1 Corinthians 9

I wonder if I were to ask you do you enjoy your job what would you say. I suspect most of you would say that the job has good sides and bad sides. We live in a fallen world and the world of work is certainly fallen. Sometimes we feel we are underpaid and undervalued, sometimes we feel bored, sometimes the job is ok but the people we work with are not; sometimes the job is great - we feel appreciated and we bounce out of bed in the morning looking forward to the challenges of the job. Some of us just want a job having been made redundant in the latest recession. We certainly live in an imperfect world and we see that clearly when it comes to the world of work.

As we move into chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians we see Paul under fire in his “job” for want of a better word. His job description is apostle, church planter and evangelist/teacher. In this chapter we find him in defensive mode for he is responding to some criticism. Ministers of the gospel are well used to criticism; it increasingly comes with the territory. I remember years ago sitting in church as a young man thinking wouldn’t it be great to be a minister, a preacher of the word? Wouldn’t it be great to read and study the bible and have people hanging on your every word and dozens coming to faith. Well of course it can be great but the reality does tend to be different and when you are doing something for a while you find the grass is not just as green as you thought it was. You find that the job is not as glamorous as it looked from a distance and sometimes you just want to run away. Same as any job really. But ministry does have some peculiar aspects to it that people need to be aware of if they are tempted to go that route.

I remember when I said to the minister of the church that I was attending that I was thinking of becoming a minister he looked at me and said “if there is anything else you can do, anything at all, then do it.” I thought well that’s not the encouragement I was seeking. But you know looking back, he was right. You need to be sure of your calling. You need to be sure, for ministry is demanding and stretching and increasingly there are casualties. Just last week I was talking to someone in church house who was saying that currently there are about twenty ministers off on stress.  Why is this? Perhaps the new breed of minister is not as hardy or tough as they used to be, but also people are not as passive and compliant as they used to be. People’s expectations are higher, they are more likely to complain and are harder to please. This is the same in any job of course. We see it in our world but the christian church is not immune to this change. You certainly need to have a toughness and be prepared to take criticism and don’t aim to try and please everybody for you won’t. Aim to please God firstly.

Someone said a minister’s job, if it was advertised, might read something like this: WANTED: Person to fill position that involves important but undervalued work; exact job description unclear. Long hours; must work weekends and holidays. Low pay.  Degree required; doctorate preferred. Must be accomplished at multitasking, including running an organization without clear authority to do so. The successful candidate will be skilled as a public speaker, manager, politician and therapist, and will devote significant time each week to pastoral visits. The position reports to multiple bosses.

A minister’s job is full of variety, it is challenging, it is very rewarding as you deal with people at the highs and lows. It is an immense privilege, but it does have its downsides and the apostle Paul knew about these more than anyone and that is why we always emphasise calling when it comes to paid ministry.The calling is the most important thing for when the going gets tough, as it will, you need to know that you are called by God to do this. 1 Cor.9 is a classic example of not being able to please everyone no matter what you do and of the calling being clear.

In Paul’s day itinerant preacher and teachers were supported in one of four ways usually. By charging a fee for their services, by patronage or sponsorship where some rich person or family would provide for their material needs, begging, or working at a trade. Paul seems to have relied on the fourth, working at a trade which was probably one of the least common. Because he did this he was being criticised. Now you would think that working part time and not being a burden on the local church would have been viewed as a good thing, and some probably did see it as good. But there were others who took the view that if Paul was a real apostle, a real teacher with the authority of God behind him then he should be charging or be supported by some wealthy person. That is the way most other teachers were supported so maybe this guy is not an apostle. You see you cannot win whatever you do. In this passage Pauls sets out a defence which in summary says - look I am an apostle, I do come with the full authority of God, I have a right to be supported financially by the churches and he gives four reasons why, but he says I choose not to so that the gospel will not be harmed or I will not be open to the false accusation that I am in this for the money.

So here he sets out a defence for gospel workers to be paid and supported in their work, but then he says as for me I choose not to use this right, and here are the reasons why I do not.

So in v.1-14 he sets forth the right to be paid and looked after as a person called by God into ministry, specifically as an apostle. As a Christian he is free like other Christians and ought to have the same rights as others. He is an apostle having seen the risen Jesus (Acts 1:22) and been authorised by him to go and teach and plant churches. And indeed you are proof of this, you are one of those churches. God has used me, you are the seal (v.2b), the proof of my apostleship. He sets out four reasons why gospel workers should be supported by the gospel they preach and by the churches that benefit.

1.Common practice (v.3-7) – the other apostles get their food and drink, they are allowed to take along their wives and be supported. So it seems that an apostle was entitled to support and not only for him but for his family. This was already happening with others. We see it also with farmers and shepherds. They benefit from the vineyard and the sheep. This is the way things work.

2. Scriptural precept (8-10) – The law of Moses speaks of the principle of not muzzling the ox while it treads out the grain. Do not muzzle the preacher, he is entitled to eat is he not. He has to live and survive.

3. Intrinsic justice (v.11-12) – it is just that where you give of yourself spiritually then you reap materially. The material and the spiritual should not be separated from each other. We as human beings are a unity of material and spiritual. We receive spiritual blessing but we need also to give back material blessing. Yes man does not live on bread alone but we do need some bread! It is right and just that people are supported if they have given up things to serve you in the gospel.

4. Jewish custom (v.13) – “Don’t you know that those who work in the temple get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in what is offered at the altar”.

