SAYING ‘NO’, THAT OTHERS MAY SAY ‘YES’ – 1 Corinthians 9:1-18

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on February 24, 2019 under 2019 |

Bethany Bible Church Sunday Message; February 24, 2019 from 1 Corinthians 9:1-18

Theme: We should refrain from exercising our rights if doing so opens the way for others to receive Christ.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

We live in a time in which people are very concerned about their rights. This morning’s passage of Scripture should be important to us, then; because it is about our rights and privileges and freedoms as followers of Jesus.

But it’s not just about making use of our rights. Rather, it’s about how to use those rights in a godly way. Or better still, it’s about when it may be best to refrain from using those rights so that, instead, we can love and serve others in Christ.

This passage is found in 1 Corinthians 9:1-18—where Paul is writing to the believers in the ancient city of Corinth. And the best way to begin this morning is by simply reading through this passage together. As I read it to you, please pay attention to the way that Paul first defines what his personal rights are; but then shows how he refrains from using his rights in order to further the cause of the gospel. He wrote;

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, yet doubtless I am to you. For you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine 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? Whoever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends 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 also? For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it 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. Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel. But I have used none of these things, nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void. For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship. What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:1-18).

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Now; to understand what Paul says in this passage, let’s take a moment to think about the context in which it is found.

The apostle Paul had been writing to the Corinthian Christians because they were exercising their rights in a harmful way. They had great freedom because of what Jesus has done for them. And so do we. Some of these Corinthian believers felt the freedom in Christ to eat certain foods that had been offered in a pagan temple to an idol. They reasoned that, since an idol isn’t really anything anyway, there would be no harm in eating the perfectly good meat that had been sold in the temple markets. And it’s true that this was something that, under the blood of Christ, they had a complete right to do if they wished.

Other Christians however, who had a much more tender and uninformed conscience on the matter, felt that it was wrong to eat anything that had been offered in worship to a false god. They didn’t want anything to do with something that was offered to a false god. And their spirits were being wounded by their brothers and sisters who were eating this meat in front of them in an insensitive way. Sometimes, a weaker and more sensitive believer would see another more knowledgeable Christian eating this meat, and would be tempted by this to also eat when they were not really ready to do so—that is, at a time they still thought it was a wrong thing to do. As a result, they felt dirty inside because of what they had done; and their precious sanctification before their Lord was harmed.

Now; Paul made it clear to these Corinthians that there was absolutely nothing wrong with eating the meat. Those Christians who ate it and enjoyed it had the moral freedom to do so if they wished. But the problem came in because they were insensitive to their brothers and sisters in the way that they went about exercising this right—eating it in front of their weaker brother or sister and harming their consciences before God. And thus, what was their right to do had become something wrong for them to have done.

This was a very serious problem in the Corinthian church. The apostle Paul wrote about it in his letter from Chapter 8 all the way to Chapter 11. And even though we today don’t wrestle with the exact same kind of problem as they did back then, we are nevertheless being taught a larger principle in it all. We can name all kinds of contemporary ways in which this principle can be applied to us today, but the basic idea in it all is that something that is our right to do in Christ becomes wrong for us if we do it to the harm of the conscience of our fellow Christian.

Now; look with me at 1 Corinthians 8:13. All the way through Chapter 8, Paul explains this principle to the Corinthian believers; and closed-off in verse 13 with these very interesting words:

Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble (1 Corinthians 8:13).

And do you see there how Paul set himself as an example? He showed them how he was willing to refrain from enjoying what it was his legitimate right in Christ to enjoy—and all so that he could minister in love to his brother or sister in Christ instead. And that is what we find illustrated in all of Chapter 9. Throughout Chapter 9, Paul presents himself as an example in the way that he personally refrained from exercising his rights in order to minister the love of Christ to others.

Paul was not asking the Corinthians to do anything that he himself didn’t do. And all the way through this chapter, he showed them how he himself did it. And so, in our passage this morning, the Holy Spirit is teaching us—through Paul’s own example—how we should refrain from exercising our rights if doing so will open the way for others to receive Christ and grow in Him.

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I believe it helps if we look a bit deeper into the background of this passage and consider Paul’s own situation with regard to the Corinthians.

