1 CORINTHIANS - Chapter 9
1 CORINTHIANS – CHAPTER 9
Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Sunday Evening Service
January 28, 2013, the Year of Our Lord
As is my custom, I continue to approach 1 Corinthians circumspect seeking the Lord for the Present Truth message for the church. To my amazement and horror, chapter after chapter is a visual of the state of the nation and apostate church in the U.S.A. of the 21st century. Just as Paul was exhorting the Corinthians, we as ministers of the New Covenant must exhort, preach and teach by holding the Word of God as a measuring stick and mirror for the carnality in the world and compromise of the church.
Prophets tend to gravitate toward the preaching and teaching of the Prophets. You may have noticed that 90 per cent of my messages originate with the Prophets. 1 and 2 Corinthians are Apostolic messages and are foundational as well as governmental.
In this chapter, Paul is asserting the privileges of an apostle as a freed man in Christ. However, these are privileges that Paul did not use in order to further the gospel.
The typical man of knowledge in Corinth insists on the full exercise of these rights, riding rough-shod over the susceptibilities of the weak. Paul shows a better way, and the principle he enunciates in 8:13, he demonstrates in daily conduct, a life which shows by its refusal to claim its rights, the exercise of the highest rights of all---“to become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
1 Cor. 8:13: “If what I eat can lead my brother to sin against his own conscience, I will never again eat meat as long as the world stands. I would rather forego meat forever, than to cause someone on his way to eternity to trip and fall.” (Paraphrased C.S.L.)
1 Cor. 9: 1-2: “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? If I be not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you; for the seal of mine apostleship are you in the Lord.”
Many are of the persuasion that an Apostle will see Jesus Christ as one of the confirmations of their Apostleship (Acts. 1:21-22). This was absolutely essential. Also, he founded the church at Corinth. Only Apostles and Prophets have the anointing to start churches.
Evidently someone had challenged his apostleship. Even though Paul had spent 18-months with the Corinthians, there were forces within the church ready to assert themselves as soon as he left.
With the apostle gone, various groups began to gather around certain individuals who put themselves forward as leaders. Consequently the church ended up with various cliques, all competing for supremacy within the fellowship. This shifted the focus from the work of the Spirit to being ego-centered, take-over devils, selfish-ambition, and vain glory. All of which is vanity of religion.
In the process of asserting themselves, some went so far as to deny that Paul was a real apostle. Just a comment from me, “someone would have to either be very dumb and very naïve to not recognize Paul’s anointing and commission”. It is okay for me to make a comment on certain occasions (smile).
1 Cor. 9: 3-6: “My answer to them that do examine me is this. Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to refrain from working?”
When Paul first began his missionary work, he was commissioned by the big church at Antioch in Syria. They no doubt financed his first missionary journey on which he was accompanied by Barnabas. But when he began his second missionary journey, there was no such support. He had to depend on his trade as a tentmaker to keep him going. He was happy to do so.
This gave him freedom to declare the truth and not a hireling or pleaser of men. He had to be free to write, preach and teach the New Covenant truth of the Kingdom of God.
Paul is setting forth in the New Covenant the rights of an apostle:
- He is entitled to financial support or food and lodging if he is spending time with the churches he establishes or visits.
- Should an apostle be married, his wife is allowed to accompany him in his travels and support would be provided for her as well.
Peter visited Corinth and we know from this report, his wife accompanied him. “The other apostles as well as the Lord’s brothers” also claimed support from the churches. It is Mark who gives us the names of Jesus’ brothers---James, Joseph, Judas and Simon. They were not followers of Jesus at first, but apparently His resurrection turned their hearts around and they became apostles.
1 Cor. 9: 7-11: “Who goes to war any time at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and does not ear the fruit thereof? Who feeds a flock, and does not eat of the milk of the flock? I do not say these things as a man (or by human knowledge). The Law says the same also. It is written in the Law of Moses. You shall not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treads out the corn. Does God take care for oxen? Isn’t it clear that the reference is to us? Of course it is written for our sakes. He that plows should plow in hope; and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
God’s servants called to full-time service, whoever or wherever they may be, are therefore the direct responsibility of God’s churches. Every apostle was not called to be a Paul. No other man since Paul has been given such a powerful commission to suffer for Christ as did the Apostle Paul.
For myself, the Lord spoke to me when He called me to Pastor that I was to not to ever go back to work in the secular work place. If the Lord separates you from secular work, he will make it very clear. Nor do we sell anything in this church or have fund raisers to meet our needs. The Lord provides and we have plenty.
To the privileges of an apostle which rest on a scriptural basis, he appeals to the Law of Moses (Deut... 25:4) which forbids muzzling an ox while he is treading the grain, which was not only fair but humane as well.
Paul confirmed his word by “it is written” in the same way Jesus did when he would confirm his words with the Old Testament: “It is written”.
Paul argues that God doesn’t make laws just for animals. There is a human application that pertains to God’s ministers.
1 Cor 9:12: “If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; and suffer all things, less we should hinder the gospel of Christ.”
