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Paul is a true Apostle and his rights as an Apostle (1–14). Ap. voluntarily renounced the right to receive remuneration for his preaching activities due to the principle of self-denial he had learned (15–22). What dangers would the Apostle Paul have faced if he had refused to follow the path of voluntary renunciation (23–27) At Ap. Paul had many opponents in Corinth (cf. 2 Cor. 12:11–18) who tried to humiliate his authority as an Apostle. Even the fact that he did not want to enjoy the reward for his preaching labors was blamed on him by his opponents, who saw this as proof that he himself did not consider himself equal to the other Apostles of Christ. In view of such attacks on him, Ap. proves first that he is a true apostle, especially for the Corinthians, that he has all the rights of an apostle and must benefit from the contents of the Corinthian community, like everyone who works, like for example. the priest serving the altar enjoys the income from the altar, although in fact Ap. I did not take advantage of this right so as not to put an obstacle to my preaching about Christ. 1 Corinthians 9:1. Am I not an Apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are you not my business in the Lord? Ap. Even in the last verses of Chapter VIII he said that for the benefit of his brothers he was ready for self-denial. Now he reveals this thought, but first considers it necessary to point out that he has something to renounce, that what he voluntarily renounces actually belongs to him. - “Am I not an Apostle?” It seems that it would be more correct to put this question, according to many ancient manuscripts, in second place, and the first is the question: “Am I not free?” This way the transition from Chapter VIII to Chapter IX will be much more consistent. In the previous chapter, he addressed people strong in faith, who were proud of their Christian freedom. In this chapter, he compares himself with these people and asks them if they really don’t recognize that he fully possesses such freedom? Then, he points out that he is truly an Apostle of Christ. Since, when placing the Apostle in the place of Judas, the requirement was made that the new Apostle be from among the constant companions of Christ (Acts 1:22), Paul says that he, too, “saw” Jesus Christ, of course, during the trip to Damascus. This vision, as is known, was his initiation into apostolic dignity by Christ Himself. Ap. at the same time, he calls Christ “our Lord” in order to designate Him as the Head of the Church, Who alone has the right to call anyone to apostolic service (cf. Gal. 1:1 and Acts 1:26). This is the first proof of the truth of his apostleship. But since his opponents could call the said vision a play of the imagination, then Ap. Paul considers it necessary to give a second proof of his apostleship: he points to his founding of the Church in Corinth, which is his “work.” What is the strength of this evidence? Ap., as he says in II (1-2 v.), appeared in Corinth weak and defenseless. Could he hope that his business here would be successful? No. However, his case turned out to be strong. – The church in Corinth was founded and began to flourish. Who helped him in this case, if not Christ – the Lord who called him?! (my work is in the Lord). 1 Corinthians 9:2. If for others I am not an Apostle, then for you I am an Apostle; for the seal of my apostleship is you in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 9:3. This is my defense against those who condemn me. Revealing the last thought, Ap. declares that the Corinthian Church can directly be called the “seal” that the Lord Himself placed on his apostolic ministry. – “To those who condemn me” – more correctly: to those who make inquiries (about the correctness of my apostleship). 1 Corinthians 9:4. Or do we have no power to eat and drink? 1 Corinthians 9:5. Or do we not have the power to have a sister wife as a companion, like the other Apostles, and the brothers of the Lord, and Cephas? 1 Corinthians 9:6. Or do I and Barnabas alone have no power not to work? Ap. has the right to receive maintenance from the Corinthian Church. - “We”, that is, I, Barnabas and, perhaps, Timothy and Silas, who took part in the founding of the Church of Corinth as employees of St. Pavel. - “eat and drink” - of course, at the expense of the Corinthian Christian community. - “To have a sister’s wife as a companion.” From Greek more accurately translated: “sister, that is, a sister in faith - like a wife.” The Vulgate translates: “a wife as a sister” - of course, in order to find here the basis for the celibacy of the clergy. The new English translation separates both expressions as "sister, wife." The first translation is more correct: “sister, that is, a Christian as a wife,” because Ap. further refers to the example of the other apostles, who, according to antiquity, were all married, with the exception of John (Clement Alex. and Ambrosiastes). – “Brothers of the Lord” – see Matthew 13:55 and parallel. places. - Ap. thus he wants to say that both the other Apostles and he, if they were married, had the right to receive maintenance from the Christian communities they founded not only for themselves, but also for their wives. - “Barnabas”, although he was not called by Christ Himself, like St. Paul, to the apostolic ministry, but nevertheless, as his co-worker (Acts 13:1 et seq.; Gal. 2:1 et seq.), he occupied a high position. - “Don’t work” - of course, to earn food for yourself. 