Friday, May 13, 2016
1 Corinthians 9 ~ B. The Problems of the Unmarried ~ The Principles Illustrated
1 Corinthians 9 NLT
1 Am I not as free as anyone else? Am I
not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord with my own eyes? Isn’t it
because of my work that you belong to the Lord?
2 Even if others think I am not an
apostle, I certainly am to you. You yourselves are proof that I am the Lord’s
apostle.
3 This is my answer to those who question
my authority.
4 Don’t we have the right to live in your
homes and share your meals?
5 Don’t we have the right to bring a
believing wife with us as the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers do, and as
Peter does?
6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have to
work to support ourselves?
7 What soldier has to pay his own
expenses? What farmer plants a vineyard and doesn’t have the right to eat some
of its fruit? What shepherd cares for a flock of sheep and isn’t allowed to
drink some of the milk?
8 Am I expressing merely a human opinion,
or does the law say the same thing?
9 For the law of Moses says, “You must not
muzzle an ox to keep it from eating as it treads out the grain.” Was God
thinking only about oxen when he said this?
10Wasn’t he actually speaking to us? Yes, it was
written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain
might both expect a share of the harvest.
11 Since we have planted spiritual seed
among you, aren’t we entitled to a harvest of physical food and drink?
12 If you support others who preach to you,
shouldn’t we have an even greater right to be supported? But we have never used
this right. We would rather put up with anything than be an obstacle to the
Good News about Christ.
13 Don’t you realize that those who work in
the temple get their meals from the offerings brought to the temple? And those
who serve at the altar get a share of the sacrificial offerings.
14 In the same way, the Lord ordered that
those who preach the Good News should be supported by those who benefit from
it.
15 Yet I have never used any of these
rights. And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now. In fact,
I would rather die than lose my right to boast about preaching without
charge.
16 Yet preaching the Good News is not
something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for
me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
17 If I were doing this on my own
initiative, I would deserve payment. But I have no choice, for God has given me
this sacred trust.
18 What then is my pay? It is the
opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That’s why I never
demand my rights when I preach the Good News.
19 Even though I am a free man with no
master, I have become a slave to all people to bring many to Christ.
20 When I was with the Jews, I lived like a
Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish
law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did
this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.
21 When I am with the Gentiles who do not
follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to
Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.
22 When I am with those who are weak, I
share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to
find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.
23 I do everything to spread the Good News
and share in its blessings.
24 Don’t you realize that in a race
everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!
25 All athletes are disciplined in their
training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an
eternal prize.
26 So I run with purpose in every step. I
am not just shadowboxing.
27 I discipline my body like an athlete,
training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to
others I myself might be disqualified.
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