Lessons #291 and 292
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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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Rights in relation to the gospel (1 Cor 9:15-18)
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.
The message of this passage that we are considering is that those in the ministry of the word of God should not boast about their task but should discharge their duty as those under God’s order. This message we stated will be expounded by considering four assertions. The first assertion of the apostle as it pertains to his right in relationship to the gospel is that he has not utilized his right of support and marriage. The second is that he did not write the passage of this ninth chapter of 1 Corinthians about supporting those whose sole occupation is with the gospel to plead for support for himself. The third is that he did not have to boast of preaching the gospel for several reasons. We stated the apostle provided four reasons for this assertion in verses 16 and 17. We have considered the first which is that he is obligated to preach it as stated in the next clause of 1 Corinthians 9:16, for I am compelled to preach. So, we proceed with the second.
The second reason the apostle states for not boasting about the preaching of the gospel is that he will eventually be under God’s judgment but meanwhile he would be under intense distress or hardship for failure to do it. It is this reason that is given in the second half of 1 Corinthians 9:16 Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
The word “woe” is translated from a Greek word (ouai) that is an interjection denoting pain or displeasure hence, means “woe, alas” as in the pronouncement that implies impending judgment of the Lord Jesus on anyone that causes another to sin as stated in Luke 17:1:
Jesus said to his disciples: “Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.
The word may refer to “a state of intense hardship or distress” still with meaning “woe” or “calamity” as that state of things in the future judgement of God recorded in Revelation 9:12:
The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come.
The word “woe” may be understood as “horrible punishment” or “calamity” or “horror.” In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:16, it is used in the sense of “a state of intense hardship or distress” or “horror” associated with God’s judgment. Hence the apostle meant to convey that he would be in a state of intense hardship or distress momentarily that would serve as a reminder of the God’s judgment if he failed to preach the gospel. He would be in the same kind of state that some of the OT prophets declared. Prophet Jeremiah expressed the sense of being under stress to deliver God’s word as stated in Jeremiah 20:9:
But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
It seems that at some point, the prophet determined not to proclaim God’s word or even mention His name. This is probably because those who heard him deliver God’s message ridiculed and abused him. However, the decision not to proclaim the word of God created inner tension that resulted in loss of peace. The word of God was like burning fire inside of him that he could not continue to hold it in. Thus, the prophet was in dire stress inwardly for not proclaiming the word of God. It is this kind of inner stress that Apostle Paul meant when he said in 1 Corinthians 9:16 Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! He would have also felt like Baruch, Prophet Jeremiah’s scribe who voiced his pain as brought to him by God although God promised to protect him as stated in Jeremiah 45:3:
You said, ‘Woe to me! The LORD has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’”
Furthermore, the apostle would have thought of the fate of Jonah who refused to go and deliver the Lord’s message to the Ninevites. But the Lord compelled him to do so through the event of being swallowed by a big fish where he stayed in its belly for three days. Because the apostle knew this story, he would have recognized that if he failed to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ that not only would he be without peace but that he puts himself in jeopardy of being judged by the Lord. In any event, the second reason the apostle states for not boasting about the preaching of the gospel is that he will eventually be under God’s judgment but meanwhile he would be under intense distress or hardship for failure to do it.
The third reason the apostle states for not boasting about the preaching of the gospel is that he knows that there would be reward for preaching the gospel willingly. It is this reason that is given in the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward. The Greek begins with a Greek conjunction (gar) that the translators of the NIV did not translate but it has several usages. As we stated in verse 16, its use to begin verse 17 is to supply another reason for the apostle’s third assertion that he did not have to boast of preaching the gospel for several reasons. However, in verse 17 it has the meaning “for” to provide an explanation for the apostle’s assertion in verse 16 of being under obligation to preach the gospel. Anyway, the clause If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward is literally For if I do this willingly, I have reward. We need to examine the words the apostle used in this conditional clause that should be understood as stating what is indeed true of the apostle. He willingly preached the gospel although he did not use the word “preach” in the Greek.
