Lesson #13

1CORINTHIANS 9
Lesson #13
THE HIGHEST FORM OF LOVE

• Memory Verse: 1Cor 9:19

• Review:
• Paul gave us a principle in 1Cor 8 concerning Christian conduct:
• He told us that Christians have freedom in the neutral areas of life to do what we want to do, but that we must also take responsibility for how our actions will affect other believers.
• What are the neutral areas of life?
• The Bible gives us specific standards of what is right and what is wrong in life.
• For example, from Jesus’ teachings we know that it is wrong for the believer: To steal, to commit fornication, to kill, to covet, to bear false witness, to hate, etc.
• However, there are many areas of life that do not fall into these specific moral categories. These are the neutral areas of life to which the Bible does not specifically speak.
• For example, to what music should the Christian listen? What job should the Christian have? What movies or DVD’s are OK to see? How should the Christian use his money in social amusements? Should the Christian accompany his family to a non-Christian church?, etc.
• It is in these neutral areas of life where the mature Christian needs discernment in making correct decisions.
• The principles that Paul gives us in 1Cor are those that will help the Christian gain mature discernment for his conduct.
• The principles we have already discussed are:

• Principle #1:

I will do nothing that places me in any kind of worldly bondage.

• Principle #2:

I will do nothing that defiles my body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

• Principle #3:

I will always consider the consequences of my decisions on immature Christians.

• Paul considers these principles as extremely important because the use of them makes the difference between an immature Christian (a carnal Christian) and a mature Christian (a spiritual Christian).
• In this area of decision making through the use of these principles, there is an underlying characteristic of character that is lacking in today’s world. That characteristic is responsibility.
• The mature Christian will take responsibility for his words, his actions and his decisions.
• The mature Christian will take responsibility for the lives of other believers and the effect he has on them.
• The mature Christian will take responsibility before God for the way he displays God’s love, because love and responsibility go together.
• As a result, the mature Christian, in love and true humility, will put other believers first and deny himself of his freedom in Christ to do whatever he wants that is not a sin.
• In 1Cor 9, Paul gives us an example of this third principle from his own ministry.

• Read 1Cor 9:1-2 Paul’s apostolic qualifications
• Paul asks the question in verse 1, “Am I not an apostle?…”
• What is an apostle?
• The word, apostle, literally means = to send away; a person commissioned to some specific task; to send him out to perform that task; sent out specifically to preach the Gospel.
• One of the early church qualifications of an apostle is mentioned by Paul in verse 1, and that is a personal encounter with Jesus Christ. Paul saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. The original 12 disciples saw and experienced Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry.
• Because Paul was a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, he was free of his sins and free in the body of Christ to exercise his Christian freedom.
• Paul’s qualification as an apostle is that he was sent out to preach the gospel. The church in Corinth is the fruit of that calling, because many were saved under Paul’s ministry. This fact was enough to qualify him as an apostle in the eyes of the people in Corinth. (2)
• Because Paul was a legitimate apostle, he had certain freedoms that he could exercise or not according to his own discretion. (2)

