1 Corinthians 9:15

But I have used none of these things, neither have I written these things, that it should be done so unto me. For it were better for me to die than that any man should make my glorying void. For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward; but if against my will a dispensation or a stewardship of the gospel is committed unto me, what then is my reward? Verily, that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I have used not my power in the gospel. For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself a servant unto all, that I might win the more.

Father, as we look into Your Word, we pray that You, by Your Spirit, would direct us, that You'd give us wisdom and understanding to be able to apply this Word to our lives. God, continue to transform us more and more into the image of Your Son, we pray. For we ask it in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

The Corinthian church, not unlike the American or even Californian church, was absorbed with its rights, completely focused on their rights. In our culture today, hardly a day goes by when you do not hear someone cry foul, saying, "I have my rights," or challenging us, saying, "You have no right to say that." We hear and see lawyers on commercials asking, "Have your rights been violated?" We have natural rights, civil rights, inalienable rights, human rights, gay rights, women's rights, and animal rights. Of late, it seems...

The only ones that have little right to their rights in our nation are Christians who hold to biblical values. I don't know about you, but sometimes I wish more people would observe their right to remain silent. Paul knew and recognized his rights, but he also understood that there are times when it is more right to lay down our rights to maintain righteousness. For the sake of others, out of love, and in a Christ-like fashion, we lay aside our liberty that we might lift up another.

Now, this kind of teaching is certainly not a favorite of our flesh. We don't typically enjoy that kind of doctrinal teaching. There is some sort of innate internal tension that wells up within us when a topic such as this comes up. We can almost not help but dodge the spotlight of God's truth by deflecting it to somebody else, turning it around on them, and shifting focus to them. We might say, "Well, you don't do this in your life. What rights have you renounced? What liberties have you laid down?"

Anticipating such a challenge, Paul jumps in with full force. In the first 14 verses of chapter 9, he cites five reasons why he had rights as an apostle to receive personal and family support for his work in the ministry. He established this truth in chapter 8: that it's important, sometimes for the sake of love, to forego our liberties and lay down our rights. Then, anticipating people asking him how he had done this in his life, he dedicates these 14 verses to the fact that it was reasonable for him to have this right to be supported in the ministry.

He said it was customary in the practice of the world of the day that a soldier, a farmer, or a shepherd is taken care of by the work that they do. This support sustains them. He also showed that this support was in keeping with God's law. In Deuteronomy chapter 25, he states that you are not to muzzle the ox as it treads out the grain. Thus, it was in keeping with customary practice in the world and in accordance with God's law. Thirdly, it was consistent with what was done for other ministers in the day.

He showed, fourthly, that it was in keeping with the Old Testament pattern of ministry. Finally, he demonstrated in verse 14 that it was consistent with the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ as well. Although he had every reasonable right to receive such support, we see in verse 15 that he used none of these things. He stated, "I have laid hold of none of these rights, nor am I writing these things that it should be done so for me, for it would be better for me to die than that a man should take away my glorying."

Paul had every right, as a minister of the gospel, to receive support for the work that he did, yet he chose to forgo those rights. Out of love, for the sake of others and for the sake of the gospel, he laid aside those reasonable rights. He did not write these things to shame the Corinthians or to manipulate them through some sort of reverse psychology. He wanted to make it clear that he did not want anyone to think that at all. The last thing the Apostle Paul wanted was for anyone, especially his enemies—who sadly existed within the gospel—to accuse him of preaching for earthly or selfish gain. He went to great lengths to prevent that from happening.

His heart is most clearly seen in this regard in his final words to the elders of the Ephesian church in Acts chapter 20. If you turn just a couple of books to the left of 1 Corinthians, you will find Acts chapter 20. There, Paul is on his way to Jerusalem for his last visit to the city. As he passes by the area of Ephesus, he calls all the leaders of the Ephesian church to himself. These are the leaders he had taught and trained for nearly three years during his ministry there. They come outside the city to meet with him.

In Acts chapter 20, verse 18, it says, "And when they had come to him, he said unto them, 'You know that from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you in all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews. I kept nothing back that was profitable unto you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.'"

That really was the twofold declaration of Paul: repentance towards God and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ.

In verse 22, he says, "Behold, I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, save that the Holy Spirit witnesses in every city, saying, 'Bonds and afflictions await me.' But none of these things move me. Neither do I count my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish the course with joy and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God."