The word “preach” is a way the translators of the NIV interpreted the Greek verb used. The Greek used a Greek word (prassō) that may mean “to engage in activity or to behave in a certain way,” hence means “to act, behave,” as the word is used of the activity of those who killed Jesus as in Peter’s explanation of their action as due to ignorance according to Acts 3:17:
“Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders.
The word may mean “to do” or “to practice” as it is used to describe the activities of those who would come under God’s judgment in Romans 1:32:
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:17, it has the sense of “to do” or “to carry out” an action. It is because the third assertion of the apostle or the context is concerned with proclaiming the gospel that the translators of the NIV used the meaning “preach” to translate the action that the apostle indicated he should take voluntarily.
The word “voluntarily” is translated from a Greek word (hekōn) that pertains to being willing to do something without being forced or pressured, that is, by one’s own choice and so means “willing, willingly,” or “glad, gladly.” It is used only twice in the NT; in our present passage and in Romans 8:20:
For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope.
The phrase not by its own choice is literally not willingly. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:17, it is in the sense of “voluntary,” that is, doing something by choice rather than forced or compelled. While on the subject of “voluntary” or doing something by choice, let me state that it is commendable both by God and by humans for people to do things willingly than to be compelled. When we are compelled to do things, we usually do them reluctantly and we do not do our best. Take for example, if someone has forced you to be in a church service or Bible study, you do it half-heartedly because you are being forced. However, if you come willingly then you pay attention to what is being taught in God’s word. It is because David recognized the benefit of doing anything willingly that he encouraged his son, Solomon, to worship God willingly or voluntarily as we read in 1 Chronicles 28:9:
“And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
During the rebuilding of Solomon’s temple and Jerusalem, those who volunteered to stay in the city were commended as we read Nehemiah 11:2:
The people commended all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
The Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul implied that voluntary giving is one that God accepts than one forced on an individual as we read in 2 Corinthians 8:12:
For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
It is because it is beneficial to do things voluntarily or willingly that the apostle appealed to Philemon to act kindly towards his runaway slave, Onesimus, in a way that would not convey that he was forced to act as we read in Philemon 14:
But I did not want to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do will be spontaneous and not forced.
The point is that we are better off when we do things willingly or voluntarily than when we are forced to do things. Of course, it is because of the fall or sinful nature that under certain conditions we may be compelled to act in a way we do not want although we do it reluctantly. It is probably the case that the apostle had in mind the services rendered by a free man and a slave. The service of a free man is compensated but not that of a slave. The Lord Jesus indicates that when a slave does what he is instructed to do he does not expect the master to thank him as we read in Luke 17:9–10:
9 Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
Anyway, Apostle Paul recognized that there is benefit for preaching the gospel voluntarily so he spoke of the reward he would receive if he did that, as in the clause we are considering in 1 Corinthians 9:17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward. The word “reward” is translated from a Greek word (misthos) that may mean “wages,” that is, “pay for work done” as it is used in the charge against the wealthy for their failure to compensate properly those who work for them 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.
It is in this sense of “wages” that the word is used in the charge against Balaam for being attracted to wealth and so he turned from the truth, as stated in 2 Peter 2:15:
They have left the straight way and wandered off to follow the way of Balaam son of Beor, who loved the wages of wickedness.
The word may refer to payment for something, not necessarily work, as it is used for the payment Judas Iscariot received for his betrayal of Jesus Christ in Acts 1:18:
(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out.
