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 though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself a servant unto all, that I might win the more.

Paul had every right to ministry support—and laid it all aside, because love sometimes calls us to surrender our liberties for the sake of another.

A Church Absorbed With Its Rights

The Corinthian church, not unlike the American or even Californian church, was completely absorbed with its 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, "You have no right to say that." We hear lawyers on commercials asking, "Have your rights been violated?" We have natural rights and civil rights, inalienable rights and human rights, gay rights, women's rights, and animal rights. Of late, it seems the only ones with little right to their rights in our nation are Christians who hold to biblical values. Sometimes I wish more people would observe their right to remain silent.

Paul knew and recognized his rights. But he also knew there are times when it is more right to lay down our rights to maintain righteousness. For the sake of others, out of love, in Christ-like fashion, we lay aside our liberty that we might lift up another.

This kind of teaching is not a favorite of our flesh. There is an innate internal tension that wells up within us when such a topic comes up, and we can almost not help but dodge the spotlight of God's truth by deflecting it onto someone else: "Well, what rights have you renounced? What liberties have you laid down?" Anticipating such a challenge, Paul jumps in full force.

Five Reasons Paul Had a Right to Support

In the first fourteen verses of chapter 9, Paul cites five reasons why he had every right as an apostle to receive personal and family support for his ministry. In chapter 8 he had established that it is sometimes important, for the sake of love, to forego our liberties; now, anticipating people asking, "Well, how have you done this in your life?" he gives these fourteen verses to show it was entirely reasonable for him to be supported.

First, it was customary in the world of the day—a soldier, a farmer, a shepherd are all taken care of by the work that they do. Second, it was in keeping with God's law: in Deuteronomy 25 you are not to muzzle the ox as it treads out the grain. Third, it was in keeping with what was done for other ministers. Fourth, it was in keeping with the Old Testament pattern of ministry. And finally, in verse 14, it was in keeping with the teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.

But although he had every reasonable right to receive such support, verse 15 says, "I have used none of these things." Out of love, for the sake of others, for the sake of the gospel, Paul laid aside those reasonable rights. He didn't write these things to shame the Corinthians or to get something from them through reverse psychology. The last thing Paul wanted was for anyone—especially his enemies, and sadly he had enemies in the gospel—to be able to accuse him of preaching for earthly, selfish gain.

"I Have Coveted No Man's Silver"

Paul's heart is most clearly seen in his final words to the elders of the Ephesian church in Acts 20. On his way to Jerusalem for his last visit, he calls the leaders he had trained for nearly three years to meet him outside Ephesus.

You know... after what manner I have been with you in all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind and with many tears... and how I kept nothing back that was profitable unto you... testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

That was the twofold declaration of Paul: repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. He goes bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing what awaits him save bonds and afflictions, yet none of these things move him. He warns them of grievous wolves who will enter in, and of men from among themselves who will arise speaking perverse things. Then notice verse 33:

I have coveted no man's silver or gold or clothing... Yea, you yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my necessities... I have showed you all things, how that so laboring 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.

Paul's life was a continual testament to this truth. He willingly gave of himself, often receiving no earthly reward, and this willing sacrifice extended into the realm of his rights and liberties. Considering that example—not just of Paul, but of Jesus our Lord—we have to introspectively question: are there liberties we are holding on to that the Lord may be calling us to lay aside?

Joy in Preaching Without Charge

Paul gloried in the fact that he received no financial gain for preaching the gospel. We would misunderstand him if we assumed he openly boasted about this. I don't think we would ever see Paul telling people, "Look at me, I serve God for free." But there was a real internal joy in knowing he received no earthly reward. He was perfectly content to labor with his hands so that he could, without hindrance, preach the gospel to as many as humanly possible.

His goal was to bring the gospel where it had not gone before, and he didn't want it hindered in any way. One thing he was willing to lay aside, that the gospel might not be hindered, was his right to support. He rejoiced that no one could ever accuse him of preaching for selfish gain—and yet some in his day did. Through tears in Philippians, he speaks of those who did the work only for personal gain. We have witnessed that in our own nation and time: those who do the work of the kingdom only for an earthly inheritance. Like the Pharisees of Jesus' day, they have their reward. But Paul could never be accused of serving God only for selfish gain, especially considering the physical harm he endured for the gospel.

Compulsion: Woe Is Me If I Preach Not

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.

In Paul's eyes, there was no ground for boasting in merely preaching the gospel. In verses 16 and 17 he gives two reasons. The first is compulsion. "Necessity is laid upon me," he says—a burden is laid upon me. He could not boast because he was compelled by Christ. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 he says it was the love of God that constrained him. He could not hold it in.

It was the same with the prophets. Amos said, "A lion has roared. Who will not fear? The Lord has spoken. Who can but prophesy?" Jeremiah complained that the word of the Lord brought him only insult and reproach daily, and resolved, "I will not make mention of him." But, Jeremiah 20:9, "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 had to speak.

And so with the apostles. In Acts 4, after healing the lame man at the gate called Beautiful, Peter and John were forbidden to preach in Jesus' name. Their answer: "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, you judge, for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." This is one of the marks of a true preacher—he doesn't just like to preach or want to preach, but cannot help but preach. It is a sign of one who has received forgiveness and been truly healed; they cannot help but tell others.

