Now Paul expands on what we read yesterday about enjoying our freedoms while always focusing on others. The point of his discussion in Chapter 9 is that he has numerous "rights" that he does not claim, because of his love for the Corinthian church and his love for Christ and Christ's message. I hope you can hear the passion in his voice as he speaks these words!
1 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. Here he reminds them that he is free and does indeed have rights. He is also an apostle, which was being questioned at the time, but the proof is is that he has seen the Lord Jesus, which was true of the other apostles. He also adds that his ministry has produced significant fruit (the Corinthians) which should confirm that the Lord is using him. All of this proof of identity then gives him the "right" to say what comes next.
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? Here Paul uses himself as an illustration for giving up personal rights. Paul had the right to receiving food and drink (from the members of the Church because he works for the Church); he had the right to be married if he wanted (Peter had a wife according to Mark 1:30 -- learned something new there); and he had the right to be paid for his work (probably through the tithes of the Church). He had the right to all of these major things: food, marriage, and money. But as you'll see, he chooses to not claim these rights so that his focus could be one thing: The Gospel.
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.” 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? Here Paul gives examples that echo what Jesus taught that workers should earn their wages (Luke 10:7). Just as soldiers, farmers, and shepherds all reaped some of the benefits of their job, food, drink, and wages, so should people who work for the Church. We, my friends, do have this responsibility to care for our pastors, teachers, and spiritual leaders and see that they are fairly and adequately compensated. One way to be a part of this is to tithe regularly to your church.
But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. Though it was Paul's right to ask for all of these things, he would rather be hungry, single, and poor than do anything that might distract from his message, The Gospel. Wow.
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. And here he says it plainly. He uses an example that all the people would know from their knowledge of the Old Testament and from the pagan temples of the day. In the same way, those who spread The Message, must be supported by those who believe The Message. We may not be "the preachers" but we are their providers. We all have a part to play in getting the message of Christ to the world, even if our part is financially.
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. And now, after he's made quite an argument for how he is not getting what he technically deserves, he still decides to release his rights, so that he may preach the gospel freely. He's still not trying to get anything out of anyone, because he'd rather die that give anyone reason to discredit his motives or tarnish his character. He may not be getting any money out of this calling, but his reward is the pleasure of getting to proclaim the Gospel at no cost to the people.
Can you believe that?! Think of all that he has given up in order to serve the Lord unrestrained. I am left quite speechless. And yet, God has still provided him what he's needed, hasn't He?
After recently stepping away from the season of Lent, I wonder if maybe you discovered that in giving up our rights and desires, we are actually given the opportunity to draw closer to God. Paul is not complaining here, but he is challenging us. God does provide all we need, and more than anything we need more of Him. We are free to release whatever "rights" we feel we have or want, because God has so much more in store for us than merely receiving our "rights".
What rights can you step away from today? You're not being weak when you step away with intention. So step away from your rights, and step closer to Christ.
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