Lessons #529 and 530
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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 American 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. +
+ 4. Text is based on 1984 edition of the NIV +
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Gospel Paul preached (1 Cor 15:1-11)
… 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. 9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11 Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
The message of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 that we have been studying is this: Be sure you are clear about the gospel message. Our last study focused on Apostle Paul’s assertion of being the last person Jesus Christ appeared to in the series of His post resurrection appearances that the apostle used to support the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We stated that when the apostle wrote the phrase of 1 Corinthians 15:8 as to one abnormally born that he intended to convey that the appearance of Jesus to him was quite unique in comparison to His other appearances, the apostle had already listed. He stood in a very unique position in that he was like a dead, discarded fetus that worths nothing but at the same time because of the grace of God, he was in a highly coveted position of such an appearance of Jesus Christ after He had finally ascended into heaven. The apostle having described his unique position as one that Jesus Christ appeared from heaven after His ascension, he digressed from the topic at hand which is the gospel he preached to his apostleship. It is with this digression we begin our study this morning.
There are two topics the apostle focused on in his digression to his apostleship: himself and grace of God. We begin with his focus on himself. We should, of course, recognize that the apostle’s focus on himself is not out of arrogance but an honest evaluation of himself in view of the fact that he described himself as a dead, discarded fetus that worths nothing but by the grace of God he occupied the unique position of Jesus Christ appearing to him from heaven after His ascension.
It is our interpretation that the apostle considered himself as “a dead, discarded fetus that worths nothing” so it is fitting for him to justify such description of himself. His justification or explanation of such description of himself is introduced by the first word For in verse 9. The word “for” is translated from a Greek conjunction (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.” It can be used as a marker of clarification or explanation so that it may be translated “for” or “you see.” It is in the sense of providing reason or explanation of what the apostle had in mind in describing himself in such a grotesque manner of a worthless dead fetus that the word is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9.
The apostle’s first reason or explanation for describing himself the way he did is that he was lowest in status among the apostles, being the last to be added to the list of recognized apostles of the church of Christ. It is this that he described in the first sentence of 1 Corinthians 15:9 I am the least of the apostles. The apostle was not just saying something that he did not mean, as some people do, nor was he being sarcastic. He meant everything he said. We are sure of this because the apostle used an independent Greek pronoun (egō) that translates into the English as “I.” This independent pronoun is not required since the Greek form enables us to recognize that it is the first-person singular that is involved in the declaration in the sentence we are considering. In fact, to fully translate the Greek sentence leads to the reading I, I am the least of the apostles. This is redundant in the English but such sentence in the Greek indicates that the speaker is being emphatic in what he said. Thus, the apostle was being emphatic and honest in his declaration of being the least of the apostles.
The word “least” is translated from a Greek word (elachistos) that may mean “insignificant, trivial” as it pertains to being considered of very little importance as the word is used in the Lord’s teaching against worrying in Luke 12:26:
Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?
The word may mean “trivial” as the word is used by Apostle Paul to describe the type of cases the Corinthians were taking others to court as we read in 1 Corinthians 6:2:
Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases?
The word may mean “least” as pertaining to being the lowest in status as Apostle Paul used it in describing himself as one commissioned to preach the gospel as we read in Ephesians 3:8:
Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.
The word may mean “very small, short” as pertaining to being relatively the smallest in a specific class or group as it is used to describe a rudder of a ship in James 3:4:
Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9, it has the sense of “least,” that is, referring to one with lowest in status. Hence, that apostle honestly considered himself as the lowest in status among the apostles in the sentence the least of the apostles. As we have indicated, the apostle recognized that he was the last to be added to the list of recognized apostles of the church.
The word “apostles” is translated from a Greek word (apostolos) that we have considered several times but let me review what we said about the word. The Greek word generally pertains to messengers. Thus, it is used of messengers without extraordinary status hence means “delegate, envoy, messenger” as it is used by Apostle Paul to describe Epaphroditus in his role or capacity as it pertains to the Philippians in Philippians 2:25:
But I think it is necessary to send back to you Epaphroditus, my brother, fellow worker and fellow soldier, who is also your messenger, whom you sent to take care of my needs.
