Lesson for July 3, 2022
The Book of I Corinthians
Chapter 9:1-15
Freedom
Verses 1-12
“Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” God is not concerned about oxen, is He? Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.”
Paul had spiritual freedom in Christ and liberty as a believer operating under the principle of grace. He was not only an apostle, but he was without question the greatest of all the apostles. Paul had liberty to eat any meat and drink the beverage of his choice, to marry a believing woman, and to receive wages for his ministry. However, we will see the application of the Law of Supreme Sacrifice in his life and the lives of other apostles who served with him. The gift of apostleship was a gift given by the Holy Spirit for spiritual leadership and authority in the early church before the Canon of Scripture was completed. When the Canon of Scripture was completed in 96 A.D., the gift of apostleship was removed, and there was no longer a need for direct revelation from God. All revelation from God is now contained in the Word of God. Paul had evangelized the Corinthian believers, organized them into a local church, and taught them accurate doctrine.
If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. The word “others” refers to believers who were criticizing Paul and his message of grace because they had come under the influence of the Judaizers. When believers understand and apply grace, they are set free from any form of legalism, which in the case of some Corinthians was keeping the Mosaic Law for spirituality. Even though others were attempting to discredit Paul, he certainly demonstrated his apostleship with these believers, time and again. He was the one who had led most of them to Christ, had established a doctrinal church and demonstrated his spiritual gift in their presence by teaching sound, accurate Bible doctrine. These believers were “proof” (seal) of his apostleship.
My defense to those who examine me is this. Paul was dealing with those who had become his critics. A segment of believers in the Corinthian church who were critical of Paul, were influencing the rest of the congregation to ignore the doctrine of grace and keep the Mosaic Law. So, the legalists began attacking Paul in any area they could conjure up.
Do we not have a right to eat and drink? Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas? Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? First, the critics said there was something wrong with Paul because he ate meat from the pagan temple. Second, they said he was not married. Third, they said he refused to take any money from them when he was in Corinth. It was an attack on Paul’s liberty in Christ and therefore on grace. Eating is normal! Having a wife is normal! Being paid for your labor is normal! The Corinthians were criticizing Paul because he was abstaining from things that he had the liberty to do.
Or do only Barnabas and I not have a right to refrain from working? Apparently, at this time within the framework of the church, the pastors were receiving salaries. Barnabas and Paul had decided not to receive payment for their services to the church. They were the only two exceptions to the rule. The other apostles and pastors were receiving salaries. Paul and Barnabas were operating under the Law of Supreme Sacrifice. They had the biblical right to be paid by the churches for their ministry but had decided not to do so at Corinth. Paul used three illustrations to show that when a person works, they have the right to get paid (even ministers).
Who at any time serves as a soldier at his own expense? The principle is that the soldier has to be paid and has a right to wages. Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Agricultural life is the second illustration and the farm worker who participates in the work has the right to receive wages. This indicates how he was paid. At the time of the harvest, he received his wages. Or who tends a flock and does not use the milk of the flock? This indicates that the shepherd received part of his wages from the milk of the flock. If this is true in the realm of human production, Paul pointed out that it is much more so for ministers for their spiritual production. Spiritual production has just as much right, if not more, to receive wages than human/physical production.
In the case of ministers who do not require financial support, their “payment” is the spiritual growth of those believers they teach. Therefore, coming to church, concentrating, and learning doctrine, and applying that doctrine to their lives is all the “payment” that is needed. The greatest reward a pastor has is when he sees that his efforts to study and teach accurate Bible doctrine are working in the lives of others.
I am not speaking these things according to human judgment, am I? Or does not the Law also say these things? For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle the ox while he is threshing.” Paul quoted Deuteronomy 25:4 as a proof text. Believers always have an absolute norm, standard – a criterion from God so that there should never be a doubt as to what is the correct procedure, what is right, what is wrong, what is commanded, and what is not commanded. We have an absolute norm and standard to live by.
God is not concerned about oxen, is He? This is a principle that is as old as time. Yes, God takes care of the ox. If God takes care of the animals, then obviously it is His intention to take care of people who have authority in spiritual things. The one who did the work in the mill had a right to be paid, and the ox treading out the corn was never muzzled because he received his payment by eating corn as he moved along. The principle is so obvious. If you pay an ox for his services, much more the one in “the pulpit.” If he doesn’t require monetary payment, pay him with your faithfulness.
Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written, because the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. Plowing in hope means anticipation of wages. In other words, those who work have a right to expect wages. This is also true in the spiritual realm. A pastor who ministers in spiritual things has the right to be paid.
If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? Paul’s liberty to participate in getting paid is given. Paul was recognizing the reality of his own ministry to the Corinthians. It is the responsibility of the pastor to teach doctrine, this is sowing. Unless the pastor is dependent on the church for his livelihood (reaping material things), his reaping is the spiritual growth that he observes.
When the seed is planted by the pastor in the form of accurate Bible doctrine, then divine production (the harvest) is the result. The congregation shares in the spiritual things given them by the pastor. The pastor shares in the congregation’s material things in appreciation. Paul had liberty and the right to participate in the principle on the basis of providing for them a spiritual service.
If others share the right over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we did not use this right, but we endure all things so that we will cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ. Though Paul had every biblical right to expect to be supported financially by the local church, he didn’t take money from them. Instead, Paul (and Barnabas) used the Law of Expediency and the Law of Supreme Sacrifice. Paul received money from various churches to travel and establish other churches, but not from the church in Corinth. He refused money from that church so that his motives would never be questioned and that it would be understood that Christ was the issue in evangelism and teaching doctrine. Success in the field of evangelism meant the formation of a church in Corinth and some accused Paul of doing it for the sake of money, but the criticism was destroyed because Paul refused a monetary offering. Taking money from the Corinthians at the time the church was formed would have hindered the cause of the Gospel, so he refrained.
Verses 13-15
“Do you not know that those who perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share from the altar? So, also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel. But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one.”
The temple most likely refers to the pagan temple, but it was also true of the Jewish temple. The pagan priests and the Levitical priests ate the food that was sacrificed as payment for their services. It was part of their “wages.” Evangelists, pastors, apostles, missionaries, had the same right (living from the Gospel). This was a legitimate function, and Paul had not operated under the Law of Liberty where he was free to expect payment for preaching the Gospel. And Paul was not now asking for money. Paul’s boast was in the Gospel, not being paid for his ministry which would be an empty boast. (Luke 10:7; Galatians 6:6)