Lessons #285 and 286
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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.
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 began to consider the third argument of Apostle Paul in support of his defense of having right of support by the Corinthians. His 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, we stated, the apostle presented with two rhetorical questions in verses 11 and 12. After considering Apostle Paul’s activity of preaching and teaching of God’s word in Corinth that he presented in a way that avoids arrogance since he used a conditional clause, the apostle gave a rhetorical question that in effect implies he laid claims to material support from them. In other words, the apostle indicated that his claim to material support of the Corinthians is because of his spiritual work among them. Since the spiritual is more important than the physical, we applied the apostle’s argument to say that any member of a local congregation that quibbles about the compensation provided to the pastor of such a group has revealed that the individual does not value the spiritual. Again, this application is derived from the apostle’s justification for asserting his right of support that involves his spiritual activity among the Corinthians as we considered in verse 11 so we continue with his elaboration of his third argument in verse 12.
The apostle followed the same pattern in verse 12 that he used in verse 11 in developing his justification for claiming the Corinthians in a sense owe him support. This pattern consists of a conditional clause followed by a rhetorical question that expects an affirmative answer. The conditional clause is given in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9:12 If others have this right of support from you. Literally, the Greek reads If others have/share the right of you.
The conditional clause that begins verse 12 is different from that which began verse 11. This is because although both begin with a conditional Greek particle (ei) that is a marker of a condition, existing in fact or hypothetical but that of verse 11 states what has indeed happened while that of verse 12 states something that was taking place at the time the apostle wrote this epistle and was continuing at the time of its reading by the Corinthians. We say this because the apostle used the present tense in the Greek for the word translated have in the NIV of verse 12. Although the present tense has several senses in the Greek but in our passage, it is used to describe something that began in the past but is continuing. The thing that started in the past, sometime after Paul left Corinth, but is continuing is the support of some gospel workers introduced with the word “have.” The word “have” is translated from a Greek word (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 share” or even “to enjoy something” that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:12.
The thing that is shared or even enjoyed is given in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9:12 this right of support from you that is a good interpretation of the literal Greek that reads the authority/right of you. Let me show you the reason for saying that the translation of the NIV is a good one despite what the Greek reads. The word “right” is translated from a Greek word (exousia) that has a range of meanings. The word may mean “ability” to do something as that desired by Simon the Sorcerer to be able to lay his hand on someone, so the person receives the Holy Spirit as stated in Acts 8:19:
and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
The word may mean “power” that one exercises over another as it is used to describe the power Satan exercises over people in enslaving them as we read in Acts 26:18:
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
The word may mean “authority” as that possessed by those who rule others that have the right to give orders as the word is used in Romans 13:1:
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
The word may mean “right” as Apostle Paul used it to convey that he has the right of support from believers in Thessalonica as we read in 2 Thessalonians 3:9:
We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
The word may mean “control” as it is used to indicate God’s control over plagues that cause great pain on unbelievers that would be judged in the future as we read in Revelation 16:9:
They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:12, the word means “right” in the sense of a privilege reserved exclusively to a particular person or group.
The “right” in view is to be interpreted based on two factors in the Greek of 1 Corinthians 9:12. The first factor is the literal phrase of you in the literal translation we gave If others have/share the right of you. There are at least three different ways to interpret the phrase of you as it relates to the word “right.” It could mean right that belongs to the Corinthians or the right that results from something done by the Corinthians or the right that depends on or is derived from the Corinthians. It is unlikely that the apostle was concerned with right that belongs to the Corinthians so that the second and third interpretations are more likely. It is difficult to truly differentiate the second and third interpretation so that the apostle probably meant something that results from or caused by action taken by the Corinthians. The second factor that helps in interpreting “right” the apostle had in mind is the word others that is translated from the plural of a Greek word (allos) that may mean “different in kind or type” or “other” in the sense of distinguished from the subject who is speaking. It is in this sense of “other” that the apostle used the word to refer to those who are involved in the ministry of the word other than himself. When we consider these two factors and the context in which the apostle is arguing his right to be supported by the Corinthians, we can deduce that it is the right of support that meets his material needs the apostle had in mind. It is for this reason that we stated that the translators of the NIV are correct in interpreting the literal Greek the right of you to mean right of support.