Although the translators of the 1984 edition of the NIV and many of our English versions rendered our Greek word “reward” in this passage in Acts 1:18 but it is better to translate it to reflect payment for betrayal instead of taking the word to mean “reward.” This is because “reward” will have the implication of something one receives due to a commendable act, but betrayal is not a commendable act. Consequently, it is better to translate the Greek word not with the word “reward” but a word that may reflect payment for something done other than work. In fact, the 2011 edition of the NIV precisely used the word “payment” in translating our Greek word here in Acts 1:18. Our Greek word may mean “recompense” in the sense of recognition, mostly by God for the moral quality of an action. Thus, it may mean “reward” in the sense of affirmation of praiseworthy conduct as it is used in Jesus’ warning about how we should give, in Matthew 6:1:
“Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
The word may mean either “punishment” or “reward” as the case may be, as in the declaration of the Lord in Revelation 22:12:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:17, it is used in the sense of “reward” in affirmation of laudable conduct. Hence, Apostle Paul recognized that the Lord would reward those who willingly carryout their assignment from Him. The Holy Spirit conveyed the same truth through Apostle Peter in encouraging the elders of the church of Christ to do their work willingly in 1 Peter 5:2–4:
2 Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
Anyhow, Apostle Paul conveyed he has a reward if he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ not out of compulsion but willingly. It is true that he was called by the Lord to carry out the assignment of preaching the gospel, he could have hesitated like Jonah, but he did not. Because he willingly preached the gospel, he expects ultimately reward from the Lord although that is not his concern at the passage we are considering. The point is that the apostle recognized the concept of future reward that is different from the one he was concerned in our passage.
It is true that Apostle Paul represents those who are specially gifted for the ministry of the word so that the reward he would ultimately receive applies to everyone with any of the gifts of communication of God’s word that willingly executes his assignment but that does not mean that others will not receive rewards for carrying out their assignments if done willingly. Everyone that is involved willingly in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ, for example, would be rewarded in the eternal state. In effect, if you willingly or without compulsion witness for Jesus Christ, you will be rewarded. This truth can be traced back to the OT Scripture where it is clear those who advance God’s truth in such a way as to lead others to way of truth would be rewarded in the eternal state as implied in Daniel 12:3:
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.
In the context of this verse, those who lead many to righteousness are the wise teachers that instruct fellow Jews to live in a right relationship with God. This can be applied to us today in the sense that anyone who helps another person to be in right relationship with God would be rewarded. When you witness to an unbeliever and turn that person from unbelief to belief in Christ, so to say, then you have done what is stated in Daniel. Therefore, you will be rewarded in heaven since shinning like star conveys the concept of special blessing of the Lord. The point is that if you willingly witness for Christ, you will be rewarded. Of course, you should recognize that whatever you do willing for Christ’s sake will be reward. We can understand this because there is the implication that those who support individuals that are involved in the proclamation of the word of God would be rewarded as implied in Matthew 10:41:
Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
The Lord will reward you for every of your effort in carrying out activities related to serving God. It is for this reason that the Holy Spirit through Apostle John cautioned us to be careful not to lose our reward in 2 John 8:
Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
The work here involves not only activities related to the ministry of the word but every other good work the believer does. Hence, you should be concerned that you are voluntarily witnessing for Christ and living for Him because He will reward you as He promised in the passage we cited previously, that is, Revelation 22:12:
“Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
It is true that the apostle and all those who execute the ministry work faithfully would be rewarded but that is not the focus of the apostle in the passage we are expounding since he will later describe the reward he had in mind.
In any case, Apostle Paul, following the conditional statement that indicates he has a reward if he preached voluntarily, which he did, makes a statement of an alternative to preaching voluntarily. The alternative statement deals first with preaching the gospel unwillingly as in the verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 9:17 if not voluntarily. Literally, the Greek reads but if unwillingly. The conjunction but that was not directly translated in the NIV is used to indicate that the manner of preaching of the gospel given in the phrase is contrary to what preceded. The word expression “not voluntarily” is translated from a Greek word (akōn) that appears only here in the Greek NT; it pertains to not being willing to do something hence, means “unwilling, not matter of choice”, that is, not done by choice. Thus, the apostle states that which is possible which is to preach the gospel begrudgingly or to do it as a matter of mechanical activity.
