example, teaching involves providing guidance on how one should conduct self as the apostle used the word in the instruction Timothy was to give slaves as they relate to their masters as stated in 1 Timothy 6:2:
Those who have believing masters are not to show less respect for them because they are brothers. Instead, they are to serve them even better, because those who benefit from their service are believers, and dear to them. These are the things you are to teach and urge on them.
Slavery is not a common practice today so that the instruction given to Timothy is one that indicates that pastors should teach believers who are employees of a company and particularly employers that are fellow believers not to show less respect to them. Anyway, we contend that the apostle spent some of his time in Corinth teaching them doctrinal truths that would certainly include how they should conduct themselves in the world of unbelievers and other doctrines of the Christian faith.
In any case, when the apostle stated, according to the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9:11, we have sown spiritual seed among you or literally we sowed spiritual (things) among you he meant that he not only preached the gospel to them, but he also taught them Christian doctrines that they needed to function in a way to honor the Lord Jesus and become His disciples. One may wonder why the apostle did not state this plainly. In other words, he could have stated that he preached the gospel to the Corinthians and taught them doctrines of the Christian faith, instead he used the word “sowed” in conveying his spiritual activities in Corinth. He did this probably because of the illustrations he had used previously that involved farming activities of plowing and reaping. It is also possible that the apostle would have thought of the Parable of the Sower who sowed seeds that the Lord Jesus explained to His disciples as preaching of the word of God. Regardless of what he had in mind, he wanted to convey that the ministry of the word of God involves activities that may be conceived as planting truths in people’s souls so they could respond to what they hear, leading to spiritual growth and producing of spiritual fruits. By the way, the apostle implies that he was not alone in his ministry of the word to the Corinthians because of the pronoun we in the sentence we are considering. The apostle probably used it to include the activities of those in his apostolic team. There are at least two members of his missionary team that he would have included in the pronoun we, Timothy and Silas, based on the passage we cited previously, that is, Acts 18:5:
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.
That aside, Apostle Paul had in a humble way made the point that he had provided spiritual instructions to the Corinthians that should be of great benefit to them if, of course, they applied what they have been taught by the apostle. With this statement he had established the basis for the rhetorical question he stated next in 1 Corinthians 9:11.
The rhetorical question of the apostle in the last part of 1 Corinthians 9:11 is given in the NIV as is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? Literally, the Greek reads (is it) too much if we reap of you material (things)? Before we expound on the question, let me consider two of the Greek words used. The word “reap” is translated from a Greek word (therizō) that literally means to harvest a grain crop by reaping, hence “to reap, harvest” as it is used to denounce the rich for failure to pay those who harvest their crops in James 5:4:
Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.
Figuratively, it means “to reap” in the sense of gaining results or benefits as it is used to encourage believers to be generous in Galatians 6:9:
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:11, it means “to reap” in the sense of “to lay claim to.”
The word “material” in the question is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? is translated from a Greek word (sarkikos) that may pertain to being material or belonging to the physical realm, hence means “material, physical, human, fleshly.” It is in the sense of earthly things, that is, “material, physical” in contrast to spiritual things that the word is used for the collection the Gentile churches were to give the poor in Jerusalem that the word is used in Romans 15:27:
They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews’ spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.
The word may mean “merely human” as it is used to describe the wisdom that is natural to people in 2 Corinthians 1:12:
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according to worldly wisdom but according to God’s grace.
The phrase worldly wisdom is literally mere human wisdom. The word may pertain to being human in the sense of behavior or characteristics that are sinful hence may mean “worldly” as the word is used in 1 Peter 2:11:
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.
The translators of the NIV interpreted the word in its negative sense as it pertains to humans, so they used the meaning “sinful” although the phrase sinful desires is literally fleshly/worldly desires. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:11, the word is used in the sense of “everyday earthly things” and so pertains to being material or belonging to the physical realm in contrast to the spiritual realm. Thus, the apostle’s rhetorical question is concerned with things that have to do with physical existence on this planet.
The rhetorical question is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? demands the answer “no”. Therefore, we can recast the question as a statement. This being the case the apostle’s question states that it is not surprising or strange for him and his apostolic team to lay claim to the material things that belong to the Corinthians. You see the expression “too much” is translated from a Greek adjective (megas) that may mean “great” as it pertains to being above standard in intensity or it pertains to being relatively superior in importance in which case it may mean “profound” as it is used by Apostle Paul to describe the mystery of the relationship of Christ and the church in Ephesians 5:32
This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
The word may pertain to being unusual hence “surprising, astonishing” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to indicate that it is not surprising that satanic agents could camouflage themselves to appear to be true in 2 Corinthians 11:15:
It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
It is in this meaning of pertaining to something unusual or out of the ordinary in effect that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:11. Consequently, we are correct to state that the apostle meant to convey to the Corinthians that is not surprising or strange for him to lay claim to their material things.
The rhetorical question that we cast into a statement is indeed a subtle rebuke on the Corinthians that should cause them to recognize that they have a wrong view regarding supporting of the apostle and his team. The rebuke of the apostle here is quite applicable to many local churches that quibble regarding the compensation they give to their pastors, for example. When members in congregation complain about the support they give to their pastors, they reveal the extent of their commitment to their spiritual life. Apostle Paul compared the spiritual to the earthy things. In the scale of things, which is more important, spiritual, or material? If you answer the spiritual, you are correct. The implication is that the one who provides other believers spiritual things is carrying out greater task than one that provides physical things. Hence if a person who provides material support quibbles about his/her support to a pastor the individual has conveyed lack of appreciation for the spiritual. The person is saying that there is no spiritual benefit the individual derives from, say, the pastor. In effect, the pastor does not provide spiritual truth that benefits the individual. If a believer benefits highly from the spiritual things of a pastor such a person would not be comparing the individual’s support to that of the spiritual support the individual receives from a pastor. Of course, if the pastor does not provide adequate spiritual support for a believer then that person has the right to withhold support on the ground that there is no spiritual benefit. However, if a person benefits highly from the teaching of the pastor then such a person would not spare any expense to ensure that the pastor continues to furnish spiritual things that lead to great blessings on the recipient of the spiritual things from the pastor. I am saying that if a pastor’s teaching does not elevate a believer spiritually then such believer may withhold support but if that is not the case, to withhold support is a demonstration of lack of appreciation of spiritual things and unfairness to such a pastor. It is this argument that the apostle implied in the subtle rebuke given to the Corinthians in the question of 1 Corinthians 9:11 is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? So, a believer who benefits from the ministry of a pastor owes it to such a person to provide adequate support because spiritual things are more important in the large scheme of things than the physical. Let me end by remind you of the message we have been expounding which is that ministers of the gospel of Christ have the right of support from believers.
01/15//21