My defense to those
who examined me is this:
do we have no right
to eat and drink?
Do we have no right
to take along a believing wife,
as do also the other
apostles, the brothers of the Lord,
and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have
no right to refrain
from working? Who ever goes to war
at his own
expense?
Who plants a vineyard
and does not eat of the fruit?
Or who attends a
flock and does not drink
of the milk of the
flock. Do I say these things
as a mere man?
Or does not the law
say the same thing also?
1 Corinthians 9: 3 --
8
Some within
the Corinthian church and a great sense for condemning the apostle Paul and he had to defend his apostleship and the things that he had taught, for
he was now meeting with opposition, not from those without, but rather those
within the church. We often hear a
church splits, and often over such a minor things, things of indifference that
had now become things of difference causing men and women to oppose each other
when there was no heresy being presented.
So often, this opposition come from those who claim to be Christian but
are nothing more than of the brother and questioning that which the leaders of
the church are laboring to bring the Gospel and order to the church. Now if what is being taught is not in
contradiction to Scripture, and I say this not just using proof Scriptures, rather
Scripture and within context, and within the grammar of the Greek/Hebrew
language, then we have no right to condemn. So often those who have come
to of belief are acting out of those beliefs bringing disharmony within the
church and condemning other brothers and sisters. Paul was meeting such things and had need to write this letter to them to aid them to understand his role in their role. It is not something new for ministers to
meet with unkind returns for goodwill to a people, diligent and successful
services among the parishioners. Paul
then gives his defense and reminds them like questions that they have the same
rights that they do that is to eat what ever has not been sacrificed to idols,
and to ensure that that what he is eating or doing is not making cause for a
stumbling block. Apparently there was
some objection forwarded that was a complaint for apostles to take along a
believing wife. But notice this, it was
a believing wife, and not some wife taken from paganism that they were to have
as a wife and a companion in their ministry.
We are reminded that as Christians we are not to take a wife from
outside of Christianity rather we are to have a wife who is a Christian, a believer
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Further,
there were objections that the apostle should have some form of monetary
recompense for the work that they do and some may have not been working in
jobs, although Paul was a tentmaker:
"After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.... So, because he was of the same parade, he
stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers" (Acts
18:1; 3). Paul adds something very
important: "Who ever goes to war at
his own expense? Who plants a vineyard
and does not eat of the fruit? Or who
tends a flock that does not drink of the milk of the flock" (1 Corinthians
9:7)? Paul then pointed back to the
law written in Scripture, and this is what we ought to do it all time when we
are trying to make a decision about things we go back to rip your for God has
revealed all that we need to give his aid in understanding for what ever we do: "For it is written in the Law of
Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it threads out the grain"
(Deuteronomy 25: 4). Is it a sin God is
concerned about? Or does He say it all
together for our sakes? For our sakes,
no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in the hope, and he
who threshers in hope should be partakers of his hope" (1 Corinthians: 9
-- 10). "The hard-working farmer
must be first to partake of the crops" (2 Timothy 2:6). Paul is defending his right for compensation
for all that he had done for the Corinthian's and now they were complaining: "If we have some spiritual things for
you, and is a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over
you, are we not even more? Nevertheless
we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the Gospel of
Christ" (1 Corinthians 9: 11 -- 12).
Paul always had the Gospel as the priority for everything that he did or
taught: and this should also be true of ourselves that we put first the Gospel
and leave the consequences to God. Then
Paul as more for his defense: "Do
you not know that those who minister the holy things he of the things of the
temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the
altar? (Leviticus 6: 16, 26)? Even so the Lord has commanded that those
who preach the gospel should live from the Gospel" (1 Corinthians 9: 13 --
14). Question: are we so you see
attempting to obtain all the material things of this world that we can gather
in through hard work and other efforts that the needs of the pastor, and church
are barely met even so much that at times the bills are hard to be paid. Is this not disgrace upon Christianity? Are we so concerned about having things,
that those things are holding a higher priority, then the things of our church
whereby they Gospel is being preached, and efforts are being made to bring the
Gospel and philanthropic efforts to those in need? Paul was addressing the Corinthian church who had the same
problems that we see in many of our churches today and with them the Christian
community. The problem? Who or what holds the priority in our
lives? Are we living temporally or are
we living eternally? Only you can
answer these questions and only I can answer the same questions. What will be the answer?
For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD
and He
ponders all his paths.
Proverbs 5:21
Keep God's commandments and live
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