Be that as it may, the apostle put a condition that implies that there are other gospel workers in Corinth or elsewhere that share the right of support by the Corinthians as we read in 1 Corinthians 9:12 If others have this right of support from you. As we stated, the conditional clause assumes that there are those that the Corinthians began to support in the past and were continuing to do so when the apostle wrote this letter. Although the apostle did not mention any specific person, he could have had in mind someone like Apollos or Peter. This is because these two men were figures that were at the heart of the partisanship found among the Corinthians. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that some of the Corinthians would have supported them in their ministry. Of course, “others” could refer to those other workers in Corinth that apostle mentioned as guardians to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 4:15:
Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
Anyway, the apostle assumes that there were those the Corinthians were providing material support because of their involvement in the ministry of God’s word.
The assumption that the Corinthians were supporting some gospel workers leads to the rhetorical question of the apostle in 1 Corinthians 9:12 shouldn’t we have it all the more? The rhetorical question of the apostle demands an affirmative answer from the Corinthians. So, we can state the rhetorical question as a statement. The apostle meant to convey to the Corinthians that he and his apostolic team are more entitled to support from them than the others whom they support. We used the terms “he and his apostolic team” because the pronoun we refers to Apostle Paul and those who are associated with him in his ministry such as Titus, Timothy, and Silas. Anyway, it should be clear that the phrase all the more is not to be understood to mean that the apostle is asking for greater material support but that there is a better reason for his statement that the Corinthians should support him. We make this point because the phrase all the more of the NIV is translated from a Greek comparative adverb (mallon) that here could be understood in one of two ways. The word could mean “more” in the sense of higher or greater degree of something as the apostle used the word in his apostolic prayer on behalf of the Philippians to possess greater knowledge and spiritual insight as we read in Philippians 1:9:
And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
The word may “more certainly” in the sense of “for a better reason” as the apostle used the word to indicate the better reason for us to be saved through the life of the Lord Jesus Christ as we read in Romans 5:10:
For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
Our Greek word is translated “more” here but the sense is that of “for a better reason.” The argument of the apostle is that although as God’s enemies we were reconciled to Him through the death of the Lord Jesus, being in the state of being reconciled we are by far in a state where we shall be saved through the life of Jesus Christ. Anyway, it is in the second sense of “for a better reason” that the word is used in 1 Corinthians 9:12. Apostle Paul implied that he has the right for support from the Corinthians for a better reason that he was the founder of their local church. He preached the gospel to them through which they were saved, and he taught them Christian doctrines. His position with the Corinthians is superior to that of other gospel workers for after all, he has described himself as their spiritual father in the passage we cite previously that is worth repeating, that is, 1 Corinthians 4:15:
Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel.
You see, parents have the right of support from their children more than any other person. We understand this because the apostle elsewhere conveyed that children owe their parents support, as we read in 1 Timothy 5:4:
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
This aside, the apostle intended to convey to the Corinthians that because of his special relationship with them as their spiritual father, that is a better reason for him to have the right of support by them. In any event, the rhetorical question of 1 Corinthians 9:12 shouldn’t we have it all the more? is intended to convey that Apostle Paul and those in his apostolic team have better reason for support from the Corinthians than others. He, of course, does not mean that the Corinthians should not support others but that he has the first preference of support from them because he is their spiritual father. With this implied reason for supporting him, the apostle moved to explain his sacrifice in a sense for the Corinthians and for the ministry of the word of God.
The sacrifice of the apostle regarding the Corinthians is the forfeiture of the right of support from them. It is this forfeiture of right of support that is given in the clause of 1 Corinthians 9:12 But we did not use this right. The word “use” is translated from a Greek word (chraomai) that may mean “to act” as Apostle Paul used the word to encourage the Corinthians not to put him in a situation he would act in harsh manner when he visits them as we read in 2 Corinthians 13:10:
This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
The sentence I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up is literally I may not have to act severely according to the authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing. The word may mean “to make use of” or “to employ” as in the instruction to Timothy to use wine for health reasons in 1 Timothy 5:23:
Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illnesses.
The word may mean “to allow” as it is used in the privilege granted to Apostle Paul in Sidon to visit his friends as we read in Acts 27:3:
The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:12, it has the sense of “to avail,” that is, to use to one’s advantage. Thus, the apostle conveyed quite strongly to the Corinthians that he did not take advantage of the right of support from them while he and his team ministered the word of God to them. We use the word “strongly” because of the word “not” in the sentence we did not use this right is translated from a Greek adverb (ou) that is an objective negative, denying the reality of alleged fact fully and absolutely in contrast to another Greek negative (mē) that is a subjective negative, implying a conditional and hypothetical negation. Thus, the apostle states strongly a fact that cannot be denied concerning his sacrifice in the sense of forfeiting his right of support from the Corinthians.