The word may be used of messengers with extraordinary status, especially of God’s messenger or envoy so may mean “apostle.” Thus, in the NT, the word “apostle” is indeed used both in restricted and general senses. In a restricted sense, the word is used to refer to the twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus whom He chose from among His disciples and designated them with that title, as we read in Luke 6:13:
When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
These apostles are often described as “the Twelve apostles.” Originally, the Twelve included Judas Iscariot but after his death and after the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, Matthias was then included among the Twelve. That he was included among the Twelve is first indicated during Peter’s sermon where he was certainly included among the eleven with Peter being excluded as he was the speaker as we read in Acts 2:14:
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.
That Matthias was included in the Twelve is implied during the leadership role of the apostles regarded as the Twelve as it pertains to appointment of their helpers in Acts 6:2:
So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
In any event, the point is that the word “apostles” in the NT is used in an exclusive sense to refer to the Twelve. In a general sense, the word apostle is used to describe a group of highly honored believers with a special function as God’s envoys. It is in this sense that Paul and Barnabas were described as apostles, as recorded in Acts 14:14:
But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:
Paul and Barnabas were called apostles here certainly because the Holy Spirit sent them to their mission, as recorded in Acts 13:4:
The two of them [Barnabas and Saul i.e., Paul], sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus.
Apostle Paul mentioned two individuals that were considered apostles in Romans 16:7:
Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me. They are outstanding among the apostles, and they were in Christ before I was.
The sentence They are outstanding among the apostles is taken by some to mean that the two men were well known by the apostles, but it is better to understand it to mean that they were apostles that were well known. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9, the word “apostle” is used in the sense of an envoy of Jesus Christ commissioned directly by Him or by other apostles; normally someone who has been taught directly by Jesus and who is invested with the authority to speak on His behalf. Consequently, when Apostle Paul used the word “apostle” he used it to describe all that the church recognized as apostles, not merely the Twelve. He considered himself to be the lowest in status among them. As we have stated, the apostle was truthful in his evaluation of self as reflected in the second reason or explanation for what he said about himself in verse 8.
The apostle’s second reason or explanation for describing himself as worthless, dead fetus is that he is not worthy of the title of “apostle” as he stated in the next verbal phrase of 1 Corinthians 15:9 and do not even deserve to be called an apostle.
The word “deserve” is translated from a Greek word (hikanos) that may mean “considerable” in the sense of pertaining to being large in extent or degree as it is used to describe the time Apostles Paul and Barnabas spent preaching the gospel at Iconium as we read in Acts 14:3:
So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
The word may mean “many” in the sense of relatively large numbers as it is used to describe those who were praying in the house of Mary, the mother of John, the night an angel freed Peter from jail as we read in Acts 12:12:
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
The word may mean “sufficient” as Apostle Paul used it to plead with the Corinthians regarding accepting back the believer that was disciplined by the church as we stated in 2 Corinthians 2:6:
The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.
The word may mean “competent” as Apostle Paul applied the word to indicate that his and his team’s ability to do God’s work is from Him and not themselves as we stated in 2 Corinthians 3:5:
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9, the word has the sense of “fit,” that is, “meeting adequate standards for a purpose.” Of course, the word is used with the negative in our verse so that the full sense is that of “unfit” or “unqualified.”
Again, the apostle was also emphatic in declaring that he was not fit to be called an apostle because he used a strong negative in the Greek since he used the Greek word (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. The negative the apostle used here indicates that truly he is unfit to be designated with the title of “apostle” as he stated in 1 Corinthians 15:9 do not even deserve to be called an apostle.