He continues, "And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore, take you to record this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have not shunned to declare unto you the whole counsel of God."

Paul urges them to take heed, therefore, unto themselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit has made them overseers, to feed the church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood. He warns, "For I know this, that after my departing, shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also, of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after themselves."

He emphasizes the importance of vigilance, saying, "Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years, I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears."

Paul concludes, "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among them which are sanctified."

Now notice this in verse 33: "I have coveted no man's silver or gold or clothing," says Paul. "Yea, you yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities and to them that were with me. I have showed you all things how that so laboring, after this example, you ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said that it is more blessed to give than to receive."

When he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. Paul's life was a continual testament to this truth: that it is more blessed to give than to receive. He willingly gave of himself, often receiving no earthly reward in return. This willing sacrifice extended into the realm of his rights and his liberties.

Paul willingly sacrificed his liberties for the sake of others, for the sake of love—love for God and love for his neighbor. He willingly laid down his liberties and renounced his rights. Considering that example, not just of the Apostle Paul but also of Jesus, our Lord, we must introspectively question whether there are liberties that we are holding on to. We may have a right to those things in Christ, but could the Lord be calling us to lay them aside?

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul gloried in the fact that he received no financial gain for preaching the gospel. We would misunderstand the Apostle Paul if we assumed that he openly boasted about this to people. I don't think we would ever see the Apostle Paul telling others, "Look at what I do. I serve God for free." He didn't openly boast about this, but there was a real internal joy that Paul had in knowing that he received no earthly reward for preaching the gospel. He was perfectly content and completely satisfied to labor with his hands to support his own needs so that he could, without hindrance, preach the gospel to as many as was humanly possible.

His goal was to bring the gospel to wherever it had not gone before, and he didn't want it to be hindered in any way. One of the things he was willing to lay aside to ensure this was his right to receive support from the work he did in the ministry. This is just one of many rights that I believe Paul laid aside, which we will see as we continue through his writings. He willingly laid that down, even though he had all the reasonable support imaginable to show that it was right for him to receive these things.

Paul rejoiced in the fact that no one could ever accuse him of preaching the gospel for selfish gain. Yet, there were some in that day who did. He speaks of them through tears in the book of Philippians, noting that they were only doing the work of the ministry for personal gain. We have witnessed this in our own nation and time, have we not? There are those who have done the work of God, the work of the kingdom of God, only for an earthly inheritance, and they have their reward.

As the Pharisees of Jesus' day, they have their reward. However, Paul could never have been accused of serving God only for selfish earthly gain, especially when considering the physical harm he endured for the preaching of the gospel.

In verse 16 of 1 Corinthians chapter 9, he says, "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of, for necessity is laid upon me. Yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward. But if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me." In Paul's eyes, there was no ground for boasting in merely preaching the gospel. Preaching the gospel in and of itself was no cause for glory, joy, or boasting.

Here in verses 16 and 17, he gives two reasons as to why that is the case. The first reason is the reason of compulsion. Do you see it there in verse 16? Paul says, "Necessity is laid upon me." A burden is laid upon me. Woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel. Paul could not boast in the fact that he preached the gospel because he was compelled by Christ to do so.

He would go on to say in 2 Corinthians, specifically chapter 5, verse 14, that it was the love of God that constrained him to preach, that compelled him to preach. He could not hold it back. He could not hold it in. He could not help but preach the gospel because God compelled him to do so, like the prophets of old.

In Amos chapter 3, the prophet Amos says in verse 8, "A lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord has spoken. Who can but prophesy?" The prophet Amos declared that God has spoken, and how could he keep from speaking forth His word?

Not only the prophet Amos, but also the prophet Jeremiah. In Jeremiah chapter 20, verse 8, Jeremiah says, "For since I spoke, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil. And because of the word of the Lord, I was made a reproach unto me in derision daily." Basically, he states that the word of the Lord has brought him insult and reproach every single day.

As he spoke forth God's word, the only reward it brought him was insult and reproach every single day. Let me read to you what Jeremiah's view came to be. In Jeremiah chapter 20, verse 9, he says, "I will not make mention of him nor speak his name anymore." Jeremiah expresses that all he receives for preaching God's word is insult and reproach, and so he declares that he will not do this anymore. He is not a glutton for punishment. He states that he will not make mention of the Lord anymore or speak His word.