We should recognize that although the apostle forfeited his right of support from the Corinthians does not mean that he did not accept support from other local churches. It is because he accepted support from other local churches that he could say to the Corinthians that he robbed other churches to carry out the ministry of the word among them in 2 Corinthians 11:7–10:
7 Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge? 8 I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. 9 And when I was with you and needed something, I was not a burden to anyone, for the brothers who came from Macedonia supplied what I needed. I have kept myself from being a burden to you in any way, and will continue to do so. 10 As surely as the truth of Christ is in me, nobody in the regions of Achaia will stop this boasting of mine.
The support from the believers in Macedonia allowed the apostle to be devoted to ministry of the word in Corinth as indicated 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.
Moreover, the apostle received support from the Philippians as we read in Philippians 4:15–16:
15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; 16 for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid again and again when I was in need.
The point is that the apostle received support from other Gentile local churches, but he refused to avail himself and his team of support from the Corinthians.
Apostle Paul’s sacrifice of not using his right of support from the Corinthians is elaborated in the sense that he described what his sacrifice entailed in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:12 we put up with anything that literally reads but we endure all things. The expression “put up” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (stegō) that in Greek literature has the sense of covering or enclosing in such a way as to keep something undesirable from coming in, such as water into a ship. Thus, in classical Greek it has the meaning of “to keep secret, hidden.” However, in the NT, it has the meaning of to bear up against difficulties and so means “to bear, stand, endure” as Apostle Paul used it to indicate the reason he sent Timothy to the Thessalonians had to do with his being unable to bear not knowing how they were faring spiritually as we read in 1 Thessalonians 3:5:
For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:12, it means “to bear,” that is, to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else.
Be that as it may, when the apostle stated we put up with anything while in Corinth, he meant at least two things. He had to work to support himself and his team by working with Aquilas, a tent maker, as indicated in Acts 18:3:
and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
The apostle did not have to work to continue to minister the word of God to the Corinthians, but he endured working while preaching the gospel in Corinth. It is not easy for anyone in the ministry of the word to work and carry out that ministry, something suffers. Such a person could not be fully devoted to the work of the ministry which is not desirable. Apostle Paul worked and preached but he knew that was not the optimum situation. Therefore, when he received support from the church in Macedonia when Silas and Timothy came to him in Corinth, we are told that he then devoted his time and effort to the ministry as we read previously in verse 5 of the eighteenth chapter of Acts. It is worth refreshing your mind by citing it again 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.
Note the sentence Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching. It conveys that the optimum situation for those in the ministry of the word is not to work to support themselves but to devote their time fully in the ministry of the word. The point is that while working by one in the ministry to support oneself is not wrong but that will mean that the one in the ministry of the word could hardly devote time as the person should regarding the ministry of the word of God. Take for example, a pastor who is serious about teaching the word of God to his congregation should not possibly spend less than thirty-five hours a week studying the Scripture if he intends to teach meaningfully at least twice a week. So, if such a person works to support himself, it would be impossible for him to do a good job of teaching his congregation the word of God. Hence, you can understand that the apostle had to endure the practice of working while he was involved in the ministry of the word in Corinth.
A second thing Apostle Paul endured or put up with while in Corinth to continue to preach the gospel was harassment of the Jews. The harassment or persecution of the apostle by the Jews is first mentioned in Acts 18:6:
But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
It is because of the harassment of the Jews that the Lord Jesus spoke to the apostle in a vision to continue his ministry with the assurance that no one would harm him as we read in Acts 18:9–10:
9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10 For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”
Of course, after this assurance from the Lord Jesus, the Jews continued their attack on the apostle as stated in Acts 18:12–13:
12 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. 13 “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
It is also likely that the apostle would have suffered deprivation of food and clothing while in Corinth as he stated of his overall experience in preaching the gospel in 1 Corinthians 4:11:
To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.
Anyway, the apostle endured or put up with harassment to continue his ministry in Corinth.