When he came and ministered to the saints in Corinth, he and his ministry colleagues had to deal with the fact that there were people who were deliberately questioning his apostolic authority. There were false teachers at work in Corinth who were passing false doctrines on to the people. They were arguing that Paul wasn’t really an authentic apostle; and that he really wasn’t very impressive a speaker either. He wasn’t ‘professionally trained’ like they were. They were trying to persuade the people that Paul wasn’t as interesting to listen to, or as formally qualified to teach, or as ‘hip’ as they were. The reality was, however, that these false teachers were motivated by personal gain—passing on false teaching for pay and for applause; and they didn’t like the competition that Paul was giving them.

You can really see this clearly by some of the things that Paul had to say in the second letter. Look at 2 Corinthians 11:5-15; where Paul wrote and said;

For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything, I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works (2 Corinthians 11:5-15).

Paul is clear: These are false teachers who are taking advantage of people. You can really feel Paul’s passion about this when, in verse 20, he told his fellow Christians in Corinth;

For you put up with it if one brings you into bondage, if one devours you, if one takes from you, if one exalts himself, if one strikes you on the face (v. 20).

The situation that Paul was in was a very serious one. And this helps us understand why he said the things he said in our passage this morning. The manner in which he and his ministry partners conducted themselves in this situation would make all the difference in whether or not the Corinthians would truly listen to him as he preached the message God gave him. And so, he had to make certain decisions that would help take away the accusations of the false teachers, and that would open up the hearts of the Corinthians to hear the message of the gospel that God sent him to preach.

And by the way; this presents a good lesson to us about our rights and liberties in Christ. We have great freedom in Christ, and we have the right to enjoy our privileges and freedoms. We should always recognize our liberty in Christ. Paul should not be thought of as trying to make some kind of ‘virtue’ or ‘rule for holiness’ out of denying ourselves our rights. But certain situations may make it necessary for us to choose not to exercise those right and liberties; and all so that we might better serve the cause of Christ in the life of someone else. As Paul put it in Titus 2:7-8;

… in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you (Titus 2:7-8).

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So; the situation that Paul was in compelled him to make some careful decisions about the exercise of his rights; and all in order to advance the cause of the gospel. And the decision that he made about this matter is what he holds up to the Corinthians as an example to follow.

Look now at our passage in 1 Corinthians 9. He began by asking them in verse 1

Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? (1 Corinthians 9:1).

In the original language, Paul actually began this verse by asking, “Am I not free?” Paul made that general statement because that was how many of these Corinthian believers were thinking of themselves. They were free to eat meat served to idols if they wanted to. Why did they have deny themselves this right just in order to accommodate the scruples of other people? But Paul reminds them that he was free too. In fact—more than that—he was an apostle sent to them by the Lord Jesus. He reminds them in verse 2 that, even if other people called his apostleship into question, at least they knew he was the real thing. The fact that he was sent to bring the gospel to them, and that he continued to teach and instruct them in a loving and sacrificial manner, should have been sufficient proof of this. All the signs of his apostleship were verified to them. As an authentic apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, he had great rights and privileges too—just as they had been claiming for themselves.

And look at what he goes on to say that he had a right to expect from them. In verses 3-6, he wrote; “My defense to those who examine me is this: Do we have no right to eat and drink?” In other words, didn’t he and his colleagues have the right to be supported for daily living and to have their meals provided for them in the work of their ministry? “Do we have no right to take along a believing wife, as do also the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas?” That is, didn’t the members of Paul’s ministry team have the right to bring along their wives with them in the ministry, and have the church cover the cost of their spouses’ travel and support too? “Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working?” When Paul first came to Corinth back in Acts 18, he immediately joined up with Aquila and Priscilla and started worked for them in their tent-making business. Paul had to work to raise his own support for his missionary efforts to the Corinthians. Did everyone else but him and Barnabas have the right to be supported—and to be freed up from a job in order to do the work of the ministry? Were they the only ones who had no right to be provided for by the church?

Paul goes on, in verse 7, to point to everyday examples:

Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock and does not drink of the milk of the flock? (v. 7).

These are interesting examples for him to have used; because they—each one—reflect a particular aspect of the ministry of the gospel. The preacher is a soldier—called into service by his Lord to put on the armor and engage in a spiritual battle against the devil. He is also a farmer—planting the seed of God’s word into people’s lives and nurturing its growth. He is also like a shepherd—protecting and caring for God’s people. No one hires such workers—a soldier, or a farmer, or a shepherd—with the expectation that they were to do all their necessary work at their own expense. They should, at the very least, be allowed to enjoy something of the fruits of their work. Simple everyday logic and plain ol’ human compassion teaches us this. And so, would it have been too strange a thing for Paul to have expected financial support from the Corinthians in his gospel work among them? Of course, it wouldn’t. It would have been his right.