1 Corinthians 9:7. What warrior ever serves on his own pay? Who, having planted grapes, does not eat its fruit? Who, while tending a flock, does not eat milk from the flock? The same thought about your right to the content of Ap. confirms by reference to a custom, observed everywhere, according to which a warrior receives his allowance, a vinedresser receives income from his vineyard, and a shepherd enjoys milk from his flock. These examples are Ap. chose, probably, because the people of God were often depicted by the prophets under the images of an army, a vineyard and a flock. 1 Corinthians 9:8. Am I only saying this based on human reasoning? Isn't that what the law says? 1 Corinthians 9:9. For in the Law of Moses it is written: You shall not muzzle an ox that is threshing. Does God care about oxen? This reference to common custom is here reinforced by an allusion to divine right or the law of Moses. - “The Threshing Ox.” In the east, wheat was threshed in such a way that a horse or an ox was driven along the spread sheaves, which knocked the grains out of the ears with their hooves, or they harnessed the animal to a small cart, in which a worker stood and drove the ox. - “Does God care about oxen?” In giving the above law, God, in fact, did not care about animals, to which He could always send food from Himself. He wanted to awaken good feelings in the Jews towards their workers. If already - the Jews had to tell themselves - the Lord cares so much about oxen and teaches us to be kind to them, then how much more does He oblige us to be kind to the rationally free beings who work for us?! 1 Cor.9:10. Or, of course, is it said for us? So, this is written for us; for he who plows must plow with hope, and he who threshes must thresh with the hope of receiving what he expects. “Or, of course, it is said for us”? It is better to translate this: “or - if it is impossible to allow God to speak for the sake of the oxen - was it not for our sake in the full sense of the word (πάντως) that (God) said this?” – “For our sake” – that is, in order to establish correct relationships between you people 9 . Some interpreters attribute this expression only to preachers of the Gospel, but Ap. clearly contrasts the oxen not with the apostles, but with people in general. – “For he who threshes” – this second half of the verse is read differently in different codes. According to the Alexandrian manuscripts, as well as the Vatican and Codex Sinaiticus, it is necessary to translate this passage as conveyed in the Russian translation. But it is difficult to agree with this reading, because in it both works - plowing and threshing - are equated with each other, while in Holy Scripture the first appears to be very difficult, and the second - easy and part of the work of collecting grain, as if it were a holiday for the toiler-plowman (cf. Ps. 126:5, 6). Therefore, it is better to accept here the reading of other, Greco-Latin, ancient manuscripts as more consistent with the thought of the Apostle, i.e. translate it as follows: “whoever plows must plow with the hope (it reinforces the plowman in his hard work) that he will not be left without a reward when threshing” (as would happen if he, like an ox, was gagged with a sack). In relation to the thresher, the expression “with hope” is, in fact, completely inappropriate, because threshing is a sure thing, unlike sowing, which may not bear fruit. 1 Corinthians 9:11. If we have sown spiritual things in you, is it great if we reap bodily things from you? Ap. now applies an example from the life of a farmer to himself and his employees. But at the same time he exposes to the Corinthians that they cannot even sufficiently reward him for his activities, because his work is spiritual, and the content that they were supposed to give him is a carnal matter. Next, there cannot be any special pretension in the fact that Ap. expresses his rights to the content that should come to him from the Corinthian Church: this is such a small thing compared to what Ap. gave to the Corinthians. Paul. 1 Cor.9:12. If others have power over you, don't we? However, we did not use this power, but we endure everything, so as not to put any obstacle to the gospel of Christ. “Others” are either local Corinthian preachers, or Judaizers who came from Jerusalem. – “You have power” – more precisely: power over you or the right to receive content from you. - “However, we did not use it.” About this Ap. speaks in detail below (v. 15). Here is Ap. expresses this, unable to contain his indignation at the mention of his opponents, who brought various accusations against him. Then he again continues the thought started above. - “We endure everything” - cf. 2 Cor. 11:24–27. – “Putting barriers to the gospel.” Of course, if Ap. began, following the example of philosophers and traveling rhetoricians, to take payment for his sermons, then many could, firstly, equate him with rhetoricians and philosophers and look at the Gospel itself as a philosophical system, and secondly, they could accuse the Apostle of spreading the Gospel for personal interests in order to receive more income from his students. 