Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
1 CORINTHIANS 8
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
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.
Paul’s Use of His Freedom
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.
The Need for Self-Discipline
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 forever. 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.
Application Notes
9:1 Some Corinthians were questioning Paul's authority and rights as an apostle, so Paul gave his credentials: He actually had seen and talked with the resurrected Christ, who had called him to be an apostle (see Acts 9:3-18). Such credentials make the advice he gives in this letter more persuasive. In 2 Corinthians 10-13, Paul defends his apostleship in greater detail.
9:1 Changed lives were the evidence that God was using Paul. Does your faith have an impact on others? You can be a life changer, helping others grow spiritually, if you dedicate yourself to being used by God and letting him make you effective.
9:4-17 Paul uses himself as an illustration of giving up personal rights. Paul had the right to hospitality, to be married, and to be paid for his work. But he willingly gave up these rights to make sure these were not obstacles to winning people to Christ. When you focus on living for Christ, your rights become comparatively unimportant.
9:4-10 Jesus said that workers deserve their wages (Luke 10:7). Paul echoes this thought and urges the church to be sure to compensate its workers. We have the responsibility to care for our pastors, teachers, and other spiritual leaders. We have the duty to see that those who serve us in ministry are fairly and adequately paid. When the annual budget of your church comes up for review, support proper salaries for your ministers and staff.
9:5 The brothers of Jesus attained positions of leadership in the church in Jerusalem. James, for example, led the way to an agreement at the Jerusalem council (Acts 15) and wrote the book of James.
9:13-15 As part of their pay, priests in the temple would receive a portion of the offerings as their food (see Numbers 18:8-24). These verses concerning Paul's rights and the church's responsibility have a two-part challenge for the church today: (1) The church must support its workers in a generous and equitable way. That is the church's responsibility. The church should research pay scales and benefits, examine the standard of living in the community, and then do what is right and fair. (2) Ministry workers must not let their attitude about pay and benefits hinder the gospel. It is too easy for the desire for more pay to enter a person's mind and distract him or her from serving. Ministers need Paul's attitude: a willingness not to demand their rights if doing so would hinder the gospel.
9:16 Preaching the gospel was Paul's gift and calling, and he said he couldn't stop preaching even if he wanted to. Paul was driven by the desire to do what God wanted, using his gifts for God's glory. What special gifts has God given you? Are you motivated, like Paul, to honour God with them?
9:19-27 In 9:19-22, Paul asserts that he has freedom to do anything; in 9:24-27, he emphasises a life of strict discipline. The Christian life involves both freedom and discipline. The goals of Paul's life were to glorify God and bring people to Christ. Thus, he stayed free of any philosophical position or material entanglement that might sidetrack him, while he strictly disciplined himself to carry out his goal. For Paul, both freedom and discipline were important tools to be used in God's service.
9:22-23 Paul gives several important principles for ministry: (1) Find common ground with those you contact, (2) avoid a know-it-all attitude, (3) make people feel accepted, (4) be sensitive to their needs and concerns, and (5) look for opportunities to tell them about Christ. These principles are just as valid for us as they were for Paul.
9:24-27 Winning a race requires purpose and discipline. Paul uses this illustration to explain that the Christian life takes hard work, self-denial, and persistent preparation. As Christians, we are running toward our heavenly reward. The essentials of prayer, Bible study, and worship, along with numerous other spiritual disciplines, equip us to run with vigour and stamina. Don't merely observe from the grandstand; don't just turn out to jog a couple of laps each morning. Train diligently--your spiritual progress depends upon it.
9:25 Whatever happened to self-discipline? Many books and speakers guide wandering souls to self-fulfilment, self-satisfaction, and self-wareness. Not many tackle self-discipline.
Self-discipline requires an honest look at your strengths and weaknesses, with emphasis on the latter. It means building the will to say no when a powerful appetite inside you screams yes. For example, when you have self-discipline, you can (1) say no when others try to lead you away from following Jesus, (2) say no to sexual temptation, and (3) say no to laziness in favour of ·can do· and ·will do.· Self-discipline is a long, steady course in learning attitudes that do not come naturally and channelling natural appetites toward God's purposes. Where are your weak points? Pray with a friend for God's help to redirect weakness into strength.
9:27 When Paul says he might be disqualified, he does not mean that he could lose his salvation, but rather that he could lose his privilege of telling others about Christ. It is easy to tell others how to live and then not to take our own advice. We must be careful to practice what we preach.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)