When new converts see ministers drawing support from the ministry some are tempted to become ministers for that reason alone. I heard a man say one time that he wanted to be a Pastor because people give you money. This is a very real stumbling block for people with greed.
Others believe ministers are making a profit or enjoy luxuries they won’t allow for themselves. This is a spirit of jealousy.
Whatever the attitude, Paul did not want to turn the people off by asking for money and thus hinder the gospel. He was willing to bear almost anything rather than have that happen.
(In 1 Th. 3: 1& 5 the word for hinder is (enkope) –literally an incision, a word which became a military term in later Greek for breaking up a road to hinder the advance of an army; there must be no obstacle in the way of the gospel.)
1 Cor. 9: 13-15: “Do you not know that they which minister about holy things live off the things of the temple? And they which wait at the altar are partakers of the altar? Even so has the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel? But I have used none of these things; neither have I written these things, that it should be so done to me; for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void.”
In Old Testament times the priests and Levites had no real estate assigned to them. Since they served the temple without an income, they had to be provided for. So God set aside for them portions of the offering and sacrifices brought to Him. Paul mentions this with his fellow apostles in mind. He is establishing the fact that all apostles are entitled to support. What’s more, on one occasion the Lord has said…”the laborer is worthy of his hire” (Lk. 10:7).
Paul is saying that he has never taken advantage of any of these rights. He says he’d die before he would let anyone take away the satisfaction that was his through preaching the gospel without charge.
1 Cor. 9:16-18: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of; for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is to me, if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this thing willingly. I have a reward; but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed to me. What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
To those of us who are called to preach the gospel, we clearly understand verse 16. I preach because I can’t help it. If someone want to listen to me that is great, if they don’t, the preacher in me still preaches. I can’t help myself. No special credit can come to me for preaching the Word of God. This morning when the “preach” hit me, every preacher in the house got hit with the anointing to “preach”.
Like Paul, I cannot boast or take credit for preaching the gospel. Besides under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God preaches itself.
Don used to call me a “stump preacher”, one of those who finds a stump and starts preaching.
1 Cor. 19-21: For though I am free from all men, yet have I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; To them that are without law, as without law (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.”
Paul says ---I am free from all men. No one has any claim on me, no one can tell me what to do. And yet, though I am no one’s slave, I gladly make myself a slave to every one that I might win as many as possible to Jesus.
When a person becomes the slave of Christ, there is no way he can be anyone else’s slave. Being in Christ delivers us from the bondage to all men.
When we become free from caring what people say or think about us, we become dangerous to the kingdom of darkness.
Outward customs and cultures have nothing to do with the gospel. Whether Jewish customs or Gentile customs, he could go along with any of them as long as they had no real spiritual significance.
“To those Gentiles living outside the law, I become as one outside the Law, to win them. Don’t misunderstand, this doesn’t mean I can live as a lawless person, for I am always under the Law of Christ. I am obliged to please God in all that I do, say or think.”
1 Cor. 9: 22-23: “To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. This I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.”
The apostle now returns to those Christians with weak consciences. The Christian must not only be guided by what he feels his conscience permits; he must also consider how his actions might affect the lives and consciences of his brethren. The conscience is our own inner voice that tells us whether our actions are right or wrong. God set forth the moral Law and our consciences (soul) judges us according to that law. The Holy Spirit convicts us when we break God’s moral Law.
It is very easy for a weak Christian to run ahead of his own conscience (conviction of the soul). This is “leaning on his own understanding or head knowledge”.
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is Liberty. However, the Liberty of Grace does not give us permission to sin.
Paul carefully refrains from putting a stumbling block in their path and hindering their Christian growth. He is explaining his right to subordinate his freedom to the scruples (conscience) and customs of others.
1 Cor. 9:24: “Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.”
The prize Paul sought was not salvation, but a heavenly reward. Salvation is not earned nor given as a reward for service. It is a free gift, whereas the prize is a reward for effort.
There is no reward for indifference and disobedience. This race is not a competition against others. In this race everyone who runs is an achiever.
1 Cor. 9: 25-27: “Every man that strives for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beats the air; But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; less that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast-away.”
The Greek games were held in the vicinity of Corinth. Today we refer to them as the Olympics. Those competing in the games employed routines of discipline that demanded total self-control. In this, they had to deny themselves things that were proper in themselves, but not suitable for an athlete who wanted to win.
In the Christian race, the spiritual race, believers must also exercise strict, moral discipline, often denying rights and liberties.
As runners approach the finish line, they don’t slow down. When they see that tape they run even harder. The same should be true of Christians when they are coming into their fullness of years. It is not time to slow down. Retiring ought to be the last thing on our minds. Slaves don’t retire.
Phil. 3:13: “This thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize…”
Taught by: Pastor Carolyn Sissom
Scripture from KJV.
I entered into the labors of F. F. Bruce International Bible Commentary and C. S. Lovett’s Lights on 1 Corinthians. Comments and conclusions are my own as led by the Holy Spirit and not meant to reflect the views of those who I entered into their labors.