1 ¶ Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I
not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord? 2 If I be not an apostle unto others, yet
doubtless I am to you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
Paul begins to reinforce his argument regarding Christian liberty
and self-restraint by establishing his credentials. He is an apostle and free
to do what he wants in the Lord. He has seen the risen Christ. The Corinthians
became Christians through his ministry to the Gentiles.
3 ¶ Mine answer to them that do
examine me is this, 4 Have we not power
to eat and to drink? 5 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? 6 Or I only and
Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own
charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who
feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the
law the same also? 9 For it is written
in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth
out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen? 10
Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt,
this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he
that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is
it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things? 12 If others be partakers of this power
over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power;
but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 13 Do ye not know that they which minister about
holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the
altar are partakers with the altar? 14
Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel
should live of the gospel.
Paul asserts that he has the freedom and authority to eat and
drink what he wants. He has the freedom and authority to have a wife to
accompany him. He has the freedom and authority to be paid by the churches he
supports.
But, he has not used this freedom nor exercised this authority and
has suffered a great deal as a result for the purpose of not getting in the way
of the work of the gospel of Christ. Even though he had the right to expect to
have his living from the teaching of the gospel as the priests lived off of the
offerings in the temple he has not done so. He has exercised great restraint in
his ministry to serve the gospel of Christ.
Power, as a strength and authority under restraint, is an
important theme in the Bible. Jesus exercised such restraint even with His
strength and authority.
Matthew 26:47 ¶ And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the
twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the
chief priests and elders of the people.
48
Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall
kiss, that same is he: hold him fast. 49
And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him.
50 And Jesus said unto him, Friend,
wherefore art thou come? Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
51 And, behold, one of them which were
with Jesus stretched out his
hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest’s, and smote
off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto
him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword
shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my
Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
54 But how then shall the scriptures be
fulfilled, that thus it must be? 55
In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as
against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you
teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. 56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of
the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.
John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I
lay down my life, that I might take it again.18
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have
power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
Paul will come back to this idea of not doing what one is allowed
to do later in his discussion of hair length on Corinthian Christian women.
15 ¶ But I have used none of
these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done
unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make
my glorying void. 16 For though I preach
the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe
is unto me, if I preach not the gospel! 17
For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my
will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 18 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.
Here, Paul insists that he would do nothing that he is permitted
to do if he thinks doing it will impede the spread of the gospel. He is
compelled to preach the gospel as many Christians find that in certain
situations they, urged by the Holy Spirit, feel that they can do nothing else
but tell someone about Christ. Jeremiah mentions this feeling that he can do
nothing else but speak God’s word.
Jeremiah 20:9 Then I said, I will not make mention of him,
nor speak any more in his name. But his
word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was
weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.
Paul wants to be careful about not abusing his authority or his
privilege, using his liberty in a way that might be used against the gospel of
Christ.
19 ¶ For though I be free from
all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the
more. 20 And unto 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; 21 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. 22 To the
weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men,
that I might by all means save some. 23
And this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker thereof
with you.
Paul has not held himself up to be a superior being to those to
whom he witnesses. He will not attack Gentiles so that he may win them. Notice
two proofs of that. One, regarding the Gentiles is his behavior in Athens.
Acts 17:16 ¶ Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his
spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the
synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily
with them that met with him. 18 Then
certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him.
And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a
setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the
resurrection. 19 And they took him, and
brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof
thou speakest, is? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to
our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which
were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear
some new thing.)
22 ¶ Then Paul stood in the midst
of Mars’ hill, and said, Ye men
of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your
devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom
therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things
therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples
made with hands; 25 Neither is
worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to
all life, and breath, and all things; 26
And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face
of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of
their habitation; 27 That they should
seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be
not far from every one of us: 28 For in
him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets
have said, For we are also his offspring. 29
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not
to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art
and man’s device. 30 And the times of
this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in
the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
32 ¶ And when they heard of the
resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again
of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and
believed: among the which was
Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
Notice the difference here in how Paul dealt with Gentile
non-believers and how the modern fundamentalist deals with variant religious
and philosophical beliefs. Instead of screaming at them he reasoned with them,
even quoting their own poets, using their words to make his point.
Regarding the Jews Paul was rather conflicted. Saying that his
ministry was to the Gentiles and that he would no longer go to the Jews he bore
a heavy burden for his people and went after them often. This resulted in some
rather negative outcomes that would take too long to discuss here. Still, Paul
has a heart for those who did not know the Lord who created them and wants very
much to win them. For this he exercises restraint over that liberty he has in
Christ. His desire is to be a diplomat for Christ, an ambassador, and a
faithful representative.
Ephesians 6:20 For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought
to speak.
24 ¶ Know ye not that they which
run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 And every man that striveth for the
mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a
corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 26
I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that
beateth the air: 27 But I keep under my
body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
Finally, Paul points out how an athlete has to bring himself under
discipline, governing his body, if he wants to win a contest. Paul himself,
showing the limit of the typology of comparing a Christian to an athlete, shows
that he is not running for a temporal crown, is not shadow-boxing. He is running
toward a finish line where all eternity awaits. He is in a real fight. Paul
uses sports analogies like this elsewhere.
Galatians 2:2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated
unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them
which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in
vain.
Galatians 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Philippians 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may
rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin
which doth so easily beset us,
and let us run with patience the
race that is set before us,
A Christian has to be disciplined to keep their body under control
as a successful athlete must do. More is at stake than whether or not a crown
is won. There is a testimony to be seen by the world. Now, Paul will give the
conclusion of this argument on Christian liberty and self-restraint.
No comments:
Post a Comment