• Read 1Cor 9:3-9 The Highest Form of Christian Liberty
• As a Christian, Paul had the right to eat and drink anything he wanted. However, because eating certain meat that had been offered to idols, Paul chose, according to his own free will, not to eat meat offered to idols.
• The personal decision to restrict his rightful liberty is the highest form of Christian liberty. Why?
• When human rights and liberty are demanded, they take on a self-centered focus. “I demand my rights!” This is the expression of pride in a carnal Christian.
• When a person personally restricts his own human rights and liberty, he does it in extreme love. This puts the focus on others. This is the expression of humility in a spiritual Christian.
• As an apostle, Paul had the right to take his family with him on his missionary trips, a sister or a wife (like Peter who was married), or to travel with other apostles or with other Christians. (5)
• However, Paul and Barnabas chose not to marry so that they would not have a wife to distract them from the ministry. Many others, like Peter, were married. By that decision, he used his free will to restrict his own liberty.
• As a Christian, Paul had the right to stay home and minister in a local church. Barnabas, another missionary, had the same right. These two men did not have to go on these long missionary trips spending long periods of time away from their home. (6)
• However, Paul restricted that personal right to be obedient to God and go to the places God called him. Why?
• Paul limited that freedom because of his love for God and his love for lost people.
• As apostles Paul and Barnabas had the right to expect pay for their missionary work. (6)
• However, Paul chose never to receive money from his preaching of the Gospel.
• Paul only received money as an offering from Gentile churches to give it to the poor Jerusalem church, and never for his personal use.
• Paul’s examples of explanation of his rights from the Law of Moses: (7-9)
• A soldier is always paid for fighting the battles in the places where he is sent. (7)
• A farmer that plants a crop has the right to eat from that crop. (7)
• A shepherd that takes care of animals has the right to drink the milk and eat the meat from that flock. (7)
• The example of the Muzzled Ox from the Law: (Deu 25:4)
• The Israelites used oxen to grind the corn. The ox was attached to a wheel where he walked in a circle grinding the corn for many hours without stopping. As the ox walked, he was free to grab a mouthful of corn whenever he wanted.
• The Law of Moses had a small law that said a farmer could not restrict the freedom of the ox in eating the corn. Therefore, it was illegal to put a muzzle on the ox.
• Paul’s point is that because the ox worked hard, he had a right to be paid for his hard work by giving him freedom to eat the corn at any time.

• Read 1Cor 9:10-14 Payment for Ministry
• Paul worked hard in the ministry to spread the Gospel. Did he have a right to be paid? Yes, he did, just like the ox that ground the corn.
• Did Paul say this just to get money? (10) Yes and no.
• Yes, because it was already stated in the Old Testament many times over, so that those in ministry would be paid for their work.
• No, because Paul chose not to take the money that was his right to have.
• Paul applies this Law to his own ministry. Because Paul worked hard in the ministry, he was like the ox, he had a right to be paid for his work.
• The Spiritual Truth: (10-11)
• Those pastors and teachers, that feed the congregation spiritual food by planting the truth of the Word of God in the lives of people and by reaping the fruit of their labors, have a right to expect that some material payment (“carnal things” vs. 11) will come from the congregation where they minister.
• That means that the Christian should give to the church where he receives his spiritual food. He is not to receive his spiritual food in one church and then pay his offerings to another church.
• Paul’s reason for not accepting what was rightfully his to receive. (12)
• Paul did not accept money because he did not want to hinder the spread of the Gospel.
• Paul had a difficult ministry with constant accusations from Jews who criticized him for favoring the Gentiles. In order to remain free to preach where God led him, to Gentiles and to Jews, he personally decided not to be tied to any groups’ purse strings. He was answerable to God and not to man’s influence by way of money.
• God’s method for pastoral support: (13-14)
• All through the Bible, God tells us that His method of supplying the needs of those in ministry is by paying those who minister for the ministry that they give us. In other words, the congregation should give to the local church so that the pastor can be paid for his ministry.
• Paul gives us the Biblical evidence of this right of payment: (13)
• In the Old Testament temple, the priests ate from the offerings of bread, wine, and animals that the people brought to the temple.

• Read 1Cor 9: 15-18 The Exercise of Personal Will to Limit Rights
• Paul tells us that in his own ministry, he has given up all these personal rights of freedom of which he has spoken in this chapter for the sake of the Gospel.
• In this we see Paul’s compulsion to preach the gospel.
• He chose not to receive money so that he did not abuse the gospel. (18)
• What does he mean by that?
• In today’s world we see many ministries charge for the gospel to the extent that many of these ministries become very wealthy to the excess. This is an abuse of the gospel.
• If you go on the internet and look at Christian websites, there are very few that give away anything free.
• What is the reward for limiting your personal freedom?
• The reward is in heaven where God will give it to the believer who has worked hard for the Kingdom of God with a high motive of love for God and love for people.
• Remember that the mature believer will limit his freedom by assuming a responsibility for the good of others and in service to God.
• The reward is to know within you that you have not abused the gospel, but have remained free to serve God as He directs.

• Summary and Application:
• How is Paul’s personal ministry an example of Principle #3?
• Paul had a right to marry, have a family, and have them travel with him. Instead, for the sake of the Gospel, he remained single.
• Paul had a right to stay home and minister in a local church. Instead, for the sake of the Gospel, he traveled extensively, preaching the Gospel.
• Paul had right to be paid for preaching. Instead he worked as a tent maker to support himself.

