“I have made myself
a slave to all”
(1 Corinthians 9)
1 Corinthians 8:12-9:27…
8:12Thus,
sinning against your brothers and wounding
their conscience when it is weak, you sin against
Christ. 13Therefore, if food makes my brother
stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother
stumble.
9:1Am
I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen
Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the
Lord? 2If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am
to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the
Lord. 3This is my defence to those who would
examine me.
1 Corinthians 8:12-9:27…
4Do
we not have the right to eat and drink? 5Do we
not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do
the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and
Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no
right to refrain from working for a living? 7Who
serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a
vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends
a flock without getting some of the milk? 8Do I say
these things on human authority? Does not the Law
say the same? 9For it is written in the Law of Moses,
"You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the
grain." Is it for oxen that God is concerned?
1 Corinthians 8:12-9:27…
10Does
he not speak entirely for our sake? It was
written for our sake, because the ploughman should
plough in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of
sharing in the crop. 11If we have sown spiritual things
among you, is it too much if we reap material things
from you? 12If others share this rightful claim on you,
do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not
made use of this right, but we endure anything rather
than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of
Christ. 13Do you not know that those who are
employed in the temple service get their food from
the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in
the sacrificial offerings?
1 Corinthians 8:12-9:27…
14In
the same way, the Lord commanded that those
who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the
gospel. 15But I have made no use of any of these
rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any
such provision. For I would rather die than have
anyone make my boasting empty. 16For if I preach the
gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For
necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not
preach the gospel! 17For if I do this willingly, I have a
reward, but if unwillingly, I am still entrusted with a
stewardship.
1 Corinthians 8:12-9:27…
18What
then is my reward? That in my preaching I
may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to
make full use of my right in the gospel. 19For though I
am free from all, I have made myself a slave to all,
that I might win more of them. 20To the Jews I
became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under
the law I became as one under the law (though not
being myself under the law) that I might win those
under the law. 21To those outside the law I became as
one outside the law (not being outside the law of God
but under the law of Christ) that I might win those
outside the law. 22To the weak I became weak, that I
might win the weak.
1 Corinthians 8:12-9:27…
I have become all things to all people, that by all
means I might save some. 23I do it all for the sake of
the gospel, that I might be a sharer in it. 24Do you not
know that in a race all the runners run, but only one
receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.
25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They
do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an
imperishable. 26So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box
as one beating the air. 27But I discipline my body and
enslave it, lest after preaching to others I myself
should be disqualified.
Staying on track…
• Travelling
• Conversations
• English Club
• Work
• Church
REAP…
1. The Rights of the Apostle
2. The Enslavement of the Apostle
3. The Ambition of the Apostle
4. The Pattern for the Disciple
1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1
• A little context…
8:1Now
concerning food offered to idols…
8:12Thus,
sinning against your brothers and wounding
their conscience when it is weak, you sin against
Christ. 13Therefore, if food makes my brother
stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother
stumble.
The Rights of the Apostle
• The right of paid ministry
4Do
we not have the right to eat and drink? 5Do we
not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do
the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and
Cephas? 6Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no
right to refrain from working for a living?
The Rights of the Apostle
• The right of paid ministry
11If
we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too
much if we reap material things from you? 12If others
share this rightful claim on you, do not we even
more? … 14In the same way, the Lord commanded
that those who proclaim the gospel should get their
living by the gospel.
The Rights of the Apostle
• The right of paid ministry
• What are your rights?
 USA Decl. Of Ind.: “certain unalienable rights... Life, Liberty and
the pursuit of Happiness…”
 UN Univ. Decl. Of Human Rights: “equal and inalienable
rights… life, liberty and security of person…”
 Job, Property, Holidays, Me-Time, Being You etc
The Enslavement of the Apostle
• Paul’s self-enslavement
12…Nevertheless,
we have not made use of this right
15But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor
am I writing these things to secure any such provision.
19For though I am free from all, I have made myself a
slave to all
27But I discipline my body and enslave it
The Enslavement of the Apostle
• Paul’s self-enslavement
20To
the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews.
To those under the law I became as one under the law
(though not being myself under the law) that I might
win those under the law. 21To those outside the law I
became as one outside the law (not being outside the
law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might
win those outside the law. 22To the weak I became
weak, that I might win the weak.
The Enslavement of the Apostle
• Paul’s self-enslavement
• Which rights are you willing to give up?
The Ambition of the Apostle
• Driven by the gospel
12…
but we endure anything rather than put an
obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.
19…that I might win more of them. 20…in order to win
Jews… that I might win those under the law. 21… that I
might win those outside the law. 22…that I might win
the weak… 22… that by all means I might save some.
23I do it all for the sake of the gospel
The Ambition of the Apostle
• Driven by the gospel
• No other way
23I
do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I might be a
sharer in it.
27But
I discipline my body and enslave it, lest after
preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
The Ambition of the Apostle
• Driven by the gospel
• No other way
• What is your ambition?
The Pattern for the Disciple
• Paul’s exhortations
• Jesus’ example… and its power!
9:24Do
you not know that in a race all the runners run,
but only one receives the prize? So run that you may
obtain it.
The Pattern for the Disciple
• Paul’s exhortations
• Jesus’ example… and its power!
10:31So,
whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do,
do all to the glory of God. 32Give no offense to Jews or
to Greeks or to the church of God, 33just as I try to
please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my
own benefit, but that of many, that they may be saved.
11:1Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
[1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1]
The Pattern for the Disciple
• Paul’s exhortations
• Jesus’ example… and its power!
5Have
this mind among yourselves, which is yours in
Christ Jesus, 6who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing, taking the form of a
servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8And being
found in human form, he humbled himself by
becoming obedient to the point of death, even death
on a cross.
[Philippians 2:5-8]
The Pattern for the Disciple
• Paul’s exhortations
• Jesus’ example… and its power!
42And
Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You
know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles
lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority
over them. 43But it shall not be so among you. But
whoever would be great among you must be your servant,
44and whoever would be first among you must be slave of
all. 45For even the Son of Man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
[Mark 10:42-45]
The Pattern for the Disciple
• Paul’s exhortations
• Jesus’ example… and its power!
Without Jesus’ power you will just become
frustrated, bitter, discouraged etc…
Jesus’ perfection qualifies us,
and his example empowers us to be like him
• The way that leads to life only goes in one
direction…
… Which way are you going?
… Keep alert, the old way may be the wrong way!