1 Corinthians 9 (4)

Pray Psalm 96.5-7.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
But the LORD made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
Give to the LORD glory and strength.

Sing Psalm 96.5-7.
(Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above)
All other gods are idols vain; the LORD created heaven.
Splendor and strength with Him obtain; to Him be glory given!
All fam’lies, praise this mighty LORD! Give strength and glory to His Word;
exalt the LORD of heaven!

Read 1 Corinthians 9.1-18; meditate on verses 15-18.

Preparation
1. What commitment did Paul make concerning his ministry?

2. Why did Paul accept this ministry?

Meditation
Paul was not chiding the Corinthians about their neglect of his needs during his ministry among them so that they would send him “back pay” (v. 15). He wrote to edify them and direct them in the ways of love.  

Paul did not ask people to support him. God had called him to this ministry, and Paul was confident that He would provide for all his needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4.19). He would boast in what the Lord had done through his ministry, not in any people who might think they could take credit for it because they supported it. Fulfilling his calling was his only necessity, not fretting about his daily bread (v. 16).

By taking up his calling in faith and obedience, Paul believed that God would reward him as He saw fit (v. 17). He was content with that. But he was not content for those he had led to the Lord and served so faithfully to fail in the duties of love. Paul freely preached the Gospel to them while he was in Corinth, and he freely wrote the Gospel to them in these epistles (v. 18). Fulfilling his calling, without fussing about remuneration, was rewarding enough for Paul.

Paul teaches us that what matters each day is what God has called us to do. Once we have discerned that, we must press on, trusting that He will meet our needs and give us reason to boast in Him when our work is done. Our reward, at the end of the day, will be to realize that God Who called us has been faithful in helping us do that which brings honor and glory to Him.

Treasures Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Cor. 9.16).

“So likewise you, when you have done all those things which you are commanded, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done what was our duty to do’” (Lk. 17.10).

Paul and Jesus had the same take on our Kingdom work. Called to it, we must do it; and the reward is in obedience. For when we obey God, we please Him. And when we please Him, we have fulfilled the Law, and we experience the joy of the Lord.

The basics of love are that we care for our fellowman. And that we pay them what they are due: “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in the power of your hand to do so. Do not say to your neighbor, ‘Go, and come back, and tomorrow I will give it,’ when you have it with you” (Prov. 3.27,28).

Our attitude about our own work should be Paul’s.
And our attitude towards one another should be God’s.

We do our work gladly because the necessity of it has been emblazoned on our hearts and in our minds. And we show love to our neighbor because we read, meditate on, and pray into our hearts and minds the Scripture that teaches us to “Keep the Law and love our neighbor as ourselves” (Matt. 22.37-41).

“Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end” (Jn. 13.1). “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2.5, 8).

“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4.16) …casting all our cares upon Him because He cares deeply for us (1 Pet. 5.7). God will take care of us. He knows what we need, even before we ask Him (Matt. 6.8). He, and others, care for us. He, and we, must care for them. After all, “They will know we are Christians by our love.”

We only need cry out, “Woe is me” if we do not fulfill our requirements to others.
“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6.2).
Now that’s a necessity!

For reflection
1. How does Paul use the ideas of “necessity” and “reward” with respect to our callings?

2. Do you see your calling as a “necessity”? Do you experience fulfilling your calling as a “reward”?

3. Fulfilling a calling is driven by love for God and neighbors. Explain.

…he says that a curse was ready to fall upon him, if he did not preach the gospel. Why? Because he has been called to it, and therefore is constrained by necessity. Come to the Father, and through whom the Father sends all blessings to us, by the influence and working of the Holy Spirit. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on 1 Corinthians 9.16

Pray Psalm 96.1-4, 11-13.
Thank God for your calling, for what He has called you to do in serving Him. Recommit yourself to all the work He has appointed to you, and thank Him that He will supply all you need to serve Him faithfully each day.

Sing Psalm 96.1-4, 11-13.
(Mit Freuden Zart: All Praise to God, Who Reigns Above)
Sing to the LORD! O, bless His Name! All nations tell His glory!
Salvation’s tidings loud proclaim; let earth rehearse His story!
For God is greatly to be praised; His throne above all gods is raised!
Fear Him and sing His glory!

Let heaven sing with lusty voice; let earth and sea sing sweetly!
Let fields and trees in Him rejoice, for He is coming swiftly
to judge the world in righteousness, the peoples in His faithfulness.
He comes; exalt Him greatly!

T. M. and Susie Moore

The Church in Corinth needed revival. But there was much to be done before that would happen. The Church today needs revival, and the same is true for us. Our book, Revived!, can help us to discern our need for revival and lead us in getting there. Order your copy by clicking here.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter, available by clicking here.