11 If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you? 12 If others have this right of support from you, shouldn't we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ. 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 on the altar? 14 In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing this in the hope that you will do such things for me. I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of this boast. 16 Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! 17 If I preach voluntarily, I have a reward; if not voluntarily, I am simply discharging the trust committed to me. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in preaching the gospel I may offer it free of charge, and so not make use of my rights in preaching it.
19 Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
Paul preached the gospel free of charge. It is not clear from this text that he always preached free of charge. Instead, Paul chose against what he knew was within his rights -- to be paid -- to avoid being trapped into a relationship of indebtedness that might hamper his gospeling.
This cannot be taken as the norm: Paul says those who preach the gospel are entitled to live from the gospel. It would not hard here to venture into reflections on (1) the need for churches to pay their "gospelers" and (2) the need for gospelers to avoid the appearance of wanting more money.
Paul preached the gospel as a burden -- as a necessity; it was in his bones to preach the gospel.
Now a point -- vv. 19-23 -- that is the constant need of gospeler: to adapt and adopt the gospel to the context of one's audience. This does not mean not preaching the cross and the resurrection of Christ but it means to speak the gospel into each context with clarity and relevance. Paul adapted himself to each context: Jewish and Gentile. Why? To win others into faith in Christ.
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I would actually question whether we need to give the Pauline understanding of the gospel the same weight as that which we would ascribe to Jesus. Who says this should be so? A one-size-fits-all notion of sola scriptura? In my mind, we should remember that Paul was Jesus' follower, not primarily his interpreter.
John,
I've been swamped and not had lots of time for commenting back. Yes, I think Paul does think his life backs up his teachings and embodies his teachings.
Darren's comment seems to be appropriate. For some reason, it appears that many churhes and pastors get their theology from Paul and their "warm fuzzies" from Christ. I suspect that is not true for the Jesus Creed crew, but it does seem an accurate assesment for many of the churches I've attended.____In my ignorance, for it may have already been addressed, I would ask Scot if he feels Paul is primarily an "interpreter of Christ" and therefore gives more credence to that particular form of "gospel"?____
The question that arises most strongly in my mind when I read chapter 9 is why there are not more gospelers who do not derive their living from the church. Paul's method here is very powrful. He builds a strong case for vocational gospeling and then juxtaposes his way of life (at least amongst the Corinthians) with that. Why don't we see more men and women willing, yea compelled, to gospel apart from a paycheck from the church?
The intro to this is probably the most important statement I've read in this conversation. As I'm studying and learning and growing I'm noticing this tension more and more. People are arguing for one or the other Paul or Jesus. Yet, if all of Scripture is "God-breathed," then all the statements ultimately come from the same source. We need to see more people looking to understand Scripture as a whole rather than picking the passages that support their presuppositions. Anyone have any recommendations for authors that are doing this well?
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