The apostle stated previously that if he preached willingly, which he did, then he has a reward. So, we should expect that when he spoke of preaching unwillingly that he should have said that he would not be rewarded but that is not what we have. Instead, we have an explanation of how to view unwilling preaching of the gospel. It is this that leads to the fourth reason the apostle would not boast for preaching the gospel which is that he has been assigned the task of preaching the gospel. It is this that is given in the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:17 I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. The word “discharging” of the NIV does not appear in the Greek. For literally, the Greek reads I have been entrusted with (a) task. The literal translation indicates that the translators of the NIV were interpretative in their translation. To understand what the apostle conveyed in the literal translation, let us consider two key words the apostle used in the Greek.
The first key word “entrusted” we used in the literal translation is translated from a perfect tense a Greek verb (pisteuō) that its predominant meaning in the Greek NT is “to believe”, as it is used by Apostle Paul to describe the belief in resurrection, cast in the sense of living with Christ in Romans 6:8:
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him.
The Greek word may also mean “to believe in, to trust”, with the implication of total commitment to the one who is trusted, as it is used in the apostle’s short prayer for the Roman believers in Romans 15:13:
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Despite these two meanings, the Greek word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:17 in the sense of trusting or putting something to the care of another, that is, “to be entrusted.” By the way, Apostle Paul was so conscious of the fact that the preaching of the gospel was entrusted to him that he states it several times. Writing to the Galatians, he indicated that preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles is a task given to him, as we read in Galatians 2:7:
On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews.
He informed the Thessalonians that he was entrusted with the preaching of the gospel although he did not envision himself as the only one entrusted with that task, as we can gather from his statement in 1 Thessalonians 2:4:
On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
The apostle also reminds Timothy that he has been entrusted with the gospel that is, no doubt, concerned with eternal life that he described with the word “glorious”, indicating its greatness certainly because it contains the promise of eternal life in 1 Timothy 1:11:
that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.
This aside, the apostle in using the perfect tense of the Greek word that we said means “to be entrusted” was probably recognizing the fact that he has been entrusted in the past by the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the gospel, but that task is continuing at the time he wrote this epistle.
The second key word we used in the literal translation of the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:17 I have been entrusted with (a) task is “task” that is translated from a Greek word (oikonomia) that has three meanings. A first meaning can refer to management or the responsibility of management or administration. It is in the sense of management that the word is used in Jesus’ parable of the shrewd manager in Luke 16:2-4:
2 So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’ 3 “The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— 4 I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
The word “job” used in verses 2 and 3 of the NIV is literally “management.” Reading verses 3 and 4 of this passage in Luke in the Greek shows that it is not easy to distinguish between the office of a manager and the function itself. Our Greek word is given the meaning “commission” in Colossians 1:25:
I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—
A second meaning of our Greek noun is “arrangement, order, plan.” It is this meaning that is probably intended in Ephesians 3:9:
and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
The phrase the administration of this mystery is alternatively rendered the plan of this mystery as reflected in some English versions such as the ESV, the revised edition of the NAB, the NRSV, and many others. A third meaning of our Greek noun under consideration is “program of instruction, training.” According to the Greek-English Lexicon of BDAG, it is the meaning that best fits its use by Apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 1:4:
nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies. These promote controversies rather than God’s work—which is by faith.
The phrase God’s work is rendered divine training in the NRSV. Of these three meanings, it seems that the meaning of the responsibility of administration is intended in our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:17 and so the word means “task,” that is, a specific piece of administrative work required to be done as a duty.
We have considered the two key words used in our literal translation of the last sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:17, so what is it that the apostle meant to convey when he wrote in the Greek that literally reads but if unwillingly, I have been entrusted with (a) task. The apostle meant that if he preached the gospel unwillingly, the reward he stated in the passage we are considering would not apply to him. In effect, he would not receive the reward he explained in the section we are considering. This reward he explained next in verse 18 which leads to the fourth assertion of the apostle in the section we are considering.