The sacrifice of Apostle Paul in form of having to work while preaching the word and enduring harassment and deprivation of basic human necessities is to ensure that the gospel of Jesus Christ continued to advance. It is this purpose that is given in the last verbal phrase in the NIV of 1 Corinthians 9:12 rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Literally, the Greek reads lest in any way we should give hindrance to the good news of Christ. This is because we have a Greek verb (didōmi) that may refer to an expression of generosity so means “to give” as in the gifts of parents to their children as our Lord referenced in Matthew 7:11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!
The word may mean “to command” as the Lord Jesus used it to refer to His teaching as coming from God the Father as we read in John 12:49:
For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it.
The verbal phrase commanded me is literally has given me commandment. The word may mean “to put” especially of an obstacle in a person’s way as the word is used by Apostle Paul to convey to the Corinthians that he and his apostolic team did not put an obstacle on their part, as we read in 2 Corinthians 6:3:
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
The verbal phrase put no stumbling block in anyone’s path is literally giving no one an occasion for taking offense in anything. The word may mean “to make” as Apostle Paul used it to describe providing example of working for the Thessalonians to follow in the passage we cited previously, that is, in 2 Thessalonians 3:9:
We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow.
The verbal phrase make ourselves a model for you is literally give ourselves as an example to you. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:12, the Greek word has the meaning of “to cause to be” or “to give rise” to something.
The thing that the apostle did not cause to be or give rise to is “hindrance of the gospel” since the word “hinder” in the NIV hinder the gospel of Christ is translated from a Greek noun (egkopē) that in classical Greek means “steps cut in the wall of wells,” but it appears only in 1 Corinthians 9:12 in Greek NT; it means “hindrance” or “obstacle.” The hindrance concerns good news related to Jesus Christ. The phrase of the NIV the gospel of Christ may be understood to mean the good news about Jesus Christ and the good news He preached.
The word “gospel” is translated from a Greek noun (euangelion) that may mean “details relating to the life and ministry of Jesus,” hence means “good news of Jesus” as the word is used in the introduction of the book of Mark in Mark 1:1:
The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The phrase beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ is more literally beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. The Greek word may mean “good news as a proclamation” and so means “gospel” as the word is by Apostle Paul to describe the message he preached to Gentiles, as recorded in Galatians 2:2:
I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:12, the apostle used it not only in the sense of the gospel, that is, the proclamation of the good news concerning salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ but also encompassing doctrinal teaching of the Christian faith. There are two reasons for this statement. First, Apostle Paul not only preached the gospel in Corinth, but he spent time there teaching them other doctrines of the Christian faith as stated in Acts 18:11:
So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.
Since the apostle was involved in teaching of the word of God, it must be that the recipients were already believers and so he was not preaching the gospel again to those who have responded. The situation would be that the apostle would preach the gospel to unbelievers but returned to teach doctrinal truths to believers. This being the case, there are two recipients of his ministry in Corinth, unbelievers who were target of the gospel and believers who were targeted for learning fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith. Second, another reason for saying the word “gospel” is used for basic gospel message and teaching of Christian doctrines is that it is unlikely that the apostle would expect unbelievers to support him while he preached the gospel to them. We know that other missionaries did not receive support from unbelievers, as we read in 3 John 7:
It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans.
The Greek of the verbal phrase receiving no help from the pagans implies something that is habitual practice of not accepting any money, food, and other help from pagans or unbelievers. We do not have any indication that unbelievers offered Christian missionaries support but whatever the situation was, one thing for certain is that Christian missionaries neither expected nor solicited help from unbelievers as they carried out their ministry of preaching the gospel. This observation means that Apostle Paul could not be thinking of unbelievers in Corinth to support him. The implication is that for his argument for not taking support from the Corinthians in his ministry to be impactful, his focus must be on the teaching aspect of the good news from God to them. It is for this reason we argue that the “gospel” in 1 Corinthians 9:12 involved not only preaching of the good news about Jesus Christ but the teaching of doctrine to Christians in Corinth.
The apostle’s sacrifice in giving up his right of support from the Corinthians is so that nothing would be a hindrance to preaching of good news about Jesus Christ dying on the cross for our sins and teaching doctrine to believers. The apostle recognized that support for him and his team could be a stumbling block to those in Corinth that would affect the preaching and teaching of the word of God so he was willing to sacrifice support from the Corinthians to ensure that there is nothing that keeps him from preaching the gospel. You see, it is possible that some people would keep away from attending say, the classes apostle taught in Corinth during his time in that city because they would not be able to contribute to his support. I mean that some in the ancient world recognized that those who preach about God should be supported by those that hear them. In Israel, we have the implication that no one should visit a prophet to inquire of God without a gift as we may gather from what Saul said to his father’s servant that suggested going to see Prophet Samuel when they were looking for his father’s lost donkey, as we read in 1 Samuel 9:7–8:
7 Saul said to his servant, “If we go, what can we give the man? The food in our sacks is gone. We have no gift to take to the man of God. What do we have?” 8 The servant answered him again. “Look,” he said, “I have a quarter of a shekel of silver. I will give it to the man of God so that he will tell us what way to take.”