However, in verse 9, he continues, "His word was in my heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing so that I could not stay." He was weary from holding it in; indeed, he could not hold on to it. He had to speak forth God's word.

It was not just the Old Testament prophets who felt this way, but also the apostles. In Acts chapter 4, you may remember the story of Peter and John going up to the temple at the time of prayer. There was a man who was lame by the gate called Beautiful. Through the ministry of John and Peter, God healed this man, which gave Peter an opportunity to preach and caused quite a stir in the temple. They were brought before the Sanhedrin, the rulers of Jerusalem, and were forbidden from preaching in the name of Jesus any longer.

Their response, as recorded in Acts chapter 4, verse 19, was, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than God, you judge; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." Essentially, Peter and John declared that they could not keep from preaching. This sentiment echoes what Amos, Jeremiah, and Paul have attested to.

This, in fact, is one of the marks of a true preacher. A true preacher does not just like to preach or want to preach; they cannot help but preach. They have been compelled to do so by the love of Christ and the work that God has done in their lives. They cannot help but share that with others. It is a sign of one who has received forgiveness; they cannot help but tell others. It is a sign of one who has truly been healed; they cannot but testify of what God has done. Paul states that there is no way he could keep it back because a burden has been laid upon him.

And woe is me if I preach not the gospel. I must do it. Paul says that he can't boast about preaching the gospel because he is compelled to do it. Secondly, he couldn't boast about merely preaching the gospel because of conscription. Not just compulsion, but conscription. In verse 17, Paul states that a dispensation or stewardship of the gospel is committed to him. He was compelled and constrained to preach the gospel; he could not help but speak forth the word of God. Furthermore, he was conscripted by the Lord to do so.

How could he boast about what he was doing if he was merely doing what he was supposed to do? If I got up here today and for the first 20 minutes I boasted about brushing my teeth, you would probably begin to wonder, with a little bit of disgust, does he not normally brush his teeth? If I kept going on and on about it, you would start to think, why in the world does he keep boasting about brushing his teeth? We all brush our teeth. We all know we're supposed to brush our teeth. At least, I hope that's the case.

Maybe a better example is this: if the draft remained in our nation today and specifically every male of able age was conscripted by our government into military service, you could not boast about your great willingness to voluntarily serve your nation in the military if every single one was conscripted to do so. You're only doing what you're supposed to do. A preacher who is called by God is called to preach. He is conscripted by the Lord to do so. If he doesn't do it, then he ought to be ashamed.

The soldier who is conscripted into military service, if he does not fulfill his duty, is tried before a tribunal, before a court martial, because he has gone AWOL. In the same way, God has conscripted the minister of the gospel to do the work of the ministry. He must do it. If he does not do it, he ought to be ashamed. If he does it, then he has only fulfilled the minimum of his requirement; he has done what he is called to do.

Now, I believe that this overflows into other areas.

Of our lives as Christians, I personally find it odd when people boast about their Bible reading. "I read ten chapters in the Bible today." Well, of course, you're supposed to read your Bible. "I prayed this morning." Well, praise the Lord. You should pray. There are certain disciplines that we have as Christians that we ought to do. They're non-negotiables, and we don't boast about those things. That's what we're called to do. If we don't do those things, then there should be a certain level of shame that we experience, perhaps the conviction of the Holy Spirit saying, "You should be doing this."

Jesus commissioned His disciples to preach the gospel. In Mark chapter 16, verse 15, He said unto them, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." He conscripted His disciples into the work of the ministry, calling them to preach. "Woe is me if I preach not." This calling is not just for the apostles, but also for the prophets.

Consider Jeremiah. In Jeremiah chapter 1, verse 4, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you. And before you came forth out of the womb, I sanctified you, and I ordained you a prophet to the nations." God says to Jeremiah, "From your birth, from conception, I called and ordained you for a purpose, to be a prophet."

What was Jeremiah's response? Sadly, it was similar to our response oftentimes. "Ah, I said, Lord, I cannot speak, for I am a youth. I'm incapable of doing this, Lord. I don't have what's needed to be able to accomplish it." But the Lord's response to Jeremiah's excuse was, "Say not that I am a child, for you shall go to all that I send you. And whatsoever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am with you to deliver you," says the Lord. God called him, conscripted him, and said, "This is your work. If you don't do it, you ought to be ashamed."