The fourth assertion of the apostle as it pertains to his right in relationship to the gospel is that the commendable thing about his preaching of the gospel is that it is free of charge to all. On the surface, it does not seem that this assertion has anything to do with the apostle’s explanation of reward as we stated previously but it does as we will explain shortly. Meanwhile, we should recognize that the apostle did not leave us hanging as to what he meant by the reward he had in mind so he posed the question that will enable him to provide us the explanation of what he means by a reward in previous verse 17. His question is given in the first part of 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? This is not a rhetorical question as such since the apostle supplied the answer to his question although there is a sense, we can consider it a rhetorical question as it relates to the Corinthians since the apostle was not expecting them to provide an answer, so he used the question to get their attention. Anyway, the word “reward” is translated from the same Greek word (misthos) we encountered in verse 17 that we indicated means “reward” in the sense of an affirmation of laudable conduct, that is, commendable. Hence, the apostle’s question may be cast as him saying, what is commendable in his preaching of the gospel?
The answer the apostle gives is that it is preaching of the gospel free of charge to others is what is commendable. It is this answer that he gives in the next sentence of 1 Corinthians 9:18 Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge. The phrase Just this of the NIV is not in the Greek but a good way to help the English reader to understand that what follows is the answer to the question of the apostle in the first part of the verse What then is my reward? The apostle’s answer begins with a Greek conjunction (hina) that may mean “that” but in different usages. The use of “that” may be a marker to denote purpose or a marker of objective or a marker of retroactive emphasis. In our passage, it is used as a marker of objective, only that it is used in the sense of providing explanation. Thus, the apostle used the conjunction to provide an explanation of the reward he had in mind. This being the case, we could translate the Greek conjunction as “namely,” indicating that what follows next is the explanation or the answer to the apostle’s question regarding the concept of reward in his mind.
The reward of the apostle, that is, the thing that he would be commended for is preaching the gospel at not cost to others as in the clause of 1 Corinthians 9:18 that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge. The word “preaching” here refers to the conveying of the good news of obtaining eternal salvation through the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The word “preaching” is translated from a Greek word (euangelizō) from which our English word “evangelize” is most certainly derived. The word is used in a general sense of bringing or announcing good news about something, so it is the word that is used to describe the announcement by Angel Gabriel of the birth of John the Baptist, as we read in Luke 1:19:
The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news.
It is in the same general sense that the word is used by the angel that announced to the shepherds the news of the birth of Jesus Christ in Luke 2:10:
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
However, our Greek word is used specifically for proclaiming the divine message of salvation and so means “to proclaim or preach the gospel.” It may be used with the mention of the object of proclamation such as the word of God, as in Acts 8:4:
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
The word can also be used with the mention of the thing or person proclaimed. Hence, it is used for proclaiming Jesus Christ as in Galatians 1:16:
to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man,
In 1 Corinthians 9:18, it has the sense of “to convey the gospel,” that is, to bring the good news that forgiveness of sins and gift of eternal life are possible through faith in Jesus Christ who died and resurrected for the forgiveness of our sins.
The thing that is conveyed in 1 Corinthians 9:18 is given in the word gospel that is translated from a Greek word (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 used 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 9:18, the apostle used the word primarily in the sense of the gospel, that is, the proclamation of the good news concerning salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ although in the case of the Corinthians it included doctrinal teaching of the Christian faith because the apostle did not receive support from them when he was with them and taught them doctrinal truths of the Christian faith.
