College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
1 Corinthians 9 - Introduction
Butler's Comments
Chapter Nine
THE PROBLEM OF FREEDOM
IDEAS TO INVESTIGATE:
1.
Why did Paul have to write to the Corinthians about his rights?
2.
How did he defend his rights?on what basis?
3.
If Paul was so defensive about his rights, why did he not use them?
4.
Did Paul compromise Christian convictions to become all things to all men?
5.
What does self-control have to do with freedom?
APPLICATIONS:
1.
Are you free in Christ? Free to do what? Do you really feel free or do you feel bound? Is freedom ever free of all responsibility?
2.
Do you believe all Christians are obligated to give financial support to the ministers of the gospel?
3.
How much financial support do you think they should have?
4.
What do you think would be the result if all present-day preachers and missionaries decided to find employment away from their ministries in order to support themselves? Would the church survive? grow?
5.
Have you ever relinquished any conscientious right belonging to you as a Christian for the sake of a weaker brother?
6.
Would you rather die than cause a weaker brother to stumble?
7.
How far would you go in accommodating yourself to a foreign culture in order to save lost sinners? How far should you go?
8.
Could you give up celebrating Thanksgiving if it offended someone? Could you drink a glass of wine with your meal if the culture where you ministered expected it? Could you give up the use of a musical instrument in worship if it offended someone?
9.
How much self-control do you exercise in order to be faithful to Christ? In what things or areas? Are you satisfied with your self-control?
APPREHENSIONS:
1.
What is freedom?
2.
What has the word of God to do with the Christian's freedom?
3.
Should the Christian guard his freedom in Christ? How?
4.
What does the Bible say about financial support for ministers of the gospel?
5.
Did Paul's decision not to ask the Corinthian church for financial support have any bad effects? What?
6.
Is preaching the gospel more than a way to make a living? What is it?
7.
What rights would Paul have to relinquish to make his ministry effective among the Jews? among the Gentiles? did he?
8.
When Paul said he became all things to all men did he mean he could participate in anything anyone else did? What did he mean? Would you?
9.
Was Paul afraid there was a possibility that he might lose his share in salvation? Is the Christian life a serious matter? How serious?
10.
What is self-control? How does a Christian control self?
Applebury's Comments
CHAPTER NINE
Analysis
A.
Paul presents his own rights as an apostle in relation to the principle of Christian liberty (1 Corinthians 9:1-12 a).
1.
In a series of questions which require affirmative answers, he presents his rights as a Christian and as an apostle (1-3).
a)
He asks the question about his rights as a Christian: I am free, am I not? That is, free to abstain from food that might cause a brother to stumble.
b)
He asks questions that show his right as an apostle:
(1)
I am an apostle, am I not? The questions that follow prove that he was.
(2)
I have seen our Lord Jesus, have I not?
(3)
You are my work in the Lord, are you not?
c)
He shows why the Corinthians cannot deny that he is an apostle.
(1)
Others might deny it.
(2)
The Corinthians cannot for they are his converts and the seal of his apostleship in the Lord.
(3)
This is his defense to those who question his apostleship.
2.
In another series of questions he proves his right to support while preaching the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:2-12 a).
a)
He asks questions that indicate some of his rights.
(1)
It isn-'t that we do not have a right to food and drink, is it? Negative answer is implied.
(2)
It isn-'t that we do not have a right to be accompanied by a wifea sister in Christ, that is, a Christian wifeis it? Negative answer implied.
(3)
He has this right even as the other apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas, has he not?
(4)
Or is it only Paul and Barnabas who do not have the right to be supported by their work.
b)
He raises questions that show that workers do receive support from their tasks.
(1)
The questions on the human level.
(a)
What soldier serves at his own charges?
(b)
Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof?
(c)
Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
(2)
The Scriptures say the same thing.
(a)
He indicates this by a question.
(b)
He quotes from the Law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn. See also Deuteronomy 25:4.
c)
He asks questions that show how this Scripture applies to him.
(1)
Is it for the oxen that God careth, or does He say it for our sake?
(2)
He shows why it applies to him as a gospel preacher.
(a)
He that ploweth ought to plow in hope.
(b)
He that thresheth ought to thresh in hope of partaking of the harvest.
d)
He raises questions about sharing of spiritual and carnal things.
(1)
If we sowed unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter that we reap your carnal (material) things?
(2)
If others have this right over you, do not we yet more?
B.
Paul shows why he did not make use of his right to receive support from preaching the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:12 b - 1 Corinthians 9:18).
1.
He did not use this right, but endured all things (1 Corinthians 9:12 b - 1 Corinthians 9:14).
a)
The reason he didn-'t was that he might cause no hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
b)
He adds additional proof, however, that he did have the right to support.
(1)
Know ye not that they that minister about sacred things eat of the temple?
(2)
And they that wait upon the altar have their portion with the altar?
(3)
In the same manner, the Lord ordained that they that proclaim the gospel should live of the gospel.
2.
He did not use his right, neither was he writing that it might be done in his case (1 Corinthians 9:15-18).
a)
He declares that he would rather die than let any man make his glorying void.
b)
He explains his glorying in relation to the gospel.
(1)
He did not glory over the fact of his preaching the gospel, for it was necessary for him to do so and, he adds, Woe is me if I preach not the gospel.
(2)
He could look at his preaching in two ways:
(a)
If he preached the gospel of his own will he had a reward.
(b)
If he did not do so of his own will, he had a stewardship entrusted to him.
(3)
His reward, then, was preaching the gospel without charge. In so doing, however, he was not using his right in the gospel to the full.
C.
Paul explains that his purpose in preaching the gospel is not to receive support, but to win some (1 Corinthians 9:19-27).