It is this recognition that people do not go to those known to be God’s prophets empty-handed that caused Naaman to bring gifts to Prophet Elisha that he rejected as we read in 2 Kings 5:15–16:
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant.” 16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.
Pagans certainly recognized that the priests of their gods were to be supported as evident in Pharaoh’s provision for the priest of Egypt during the seven-year famine of Egypt so that they did not sell their property as other Egyptians did, as we read in Genesis 47:22:
However, he did not buy the land of the priests, because they received a regular allotment from Pharaoh and had food enough from the allotment Pharaoh gave them. That is why they did not sell their land.
Thus, we contend that even pagans had the understanding that those who serve their gods should be provided with support. This being the case, it is likely that some of the converts in Corinth might have been prone to absent themselves from the apostle’s teaching of the word because they feel obligated to support him but unable to do so. However, if they recognized that the apostle did not rely on their support they would come and listen to his teaching of the word. In this way, the apostle removed any obstacle to the preaching and teaching of the good news about Jesus Christ. What we are explaining is not far-fetched because there are some today who refuse to attend some local churches because they are unable to give. It happens this way. Most local churches pass offering plates so anyone that does not have something to give may become embarrassed and that could cause the person to stay away from the local church. So, you get the point that it is possible for a person to stay away from the local assembly of believers because of the inability to put offering on the offering plate. That aside, the point we seek to emphasize is that the apostle sacrificed receiving support from the Corinthians so as not to give anyone in Corinth any reason not to come to listen to him as he preached the good news about Jesus Christ and from Him and the teaching of doctrines of the Christian faith.
The apostle’s sacrifice given in 1 Corinthians 9:12 we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ is one we all should pay attention regardless of whether one is a worker in the ministry as the apostles or not. Apostle Paul was careful that nothing he did regarding his right to receive support from the Corinthians would impact the word he taught to the Corinthian believers or the gospel he preached unbelievers in Corinth. This being the case, every believer should be careful to recognize that insisting on one’s right should never be a hindrance to the preaching of the gospel. As we have already studied, we should be willing to give up our rights if that would help to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ. In effect, we should not so much insist on our right that we forget that our greatest goal on this planet is or should be to advance the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ. We should remind ourselves that while we may have right to certain things, but we should remain aware that we may forgo our right since not everything that is permissible is beneficial as the Holy Spirit has conveyed through the apostle in 1 Corinthians 10:23–24:
23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
Another aspect of the application of what the apostle said is that we should be careful that nothing in our lifestyle should be a hindrance to an unbeliever responding to the gospel we give to the person or cause the gospel message to be slandered. The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul made this point in 1 Timothy 6:1:
All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered.
Similar concept is conveyed in Titus 2:9–10:
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, 10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
The point is that it is incumbent on us as believers to be very careful that we do not do anything that would be a hindrance to an unbeliever regarding the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We should not do anything that would nullify our claim to be Christians. Anyway, we have considered Apostle Paul’s third argument in support of his defense of having right of support by the Corinthians which is that his work in Corinth gives him more the right of support from the Corinthians than other gospel workers they have had. However, He gave up this right because of his concern to preach the gospel free of charge as he stated later in 1 Corinthians 9:18:
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.
This brings us then to the apostle’s fourth argument.
The fourth argument of Apostle Paul in support of his defense of having right of support by the Corinthians is that there is evidence both in the OT Scripture and outside it that those who worked in the temples and their associated activities derived their livelihood from such activities. It is this argument that is given in the rhetorical question given in 1 Corinthians 9:13 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? The rhetorical question requires an affirmative answer so that the question may be viewed as declaration of the fact that those involved in cultic services derive their food from such practice. However, we are out of time so we will continue with this fourth argument in our next study, meanwhile let me end by reminding you of the message that we have been expounding which is that ministers of the gospel of Christ have the right of support from believers.
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