Paul added further to his argument from the greatest possible authority. In verse 8, he asks, “Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not the law say the same also?” And then he quotes from Deuteronomy 25:4;

For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it oxen God is concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written, that he who plows should plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope (vv. 9-10).

In other words, the very law of God itself—given through Moses—confirms the principle that Paul and his co-workers had a right to expect to be supported in their ministry financially. He goes on to ask;

If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers of this right over you, are we not even more? (vv. 11-12a).

Now; Paul lets us know where he’s going with all of this when he goes on to say in verse 12; “Nevertheless we have not used this right, but endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.” He and the other missionaries with him had the right to be supported financially. But they refrained from using this right—because of the particular circumstances that they were in—in order to keep anyone from bringing any accusations against the gospel or to prevent them from hindering its progress in the lives of the Corinthians. He didn’t want the Corinthians to think that he was like those false teachers—in it just for the money and for the honor. He refused to make full use of his rights with regard to the Corinthians so that he could pave the way for them to receive and make progress in the gospel.

And even then; he still had one more argument to offer. It may be the most powerful argument of all. In verses 13-14, he wrote,

Do you not know that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live from the gospel (vv. 13-14).

What a powerful argument! Under the old covenant that God had made with Israel, the priests of God would bring the offerings of the people to God and offer them up on the altar. But God had also ordained that the best portions of those offerings were to be given to the priests as their food. They received of the meat offerings and the grain offerings as their God-appointed reward for service. They received their livelihood from the ministry. This was the law of God to His covenant people. And so, Paul affirms that, “even so”, God has ordained that those who minister the gospel to His people should expect to make their living from that ministry. It is the right of every genuinely God-called minister. It was the right of Paul and his co-workers.

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Now; in all of this, Paul had made a very powerful case for what was his legitimate right. He had every right in the world—as given to Him by the ordinance of God—to expect to be financially supported in his ministry to the Corinthians.

But look at what he says in verse 15. “But I have used none of these things …” He refrained from using this right. He goes on to say; “… nor have I written these things that it should be done so to me; for it would be better for me to die than that anyone should make my boasting void” (v. 15).

What ‘boasting’ is it that he was talking about? I believe that he was ‘boasting’ (not in a prideful way, but more in what we might call a ‘rhetorical’ way) that he was doing something that the false teachers would not do. He was laboring for the Corinthians, and ministering the gospel to them, ‘free of charge’. In verses 16-17, he wrote;

For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have been entrusted with a stewardship (vv. 16-17).

Just the mere fact that he preached the gospel to them was not a reason for him to boast. He had been commanded by the Lord Jesus to do so. Jesus met him on the road to Damascus, and caused Paul to fall off his horse, and pressed him into service. Woe to him if he did not obey! How then could he show the Corinthians the sincerity of his ministry and the integrity of his call? In verse 18, he said;

What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel (v. 18).

So you see; Paul was willing to refrain from taking what it was his complete right to take—refusing to exercise his full privilege in the gospel—so that he could instead show forth the sincerity of his call. By refraining from that which was his full right, he did something that the false teachers would not do.

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Now; Paul was not telling the Corinthians all of this because they didn’t already know it. Rather, he was simply using himself as an example of what he was calling these Corinthians to do. They needed to be willing to—like him—refrain from exercising their legitimate rights in order to open the way for the life of Christ to be advanced in others.

Look how he explains his own reason for having done what he did in verses 19-23;

For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might, by all means, save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you (vv. 19-23).

It’s as if Paul was saying to them, “This is what I did for you. I make it my practice to give up my rights, whenever I need to, in order to accomplish the far greater goal of advancing the gospel of Jesus Christ in others. Now; you all—do the same toward each other.”

Dear brothers and sisters; I dare not try to make a list for you of what ‘rights’ you or I ought to give up for the sake of loving and caring for one another. That’s something that only the Holy Spirit should tell us. But I do believe I am right in affirming the principle: We should always be ready to refrain from exercising our rights if doing so would advance the cause of the gospel in the lives of others, and would help them to know and follow Jesus better. To willingly lay aside our rights in this way is a manifest demonstration that we sincerely trust God to take care of us—and that we genuinely put His priorities in the first place in our lives.

Let’s say then—like Paul—that we “endure all things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ.”

EA