1. Corinthians - Chapter 9:1-19 Why Paul would not take anything from them. (Examples of how Paul gave up his rights and served them).

1.  Corinthians - Chapter 9:1-19 Why Paul would not take anything from them. (Examples of how Paul gave up his rights and served them).

Paul had written about giving up rights for the weaker brother, and will now show the Corinthians how he as done that for them.

Paul starts the passage with 4 questions, Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? (Defending who he is? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord (Paul’s salvation). The 4 could be a little strange – Are not you may workmanship in the Lord? (Paul saying you can see who I am because of what God has done in you, how I served you, loved you).

Paul explains in verse 2 – you are the seal of my apostleship in the lord. – Paul appealing to them, and how they view him – for me, I am wondering why he would say that the Corinthians are the ones that are his seal of apostleship in the Lord – it seems like the fellowship is a little crazy an off track. If we look back Paul has loved them very well, stayed with them for 1,6 years, encouraged them they are in Christ Jesus, but grace, and that God is working in them and that Jesus will keep them to the end, and he calls them his beloved children. Paul must have a different relationship that we do and what we read that is going on in the fellowship of following the worlds wisdom, fractions, sexual immorality – and more. But the fact that there was a Christian fellowship was proof that Paul and his team had done the work so if people were doubting if Paul was an apostle the could see a fellowship as proof.

3. Paul calls people to look at his work in Corinth to see who he is, and what he has done, in Christ for them, they are his defenses of him being called by Jesus to be an Apostle.

4. Paul will not list some of the things Paul has given up, - getting paid for his work, getting food and drink, - he forms it as a question – Do we have the right to eat and drink?

5. Don’t we also have the right to bring a believing wife along? (Comfort – sex – encouragement being one with – and they should also cover those expenses ).Paul explains that that is what some of the other Apostles dose Jesus brothers and Cephas – Peter.    

6. Or is it only Paul and Barnabas – that has to work, instead of being supported by the church fellowship? Cant you see how much we have served you and given up our rights? (It that something we do? In our daily life? Or are we more concerned about what we have a right to in our fellowship? Family, friends work/school).

7. Paul will use a few illustrations, - Dose a soldier serve as his own expense – (no,) What about a person that has a vineyard do they expect to get its fruit? And the ones that serve with a flock don’t they get some milk? (you know they all do – don’t you see that is good and right).

8. Paul say I am not making this up, and will now explain, some passages from the old testament, and use the priest/service system of the temple to show that God also had intended that to be the case for the apostles, and Paul will say that Jesus was teaching the same thing, - that people that was teaching the people that gospel – they should get their living from the gospel.

9.Paul appeals to the law, and the rule about not muzzle an ox Deut 25:4., when it treads out grain.  Paul asks – is it for Oxen that God is concerned? (no, likely to combat greed and to trust God and treat animals that serve good, and also people in service for God and for Jesus.)

10. Is it nor for our sake? Paul is clear it was written for our sake, and uses a agriculture metaphor, of plowing and harvesting. Paul making a clear argument that the Corinthians should take care of Paul and Barnabas and the other teachers and ministers

11. Because Paul and Barnabas has sown spiritual things among them, - it infers that the should be support by them and have their needs meet, food and housing.

12. If others do this and you serve them – don’t we also have this right – we do, and even more that them. But we have not made use of this right – (Paul and Barnbas chose to give up this right not because they did not have the right – but we endure anything rather that put an anything in the way of the gospel of Christ. – Suffering for and with Christ in giving up their rights, to be supported, - because the most important is that Paul and his team can share the gospel of Jesus Christ.

13. Paul explain from Numbers and Leviticus – Deuterronmy – that the people that work and serve in the temple share in what was sacrificed as offerings – that the was and now is a system that if your employed in the service you should get your needs covered –

14. Paul writing that Jesus also taught and commanded the same, - in the words that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living from the gospel.

15. Paul saying I have not made use of this right; I have done everything not to be a stumbling block – so not eating meat would be a small thing to serve a brother. I am also not writing to secure my right. No, I would rather die, that have this taken away. Because

16-17 Because I have no right to boast if I preach the gospel, for it is necessity I need to preach the gospel and share about Jesus – and if I don’t woe to me – this is what Jesus called me to do. I was entrusted with a stewardship from Jesus to preach the gospel, and this is not my own idea I need to do it.

18 what is the reward? That I may present the gospel free of charge to you as in the beginning, and therefore not used the right I have, in the gospel of the good news.

Paul teaches what; is his right, not to get it but to show, how he has served them and continue to serve them, because Jesus has called him to do this. He shows that like Jesus gave up all his rights, and came, lived served, died, gave up all, the one whom all should serve and will fall to our knees and declare that he is Lord to Gods glory, Jesus came and served, gave up his rights to serve, - died in service, rose and served, ascended and served and is now serving as he prays for us at the right hand of the father and is our advocate our intercessor.  Paul point to Jesus, and serves the weak, and stewards the call he was given from the Holy Spirt in Antioch. Paul shows what Jesus taught the disciples that the greatest is to be everyone’s servant, he shows how he has given up his rights because he loves them.

What does that mean for us? – Nothing? Or dose lead us to ask what did Jesus ask us to steward? How I am I serving as Christ served me? Do I appeal to my rights often? If I do why do I do that? If Jesus is my only treasure, joy, hope and protector and redeemer, Lord and God. Do we live in a way where others can see we serve Jesus – or are we known as people that are more concerned about our rights and privileges – that what Jesus has given us to steward. What joy to serve our Lord Jesus, do we see that as our greasested treasure.