The word “called” is translated from a Greek word (kaleō) that may mean to identify by name or attribute, hence it may mean “to name” as in the naming of Jesus eight days after His birth, as recorded in Luke 2:21:
On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
The word may mean “to call” as in quotation by Apostle Paul from Prophet Hosea regarding God’s action towards Gentiles in Romans 9:25:
As he says in Hosea: “I will call them ‘my people’ who are not my people; and I will call her ‘my loved one’ who is not my loved one,”
The Greek word may mean to request the presence of someone at a social gathering, that is, “to invite” as the word is used in 1 Corinthians 10:27:
If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
The word may be used in a legal sense of “to summon before a court” or “to call in”, as it is used for bringing Paul before Governor Felix to answer charges against him in Acts 24:2:
When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation.
From the meanings “to summon” and “to invite” develops the meaning “to call” in the sense of “to choose for receipt of a special benefit or experience.” Thus, it is this sense that the word is used for the choice of persons for salvation in terms of having eternal life, as stated in 1 Timothy 6:12:
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
When the word is used in a passive form, as it is used in the verse we are considering, it has the meaning of “to be called” as it is used to describe believers as children of God in 1 John 3:1:
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
It is this meaning of “to be called,” that is, to be designated with a name that reflects a quality associated with a specified noun (which in our context is “apostle”) that it is used in our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9. Anyway, it is an emphatic declaration of the apostle that he was unfit to be given the title of “an apostle.”
The apostle did not stop with asserting he was unfit to be designated an apostle, but he justified his assertion as given in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 15:9 because I persecuted the church of God.
The word “persecute” is translated from a Greek word (diōkō) that may mean “to press on, hasten,” that is, to move rapidly and decisively toward an objective as Apostle Paul used it to describe his goal of winning the prize God had set for him as we read in Philippians 3:14:
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
The word may mean “to persecute” as the apostle used it to describe a reason some came to the Galatians with the demand for them to be circumcised as we may gather from Galatians 6:12:
Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.
The word may mean to follow in a haste in order to find something, that is, “to pursue, run after” as in the instruction of the Holy Spirit to the youth regarding what they should avoid and what they should pursue as we read in 2 Timothy 2:22:
Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9, the word has the sense of to harass someone because of the person’s beliefs so it means “to persecute,” that is, “to cause to suffer, whether physically or emotionally.” The target of Apostle Paul’s persecution is described in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 15:9 the church of God.
The word “church” is translated from a Greek word (ekklēsia) that may refer to a group of citizens assembled for socio-political activities and so means “assembly, gathering.” The word is used predominantly in Scripture to refer to people with shared belief and so the word is often given the meaning “church” in our English Bibles. However, the meaning “church” is used in different ways in relation to believers. We have in the past examined the different ways the word is used in our Scripture. For example, on the one hand, our Greek word translated “church” is used to designate the totality of believers in Christ, living and meeting in a specific locality or larger geographical area, but not necessarily limited to one meeting place. On the other hand, our Greek word translated “church” is used to designate the global community of believers or the whole body of those who have believed in Christ regardless of where they are located. In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:9, the Greek word is used in the sense of the global community of Christians hence the “universal church” of Christ.
By the way, the apostle’s use of the phrase the church of God implies his acknowledgment of the deity of Jesus Christ. This is because the apostle also described the church as belonging to Christ in Romans 16:16:
Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.
Here the apostle described the churches as belonging to Christ. He would not have done so unless he recognized the deity of Christ since the phrase the church of God is equivalent to the phrase the churches of Christ. Of course, the apostle recognized the church as belonging to God the Father and the Son as stated in 1 Thessalonians 1:1:
Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
Be that as it may, the apostle stated his persecution of the church in the sentence of 1 Corinthians 15:9 I persecuted the church of God. This sentence is a summary of the apostle’s activities regarding the persecution of the church, that is, early Christians, since in his recount of his persecution of the church he gave more details of what he did. Addressing the Jews in Jerusalem that accused him of preaching against the Mosaic Law, he described the extent of his persecution of believers in Christ as we read in Acts 22:4:
I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison.
In the same speech, he referenced his role in the death of the first martyr of the church, that is, Stephen, according to Acts 22:20:
And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
Before King Agrippa, the apostle also described the extent of his persecution of Christians as narrated in Acts 26:11:
Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. In my obsession against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.
