1 Cor 9 – Studies

For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each chapter is divided into a number of studies and each study or passage has a simple four-Part, verse-by-verse approach, to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Passage: 1 Cor 9:1-6

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 defence 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?

A. Find Out:

1. What 4 questions does Paul first ask? v.1
2. What was he to them and why? v.2
3. What was he putting forward? v.3
4. What rights did he say they had? v.4,5
5. What were he and Barnabus doing? v.6

B. Think:

1. What does Paul first seem to be seeking to establish?
2. Then what does he seek to claim?
3. What do you think had been happening to make him write like this?

C. Comment:

Having just spoken about freedom in eating, Paul now moves on to freedom in being an apostle. It would appear that some had been criticising him (perhaps part of the same debate over disunity and preferring one leader against another). In this passage he seeks to very simply explain his role and then his rights.

His role first. He is an apostle, a sent one who has been a witness to the Lord Jesus Christ. You are one, not only by name but because you have done what an apostle does: he had established new churches, he had established them, they were the work of his ministry. Their very existence proved his gifting.

Then comes his rights. Perhaps some had been complaining that he didn’t work for his living. Previously he had worked as a tentmaker, but when Silas and Timothy had arrived in Corinth, he gave himself completely over to the ministry (see Acts 18:3-5). Hold on, he says, haven’t I the same rights as all the other apostles, to have our food and drink provided by the flock (so we can get on with ministry), and shouldn’t we be allowed some family life, just like the other apostles and Peter? Why should we be different?

D. Application:

1. The work of the ministry is far more demanding that most people realise. We need to provide for and honour ministers.
2. Ministers need to be released from financial worries and allowed space for family time. The church is often not good at this.

Passage: 1 Cor 9:7-12

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 ploughs 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.

A. Find Out:

1. What 3 illustrations does Paul now give? v.7
2. What does he use to reinforce what he is saying? v.8
3. What did that say? v.9
4. For whose benefit was that written and why? v.10
5. How does he apply it to the present? v.11
6. How again does he reinforce that? v.12

B. Think:

1. What point did Paul’s three illustrations make?
2. How did the Lord confirm that?
3. So how did Paul apply that and how should we apply it?

C. Comment:

The inference behind all we have been reading is that Paul had received some critical comment about not working. In the previous reading he started to address this, and now he goes right into it.

First, his three examples. You expect a soldier to get paid, you expect a vineyard to produce fruit for the owner, you expect flocks to be able to give you milk. In other words, the worker should expect to get something for his service from his area of service.

Second, the law. The principle was, let an ox eat as it threshes the wheat (it would walk around in the grain while the husks were being knocked off). This principle, says Paul, doesn’t only apply to animals, it also applies to people, who ought to be able to share in the harvest that they help to produce.

So when you apply this, he continues, to the work of the Gospel, the preacher of the Gospel ought to be able to benefit materially from the spiritual fruit that he brings forth. In other words, ensure you pay and provide for those who minister the gospel among you. It is right that those who have given their lives to minister the Gospel are provided for materially by the flock. In most cases, in so much of our institutional religion today, that isn’t so. Shame on us.

D. Application:

1. The worker should be able to benefit from what he does.
2. The minister of the Gospel should, similarly, benefit from his service.

Passage: 1 Cor 9 :12-18

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.

A. Find Out:

1. What 2 things did Paul say about the right of support? v.12
2. What 2 examples did he then give? v.13
3. What has the Lord commanded? v.14
4. Yet what is Paul able to say? v.15
5. What does he say about his preaching the Gospel? v.16,17
6. What does he say is his reward? v.18

B. Think:

1. What right was Paul emphasizing in this passage?
2. How had he not claimed that right?
3. Why?

C. Comment:

At this point we particularly need to remember Paul’s objective. The Corinthians had claimed that because they were who they were they had the right to do what they liked and therefore eat meat offered to idols. Paul answered this by first of all saying that not all things were helpful for the sake of weaker Christians, and second, that his life is an example of one who gave up his “rights”. Today’s passage emphasises Paul’s “I don’t claim my rights”.

