The Rights of an Apostle
Study note
Paul defends his apostleship by pointing to his personal encounter with the risen Christ and the Corinthians themselves as the fruit of his work. He establishes that apostles have every right to material support: soldiers are paid, farmers eat from their crops, and shepherds drink from their flocks. Moses' law about not muzzling the ox supports this principle, and temple priests share in the altar's offerings. The Lord himself commanded that gospel workers should earn their living from the gospel.
1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Are you not living proof of the work I did for the Lord? 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 Even if other people question whether I am an apostle, you cannot. You are the very proof of my calling in the Lord. 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.
3 I say to you: to anyone who questions me: Mine answer to them that do examine me is this,
4 Do we not have the right to be fed and given something to drink? Have we not power to eat and to drink?
5 Don't we have the right to bring along a believing wife? The other apostles do. So do the Lord's brothers and Cephas. 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 Are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to support ourselves with our own jobs? Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?
7 What soldier goes to war and pays for his own expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and never eats any of the grapes? What shepherd takes care of a flock and never drinks any of the milk? 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 Am I making a common-sense argument here? Does not God's law back this up too? Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also?
9 The law of Moses says, 'Do not put a muzzle on an ox while it is working to separate the grain.' Is God only worried about oxen? 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 Was this not written for us? It was. The person who plows and the person who harvests both work because they expect to share in the crop. 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 We planted something spiritual among you. Would it truly be too much for us to receive some material support from you? If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?
12 If other teachers have this right to your support, do we not have an even greater right? But we never used that right. We put up with everything so that nothing would get in the way of the good news about Christ. 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 You know that people who work in the temple eat food from the temple. People who serve at the altar share in what is offered on the altar. 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 In the same way, the Lord set it up so that people who spread the good news should be supported by the good news. Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.
Surrendering Rights for the Gospel
Study note
Despite having every right to financial support, Paul has used none of these rights. He would rather die than have anyone nullify his reason for boasting: offering the gospel free of charge. Preaching is not optional for him but a compulsion; woe to him if he does not preach. His reward is making the gospel available without cost. To reach as many as possible, he makes himself a servant to everyone, becoming like a Jew to Jews, like one under the law to those under the law, and like one without the law to Gentiles, while always remaining under Christ's law.
15 But I have never used any of these rights. And I am not writing this so you will start paying me now. I would honestly rather die than lose the thing I am most proud of. 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 Sharing the good news is not something I can brag about. I have no choice -- it is what I am compelled to do. If I stopped sharing the good news, I would be in serious trouble. 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 If I did this job because I chose it, I would deserve a paycheck. But even if I did not choose it, I have still been given this responsibility. 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 So what is my reward? It is the satisfaction of sharing the good news completely free of charge, without taking advantage of any of the rights that come with preaching. 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.
19 Nobody owns me, and I am free from everyone. But I have chosen to serve everyone, so I can reach as many people as possible. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 When I am with Jewish people, I live like a Jewish person, so I can reach Jewish people. When I am with people who follow the law, I act like someone under the law, even though I am not under it myself, so I can reach them. 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 When I am with people who live outside the law, I fit in with them -- though I am never outside of God's law, since I follow Christ's law. I do this to reach people outside the law. 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 When I am with people who are weak, I become weak right alongside them, so I can reach them. I have learned to become whatever I need to become for whoever I am with, so that by any means at all I might save some. 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 Everything I do is for the sake of the good news, so that I get to share in its blessings. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
The Discipline of an Athlete
Study note
Paul uses the vivid imagery of athletic competition in the Isthmian Games, held near Corinth, to illustrate the Christian life. Just as runners compete to win and athletes exercise strict self-discipline, believers should pursue their calling with purposeful intensity. The difference is that earthly athletes compete for a wreath that fades, while believers run for an eternal, imperishable crown. Paul disciplines his own body to ensure that after preaching to others, he himself is not disqualified.
24 You know how it works in a race: all the runners run, but only one crosses the finish line first and wins the prize. Run your race like you are going for the win. Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.
25 Athletes put themselves through intense training, and all they get is a trophy that falls apart. But the prize we are going for will last forever. 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 Therefore I do not run around aimlessly. I do not swing my fists at nothing like a boxer fighting the air. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:
27 I push my body hard and make it do what I say. Otherwise, after telling everyone else how to run the race, I might end up disqualified myself. 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.