1 Corinthians

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504 Dickson Teacher’s New Testament Chapter 9 1 Am I not an apostle Am I not free Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord Are you not my work in the Lord 2 If I am not an apostle to others, yet indeed I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 My defense to those who examine me is 1 Corinthians 9 this: 4 Do we not have the right to eat and to drink 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, even as the other apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas 6 Or do only I and Barnabas have no right to refrain from working 7 Who as a soldier serves at his own ex- Chapter 9 THE RIGHTS OF A CHRIST-SENT APOSTLE When considering the context of this chapter, we must keep in mind that it was Paul’s general practice to support himself through tentmaking when he stayed at any location for a period of time. He did such while in Corinth (At 18:3), Ephesus (At 20:33-35) and Thessalonica (1 Th 2:9; 2 Th 3:6-13). When he was in transit and speaking to unbelievers in evangelistic work, he received support from the churches. However, when he was located with brethren for extended periods of time, he worked to support himself. 1 In this discussion Paul applies the principles of chapter 8 to his own life. In beginning this discussion he reaffirms his apostleship. His apostleship was based on Jesus, personally appearing to him and calling him into apostleship (15: 8; At 9:3,17; 18:9; 22:14,18; 23:11). Seen Jesus: At least one qualification for being a Christsent apostle was seeing Jesus and being personally called into apostleship by Him (See comments At 1:21,22). My work: The Corinthians were in Christ because of the sacrificial labors of Paul. Paul had given up his previous life. He had refused the financial support of the Corinthian church (See comments 3:6; 4:15; At 18:1-3,11). Their existence as a saved body of people, therefore, was based on his being called by Jesus and his sacrifices to work in Corinth. However, there were some in Corinth who questioned his apostleship. They questioned his motives for preaching to them. Such only indicates the limits to which arrogant attitudes will take those who have set themselves against God’s workers. Paul had manifested the spirit of servanthood in his life. The false teachers in Corinth manifested the spirit of pride and selfish ambition (See comments 3 Jn 9,10). 2 Apostle ... to you: The generic meaning of the word apostolos (apostle) is “one sent.” Since Paul was sent to Corinth by Jesus, then he was the only apostle who first preached the gospel to them (15:1,2). Seal of my apostleship: Since Paul was the first to preach the gospel in Corinth, then the existence of the Corinthian church was the evidence of his apostleship of preaching the gospel. Their very existence as a church of Christ, therefore, proved his apostleship. Add to this the fact that he worked the signs of a Christ-sent apostle among them (2 Co 12:12). He had also imparted the miraculous gifts of the Spirit to them (See comments At 8:18; Rm 1:11). Therefore, the Corinthian church was the certification (seal) of his apostleship. 3 My defense: The word “defense” is from the Greek word apologia. The word is also used in At 22:1; 25:16; Ph 1:7,17; 1 Pt 3:15. It seems inconceivable that a Christ-sent apostle would have to defend himself as such for a church that actually experienced firsthand the “signs of an apostle” (2 Co 12:12; compare Gl 2:8,9). We would assume, therefore, that those who were questioning his apostleship had come into the church after Paul left. They had not personally experienced the miraculous power of the apostle, and thus, were challenging those in the church concerning Paul’s authority as an apostle. The report from the house of Chloe (1:11) was a plea from the brethren who personally knew Paul. It was a plea that he write this defense, or else come and correct the problem. 4 In this context Paul begins with his right as an apostle to be supported by the church. By asking the question of this verse, his implied answer is that he as an apostle has the right to be supported by the church (1 Th 2:6,9; 2 Th 3:6). The word “right” here could be translated “authority.” Therefore, the emphasis would not be on privilege, but necessity. The authority of his apostleship demanded the necessity of the church to support him (Compare 3 Jn 7,8). 5 A believing wife: The other apostles, including Peter, were married (See Mt 8:14; Mk 1:30; Lk 4:38). Since they were married and went forth with their wives to preach the gospel (Mk 16:15: Mt 28:19,20), then it was the responsibility of the church to support them (See comments Rm 10:15). The apostles went forth with Christian wives. Therefore, their wives willingly went forth with them in order that they fulfill their Christ-commissioned responsibility to preach the gospel to the world. Such is a good example for all evangelists and their wives who go forth to evangelize the world. Brethren of the Lord: The physical brothers of Jesus who were born to Mary and Joseph also became evangelists to preach that their half-brother, Jesus, was the virgin-born Messiah and Son of God (See Mt 13:55). 6 It seems that Barnabas also supported himself as an evangelist throughout his journeys. A very important point concerning the support of an evangelist is given in the example of Paul and Barnabas. In reference specifically to Paul, a close examination of his journeys in his writings reveals that he supported himself most of the time throughout his journeys (See comments At 20:34,35; 2 Th 3:7,8). He had certainly received support from the Antioch church on his initial few months after leaving Antioch (See At 13:1-4). However, when the money they sent with him ran out, he and Barnabas went to making tents (See comments At 18:1-3). The Philippian church supported him, with Silas and Timothy, on a portion of the second journey after leaving Philippi (Ph 4:15,16). However, this contribution only subsidized what he and those with him made through making tents. The example here is obvious. Single evangelists would do well to go forth with the initial support of the church, but with the goal of supporting themselves in order to carry on with their journey (See comments 3 Jn 1-8). This would not be a binding example of Paul, but at least it mani-