Conscription: Doing What We Are Called to Do

The second reason Paul could not boast is conscription. Verse 17: "A dispensation," or stewardship, "of the gospel is committed unto me." 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 and for twenty minutes boasted about brushing my teeth, you'd wonder—first with disgust, then with confusion. We all brush our teeth; it's what we're supposed to do. Or consider the draft: if every male of able age were conscripted into military service, no one could boast about his great willingness to volunteer. He's only doing what he's supposed to do. A preacher called by God is conscripted to preach. If he doesn't do it, he ought to be ashamed; if he does it, he's only fulfilled the minimum of his requirement.

This overflows into other areas of the Christian life. I find it odd when people boast about their Bible reading—"I read ten chapters today." Of course you should read your Bible. "I prayed this morning." Praise the Lord—you should pray. These are non-negotiables. We don't boast about them; that's what we're called to do, and there should be a measure of holy conviction when we don't.

Jesus commissioned his disciples: "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). And the prophets were conscripted too. To Jeremiah God said, "Before I formed you in the belly, I knew you... I ordained you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah pleaded that he was only a youth, but God answered, "Say not that I am a child, for you shall go to all that I send you... Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with you." Amos likewise said, "I was no prophet... I was a herdsman, a gatherer of fruit. And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people."

"I Was Not Disobedient to the Heavenly Vision"

Paul expresses the same thing in Acts 26, speaking to King Agrippa about his Damascus road conversion. The risen Christ said:

Rise and stand upon your feet, for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness... to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light... that they may receive forgiveness of sins.

And Paul's response? "Whereupon, O Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." He did what he was told, because he had been conscripted into this work by the Lord.

I remember about this time of year in 1999 when God called me into the ministry of preaching. Pastor Tony, our youth pastor, asked if I would take over the junior high ministry. My first reaction was the same as yours probably is when asked to serve in children's or youth ministry: no. But you can't just say no—that's un-Christian. So you say it the Christian way: "I'll pray about it." That's Christianese for no. But I actually did pray. Reading through 1 Samuel, God spoke to me through chapter 12, where Samuel says, "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." God spoke to my heart: I've called you to teach, and if you don't, you're in sin. As with Paul, Amos, Jeremiah, and the apostles, God conscripts us to this work—and to do it is the only right thing. There's no boasting in merely doing what God has commanded.

What Then Is My Reward?

What is my reward then? Verily, that when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.

Paul's pay is the satisfaction of preaching the good news without expense to anyone, never demanding his rights as a preacher. Therein is a great and glorious truth: there is a joyous reward granted to those who forego their rights for the sake of others. And this reward is more tangible than inner joy alone, for in verses 19–22 we see that Paul's sacrifice produced great fruit for the kingdom of God.

Paul says, "I abuse not my power in the gospel." In Christ we have great liberties—we have been set free—but there is a way we can abuse those liberties. The word "power" in verse 18 is the same Greek word, exousia, used in verses 4–6: "Have we not power to eat and to drink? Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife?" It can be translated jurisdiction, power, or rights. Paul says, "I do not want to abuse my rights in the Lord."

The Law of Love and the Example of the Servant

Twice in Mark's Gospel, Jesus called his disciples to be servants. He is the perfect example of sacrificial service. I am convinced that when we fight and push for our liberties—especially in the gray areas of Christianity, those things not expressly addressed in Scripture—it often reveals our lack of maturity and Christ-likeness.

If any man desires to be first, the same shall be last, and the servant of all. (Mark 9:35)

Whosoever of you will be the chief 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. (Mark 10:44)

Do we have liberty in Christ? Absolutely—the Scriptures make that clear. But there are abuses of liberty that hinder our worship, our walk, and our witness. There are ways of holding on to our liberties that keep us from worshiping God in spirit and truth, from walking in righteousness, and from witnessing to the world.

Christ has called us to, and modeled for us, a life of servanthood. Often, in the service of others, the Holy Spirit calls us to sacrificially and lovingly lay down our liberties for another. Verse 19: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself the servant unto all, that I might win the more." That is the whole emphasis of the passage.

In the Old Testament, great honor was placed on a freed servant who, upon his release in the seventh year, willingly chose to remain under his master. He was taken to the doorpost, and an awl was driven through his right ear, in which a golden earring was placed—a sign to all that he was a servant by choice, a bondservant. More than any other title, Paul identifies himself as a bondservant of Christ. He had every liberty imaginable, yet willingly laid it aside that others might come to faith.

All Things to All Men

Unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I may win the Jews... To the weak I became as weak, that I may win the weak. I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake.

That was Paul's view: yes, he knew his rights and could argue his liberties, but for the sake of the kingdom and the salvation of the lost, he would willingly lay them down. In a culture like Corinth—not so dissimilar from California—this teaching, though challenging to our flesh, is something we need to hear.

We can argue our liberties till we turn blue in the face. But the believer who is following Christ, living with His 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 8:13, "If meat makes my brother to be offended, I will eat no flesh while the world stands, lest I make my brother to stumble." It is the example of Christ. It is the law of love. And I believe it is what God would call us to.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, although You were in the form of God and 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; and 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." We thank You that You have set us free and given us great liberty, but as we see in this passage, Lord, we have the liberty to lay aside our liberty that others might know You and receive Your love. Work that into our lives, that we would win the more, that we would gain the life You desire for us. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.