He admitted to the Galatians of the intensity of his persecution of the church in Galatians 1:13:
For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
Based on the apostle’s past activities of persecuting the church, he declared he was unfit to be designated with the title “apostle.”
Apostle Paul was candid in evaluating himself. In fact, as he looked back on his pre-salvation activities, he described himself as a violent man as we read in 1 Timothy 1:13:
Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.
As we consider Apostle Paul’s candid evaluation of his activities prior to salvation and his description of himself in light of such activities, we should also carefully consider our activities prior to salvation. We should truthfully evaluate ourselves as that would be beneficial in our understanding of God’s grace. However, we should caution that you are not to dwell on your past in such a way that it robs you of the joy you have in Christ or that it causes you not to advance spiritually because you dwell on your past failures as if Christ has not paid for them. In fact, you should follow the example of the apostle that he stated after acknowledging his persecution of the church of Christ as we read in Philippians 3:13:
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead.
Recall that at the beginning of today’s study we indicated there are two topics the apostle focused on in his digression to his apostleship: himself and grace of God. We have considered the apostle’s honest evaluation of himself examining the reasons or explanation he described himself as worthless, dead fetus. We also indicated that the apostle recognized his uniqueness as an apostle of Jesus Christ. This uniqueness is due to the grace of God, so the apostle proceeded to describe his uniqueness as it relates to the grace of God.
The first thing the apostle associated with God’s grace is indeed his position as an apostle of Jesus Christ. It is this that he stated in the first clause of 1 Corinthians 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am.
The conjunction but the apostle used is translated from a Greek particle (de) that may be used to connect one clause to another, either to express contrast or simple continuation but in certain occurrences the marker may be left untranslated. Although it is often translated “but” in the English when there is a perceived contrast between two clauses, it has other meanings such as “now,” “then,” “and,” “so,” when it is used to link segments of a narrative. It can also be used to indicate transition to something new. In our verse, the Greek conjunction is used to indicate a contrast between what the apostle asserted in verse 9 and what he asserted in verse 10. The word is used to contrast his state as an unworthy apostle to his state as a fruitful apostle because of God’s grace.
The word “grace” the apostle used is translated from a Greek word (charis) that is often rendered “grace” in our English versions. It is true that the Greek word (charis) translated “grace” refers to God’s unmerited favor in some contexts but that is not a blanket meaning. For example, the Greek word is used in relation to Jesus Christ in Luke 2:40:
And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Clearly, since the recipient of God’s grace is the Lord Jesus Christ, grace could not possibly mean God’s underserved favor to sinners. Here grace means “blessing” or God’s favor in a general sense of His beneficent disposition toward someone. It can also mean favored status indicating that Jesus enjoyed favored status with God. In some context, the Greek word rendered “grace” when used of God means His “gracious care” as part of the meaning of the Greek word as “beneficent disposition toward someone.” It is this meaning that is intended when the Greek word is used in connection with the ministry of Paul and Barnabas in what they did, reported in Acts 14:26:
From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.
In effect, the phrase committed to the grace of God means that Paul and Barnabas were entrusted to God to care for them or to show His goodness to them. Thus, the word “grace” has the meaning of “gracious care” in this passage in Acts. Anyway, the Greek word translated “grace” has various ranges of meaning. The word when used in relationship with a person may refer to that which is attractive or appealing in someone that draws favorable reaction from others, hence may mean “charming, pleasant, attractive” as the word is used by Apostle Paul in his instruction regarding believer’s speech or communication in Colossians 4:6:
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
The instruction let your conversation be always full of grace means that believer’s conversation should always be pleasant.
Another meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” is “thanks, gratitude” as a response to generosity one receives. It is in this sense that the word is used in the instruction of the Holy Spirit through Apostle Paul in Colossians 3:16:
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
Another meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” is that beneficent disposition toward someone, that is, favor, help or care, goodwill, shown or received by another. Grace as a favor that one grants to another without any obligation on the part of the one who grants the favor is reflected in 2 Timothy 1:9:
who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time,
Grace in this verse is that special favor that God granted us in Christ Jesus.