The gospel was made available to the Corinthians as well as others without cost to them. It is this that the apostle stated in 1 Corinthians 9:18 I may offer it free of charge. An alternative translation is that I may make the gospel without charge. This is because of the word “offer” of the NIV is translated from a Greek word (tithēmi) that may mean “to lay, put”, that is, to put or place in a particular location. Thus, it was used for burial in the sense of the laying away or putting away the body of Lazarus in the grave after his death as per the question of the Lord Jesus in John 11:34:
“Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
It is in the sense of “laying” that the word is used in the quotation from the OT Scripture regarding the stumbling stone laid in Zion that Apostle Paul cited in Romans 9:33:
As it is written: “See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
The word is used for Jesus Christ giving up His life for us in 1 John 3:16:
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
The word may mean “to appoint, assign” to some task or function, as Apostle Paul used it to describe his appointment or assignment regarding the gospel message in 2 Timothy 1:11:
And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a teacher.
The word may mean “to put aside, store up, deposit” as it is used in the instruction of Apostle Paul to the Corinthians regarding how to get ready for the contribution of money or gift that is to be delivered to believers in Judea by weekly putting aside an amount a person has determined to give, as we read in 1 Corinthians 16:2:
On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
The word may mean “to make” in the sense of making someone something, as in the instruction of Apostle Paul in his farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus who have been put to their position of being overseers of believers in Ephesus by the Holy Spirit, as recorded in Acts 20:28:
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
The word may mean “to fix, set, establish” as the word is used in the response of the Lord Jesus to His disciples after His resurrection regarding the time God has set to restore the kingdom to Israel, as stated in Acts 1:7:
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:18, the word is used in the sense of “to make/change,” that is, to give certain properties to something. By the way, the expression “free of charge” is translated from a Greek word (adapanos) that appears only here in the Greek NT; it means “without expense or cost,” hence means “free of charge.”
The apostle’s making of the gospel free of charge, at least, among the Corinthians resulted in the apostle not being supported by them so that he could state he did not avail himself of the right as an apostle or gospel worker to be supported by them. It is this result that is stated in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 9:18 and so not make use of my rights in preaching it. The phrase and so is the way the translators of the NIV rendered a Greek preposition (eis) that has several usages. In our passage it could be interpreted as either a marker of purpose or a marker of result. It is often difficult to distinguish purpose from result. In our clause, it is probably in the sense of marker of result that the apostle used it. We say this because what is clear is that since the apostle did not receive support from the Corinthians, the result is what he stated in the verbal phrase not make use of my rights in preaching it. The expression “make use” is translated from a Greek word (katachraomai) that appears twice in the NT Greek and both in the first epistle to the Corinthians. Its other use in 1 Corinthians 7:31:
those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
Scholars are of divided opinion regarding its meaning in our passage of 1 Corinthians 7:31 but we argued in our study of that passage that the context suggests the meaning of using something full or being fully occupied with something is intended. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 9:18, it has the sense of “to use fully.” Anyway, the apostle’s reward or commendable conduct is that he preached the gospel to the Corinthians without their support so that he set aside his right of support from them.
To sum our consideration of 1 Corinthians 9:15-18, its central message is that those in the ministry of the word of God should not boast about their task but should discharge their duty as those under God’s order. We expounded this message by considering four assertions. The first assertion of the apostle as it pertains to his right in relationship to the gospel is that he has not utilized his right of support and marriage. The second is that he did not write the passage of this ninth chapter of 1 Corinthians about supporting those whose sole occupation is with the gospel to plead for support for himself. The third is that he did not have to boast of preaching the gospel for several reasons. Precisely, the apostle supplied four reasons. The first which is that he is obligated to preach. The second is that he will eventually be under God’s judgment but meanwhile he would be under intense distress or hardship for failure to do it. The third is that he knows that there would be reward for preaching the gospel willingly. The fourth is that he has been assigned the task of preaching the gospel. This led to the fourth assertion which is that the commendable thing about his preaching of the gospel is that it is free of charge to all. We should follow the example of the apostle by understanding that we are obligated to witness for Jesus Christ and if we do it willingly, we will be rewarded in the eternal state. But be careful of boasting about your spiritual activities.
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