1.
Although he is free from all men, he made himself a slave to all that he might gain more converts to Christ (1 Corinthians 9:19-22).
a)
To the Jews, he became as a Jew to gain Jews.
b)
To them under the law, as under the law, although he was not himself under the law, that he might gain them that are under the law.
c)
To them that are without law, he was as without law; but this does not mean that he was without law to God, for he was under law to Christ. This was for the purpose of winning them that were without law.
d)
To the weak, he became weak that he might win the weak.
e)
He became all things to all men that by all means he might win some.
2.
He explains that he was doing all things for the gospel's sake (1 Corinthians 9:23-27).
a)
His purpose was that he might share in the blessings promised in the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:23).
b)
He illustrates his purpose by reference to the athletic games (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).
(1)
He reminds them that those who strive in the games exercise self control in all things.
(2)
Their goal was to receive a corruptible crown.
(3)
In contrast, the Christian's goal was an incorruptible crown.
(4)
Consequently, he was not running uncertainly (without a goal) or boxing as one who beats the air.
(5)
His aim was to conquer the body, lest after having preached to others he should be rejected.
Questions
1.
What is the relation between the subject matter of this chapter and chapter eight?
2.
What freedom was Paul claiming by his question, Am I not free?
3.
What other aspects of Christian freedom are explained in the New Testament?
4.
Why did Paul frame some of his questions in this chapter so as to suggest an affirmative answer?
5.
Why did he ask, am I not an apostle?
6.
Why did he ask, Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?
7.
What place in the preaching of the apostles did the resurrection of Jesus have?
8.
What distinction is there between the witness of Paul and the other apostles?
9.
How is the importance of the appearance of Jesus to Paul shown by Luke?
10.
How did Paul describe the appearance of Jesus to him in this letter to the Corinthians?
11.
Our text frames the questions this way: are not ye my work in the Lord? How can it be framed so as to show that an affirmative answer was suggested by Paul?
12.
Why did he ask the question?
13.
Did the Corinthians deny his apostleship?
14.
Who, in all probability, did deny it?
15.
What is the connection between the fact of Paul's apostleship and his freedom?
16.
What defense did Paul make of his apostleship in II Corinthians?
17.
Who were those whom Paul called the very chiefest apostles?
18.
Why does Paul suggest that the Corinthians couldn-'t afford to deny that he was an apostle?
19.
What did he mean when he said, You are the seal of my apostleship?
20.
To what does the expression, My defense is this refer?
21.
Why did Paul ask this question which implied a negative answer: Have we no right to eat and drink?
22.
Why did he mention his right to be accompanied on his missionary journeys by a Christian wife?
23.
How are we to understand that the words of the text mean a Christian wife?
24.
Why did he mention the rights of the rest of the apostles?
25.
What of their marital status?
26.
Why were the names of the brothers of Jesus?
27.
What suggestion does Scripture give to show that they were the children of Joseph and Mary?
28.
What was the attitude of Jesus-' brothers toward Him during His ministry?
29.
What finally convinced them that He was the Lord?
30.
Why did Paul mention Cephas in addition to the apostles?
31.
What is the history of the relation of the work of Barnabas to Paul'S?
32.
What did his question suggest as to the limitation of their rights?
33.
What examples form everyday life did Paul present to support his view that he had a right to receive support from his preaching the gospel?
34.
What evidence did he present from Scripture to prove the same thing?
35.
What did he mean by sowing spiritual things and reaping carnal things?
36.
In what sense did he use carnal things in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3?
37.
To whom did he refer by the statement If others partake of this right over you?
38.
Why did he mention them?
39.
How was Paul supported at Corinth?
40.
Is tentmaking to be desired as a means of supporting the minister?
41.
Why, then, did Paul resort to it?
42.
What are the two additional arguments which Paul presented to prove his right to receive support?
43.
Why was it necessary to mention them?
44.
How did the sons of Eli abuse the law regarding the priest's portion of the sacrifice?
45.
Where is the order of the Lord concerning support of the gospel worker found?
46.
What else did Paul say about it?
47.
What is the history of the teaching of the Bible on the matter of tithing?
48.
What are some of the principles regulating Christian giving?
49.
If we assume that tithing is not presented as a command in the New Testament, can we safely use this as an excuse for giving less to the support of the Lord's work?
50.
Why was it necessary for Paul to say that he was not writing that he might receive support?
51.
How deeply did Paul feel on the matter of preaching the gospel without charge?
52.
Why was he determined to do it this way?
53.
What did he mean by saying, necessity is laid upon me?
54.
Why did he say, Woe is me if I preach not the gospel?
55.
What was his reward in preaching as he did?
56.
In what sense was he under bondage to all?
57.
How did he use his Jewish background to gain Jews?
58.
What limit did he place on the matter of compliance with Jewish customs?
59.
How is this illustrated by the cases of Timothy and Titus?
60.
As a Christian, what law was Paul under?
61.
Since he was a Jew, how did he approach Gentiles?
62.
How did he approach those who were weak?
63.
What was his two-fold concern in preaching the gospel?
64.
What lesson did he teach from the figure of the race?
65.
Where are the rules of the race of life found?
66.
What kind of crown is the Christian to strive for?
67.
How is it described?
68.
What was Paul's attitude toward running the race of life?
69.
What is the goal of church activity?
70.
How did Paul show that he had assumed the role of victor in this life's struggle against sin?
71.
Why did he say, lest I myself be rejected ?
For Discussion
1.
Methods of Evangelism to make the church effective today.
2.
How can the educational program in your church be improved to make it effective in producing strong Christians.
3.
What can you do to make sure that you are living a victorious life for Christ?