Another general meaning of the Greek word rendered “grace” is a practical act of goodwill hence means “favor, gracious deed, or gift.” It is in this sense that the word is used in James 4:6:
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
To say that God gives grace in this context means He shows kindness or favor. In other context, grace may mean “kindness” or “love.” This is the sense in John 1:14:
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
To say that Jesus is full of grace means that He is full of love and kindness so that grace has the sense of “love” and “kindness.” By the way, to say that Jesus is full of truth means He is the true or complete revelation of God.
Still another meaning of the Greek word translated “grace” is the exceptional effect produced by generosity. Thus, when God enabled the Macedonian believers to be generous towards their fellow believers, especially those in Jerusalem, that enablement or action of God on them is described by the Apostle Paul as His grace in 2 Corinthians 8:1:
And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
The same enablement or action of God that caused the Corinthians to be generous towards others is described as grace in 2 Corinthians 9:14:
And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you.
So, in both passages grace refers to enablement or God’s action on believers that causes them to be generous towards others. Of course, it is in this sense of enablement that results in power that the word “grace” is used by Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
The enablement that God gives that is also described as grace may in fact be understood as “gift.” It is in this sense of the meaning “gift” that the word grace is used in 1 Peter 4: 10:
Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:10, the word appears three times. The first mention of “grace” is a reference to “favor” or “the resulting activity that is a necessary consequence of genuine, beneficent goodwill; especially used of the outworking of God’s goodwill.” The second has the sense of “gift” while the third time the word “grace” is used it means “power.”
In any case, the apostle states in the first clause of 1 Corinthians 15:10 by the grace of God I am what I am. What is Paul saying in the sentence I am what I am? The context indicates that what he meant is his position as an apostle. This makes sense because he already stated in verse 9 I am the least of the apostles. Thus, Paul contends that it is by special favor of God or the outworking of God’s goodwill that he was appointed an apostle of Jesus Christ. He understood that there is no other way to explain how one who persecuted the church of Christ could become an apostle other than through divine favor shown to him. So, his position as an apostle is the product of God’s favor. Of course, it goes without saying that what the apostle said includes the fact he is a Christian.
The apostle did not stop with acknowledging the favor shown him to be an apostle, he went further to speak of God’s gift to him. Thus, we read in the next clause of 1 Corinthians 15:10 and his grace to me was not without effect. As we indicated, the Greek word translated “grace” in this clause should be understood as “gift” so that it is the gift of God to the apostle that he meant to say was not without effect.
The expression “without effect” is translated from a Greek adjective (kenos) that is used in different ways in the Greek. The word may pertain to being without something in a literal sense, that is, empty, as it is used in the Parable of the Tenants in Mark 12:3:
But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
Another usage of the Greek word in a figurative manner pertains to being devoid of intellectual, moral, or spiritual value although it is still translated with the word “empty.” In this figurative usage, it can mean without content, without any basis, without truth, without power when it refers to things. The apostle used it in the sense of “useless” in defending the doctrine of resurrection to assert that if there is no resurrection, the gospel message and the faith of the Corinthians are without meaning although the translators of the NIV used “useless” in 1 Corinthians 15:14:
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
Still another usage of our Greek word used in 1 Corinthians 15:10 pertains to being without purpose or result and so means “in vain.” It is in this sense that the apostle used it to encourage believers to devote themselves to the work of God since such work is not without result or purpose, as we read in 1 Corinthians 15:58:
Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:10, it has the sense of “vain,” that is, empty and devoid of any result or purpose. The apostle in stating and his grace to me was not without effect meant that the gift of God associated with his position as an apostle is fruitful. He was using the gift given to him to accomplish God’s purpose which is for him to preach the gospel message to the Gentiles as per his commission from the Lord.