He has been making the point that as an apostle he has the right of support. He continues that now comparing himself to those who serve in the temple or at the altar who were entitled to share in the offerings. The Lord has instructed that Gospel preachers be supported but he, Paul, was not claiming that right. For him, preaching the Gospel was both a privilege and a duty. It was simply part of his life and as such he would rather be able to boast that he did it freely without making claims on his converts.

Remember, in all this, Paul is both supporting his teaching that as Christians we don’t have to claim all our rights in respect of freedom of behaviour, and defending himself over his own means of support.

D. Application:

1. Paul obtained his support sometimes from tent making and sometimes from that provided by his converts.
2. The Lord’s instruction is to provide to ministers of the Gospel.

Passage: 1 Cor 9:19-23

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

A. Find Out:

1. How did Paul regard himself and why? v.19
2. How did he do this with Jews? v.20
3. How did he do it with non-Jews? v.21
4. How did he do it with the weak? v.22a
5. What overall principle did he operate by? v.22b
6. Why was he doing it? v.23

B. Think:

1. In your own words, what is Paul saying in this passage?
2. How does that link with 8:9-13?
3. How does today’s passage follow on from yesterday’s?

C. Comment:

Remember Paul has been talking about respecting the weaknesses of conscience in other Christians (ch.8) and how he was free yet didn’t claim his rights (earlier ch.9). You remember that this all runs on from answering their questions about eating food previously linked with idols, yet surely the underlying message that Paul is conveying must also impinge on that whole subject of unity he spoke about earlier in the letter.

His point that he makes now is that he gave up all rights to himself to be a blessing to others for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with them. If various personal characteristics or opinions hindered the person he was before, then he simply put those things aside and sought to become like them. When he was with Jews, he followed their religious practices obeying the law, yet not being under it himself. When he came across those weak in conscience, he conformed to their outlook and would not make them stumble.

Did Jesus not become a man to bring God’s love to men? This is similarly what Paul is doing. What an example to us. Don’t parade anything, is what he is saying really, that becomes a stumbling block to others receiving God’s love through you. Identify with them, be received by them, and then share it.

D. Application:

1. How often do we consider the feelings of those we share with?
2. Are we willing to lay aside our opinions for a while, to reach them?

Passage: 1 Cor 9:24-27

24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last for ever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

A. Find Out:

1. What should we know and therefore do? v.24
2. What do those who go into games do and why? v.25a,b
3. How do we differ? v.25c
4. How didn’t Paul run or fight? v.26
5. How did Paul train? v.27a
6. For what reason? v.27b

B. Think:

1. What personal characteristics describe the life Paul is speaking about?
2. Why does he encourage us to be like this?
3. How does this follow on from all before it?

C. Comment:

Paul has been speaking about how he has given up his various freedoms to win people for Christ. In this passage he declares, even more, his seriousness in doing that. He uses well known illustrations: a runner, someone competing in the games, a boxer. The runner goes all out to win, nothing less is satisfactory, that’s why you run. The athlete goes into strict training – to win! Now if natural athletes should do that to win temporary glory, how much more should we to win the glory of heaven. So, he says, I’m not aimless, I don’t just strike out in the air hoping I might hit something. No, I really go for it and take control of my body so that there is no chance that after I have encouraged others to go for Christ, I’m found to be drifting myself.

It’s a powerful message: go all out for the Christian faith and in your service for Christ. Train hard, serve hard, go for it! What sort of things in our lives work against this teaching: apathy, indifference, wanting just peace, quiet and personal comfort, inability to persevere, willingness to compromise, fear of others.

In all of these recent readings the message is the same: don’t claim your own rights as a free person, but give yourself over totally to being a blessing to Christ and to others for the Gospel.

D. Application:

1. Christian service means training and perseverance. Go for it!
2. Christian training means being single minded. Go for it!