• Read 1Cor 9:19-27
• What is Paul’s motivation for not using his Christian liberty?
• Paul wanted to remain free from the influence of men, so that he could reach more people for Christ.
• That tells us that Paul’s motivation was his love for God and his love for people.
• This gives us our fourth principle for making those decisions in the neutral areas of life:

• Principle #4 = I will purposely limit my freedom so that I can gain more non-believers for the Kingdom of God.

• The world is watching how the Christian lives his life. If the world of non-believers sees that the Christian gives up certain privileges, for the sake of the gospel, they may be persuaded to come to Christ.
• What is Paul’s model for ministry? (19-23)
• Paul’s model for ministry is that of a servant. He poured out his life in humility to serve people in every way he could. He chose, by his own will, to make himself a servant so as to serve others for Christ.
• Paul became Jewish (under the law) to win the unsaved Jews.
• How could Paul become a Jew to win Jews when he was born a Jew?
• As a Christian, Paul had left the Jewish religion of legalism in bondage to the Law of Moses. However, at times he kept the Jewish religious laws so as to identify with the unsaved Jews. (Act 21:26)
• Paul became more like a Gentile (without the law) to win the unsaved Gentiles.
• The Christian is neither Gentile nor Jew, he now belongs to Christ.
• Paul became weak to those that were weak.
• In whatever way Paul could identify himself with an unbeliever, he became that so as to win him to Christ.
• Paul limits his personal freedom so as to serve others.
• What is Paul’s model for the Christian life? (24)
• The Greek Olympic games:
• The Greeks in Corinth were all familiar with the Olympic Games that promoted and displayed the perfection and beauty of the human body.
• In order to participate in the original Greek Games, an athlete had to prove he was a Greek citizen with documents of his lineage.
• The athlete participated for the temporal prize of position, honor, and money.
• Paul’s model for the Christian life is a race to win the prize.
• In order to participate in the Christian race, a person needs to be a born-again believer in Jesus Christ whose citizenship is heaven.
• The parallel of the Christian life with the Greek Games:
• The athlete trains rigorously and faithfully. (striveth vs. 25)
• The Christian trains by exercising his faith to become more like Christ.
• The athlete keeps himself focused without distraction. (to obtain vs. 25)
• The Christian gains an eternal perspective by keeping his focus on the Lord.
• The athlete keeps his body under control. (temperate vss. 25, 27)
• The Christian maintains his testimony by keeping his flesh nature under control.
• The athlete runs the race for one purpose, to win. (a crown vs. 25) In the Greek Games it was a crown of laurel leaves.
• For the Christian, it is a gold crown of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
• The athlete is seriously committed to his task. (not uncertainly vs. 26)
• The Christian must be seriously committed to Christ in every area of his life to be conformed to the Word of God. (2Tim 2:5)
• Paul limits his personal freedom to live an enjoyable, secular life so that he can preach the gospel.
• The Judgment Seat of Christ
• Paul refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ in verse 27 by the word, “castaway”.
• In other words, Paul has an eternal perspective for what he does. He knows that one day he will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and give an answer for his Christian life and all that he did after coming to Christ.
• We have already discussed this judgment of believers at the Judgment Seat in Lesson #05 of our study of Corinthians.
• Paul does not want God to disqualify his works as a Christian.

HOMEWORK
1CORINTHIANS 10
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of 1Cor 9
• As you consider your own life, make a list of areas of your life where you have Christian freedom which you have chosen to limit or restrict in order to serve God.
• If you can think of none, pray and ask God what indulgences He wants you to limit so as to be His servant in the Kingdom of God.
• Preparation for 1Cor 10
• Read 1Cor 10:1-14
• Why did Paul give the Corinthian church a review of Jewish history?
• What was it supposed to do for a carnal, immature church?
• Read 1Cor 10:15-22
• What is the main thought that Paul was trying to communicate?
• Read 1Cor 10:23-33
• Find two principles to add to our list of principles for making wise decisions in the neutral areas of life.
• Memory verse: 1Cor 10:23