505 Dickson Teacher’s New Testament the church. We have not used this right: While he was in Corinth, Paul did not receive support from the church. He did not take their support because he did not want to be accused of preaching for money, the very thing they are accusing him of doing at the time he wrote this letter (See comments 3 Jn 5-8). He thus supported himself by making tents (At 18:1-3; 20:33-35; 2 Co 11:7- 9; 12:14; 1 Th 2:6). The Corinthian society was accustomed to supporting philosophers or teachers of some strange doctrine. In order that they not associate him with this group of self-proclaimed false teachers, Paul chose not to exercise his right to be supported by the newly converted Corinthians (See 2 Co 11:12). The actions of the Corinthians in this verse to support false teachers justified Paul’s reasons for not being supported by them. His argument against the false and accusing teachers was that he preached without receiving contributions from the Corinthians. This was in contrast to his accusers. They were accusing him, who was their father in the faith while they were receiving pay. Not hinder the gospel: There are often cultural situations wherein an evangelist should support himself when preaching the gospel. He should not receive support from an unbelieving audience to whom he preaches in order that he not be accused of preaching for money. We must keep in mind that this situation is in reference to the initial preaching of the gospel to unbelievers. After people are converted, and thus taught their responsibility of supporting evangelists, the converted manifest their lack of spiritual growth when they do not support evangelists. Churches are spiritually immature if they do not carry out their responsibility of supporting evangelists. Such churches have not learned the spirit of God’s grace and the commission of Jesus to take the gospel to all the world (See comments Ph 4:10-18; 3 Jn 5-8). 13 Paul again refers to the Old Testament. The Levitical priests who administered those things that were required of the Jews in fulfillment of requirements of the law, were justified in receiving payment from the worshippers (Lv 6:16,26; 7:6,31; Nm 18:8-31; Dt 18:1; see Mt 10:10; Lk 10:7,8). 14 The Lord has commanded: No stronger language could have been given to the church concerning their responsibility to financially support evangelists in their work of world evangelism and church edification. Any church, therefore, that does not financially support the work of evangelists is sinning against this commandment of the Lord. Even the Corinpense Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of the fruit Or who feeds a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock 8 Do I say these things only as a man Or does not the law say the same also 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You will not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” Is God concerned for oxen 10 Or does He say this altogether for our sakes For our sakes, no doubt, this is written so that he who plows should plow in hope, and that he who threshes in hope, should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a 1 Corinthians 9 great thing if we reap your material things 12 If others are partakers of this right over you, do we not more Nevertheless, we have not used this right, but we endure all things so that we should not hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who minister holy things live from the things of the temple And those who wait at the altar are partakers of the food of the altar 14 Even so the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things, fested his dedication to preach the gospel to the world. 7 Though Paul supported himself much of the time throughout his journeys, he still had the right to receive support from the church. This is the point of his argument to those in Corinth who were challenging his apostleship. As an apostle he had a right to the financial support of the church. He asks three questions here that have obvious answers. Those who go to war, are paid. Those who plant a vineyard eat the fruit thereof. Those who milk the goats and cows, drink the milk. Therefore, those who preach the gospel financially have a right to live from the gospel by the support of those who are converted by their preaching of the gospel (vs 14; see comments Gl 6:6). 8,9 The law: Paul here resorts to principles of the Old Testament law concerning the support of those who minister the requirements of the law to the people. You will not muzzle the ox: The ox is allowed to eat the grain as it is trodden out of the husk (Dt 25:4; 1 Tm 5:18). This Old Testament illustration is used in order to teach that God is concerned more for his evangelists than an ox. If God cared for the ox in its menial labors to tread out grain, then Paul’s conclusion is that He would certainly be more concerned for the evangelists. Those churches, therefore, who do not support evangelists, but allow the ox to eat of the grain, are more concerned over an ox than they are over the financial well-being of an evangelist. 10 Plow in hope ... partaker of his hope: Those who plow in evangelism of the lost and edification of the church, should have the right to receive pay. It is right for an evangelist to hope for pay as a result of his labors. This would especially be true of elders who work in edification of the church (See 2 Tm 2:6). The laborer who expects to be paid has a right to be paid for his services (Compare 2 Co 11:8). 11 Reap your material things: The evangelist who preaches and teaches the word of God has a right to receive financial support from those to whom he ministers the word of God. “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches” (See comments Gl 6:6; see Rm 15:27). 12 If others: Others had come to Corinth after Paul left. It seems that the Corinthians had supported them. This verse would also indicate that the Corinthians were supporting those who were opponents of Paul. In other words, the opponents of Paul were being inconsistent. They were saying that Paul had no right to financial support while at the same time they were extracting support from
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1 Corinthians

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