So here Paul, if you like, gives us a theology of ministry support. (see also 1 Tim.5:18). There is good evidence to support paid ministry. It means that a person can be released from the need to earn a living to concentrate on study, prayer, teaching, evangelism, strategic thinking and seeking God’s will. The church will ultimately benefit from this says Paul so do not be stingy.

But as ever with Paul things are not that simple. Having laid out a scriptural basis for the position he more or less says “but I choose not to be supported but to support myself. This will not be for everyone, but it is for me. You choose to criticise me for it and feel that it undermines my apostolic credentials but, on the contrary, I do this so that the gospel will not be harmed and I will not be accused of doing this for the money”. v.12 “but we did not use this right (to be financially supported). On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ….I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast (that he had preached the gospel without charge).”

It was important to Paul that nothing hindered the gospel and certainly not that he was peddling the gospel for his own profit. He was strenuously wanting to avoid any accusations that would belittle the gospel and how precious it is. This is where ch.9 fits in with ch.8. Paul’s overriding concern is that the gospel is not hindered, compromised, blocked, misheard. He will do anything so that more people will understand the gospel, even sacrifice his own legitimate rights. His chief calling is to preach the gospel – “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” (v.16). This should probably be written above every minister and pastor’s study or pulpit. Paul’s calling was clear and it was a calling to preach the gospel. It was not a unique call, maybe a unique situation, but all of us who are preachers are called in this way. But all of us as christians have something of this upon us also. We are here as witnesses, we may not be teachers or preachers, but something of the passion and the urgency of Paul must be in us if we are born again surely.

We would not spend too long in Paul’s company but we would capture something of his excitement, even his obsession, with getting the good news out there. He was a man on a mission, and yet are we not also? The church is the hope of the world. If we even had a tenth of the passion of this man we would probably be more on fire than we are now.

Paul was flexible, versatile, willing to be a Jew for the Jews, a gentile for the gentiles in order that he might win some (v.21-22). How far are we prepared to go to reach people. When was the last time we invited someone to church? Do we pray regularly for friends or work colleagues or family members who do not know God; do we pray for opportunities to speak to them. Do we share books with them. Some Christians are gifted in evangelism but all of us are called to be witnesses. It is not easy but who ever said that it was meant to be easy. Paul was consumed with this passion to get people to hear about Jesus. “I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” (v.22)  He wanted to do it for the sake of the gospel and to have a share in the blessing. God is going to save people – but are we going to be part of the process and part of the plan or are we going to miss the blessing.

We may be a large church but are we content with the numbers coming or do we long to see more? Look, we always need to improve what we do internally but in all our improving and tweaking we must not lose one of the primary reasons we are here and that is to save people. We can be restless and disturbed about many things in our churches, but are we restless and disturbed about seeing few converts? Are we restless because we are not seeing new faces or is it more likely that we will be disturbed about strangers coming in and we do not know everybody and somebody may be sitting in my pew. Paul would say sacrifice your right to the pew, sacrifice your right to know everybody, sacrifice your right to that car park space if it means a visitor can park there and be welcome.

You see we can read 1 Cor.9 and say well I know that passage and it is all about Paul and his enthusiasm, but this has been written for us, to enthuse us and to give us a jolt. (11:1) For Paul is not here today, the Spirit of Paul is the same Spirit and he is looking for people today who will stand up and be counted, for these things matter. If we believe that there is a salvation to be gained and a hell to be shunned it puts an urgency in our steps and we realise that we are here for this generation and God has no other plan but us. And maybe this is the nub of the problem. Like the Corinthians perhaps we have become complacent about the gospel, or we are more consumed with our rights or protecting our traditions. Has the spirit of the world and the priorities of the world shaped us as a church? These things should be subservient to the gospel and the priority of winning people for Jesus

And Paul ends the chapter on a note of intentionality. He is intentional, like an athlete. He does not just try, he trains. That is the difference between a person who serious about the task and someone who is half hearted. A serious person does not just try, trying gets you only so far. A person who is serious about a race, a marathon, a strenuous hike, will train. Are we training ourselves as disciples. Are we praying, and studying, and attending courses, and reading books, and sharing our faith, and stretching ourselves and sacrificing time and luxuries because we want the kingdom to grow and we want to be part of the blessing? Are we training ourselves in how to better followers of Jesus, or have we plateaued, thinking that we have arrived and we have nothing new to learn and nothing new to give? Are we thinking what can I get away with giving or are we saying Here I am Lord, send me, use me, whatever it takes to reach the people among whom I live.

People in our world put up with a lot to win a race, a cup, an award, a championship and yet Paul says “they do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever”. (v.25) Have we forgotten the crown, the well done, the reward, the glory that will surpass any earthly prize or glory? As we look back we will say it was worth it, indeed I could have given him more and I did not, more fool me.   Today we remember those who have given the ultimate sacrifice of their lives in service of their country. This is a good thing but increasingly we see people questioning the worth of it, the rightness of a war in Afghanistan or wherever as the body count grows. Who knows? But we are soldiers of a greater King, we are citizens of another country, and if we pay the ultimate price for serving the king of kings we will not ask was it worth it. It is worth it and it will be worth it. The gospel is worth it, Jesus is worth it.

So where we are complacent may the enthusiasm of Paul travel across the centuries and touch our hearts for we serve the same Lord and we are on the same mission. May God help us to fulfil our calling where he has placed us, and may we share in the blessing of spreading the good news even if that does mean sacrificing some of our rights in doing so.

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