To confirm his claim that God’s gift to him is fruitful in that he was accomplishing the task the Lord assigned him, the apostle compared his hard work to that of the other apostles as we read in the next clause of 1 Corinthians 15:10 No, I worked harder than all of them. The word “no” of the NIV is translated from a Greek particle (alla) that primarily is used to indicate a difference with or contrast to what precedes. In effect, it is used to express contrast between an immediate clause and the one preceding it so it may be translated “but, rather, on the contrary.” The word may be translated “indeed, certainly” when it is used as a marker of contrastive emphasis. The apostle used it to contrast his use of his gift to that of the other apostles so that it may be translated “certainly” or “indeed” to show that the apostle used it to emphasize his work.
The expression “work harder” is translated from a Greek word (kopiaō) with two general meanings. It can mean “to become weary or tired” as in the invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11:28:
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Under this first category of meaning is the figurative sense of being emotionally fatigued and discouraged as it is used in the commendation of the church in Ephesus in Revelation 2:3:
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
A second category of the meaning is to exert oneself physically, mentally, or spiritually, that is, to work hard, to toil, to strive, to struggle. The apostle used the word several times to indicate hard work both physically and spiritually. He used it to describe his hard work by which he earned his living while preaching the gospel as stated in 1 Corinthians 4:12:
We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it;
The work here, while it could also refer to the preaching of the gospel, is primarily a reference to the apostle’s tent making as a means of supporting himself as he gave up his right to be supported by those he preached the gospel, as he implied in 1 Corinthians 9:6, 12:
6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?
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.
By the way, it is certain that when the apostle worked, he did so as a tent maker, as indicated in Acts 18:3:
and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
Certainly, the apostle used the Greek word for laboring in the ministry. It is in the sense of laboring in the ministry that Apostle Paul used it in the instruction of special treatment of those who work hard in preaching and teaching of God’s word in 1 Timothy 5:17:
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
Similar instruction, using our Greek word, is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:12:
Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
It is in the sense of physical work that the apostle used our Greek word with respect to the farmer in 2 Timothy 2:6:
The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.
The point is that the Greek word we have examined can be used to describe hard work both physically and spiritually that in case of those who teach the word involves mental exertion. Nonetheless, the sense of the word in 1 Corinthians 15:10 is “to toil,” that is, “to labor unto extreme fatigue.” The apostle’s hard work is evident in the book of Acts since he traveled to more places and preached to more people than the other apostles.
The apostle was aware he worked more than other apostles that he wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:10 I worked harder than all of them. The expression “harder than” is translate from a Greek word (perissoteros) that pertains to being beyond a standard of abundance, hence means “greater, more, even more.” It is with the meaning “much more” that it is used in our Lord’s teaching regarding the greater responsibility that will be required of the person who has greater privileges as we read in Luke 12:48:
But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.
It is with the meaning “more” that it is used by the human author of Hebrews as he discoursed the uniqueness of the priesthood of Christ as stated in Hebrews 7:15:
And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears,
In our passage of 1 Corinthians 15:10, it is used in the sense of “more,” that is, “to a greater degree or extent.” The apostle compared himself to the other apostles since they are the ones meant in the phrase of 1 Corinthians 15:10 all of them. The apostle could have meant that he worked harder than any of the other apostles or that he worked harder than they all combined. It is probably the case that the apostle compared his work to the other apostles and concluded that he worked harder than any of them and not all of them combined. It will require the apostle tallying all the efforts of the apostles to have the second interpretation. But he probably knew of the activities of such men as Peter and others that he was confident that not one of them outworked him in the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The apostle recognized that it is by God’s provision that he was able to do what he did so he was quick to acknowledge that as in the last clause of 1 Corinthians 15:10 yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. As we indicated previously, the word “grace” this time should be understood as “power.” Hence, the apostle acknowledged that God supplied him the power that he needed to work harder than all the other apostles in preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The apostle indeed acknowledged here the same thing he said to Colossians in Colossians 1:29:
To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.
Anyway, let me end by reminding you of the message of 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 which is: Be sure you are clear about the gospel message.
06/16/23