1 Corinthians 9:13. Do you not know that those who officiate are fed from the sanctuary? that those who serve the altar take a share from the altar? Here we are obviously talking about the Jewish, Levitical priesthood, because Ap. could not use the word “sanctuary” in application to a pagan temple, which he calls a “temple” (1 Cor. 8:10). – “Sacred celebrants” – more precisely: “those who take care of the divine service.” This refers to all the Levites, including the priests. - “Altar servers” are priests. – The Levites received tithes from the people and part of the sacrificial gifts, and the priests received part of the Levitical tithes and part of the sacrifices. 1 Cor.9:14. So the Lord commanded those who preach the Gospel to live from the gospel. Here is Ap. provides evidence that is already irrefutable - namely, the commandment of the Lord Himself. He means, of course, what was conveyed to him. Matthew (Matthew 10:10; cf. Luke 10:7). - It’s clear that Ap. looks at preaching as a special type of ministry established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. While other believers are engaged in the affairs of their profession, preachers must leave their work (the Apostles also had to “leave their nets”) in order to exclusively take care of the souls of men. Therefore, the Church they serve is obliged to take care of their maintenance. This also applies to the Christian clergy and establishes for them the right to receive maintenance from their flock. 1 Corinthians 9:15–22. No matter how undoubted the rights of the Apostle Paul to receive support from Christian communities are, he voluntarily renounced this right. The reason for his refusal was the consideration that his preaching service was for him personally not a merit, but a duty before Christ. Self-denial Ap. extended even beyond the refusal of remuneration. In all his activities as a preacher, he sacrificed his freedom where the benefit of his neighbor and the salvation of people required it. 1 Corinthians 9:15. But I didn't use anything like that. And I didn’t write this so that it would be like this for me. For it is better for me to die than for anyone to destroy my praise. Ap. speaks of his renunciation of his rights to compensation in order to give a lesson to those of the Corinthian Christians who did not want, in the name of their freedom, to refuse to eat meat sacrificed to idols. - “I didn’t use it.” Ap. begins from here to talk about himself in one. number, because what he talks about matters only to him personally. - “So that”, that is, so that they give me content, like other teachers. - “My praise,” that is, what I am rightfully proud of (namely, my refusal to support). 1 Corinthians 9:16. For if I preach the gospel, then I have nothing to boast about, because this is my necessary duty, and woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! Why Ap. Would you rather die than lose the glory of being a free teacher of the faith? Because he cannot be proud of the teaching or preaching itself - performing this service is for him a matter of necessity, duty. While the 12 Apostles followed Christ by free decision, Apostle. was forced to take upon himself the preaching of the Gospel to the pagans, otherwise he would face condemnation (Acts 9:5). 1 Corinthians 9:17. For if I do this voluntarily, I will have a reward; and if it is involuntary, then I perform only the service entrusted to me. If the Apostle, of his own free will, entered the field of preaching about Christ, then this could be praised to him. Meanwhile, he did not go to this task of his own free will: like a trusted servant (cf. Luke 12:42, 43), he must fulfill the master’s order, without expecting any reward. 1 Corinthians 9:18. What is my reward for? For the fact that, preaching the Gospel, I preach the gospel of Christ freely, without using my authority in the gospel. The apostle, however, does not want to perform the work entrusted to him as a slave. He wants to do it as a free man, as a friend of the One who entrusted him with this task. To do this, he decided to preach for free. - “What is my reward for?” i.e.: “In what way did I decide to achieve a reward from the Lord? (Ap. doesn’t want to work without a reward). So, by preaching the gospel freely, I am doing something that was not charged to me. In this way I am equal with the 12 Apostles who voluntarily joined the Lord.” 1 Corinthians 9:19. For, being free from everyone, I enslaved myself to everyone, in order to gain more: Self-denial Ap. Paul is not limited to his refusal of content: it extends to his entire activity. He always renounced his rights where this renunciation could benefit his neighbor. He submitted to the habits of others in order to win more believers for Christ. 