Not only Jeremiah, but also the prophet Amos. In Amos chapter 7, verse 14, Amos answered and said to Amaziah the king, "I was not a prophet, nor was I a son of the prophets. But I was a herdsman, a shepherd, a gatherer of fruit. I was a farmer. And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, 'Go, prophesy unto my people.'" He was conscripted into the Lord's work and called to do that work.

The Apostle Paul expresses a similar sentiment in Acts chapter 26. Turn in your Bibles to Acts 26. After Paul met with the Ephesian elders in Acts 20, he went to Jerusalem. Many people along the way were begging him not to go to Jerusalem. They warned him that when he got there, he would be arrested by the Romans, and it would not end well. The Jews were going to try to kill him.

However, Paul was being led by the Lord to go to Jerusalem, and sure enough, events unfolded as prophesied. By Acts chapter 26, Paul is in the city of Caesarea by the sea, on the Mediterranean coast. While under arrest and imprisoned by the Romans, he is given the opportunity to speak to many high-profile leaders, both in Israel and in the Roman Empire.

In Acts 26, verse 12, he speaks to King Agrippa about his conversion to Christ. He recounts, "Whereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests at midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them that journeyed with me. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking unto me saying in the Hebrew tongue, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' I said, 'Who are you, Lord?' And he said, 'I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.'"

Now, notice this commission in verse 16: "But rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of those things which you have seen and of those things in which I will appear unto you, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send you, to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among them which are sanctified by the faith that is in me."

Notice Paul's response as he relays it to King Agrippa: "Whereupon, O Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. I did what I was told. Why? Because I was conscripted into this work by the Lord."

This time of the year in 1999, God called me into the ministry of preaching His word. I remember it very clearly. Pastor Tony, our youth pastor at the time, asked me if I would take over the junior high ministry and begin teaching it. My first reaction was very similar to probably your first reaction when asked to serve in children's ministry or youth ministry: no. But you can't say no; that's very un-Christian-like, right? So, we have to say no in the Christian way. I told Tony, "I'll pray about it." That's Christianese for no, right?

I actually did pray about it. I was reading through the book of 1 Samuel and also the book of Ephesians at the time. God spoke to me through 1 Samuel chapter 12, where Samuel says to the nation of Israel, "Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you, but I will teach you the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart. For consider how great things He has done for you." Samuel said, "Far be it from me that I should sin against God in ceasing to teach you."

God spoke to my heart, saying, "I've called you to teach, and if you don't, you're in sin." Just as with the Apostle Paul, Amos, Jeremiah, and the Apostles of old, God calls us to this work. He conscripts us to this work, and to do the work is the only right thing. There’s no boasting in that because I'm merely doing what God has told me to do. Just as Paul said, "So I cannot boast in this. I'm compelled by God, by the love of God, to preach the gospel. I'm in debt to the whole world to bring the gospel to them. I've been conscripted by the Lord to preach." Therefore, he could not boast or glory in merely preaching the gospel. There’s no boast in it.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 9, verse 18, the question arises: what is my reward then? What is my pay? I get no glory; I get no boast in preaching the gospel. I've renounced my rights to receive support from the gospel. So, what is my reward? Verily, that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge.

Paul states that he does not abuse his power in the gospel. What is his pay? It is the satisfaction he derives from preaching the good news without expense to anyone. He never demands his rights as a preacher. Therein lies a great and glorious truth: there is a joyous reward granted to those who forego their rights for the sake of others.

This reward is more tangible than the inner joy that comes from such selflessness. In verses 19 through 22, we will see that Paul's sacrifices produced great fruit for the kingdom of God. Thus, the reward is more substantial than just the internal joy of laying aside one's rights for the sake of others. There is indeed a glorious reward for those who renounce their liberties and rights for the exaltation or salvation of others.

Paul emphasizes that he does not want to abuse his power. In Christ, we have great liberties; we have been set free. However, there is a way in which we can misuse the liberties we possess. Paul reiterates that he does not want to abuse his power.

The word "power" that he uses in verse 18 is the same Greek word he employed in verses 4, 5, and 6, where he asks, "Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as the other apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I that have not power to forbear working?" The Greek word "exousia" can be translated as jurisdiction, power, or rights.

