Adult Bible Study – 1st Corinthians
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church
Paul starts this chapter with a discussion of Apostle’s rights. It boils down to one: an apostle has the right to be paid for the work of spreading the gospel. Paul’s claim to apostleship is two-fold: 1) he has seen the Lord Jesus – a claim that Paul uses many times in the course of his writing here and to other churches – the events of the Road to Damascus where Jesus appeared to Paul what pivotal moment in Paul’s career that changed him from executioner of Christians to follower of Christ; 2) )Paul’s claim is based upon the fact that he was responsible for the creation of the church at Corinth.
Paul’s claim, therefore, is that he is an apostle and deserves to get paid for the work. Other rights include having a wife accompany them on their missionary journeys. The first argument is from logic. The one who plants a vineyard deserves to benefit from the crop that is harvested. Again, the one who tens the flock deserves to get the milk from the animals. His second argument is from the scriptures. The codes of Deuteronomy 25:4 and Leviticus 7:28-36 dictate that even the ox treading the grain cannot be muzzled so that it is free to eat as it works. The law spoke on God’s behalf for the oxen while it is not about oxen alone, but the people. Whoever plows deserves to get the produce of the labor.
While the first half of Paul’s arguments has to do with “rights”; the second half has to do with “responsibility” in the gospel. Paul has not taken advantage of his rights in the matter, but has chosen to do the work for nothing while working to support himself.
A Note: Paul had a profession by which he could support himself. He was a tent maker by trade.
His motivation in passing on the salary was that he didn’t want anything to get in the way of his work in the gospel. No one was able to say that he was doing for the money. Those in the employ of the temple get their food from the temple. Even the priest who offer up the sacrifices on the altar are able to eat a portion of what offered. Yet, Paul is refusing this right.
Ordinarily, such generosity would be a ground for boasting, yet, Paul even eliminates the boast from himself because the boast would be possible only for something that someone has picked up voluntarily. Paul is not doing the work of the Gospel out of volunteerism, but out of the obligation to do something that was laid upon him. The proclamation is not a matter of will but a matter of commission from God. Paul has been entrusted with a commission. His only reward at this time is to fulfill his commission free of charge and “not to make full use of” his rights in the gospel.
A slave to all – the phrase echoes Jesus’ teaching throughout the gospels where Jesus teaches that anyone who would be great, must become small; anyone who would be first, must be last; and anyone who would follow him must take up his cross and become a slave to all. This is in Paul’s teaching the central issue of apostleship – “they” whoever they may be must come first. The apostles must set him/herself aside for the benefit of the other. Look at the examples of “setting himself aside”: for the Jew he became as a Jew to win the Jews; for the gentiles he became as a gentile to win the gentiles; for those under the law he came as under the law (though the only he was actually under was the law of Christ) to win those under the law; to those outside of the law he because as those outside of the law to win them; for the weak he became weak to win them. What Paul places absolutely first is his goal in the gospel – that being to win lives for Christ and the gospel. That is what Paul counts as “sharing in the blessings of the gospel” – to be about doing the work that Christ has set upon him – winning lives for Christ. Apostleship requires absolute devotion and concentration on the task – the goal – that is bringing the gospel to people.
The work of the gospel is like running a race. It requires the rigors of training and discipline to endure to the end. No one would tackle the New York City marathon without at least year’s work and preparation – preparing and building up every day. So it is with the work of the gospel and ministry of apostleship. It takes work and preparation and constancy in the job. It takes single-mindedly endeavoring and focusing on the goal at the end. The work of discipleship/apostleship is the perpetual struggle of preparation for the task. Prayer, study of the Word, the good works, our battle with sin and temptation every day, our stewardship of the gifts that God has given us, our worship and praise of the creator, our willingness to work together in all things, our striving toward discipline and self control – these are all the work of the disciples/apostle on the road to training.
© Copy write held by The Rev. Dr. Kipp W. Zimmermann
Wednesday, December 10, 2003