1 Cor.9:20. to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; to those under the law he was as one under the law, in order to gain those under the law; 1 Corinthians 9:21. for those who are strangers to the law - as one who is stranger to the law - not being alien to the law before God, but under the law of Christ - in order to win those who are strangers to the law; 1 Cor.9:22. He was like one who is weak to the weak, so that he might gain the weak. I became everything to everyone, in order to save at least some. Here is Ap. reveals the idea of ​​​​his subordination to others (“I enslaved myself to everyone”). - “For the Jews... for those under the law.” The first expression denotes the Jewish people, and the second embraces everyone who fulfilled the law, both Jews and Jewish proselytes from the pagans. - “Like a Jew... like one under the law.” Ap. here he means the concessions that he made when entering into communication with people who were accustomed to looking at the Law of Moses as obligatory for every Jew and who were embarrassed by any violation of this law. In view of this Ap. Paul circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3), made a vow in Cenchrea (Acts 18:18) and performed the rite of Nazirite cleansing on himself at the suggestion of the Apex. James (Acts 21:26). - “For those who are alien to the law as someone who is alien to the law.” Ap. puts himself along with pagan Christians, for whom it was not necessary to observe the Law of Moses. Although he was a Jew by birth, he recognized himself as a Christian, freed from fulfilling the requirements of the law, which could not represent eternal value, as a general moral law. But at the same time, he “was not a stranger to the law before God,” i.e. in his inner life he was subject to the true law, the will of God. - “Under the law of Christ.” With these words Ap. explains that he submitted to the highest law of God by first submitting to Christ. In Christ he also received the law that governs his inner life. Thus Ap. distinguishes three stages of life: 1) life without law, when a person is guided in his activities only by natural inclinations, 2) life under the law, when the law is something external to a person and forces him to obey, and 3) life in the law or the life of a Christian, when the human will is one with the divine law, being under the influence of the spirit of Christ. – “The weak” are Christians who are not sufficiently established in the faith, which were discussed in Chapter VIII. “Acquiring” them meant preventing them from deviating again into Judaism or paganism, which could have happened if the Apostle had not limited his freedom for them, had not been “as weak.” “He became everyone” - better: “everyone” - both a Jew and one under the law, etc. Of course, the Apostle was not guided by any personal goals, but by love alone. But in any case, this ability of the Apostle to adapt to other people's opinions could give rise to accusing him of opportunism, and he is, indeed, accused of this. Is it fair? There are two kinds of opportunism. Some of the modern theologians, seeing that it is difficult for society to believe in the miracles described in the Bible, try to present belief in miracles as completely unnecessary for true piety: the essence of the Gospel, they say, is not in miracles! It is clear that such a concession to the spirit of the times cannot be justified at all, because it changes the very concept of Christianity as a religion that has witnessed itself with signs and wonders (Heb. 2:4). It also happens that preachers of Christian morality cross out from their program all the stricter requirements of the Gospel in order to attract people from among educated society, and sometimes sacrifice the dogma of Christianity, church discipline, which is considered obligatory only for the common people. Such opportunism causes significant harm to true Christianity because it encourages unbelief, moral laxity and attachment to sensual pleasures. Christianity in such cases is half-truth, only an imaginary force and, at best, only a roundabout way to the Kingdom of Heaven. But there is opportunism of a completely different kind. Some preachers of the Gospel have the ability to penetrate deeply into the secrets of another's soul. With a loving gaze, he sees everything that worries and confuses someone else’s soul, and so, when he has to address such a soul with a word of exhortation, he makes concessions, softening the severity of his denunciations, although he does not sacrifice the essential requirements of the Gospel and dogma. Such is the opportunism of Ap. Pavel. This is nothing more than a manifestation of his high humility and self-sacrifice for the benefit of his neighbor. The tolerance of this opportunism is not unlimited: it does not allow everyone to be saved in their own way (the saying of Frederick the Great), and this was fully proven by Ap. Paul, when he came out with a sharp denunciation against St. Peter, who, with his concessions to the Judaizers in Antioch, could completely destroy the work that Ap managed to do there through long efforts. Paul (see Gal. 2:14). 1 Corinthians 9:23–27. Until now, the Apostle has said that we should renounce our right to eat meat sacrificed to idols and some other rights in view of the benefit that our refusal will bring to our neighbors. From here - and up to verse 22 of chapter 10 - he begins to explain to the Corinthians that their personal salvation also requires the same, which will be very difficult for them if they, without any consideration of the circumstances, use their rights. In the considered conclusion of Chapter IX, the Apostle, first of all, points out that he himself could easily lose salvation if he wanted to retreat from the path of self-denial. 