How To Run the Race
Chapter 9 may look a bit like a rabbit trail, but it is really an extension of the previous chapter. Last week, in chapter 8, we looked at the issue of the church either blowing it up or building it up. Are we so filled with pride in our knowledge and “wisdom” that we utterly destroy those around us – causing them to stumble or to run away from the gospel of Jesus Christ? — Or — Are we humble and realize that, although everything is permissible, not everything is helpful. Remember, it is the love of God that separates the Gnostic from the true believers in Jesus Christ. When we sacrifice our “rights” in order to uplift, encourage and love others, then we build up the kingdom of God. Paul is going to show us now the sacrifices he has made in order for the gospel to spread, changing lives and growing the kingdom of God. It is a lesson for all of us as we walk in Christ’s footsteps.
Vs. 1-12a – Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. My defense to those who examine me is this: Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife like the other apostles, the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas? Or do Barnabas and I alone have no right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox while it treads out grain. Is God really concerned with oxen? Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop. If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?
The Greek word for free is eleutheros which means to be liberated. Paul is not merely free, he has been liberated. This is why he can say everything is permissible. He is free from sin and death through Christ. He goes on to state that not only is he free, he is an apostle and he has had a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. His resume as a church planter even has the Corinthian church as an example. So he has set up a this “legal” argument for the Corinthian church for a purpose. He is about to help them understand his rights as an apostle. His next statement is “My defense to those who examine me is this: The Greek words for defense and examine are apologia and anakrinó which are both legal terms used in a Roman court of law. Paul feels as though he is on trial by the church in Corinth, so he brings his defense. What is he defending? His right as an apostle to be supported by the churches. As an apostle, the churches were – rightfully – expected to support the apostles in their ministry. Not only them, but their families as well. This is so they could continue to spread the gospel throughout the world without having to also make a living. They could devote themselves 100% to God’s call in their life. To be sure, this was nothing new as the religious leaders of the day were also supported. So Paul puts forth his argument. As an apostle he should be compensated by the church for the work he is doing. He gives Deuteronomy 25:4 as his evidence. In the law of Moses, God was very specific that the oxen should not be muzzled when he was threshing the grain. He should be allowed to eat as he worked. Paul shows us that this law was not just because God was concerned about the oxen, but so we would have more faith. In the words of the Christian theologian Warren W. Wiersbe, “since oxen cannot read, this verse was not written for them.” The oxen was going to eat a lot of the food – but we don’t muzzle him because we have faith that God will supply all our needs. In the same way, Paul is saying – hey guys! Why are you so worried about your resources? Don’t you know God will supply all your needs? You should support those who come and work in the church. And now, Paul continues with the point made in chapter 8…
Vs 12b-23 – However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the offerings of the altar? In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel. But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted with a stewardship. What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel. Although I am a free man and not anyone’s slave, I have made myself a slave to everyone, in order to win more people. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win Jews; to those under the law, like one under the law—though I myself am not under the law—to win those under the law. To those who are without that law, like one without the law—not being without God’s law but within Christ’s law—to win those without the law. To the weak I became weak, in order to win the weak. I have become all things to all people, so that I may by every possible means save some. Now I do all this because of the gospel, so I may become a partner in its benefits.
Paul says – HOWEVER… I am not willing to blow things up just because I have rights. I willingly give up my rights as an apostle so I can build it up. Everything is permissible, but not everything is helpful. I should be paid as an apostle of Jesus Christ who is working in the field, but I freely give up that right so the gospel can be spread throughout the region and the world. The question I had was why did Paul make a huge deal of this? As I did some research I found in the Corinthian culture those who did manual labor (remember Paul was a tent maker – Acts 18:3) were seen as inferior and looked down on. This obviously doesn’t bother Paul in the least. In fact, he is boasting in this “weakness”. “You see this as inferior” Paul says, “but I see it as something to boast about. In my inferiorness, Christ is proclaimed!” He then shows them what it really means to walk as a church who seeks to build up the kingdom of God. I am not a slave – BUT – I become a slave in order to win more people. I am not under the law – BUT – I submit myself under the law to be able to win those under the law. I become weak to win the weak, more Jewish to win the Jews, etc. etc. In fact I will sacrifice all my rights so that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be preached to all the world. So the word to the church of today – We as people of God MUST lay down our rights so the gospel will be uplifted. We MUST stop blowing it up and start building it up. We MUST walk as Christ walked – in righteousness, holiness, love and mercy. Our cry should be as Paul’s “I become all things to all people so that I might win some.”
Vs. 24-27 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. However, they do it to receive a crown that will fade away, but we a crown that will never fade away. Therefore I do not run like one who runs aimlessly or box like one beating the air. Instead, I discipline my body and bring it under strict control, so that after preaching to others, I myself will not be disqualified.
In my youth, I was a long distance runner (the longer the better for me) and then later I became a track and cross country coach. My coaching specialty was actually sprints – particularly the 400 and 800. I love these race because they are so difficult. They are both short enough to require the ability to sprint the whole race, but long enough to employ strategy as well. I coached one particular young man who really had a talent for the 400. He went on to be very successful with his university track team. He trained well and used every bit of strategy we talked about to be a successful 400 runner, winning several races and coming in the top 5 in state. Do you know what it takes for a runner to be successful? I do. The word is SACRIFICE. You have to give up a lot if you want to be a successful runner. You give up your time so you can train. You give up the food you want to eat for the food you need to eat. You give up other “fun” activities so you can devote yourself to being the best runner possible. You give up comfort – and instead “beat” your body into submission (believe me some of the workouts result in A LOT of sore muscles.) The fact is, a 100 meter runner will put in hour after hour of training so he or she can be in a 11 second or faster race. Think about that for a moment. The greatest 100 meter runner of all time – Usain Bolt – put in hours and hours of time and sacrificed the equivalent of several years so he could be in a race that took him 9.53 seconds to run. How much more do we, as the body of Christ, need to let go of for the sake of the gospel of Christ. Let us run the race to win – and I’m not talking about a medal that only lasts our lifetime. I’m talking about a crown that will never fade away. So let us discipline ourselves and walk as Christ walked. Let us be willing to give up those things that will cause others around us to stumble. Let us put in the time it will take to study and learn so we can speak to others with the wisdom only God gives. This lifetime is only a 9.53 second race – but we run for the prize at the end – eternity with our Heavenly Father. May we run this race to win.
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