A Divine Duty

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord God, open my heart to learn of Your heart, my mind to learn of Your mind, I pray.

Read 1 CORINTHIANS 9:1-18

^[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. ^[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? ^[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? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. ^[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.

Meditate

“There are too many people ready to assert their rights who are not ready to assume their responsibilities” (Vance Havner, 1901-86).

Think Further

Concerning knowledge and freedom, Paul gives a personal example. As an apostle (which certain Corinthians disputed!), he used his knowledge and freedom in such a way as to avoid being a stumbling block or burden to fellow Christians. That is why he renounced certain rights, such as eating and drinking as he pleased (8:13), being accompanied by a wife (5), or seeking the Corinthians’ material support for his ministry to them (support to which natural justice and Scripture entitled him, 4,6-14).

Paul explains his reason for refusing to seek financial help from the Corinthian Christians: he is afraid that it might hinder the Gospel if he does (12). Perhaps he has in mind the famous orators who earned big money practicing their art among the philosophy-loving Greeks, for whom presentation was more important than content. An orator’s success was measured in the fees he could command. (Our modern society is not the first to have a celebrity culture!) Paul would certainly not want to be tainted by comparison with such “stars.” By supporting himself, he could offer the Gospel free from the accusation by his enemies that he was only in it for the money.

Paul thus demonstrates that money must not be the motivating factor behind any Christian worker’s commitment to serve God full-time. Gospel ministry is a divine compulsion, not a human career choice! The privilege of being entrusted with such a ministry is already a reward in itself (17). Nevertheless, Paul makes a clear case for the responsibility of Christians to make adequate provision for the material needs of those who faithfully exercise a spiritual ministry on their behalf. It is a sad indictment of the church that this has not always been the case, perhaps particularly in the case of overseas missionaries.

Apply

Reflect on whether you could do more to provide support for God’s servants who may be in need of your help.

Closing prayer

Loving Father, it is a fine line between demanding my rights and renouncing my rights. I need Your wisdom in this matter.

Click here to sign up to receive the EXTRAs via email each quarter.

Encounter with God is published in the USA under license from Scripture Union England and Wales, Trinity House, Opal Court, Opal Drive, Fox Milne, Milton Keynes, MK15 0DF.

Yesterday’s reading

View all readings

Tomorrow’s reading