Paul questions whether he does not have the right to support himself and his family. Yet, he states in verse 18 that he does not want to abuse his rights in the Lord. Twice in the Gospel of Mark, Jesus called upon his disciples to be servants. Jesus is the perfect example.

of sacrificial service. Wouldn't you agree? I am convinced that when we fight and push for our liberties and for our rights, especially in the gray areas of Christianity, it reveals our lack of maturity. A gray area of Christianity would be those things that are not expressly written about in the Scriptures—things that are not clearly identified as right or wrong in the Word. We have liberty in Christ to practice those sorts of things.

However, when we are so dead set upon fighting for our rights and pushing for our liberties, I believe it reveals our lack of Christ-likeness. In Mark chapter 9, verse 35, Jesus sat down, called the twelve to Himself, and said to them, "If any man desires to be first, the same shall be last and the servant of all." Similarly, in Mark chapter 10, verse 44, Jesus said, "And whosoever of you will be the chief, the first, shall be the servant of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many."

You see, we can fight and argue all day long about our liberties and rights that we have in Christ. In some circumstances, I would say that such a fight might indeed be appropriate. There are certain areas where we have to be very clear. Do we have liberty in Christ? Absolutely. The Scriptures make that very, very clear.

However, there are abuses of such liberty that hinder our worship, our walk, and our witness. There are ways that we can hold on to our liberties in Christ that keep us from being able to worship God in spirit and truth. They can prevent us from walking with Him in righteousness and witnessing to those in this world around us.

The fact remains that Christ has called us to, and He has modeled for us, a life of servanthood. Oftentimes, in the service of others, we are called upon by His Holy Spirit to sacrificially and lovingly lay down our liberties for another. Just as Paul says in verse 19, "For though I be free from all men," Paul was no slave. He had liberty; he had been set free by Christ. For though I am free...

Of all men, he says, "Yet have I made myself the servant unto all that I may win the more." And there's the point. That's the whole focus and emphasis of this passage. We'll get into it more next week when we finish out chapter 19. But this is what the Lord is calling us to.

There was great honor in the Old Testament placed upon a servant, someone who was a slave, who was released because every servant, every slave under the law of Israel was released after seven years, the year of redemption, the year of the Sabbath. There was great honor placed upon that servant who, upon release, made a decision of their will to place themselves once again under their master as a servant willingly. They were taken to the elders of the city, and their right ear was put to the doorpost. An awl was used to pierce their ear, creating a golden earring, which was a sign to everyone in their society that they were a servant by choice, a bond servant.

Paul, maybe more than any other title in the Scriptures, identifies himself as a bond servant of Christ. He had every liberty you can imagine in Christ but willingly laid aside his liberties that others might come to faith. "I have made myself a servant unto all that I may gain the more."

What does it practically look like? Paul continues in verse 20: "And unto the Jews I became as a Jew that I may win the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. To them that are without the law, as without the law, being not without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I may win them that are without the law. To the weak I became as the weak, that I may win the weak. I am made all things to all people that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake that I might be a partaker thereof with you."

What was Paul's view? Simply this: Yes, he knew his rights. He could argue his liberties, but he says, "For the sake of the kingdom of God, for the salvation..."

Of those who don't know the Lord, I will willingly lay down my liberties that others might know Him. In a culture like Corinth, which is not so dissimilar to the culture of California, that teaching, although challenging to our flesh, is something I believe we need to hear. Yes, we have liberty in Christ, and we can argue those liberties until we turn blue in the face. However, the believer who is following Christ, living with a Christ-like example and with the love of God dominating their heart, will willingly say, "If this causes my brother to stumble, I will never do it again."

As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 8, verse 13, "Wherefore, if meat makes my brother to be offended, I will no longer eat flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to stumble." It's the example of Christ; it really is the law of love, and I believe it is what God would call us to. Amen?

Let's stand and pray.

Lord Jesus, although You were in the form of God, You thought it not robbery to be equal with God. You made Yourself of no reputation and took upon Yourself the form of a servant, made in the likeness of man. Being found in fashion as a man, You humbled Yourself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Lord, would You work that mind into us, that we would grow more and more like You, that we would be able to say with Paul, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ." Lord, we thank You that You have set us free and given us great liberty. But as we see in the passage before us, Lord, we have the liberty to lay aside our liberty that others might know You, that others might receive Your love. So, Lord, I pray that You would work that into our lives, that we would win the more, that we would gain the life.

That you desire for us, for we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen. M. Wrench van M. Amen. Thank you.