July 22, 2020
Over the next 16 days we will be reading through the book of 1 Corinthians together. The church in Corinth was an absolute mess! They were plagued by serious issues of arrogance, division, sexual immorality, and confusion concerning doctrine as well as the particulars of their moral living under the gospel. This church needed a wake-up call, a call to repentance and purity, to renewed devotion to Christ, to love and unity, and to zeal for the gospel. The church has changed little over the last 2,000 years, but praise God that there is abundant grace for the mess! Each of us needs this same call to humility faithfulness, unity, and fervor today as much as they needed it then. Let’s heed this call which God gave the church at Corinth through the apostle Paul and let it shape the way we live as Christ’s body!
In this chapter Paul presents himself as an example of the sort of self-sacrifice and others-centered living that he called the Corinthians to in the previous chapter. Paul reminds the Corinthians how he has laid aside his own rights to a wife, to eating and drinking as he pleases, to receiving financial compensation for his apostolic ministry rather than having to work for a living, along with many others. Paul laid all of these things that were rightfully his, he says, in order that he would present no hindrance whatsoever to the advancement of the gospel through him!
Paul’s singular focus in life was the advancement of the gospel, the establishment of God’s Kingdom on earth and the spiritual upbuilding of the churches, and this singular focus led him to willingly give up many things that he had a fully legitimate claim to as his rights. He refused to do anything that would present a barrier to the gospel moving forward in the lives and hearts of other people. It is an example of the Christlike, selfless, others-centered living that we are called to as Christ’s body.
Many of us approach our lives with a consumer mindset, looking only to what we can receive, what we can get out of it. Paul commands a very different way here: our focus must be, as his was, to see the gospel advance and to see others built up spiritually. What would the church look like if, instead of clinging to the things we deign our “rights”, we looked for ways that we could give up these rights so that others might come to know Jesus or to see Him more clearly?
1 Corinthians 9
Paul Surrenders His Rights
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to eat and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?
8 Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same?9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?
Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship. 18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.
19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Family Discussion Question:
- Why do we have such a hard time with this? How can we be people this week who look for ways to love sacrificially, who are on the lookout for ways we can lay aside our rights for the spiritual good of others?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Since my early childhood I have liked to “search for hidden treasures”…a penny, a pretty rock. This has carried on into my adult life. I find it so interesting to look at the world around me and see so many little things that go overlooked by many. If we keep our eyes focused off of ourselves, we will see needs that we can meet… a smile, a helping hand, any way we can help our fellow man. Sometimes it’s just the little things that mean so much. Help us dear LORD to search for ways that we can be of service to others. These little nuggets will become treasures we can store up in heaven. Thank You for showering us with so many blessings. “Make me a shower of blessings today”. In Jesus’ name, Amen .
Lord, let me run the race in a way that I may win.
Lord, help me be aware of my blind spots, be disciplined and on guard so that I am not disqualified from your call to serve the body of Christ with the gospel.
Thank you, Lord Jesus for your perfect example. Help us to love like we want to be loved, and serve as we want to be served. Focus our eyes on You, Lord!!! Thank You for Your life changing, unconditional love!!! Help us to pass it on to others.
AMEN and HALLELUJAh!!! I want unconditional love so that I may show unconditional love. I want to focus on you and you alone. I want to read the word to know you better. Please Lord help me to be the kind of person you want me to be in your eyes. Please keep me focused on what I need to do as a Christian. I ask this in Jesus Christ name Amen
It’s easy to say, “Be a servant” but without the Holy Spirit as our Helper it is impossible as our flesh is weak. We all fight the flesh so Lord help me be a servant and stop thinking others owe me something for “my service, my help, my love, etc.”. Amen
Father, help me understand that we are in a marathon, not a sprint. May I always be focused on serving others in your name and through your power. May I not veer off the narrow path. Along the path today, may we, together, find one more for our son, Jesus. Amen
Father, thank you for your word. I pray that after all said and done, I will hear ” well-done my child, you have run the race and you have won the prize”. Eternal life?. Father, cleanse me and use me to bring Glory and honor to your holy name. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!
Amen!
“Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” Sadly, many people regularly attend church and never hear the gospel preached. I wish that every pastor could feel the same way as Paul.