1st Corinthians Chapter 9

From The Open Bible Project

9:1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven't I seen Jesus Christ, our Lord? Aren't you my work in the Lord?

• (1) Before he proceeds any further in his purposed matter of things offered to idols, he would show the cause of all this evil, and also take it away. That is, that the Corinthians thought that they did not have to depart from the least amount of their liberty for any man’s pleasure. Therefore he propounds himself for an example, and that in a matter almost necessary. And yet he speaks of both, but first of his own person. If (he says) you allege for yourselves that you are free, and therefore will use your liberty, am I not also free, seeing I am an apostle?
• (2) He proves his apostleship by the effects, in that he was appointed by Christ himself, and the authority of his function was sufficiently confirmed to him among them by their conversion. And all these things he sets before their eyes, to make them ashamed because they would not in the least way that might be, debase themselves for the sake of the weak, whereas the apostle himself did all the he could to win them to God, when they were utterly reprobate and without God.
• (a) By the Lord.

9:2 If to others I am not an apostle, yet at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.

• (b) As a seal by which it sufficiently appears that God is the author of my apostleship.

9:3 My defense to those who examine me is this.

• (3) He adds this by the way, as if he should say, "So far it is off, that you may doubt of my apostleship, that I use it to refute those who call it into controversy, by opposing those things which the Lord has done by me among you."
• (c) Which like judges examine me and my doings.

9:4 Have we no right to eat and to drink?

• (4) "Now concerning the matter itself", he says, "seeing that I am free, and truly an apostle, why may not I (I say not, eat of all things offered to idols) be maintained by my labours, indeed and keep my wife also, as the rest of the apostles lawfully do, as by name, John and James, the Lord’s cousins, and Peter himself?"
• (d) Upon the expense of the Church?

9:5 Have we no right to take along a wife who is a believer, even as the rest of the apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?

• (e) One that is a Christian and a true believer.

9:6 Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

• (f) Not live by the works of our hands.

9:7 What soldier ever serves at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard, and doesn't eat of its fruit? Or who feeds a flock, and doesn't drink from the flock's milk?

• (5) That he may not seem to burden the apostles, he shows that it is just that they do, by an argument of comparison, seeing that soldiers live by their wages, and husbandmen by the fruits of their labours, and shepherds by that which comes of their flocks.
• (g) Goes to warfare?

9:8 Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn't the law also say the same thing?

• (6) Secondly, he brings forth the authority of God’s institution by an argument of comparison.
• (h) Have I not better ground than the common custom of men?

9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain."[10] Is it for the oxen that God cares,

• (i) Was it God’s proper intention to provide for oxen, when he made this law? For there is not the smallest thing in the world, but that God has a concern for.

9:10 or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.

9:11 If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things?

• (7) An assumption of the arguments with an amplification, for neither in so doing do we require a reward appropriate for our work.

9:12 If others partake of this right over you, don't we yet more? Nevertheless we did not use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

• (8) Another argument of great force: others are nourished among you, therefore it was lawful for me, indeed rather for me than any other. And yet I refused it, and had rather still suffer any inconvenience, than the Gospel of Christ should be hindered.
• (k) The word signifies right and interest, by which he shows us that the ministers of the word must by right and duty be supported by the Church.

9:13 Don't you know that those who serve around sacred things eat from the things of the temple, and those who wait on the altar have their portion with the altar?

• (9) Last of all he brings forth the express law concerning the nourishing of the Levites, which privilege nonetheless he will not use.
• (l) This is spoken by the figure of speech metonymy, for those things that are offered in the temple.
• (m) Are partakers with the altar in dividing the sacrifice.

9:14 Even so the Lord ordained that those who proclaim the Good News should live from the Good News.

• (n) Because they preach the Gospel. It follows by this place, that Paul received no living, neither would have any other man receive, by a commodity of masses, or any other such superstitious nonsense.

9:15 But I have used none of these things, and I don't write these things that it may be done so in my case; for I would rather die, than that anyone should make my boasting void.

• (10) He takes away occasion of suspicion by the way, that it might not be thought that he wrote this as though he was demanding his wages that were not payed him. On the contrary, he says, I had rather die, than not to continue in this purpose to preach the Gospel freely. For I am bound to preach the Gospel, seeing that the Lord has given and commanded me this office: but unless I do it willingly and for the love of God, nothing that I do is to be considered worthwhile. If I had rather that the Gospel should be evil spoken of, than that I should not require my wages, then would it appear that I took these pains not so much for the Gospel’s sake, as for my gains and advantages. But I say, this would not be to use, but rather to abuse my right and liberty: therefore not only in this thing, but also in all others (as much as I could) I am made all things to all men, that I might win them to Christ, and might together with them be won to Christ.

9:16 For if I preach the Good News, I have nothing to boast about; for necessity is laid on me; but woe is to me, if I don't preach the Good News.

9:17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward. But if not of my own will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.

9:18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the Good News, I may present the Good News of Christ without charge, so as not to abuse my authority in the Good News.

• (o) By taking nothing from those to whom I preach it.

9:19 For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

9:20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain those who are under the law;

• (p) The word "law" in this place must be limited to the ceremonial Law.

9:21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law.

9:22 To the weak I became as weak, that I might gain the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.

• (q) In matters that are indifferent, which may be done or not done with a good conscience. It is as if he said, "I accommodated all customs and manners, that by all means I might save some."

9:23 Now I do this for the sake of the Good News, that I may be a joint partaker of it.

• (r) That both I and those to whom I preach the Gospel, may receive fruit by the Gospel.

9:24 Don't you know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run like that, that you may win.

• (11) He brings in another reason for this wrong, that is, that they were given to gluttony, for there were solemn banquets of sacrifices, and the loose living of the priests was always too much celebrated and kept. Therefore it was hard for those who were accustomed to loose living, especially when they pretended the liberty of the Gospel, to be restrained in these banquets. But on the other hand, the apostle calls them by a pleasant similitude, and also by his own example, to sobriety and mortification of the flesh, showing that they cannot be fit to run or wrestle (as then the games of Isthmies were) who pamper up their bodies. And therefore affirming that they can have no reward unless they take another course and manner of life.

9:25 Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible.

• (s) Uses a most excellent and moderate diet.

9:26 I therefore run like that, as not uncertainly. I fight like that, as not beating the air,

9:27 but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

• (t) The old man which strives against the Spirit.
• (u) Or, "reproved". And this word "reproved" is not contrasted with the word "elect", but with the word "approved", when we see someone who is experienced not to be such a one as he ought to be.