1 Corinthians 9 - The Gospel is Still FREE!

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Paul’s Rights as an Apostle

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not the result of my work in the Lord? 2 Even though I may not be an apostle to others, surely I am to you! For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4 Don’t we have the right to food and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas? 6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who lack the right to not work for a living?

Paul now addresses the rumors going around that he was not a true apostle, because he was not with the original 12 apostles. But Paul asserts that he too has seen the Lord, albeit in a different manner than the rest. The fruit of his apostleship are the Corinthian people. 

The word "apostle" means one who "has been sent" or a "messenger". Paul was an apostle to the Gentiles. Most of the New Testament letters are written by Paul to churches he planted and is now supporting. Paul is saying, "the proof is in the pudding" and they are the proof. 

Paul asserts that he has the right food, drink, a believing wife, and the right to work for a living. 

 Apparently, most of the other apostles were married, and their wives traveled with them as they did ministry. This is especially interesting concerning Peter (Cephas), who was obviously married, yet still considered by the Roman Catholic church to be the first pope, in contradiction to the principle of mandatory celibacy.

7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk? 8 Do I say this merely on human authority? Doesn’t the Law say the same thing? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[b] Is it about oxen that God is concerned? 10 Surely he says this for us, doesn’t he? Yes, this was written for us, because whoever plows and threshes should be able to do so in the hope of sharing in the harvest. 11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 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.

Paul gives several examples where the worker deserves wages for the work they do. The vineyard worker eats his grapes. The flock drinks its milk. The ox its grain. The one who ploughs the harvest. So if Paul sowed a spiritual seed that led to eternal life, did he not deserve to be compensated with a materially. 

"The principle of Deuteronomy 25:4 is much more important than providing for the needs of oxen. God establishes the principle that a minister has the right to be supported by the people he is ministering to. As Wiersbe says, “Since oxen cannot read, this verse was not written for them.”  

Most importantly though Paul had a right to exercise his right, he didn't. Why? Because he didn't want anything to hinder the advancement of the gospel. The gospel was too important to diminish its authenticity. Paul says he would put up with literally "anything" to preach the pure gospel "free of charge". 

Here we see Paul’s real heart. Paid or not paid, it did not matter to him. What mattered was the work of the gospel. Was it more effective for the gospel if Paul should receive support? Then he would receive it. Was it more effective for the gospel if Paul should work to support himself? Then he would do that. What mattered was that the gospel not be hindered in any way. - Guzik 

13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple get their food from the temple, and that those who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. 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, for I would rather die than allow anyone to deprive me of this boast. 16 For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since 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 full use of my rights as a preacher of the gospel.

Paul them reminds them that the Lord has commanded those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel. I have certainly benefitted from this command, being a full time pastor in the church for 30 years. I am grateful to all those parishioners' who faithfully gave, so I could give my full time, effort, and energy to my calling to preach the gospel. 

You can see the most important thing in Paul's life is to preach the gospel. It is something he was called to do and no human force would stop him from doing it. Paul considers it the ultimate reward to preach the gospel free of charge, because after all this is the essence of the gospel. The gospel is the Good News that God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, into the world not to condemn it but to save it. The gospel is that though you and I are sinners deserving of death, we have received the free gift of eternal life through what Jesus did on the cross. 

Christianity is the only religion based on grace. Every other religion is based on works. You have do something to get something from God. Christianity is based not on works but faith in the One who created us, redeemed us, and has given each one of our a purpose to bring in God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. 

We may not ever be faced with the same decision Paul faced – to accept or deny support for the good of the gospel. But we each have a critical question to answer: what rights are you willing to sacrifice for the cause of Jesus? - Guzik

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Though Paul has freedom in Christ, he is willing to give up his rights to serve as many as possible to win as many possible. Paul was "sold out - the whole route". All of his personal rights were not as important as his right to share the gospel of Christ with as many people as possible. Therefore, Paul's philosophy was that he would do whatever it would take to earn the right to preach the gospel to someone. 

To those were enslaved to the Jewish law, he became as one under the law. Meaning he kept some of the rituals and obligations like going to the annual festivals and obeying what the Law said to do though he knew he did not need to do it. He was justified by faith not obedience to the Law. To the weak (those who had weak consciences) he became like them so that he might be able to save them through their faith in Christ. 

Paul does all of this for the sake of the gospel, so that he might share in its blessing. It is a blessing in his current life by giving him a purpose way bigger than himself. He is doing something that will produce eternal dividends. We can never out give God. For everything we give up for the sake of the gospel, God multiplies our blessings many times over. 

When I was called into the ministry when I was 27, I have been on a glorious journey to this day where I turn 60 in September. I have seen God do so many miracles, change so many lives, and I have never looked back. There is not one day of my life where I have doubted my choice to be a minister of the gospel. I am the luckiest man alive to be able to share the greatest news the world has ever been given. God has been so faithful to me and always provided for me every day and every night. 

Unfortunately many people have not believed in the gospel of Jesus, so there is so much more work to do. And God does not just use full time ministers to preach the gospel, but every one of you is called to preach the gospel and share Christ with the world you live in. We are all called to be prepared to give an answer for the hope we have in Christ. (See 1 Peter 3:15)

The Need for Self-Discipline

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Paul closes the analogy of a runner for the purpose of illustrating the urgency of preaching the gospel. This is analogy from the Isthmian games, similar to our modern day Olympics, where races were in the center of the competition. The same preparation and training a runner needed to win the race is the same kind of training Christians need to win the heavenly prize Jesus has called us to. In the same way a boxer beats his body into submission to win the match, Paul trains his body to preach the gospel. 

Don't you love the passion with which Paul sees his calling to preach the gospel! Where is your passion in this life? Has God given you a passion to be a part of the greatest revolution in history, the Jesus revolution. Though it seems like the world is going to "hell in a handbasket", God's plan to save the world will still prevail. The only question is will you be a part of its playing out. 

As the scriptures say,

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send his workers into the field". 

The harvest is as ripe today as ever, but God just needs workers. God needs you!