1 Corinthians 9:23. I do this for the sake of the Gospel, to be a partaker of it. The Apostle makes so many concessions of his rights for the sake of the Gospel in order to become a participant in the salvation about which he preaches to others. The thought of the future reward promised to all who love God never leaves him: he wants to receive the crown of victory from the hands of the Righteous Judge. 1 Corinthians 9:24. Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the reward? So run to get it. In order to better understand the readers' understanding of this constantly haunting thought about a future reward, the Apostle compares his position with the position of those who participated in the so-called Isthmian games. These games took place in Corinth every two years, and, like the ancient Greek games (Olympic, Nemean), consisted of five exercises: jumping, discus throwing, racing, fist and simple wrestling. All of Greece took part in these games with great enthusiasm, and the winner was greeted with universal delight. During his two-year stay in Corinth, Ap could also be present at these games. Paul. He only remembers racing and fist fighting. - “Everyone runs, but one receives a reward,” that is, there are many hunters to receive a reward on the lists, many run towards the goal, but only one, especially strong in faith, receives a reward. - “So run,” that is, like this strongest runner, having gathered all your strength, and only in this case will you receive (many, of course, and not just one) a heavenly reward from the Righteous Judge. The running of the Corinthians should, of course, consist of spiritual exercises and, mainly, self-denial. 1 Corinthians 9:25. All ascetics abstain from everything: those to receive a perishable crown, and we to receive an incorruptible crown. Already ten months before the games, their participants began to prepare for them and at the same time led a very abstinent lifestyle, so as not to weaken their body by any excess. This abstinence was observed not only in relation to illicit pleasures, but also in relation to those that were permissible from a moral point of view. Likewise, a Christian must abstain not only from sinful joys, but also from those that are or may be accompanied by loss of time or weakening of moral strength. And this is all the more obligatory for a Christian because he receives as a reward not a simple wreath of leaves - a symbol of universal human praise, but an imperishable crown. 1 Corinthians 9:26. And that’s why I don’t run in the wrong way, I don’t fight in a way that just beats the air; 1 Corinthians 9:27. but I subdue and enslave my body, so that, while preaching to others, I myself may not remain unworthy. “I run,” that is, I strive further and further along the path of Christian self-improvement (cf. Phil. 3:13, 14). - “Not as if it were wrong,” that is, not in such a way as not to have a specific goal in mind, and not to clearly see the path leading to this goal. - “I bet” - Ap. here he means fist fighting, in which blows are delivered to the opponent’s chest in order to knock him to the ground, and are not wasted in vain. - “I pacify... my body.” This is the enemy on whom the Apostle’s blows fall! Here he means his bodily organism (not the flesh, as the seat of sin), which he subjects to all sorts of deprivations in order to make it an obedient instrument in his hands. Instead of “I pacify”, or, more precisely, “I knock down with a blow of a fist” (υποπιάζω) 10 some codes read: “I break” or “I put bruises under the eyes” (υπωπιάζω) 11. It seems that the second reading is more consistent with the previous expression: I fight. Ap. this word denotes (υπωπιάζω) all the hardships to which he subjected his body - night work to earn food for himself, etc. (cf. 2 Cor. 6:4–5, 11:23–27; Acts 20:34, 35). “So that, while preaching to others, you yourself will not remain unworthy.” But all these exploits of the Apostle in his eyes do not represent anything special. It's just a matter of necessity. Without them, he himself could lose the reward for which he excited others. – A Christian shepherd who strives to save others should not forget about his own salvation, which requires from him personal feats of abstinence. And not only he, as a herald inviting to fight (“I preach” - κηρύσσω), but also all Christians, should remember that the life of a Christian should be a constant struggle of a person even with his natural inclinations, as soon as a person is in danger of being carried away by the desires of the world. The fight against the old man (Rom. 6:6) must be waged with unremitting energy throughout the life of a Christian, and at the same time it must be waged skillfully, according to all the rules of spiritual struggle, in order to achieve the desired success. However, Ap. not a word says that the above law about the threshing will has no direct relation to animals. He recognizes the literal meaning of the commandment, but deduces from it the highest commandment - about leniency and justice towards people From υπο and ώπια (from ορσάω) You might be interested in: