1 Coríntios 9
George MacDonald · Citado em PreceptAustin
1 Coríntios 9
MacDonald - This (A DEFINITE DIRECTIVE FROM THE LORD JESUS) would be conclusive proof alone of Paul’s right to support from the Corinthians. But this raises the question of why he did not insist on being supported by them. The answer is given in verses 15–18. The Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel (euaggelion) to get their living from the gospel (euaggelion) - Nowhere is it recorded in the Gospels that Jesus made this statement. However the Lord Jesus did give a directive to the original disciples declaring "the laborer is worthy of his wages." (Lk 10:7+) and "the worker is worthy of his support." (Mt 10:10+) This statement in essence answers the question Paul had asked earlier "Do we not have a right to eat and drink?" (1 Cor 9:4) Directed (gave orders or instructions) (1299) diatasso from dia = through + tasso = order) means literally to arrange thoroughly, to arrange in its proper order, to issue orderly and detailed instructions as to what must be done. To institute, prescribe, to appoint, to set in order (Titus 1:5+), ordain (1 Cor 7:17 regarding marital conditions); to give directions (Acts 7:44+-God directed Moses to make the Tabernacle according to pattern), to command (with the implication of setting in order) as did Emperor Claudius’ “commanding” that Jews must leave Rome (Acts 18:2+, cp Lk 3:13+). Diatasso was a technical word for carrying out laws and sometimes used by military and government officials (cf Acts 18:2+, Lk 3:13+). It was a word that denoted a command given from an authority. Moulton and Milligan add that diatasso was a technical term used in connection with wills, as well as a general word for commanding. All NT uses - Matt. 11:1; Lk. 3:13; Lk. 8:55; Lk. 17:9; Lk. 17:10; Acts 7:44; Acts 18:2; Acts 20:13; Acts 23:31; Acts 24:23; 1 Co. 7:17; 1 Co. 9:14; 1 Co. 11:34; 1 Co. 16:1; Gal. 3:19; Titus 1:5 Proclaim (2605) kataggello from kata = an intensifier, down + aggelos = messenger and aggello = to declare, report) literally means to "declare down". It means to announce, with focus upon the extent to which the announcement or proclamation extends and so to proclaim throughout. It means to declare plainly, openly and loudly! It was used of solemn religious messages. Webster adds that our English "proclaim" (from pro = before + clamare = to cry out) means to "declare publicly, typically insistently... in either speech or writing... and implies declaring clearly, forcefully, and authoritatively." (Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary) All 18 NT uses - Acts 3:24; Acts 4:2; Acts 13:5; Acts 13:38; Acts 15:36; Acts 16:17; Acts 16:21; Acts 17:3; Acts 17:13; Acts 17:23; Acts 26:23; Rom. 1:8; 1 Co. 2:1; 1 Co. 9:14; 1 Co. 11:26; Phil. 1:17; Phil. 1:18; Col. 1:28 Realistic Thoughts About Paying a Pastor - Jack Arnold You have heard about the congregation who prayed, “Lord, you keep the pastor humble and we will keep him poor.” That, of course, is not the Christian way to view the paying of the pastor. First, if ministers are required to support themselves, the danger is that they will be forced to become men of the world when they should be men of prayer and the Word. Ministers ought not to go into real estate, investments, gold and silver, playing the stock market or whatever. These distract a man of God from his number one task which is to pray and minister the Word. The normative principle is that a minister is never to seek support from a secular occupation unless it is a particular, special case such as Paul and Barnabas. Second, a minister should be paid well enough so as to keep his mind from worldly things such as where his next dollar is coming from. He should receive an amount of money which would make him free from the basic cares of the world. He should not be rich nor should he live in poverty simply because he is in the ministry. Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, “Who is the LORD?” Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God (Prov. 30:8-9). We are not told how much any minister should be paid but there are some hints from the Bible and common sense. According to the Bible, there are ruling elders and teaching elders. It says in I Timothy 5:17-18, The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” In the New Testament church, there were ruling elders who were not paid, ruling elders who were paid, and teaching elders who were always paid because they labored in the Bible, preaching and teaching. Apparently these teaching elders are to be paid according to the quantity and quality of preaching and teaching work they did. Other considerations for paying a pastor are: 1) types of people to whom he ministers; 2) the size of the congregation to whom he ministers, and 3) his own particular needs as a pastor. Pastors are not to be paid with the same criterion as the secular world. Several ways to determine a pastor’s salary might be: 1) pay a little above the average of the congregation; 2) pay the average of the elders, throwing out the highest and the lowest, and 3) pay the same as a school teacher with a Masters or Doctors degree plus experience. Third, When a local congregation hires a pastor, they commit to take care of all of his needs which includes housing, food, transportation, hospitalization, education of his children, retirement and other basics of our American culture. However, no money should be given to any pastor if he is not feeding his people the Word of God and caring for their spiritual needs. A church must not call a man to be their pastor and expect him to trust God for his finances when the congregation is not willing to trust God for their pastor’s finances. It is the responsibility of the congregation to meet those needs. As one dear old pastor said, “A minister cannot eat without prayer, but he can't eat prayers either!" In my first pastorate, my elders pulled me aside the first week at the church and said to me, ‘Pastor, we expect you to trust God for your finances so we are committed to pay all of our bills at the church first and then we will pay your salary if there is any money left.” I thought for a minute and said, “Why don’t you pay me first as the Bible declares and then you as a board of elders trust God for the bills? It is biblical for pastor, elders, deacons and congregation to trust God for all financial needs, paying the pastor first not last.” Fourth, the first responsibility of every congregation is to meet the financial needs of the pastor or pastors whom God has placed in their midst to feed them spiritually and to train them for ministry. A local church is made up of a congregation with its rulers, teaching and ruling elders. A local church is not buildings but people, although a building may be helpful to the furtherance of the ministry. Fifth, a congregation must be aware of how difficult it is for a pastor to preach to people who pay his salary. There may be a tendency for a pastor to protect his ministry by compromising truth or not addressing certain subjects because he knows there are people in the audience with big bucks who oppose what he is saying. The pastor more than anyone else realizes that in many churches and Christian organizations it is not the Almighty God who runs them but the almighty dollar. Sixth, congregations need to try to sense the frustration of many pastors who are poorly paid for the amount of education they possess. This has caused many pastors to play up the ministry as a profession rather than a calling from God. The result is that the ministry becomes professional and the emphasis is placed on education, administration, counseling, public relations or whatever. Quite often these things are substituted for preaching and teaching the Word of God. “Occasionally, Christian ministry has elicited an unusual amount of prestige and financial reward, usually when the gospel has been compromised by political entanglements. But for the most part, believers who have chosen paid ministry as a career have foregone higher salaries and more comfortable lifestyles that other occupations or careers could have afforded them. Yet those who are truly called with the compulsion Paul felt will confess that no other line of work could have proved so satisfying, notwithstanding all the obstacles they have encountered" (Blomberg, 1 Corinthians). Seventh, a congregation must not lump all faithful ministers with the few unfaithful ones. It is true that one of the great scandals of Christianity is the huge sums of money some of the pastors of mega-churches and televangelists receive. They are looked upon as corporate executives. If Christ were physically here today, I do think he would in righteous indignation drive them out of the visible church. "Large segments of the well-to-do, non-Christian world, highly influenced by sect education and media, remain convinced that most conservative Christians are racketeers, seeking to bilk the rich out of their money for self-serving ends. Radio and television ministries that constantly harangue their audiences for donations do little to dispel this stereotype. Numerous televangelists keep phone numbers constantly on their viewers’ screens, distracting from any message they might be trying to preach other than “we want your money.” Questionable spending practices of the money they do receive often add fuel to the fire” (Blomberg, 1 Corinthians). 1 Corinthians 9:15 But I have used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case; for it would be better for me to die than have any man make my boast an empty one. Amplified But I have not made use of any of these privileges, nor am I writing this [to suggest] that any such provision be made for me [now]. For it would be better for me to die than to have anyone make void and deprive me of my [ground for] glorifying [in this matter].
1 Coríntios 9
MacDonald has a lengthy explanation of this difficult verse - If the Apostle Paul preached the gospel willingly, he would have the reward that goes with such service, namely, the right of maintenance (COMPENSATION). Throughout the Old and New Testaments, it is clearly taught that those who serve the Lord are entitled to support from the Lord’s people. In this passage, Paul does not mean that he was an unwilling servant of the Lord, but is simply stating that there was a divine compulsion in his apostleship. He goes on to emphasize this in the latter part of the verse. If he preached against his will, that is, if he preached because there was a fire burning within him and he could not refrain from preaching, then he had been entrusted with a stewardship of the gospel. He was a man acting under orders, and therefore he could not boast in that. Verse 17 is admittedly difficult, and yet the meaning seems to be that Paul would not claim his right of maintenance from the Corinthians because the ministry was not an occupation which he chose by himself. He was placed in it by the hand of God. The false teachers in Corinth might claim their right to be supported by the saints, but the Apostle Paul would seek his reward elsewhere. (Believer's Bible Commentary) Stewardship (3622) oikonomia from oíkos = house + némo = manage, distribute) (Related word oikonomos) in secular Greek referred literally to the management of a household by the oikonomos, the steward manages a house and is accountable to the owner (which even involved a presentation and examination of records, receipts, disbursements, cash on hand and the settlement of accounts - our English words "economy", "economic" are derived from oikonomia and this background helps one see some association). Oikonomia indicates the task given to responsible and faithful servants who were appointed over the economy or an area of responsibility in the household. Thus oikonomia stresses obligation, responsibility, and faithfulness of the servant to his master in carry out the entrusted task. Oikonomia used 8x in NT - Lk. 16:2; Lk. 16:3; Lk. 16:4; 1 Co. 9:17; Eph. 1:10; Eph. 3:2; Eph. 3:9; Col. 1:25; 1 Tim. 1:4 Related Resources: Holman Dictionary Stewardship Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Steward, Stewardship King James Dictionary Stewardship Thompson Chain Reference Stewardship-Ownership Warren Wiersbe on Money and Ministry - It is unfortunate when the ministry of the Gospel is sometimes hindered by an overemphasis on money. The unsaved world is convinced that most preachers and missionaries are only involved in “religious rackets” to take money from innocent people. No doubt there are religious “racketeers” in the world today (1 Tim. 6:3–16), people who “use” religion to exploit others and control them. We would certainly not agree with their purposes or their practices. We must make sure that nothing we do in our own ministry gives the impression that we are of their number. A wrong attitude toward money has hindered the Gospel from the earliest days of the church. Ananias and Sapphira loved money more than they loved the truth, and God killed them (Acts 5). Simon the magician thought he could buy the gift of the Spirit with money (Acts 8:18–24). His name is now in the dictionary. Simony is the practice of buying and selling religious offices and privileges. For eighteen fruitful years, Dr. H.A. Ironside pastored the Moody Church in Chicago. I recall the first time I heard him announce an offering. He said, “We ask God’s people to give generously. If you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, we do not ask you to give. We have a gift for you—eternal life through faith in Christ!” He made it clear that the offering was for believers, lest the unsaved in the congregation stumble over money and then reject the Gospel. Question: What is biblical stewardship? Answer: To discover what the Bible says about stewardship, we start with the very first verse: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). As the Creator, God has absolute rights of ownership over all things, and to miss starting here is like misaligning the top button on our shirt or blouse—nothing else will ever line up. Nothing else in the Bible, including the doctrine of stewardship, will make any sense or have any true relevance if we miss the fact that God is the Creator and has full rights of ownership. It is through our ability to fully grasp this and imbed it in our hearts that the doctrine of stewardship is understood. The biblical doctrine of stewardship defines a man’s relationship to God. It identifies God as owner and man as manager. God makes man His co-worker in administering all aspects of our life. The apostle Paul explains it best by saying, “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Starting with this concept, we are then able to accurately view and correctly value not only our possessions, but, more importantly, human life itself. In essence, stewardship defines our purpose in this world as assigned to us by God Himself. It is our divinely given opportunity to join with God in His worldwide and eternal redemptive movement (Matthew 28:19-20). Stewardship is not God taking something from us; it is His method of bestowing His richest gifts upon His people. In the New Testament, two Greek words embody the meaning of our English word “stewardship.” The first word is epitropos which means "manager, foreman, or steward." From the standpoint of government, it means “governor or procurator.” At times it was used in the New Testament to mean “guardian,” as in Galatians 4:1-2: “What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate. He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.” The second word is oikonomos. It also means "steward, manager, or administrator" and occurs more frequently in the New Testament. Depending on the context, it is often translated “dispensation, stewardship, management, arrangement, administration, order, plan, or training.” It refers mostly to the law or management of a household or of household affairs. Notably, in the writings of Paul, the word oikonomos is given its fullest significance in that Paul sees his responsibility for preaching the gospel as a divine trust (1 Corinthians 9:17). Paul refers to his call from God as the administration (stewardship) of the grace of God for a ministry of the divine mystery revealed in Christ (Ephesians 3:2). In this context, Paul is portraying God as the master of a great household, wisely administering it through Paul himself as the obedient servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Also significant in what Paul is saying is that once we’re called and placed into the body of Jesus Christ, the stewardship that is required of us is not a result of our own power or abilities. The strength, inspiration and growth in the management of our lives must come from God through the Holy Spirit in us; otherwise, our labor is in vain and the growth in stewardship is self-righteous, human growth. Accordingly, we must always remember the sole source of our strength in pleasing God: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13 NJKV). Paul also said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Corinthians 15:10). More often than not, when we think of good stewardship, we think of how we manage our finances and our faithfulness in paying God’s tithes and offerings. But as we’re beginning to see, it’s much more than that. In fact, it’s more than just the management of our time, our possessions, our environment, or our health. Stewardship is our obedient witness to God’s sovereignty. It’s what motivates the follower of Christ to move into action, doing deeds that manifest his belief in Him. Paul’s stewardship involved proclaiming that which was entrusted to him—the gospel truth. Stewardship defines our practical obedience in the administration of everything under our control, everything entrusted to us. It is the consecration of one’s self and possessions to God’s service. Stewardship acknowledges in practice that we do not have the right of control over ourselves or our property—God has that control. It means as stewards of God we are managers of that which belongs to God, and we are under His constant authority as we administer His affairs. Faithful stewardship means that we fully acknowledge we are not our own but belong to Christ, the Lord, who gave Himself for us. The ultimate question, then, is this: Am I the lord of my life, or is Christ the Lord of my life? In essence, stewardship expresses our total obedience to God and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. GotQuestions.org 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may offer the gospel without charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. Amplified - What then is the [actual] reward that I get? Just this: that in my preaching the good news (the Gospel), I may offer it [absolutely] free of expense [to anybody], not taking advantage of my rights and privileges [as a preacher] of the Gospel. NET 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? That when I preach the gospel I may offer the gospel free of charge, and so not make full use of my rights in the gospel. NLT 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my pay? It is the opportunity to preach the Good News without charging anyone. That's why I never demand my rights when I preach the Good News. ESV 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. NIV 1 Corinthians 9:18 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. GNT 1 Corinthians 9:18 τίς οὖν μού ἐστιν ὁ μισθός; ἵνα εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀδάπανον θήσω τὸ εὐαγγέλιον εἰς τὸ μὴ καταχρήσασθαι τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ μου ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ. KJV 1 Corinthians 9:18 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. YLT 1 Corinthians 9:18 What, then, is my reward? -- that proclaiming good news, without charge I shall make the good news of the Christ, not to abuse my authority in the good news; ASV 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? That, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel without charge, so as not to use to the full my right in the gospel. CSB 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel. MIT 1 Corinthians 9:18 Therefore, what is the reward for me? It is that I might preach without financial support for my gospel ministry. I shall present the gospel so as not to make use of my rights in the gospel. NKJ 1 Corinthians 9:18 What is my reward then? That when I preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my authority in the gospel. NRS 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. NAB 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my recompense? That, when I preach, I offer the gospel free of charge so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel. NJB 1 Corinthians 9:18 What reward do I have, then? That in my preaching I offer the gospel free of charge to avoid using the rights which the gospel allows me. GWN 1 Corinthians 9:18 So what is my reward? It is to spread the Good News free of charge. In that way I won't use the rights that belong to those who spread the Good News. BBE 1 Corinthians 9:18 What then is my reward? This, that when I am giving the good news, I may give it without payment, not making use of my rights as a preacher of the good news. when: 1Co 9:6,7 10:33 2Co 4:5 11:7-9 12:13-18 1Th 2:6 2Th 3:8,9 that I: 1Co 7:31 8:9 Ro 14:15 1 Corinthians 9 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries What then is my reward (misthos)? - Paul's reward was not money but privilege, the privilege to preach the Gospel. That is every believer's reward! Are you "earning" your reward, so to speak? That, when I preach the gospel (euaggelizo/euangelizo), I may offer the gospel (euaggelion) without charge, so as not to make full use of my right (exousia) in the gospel (euaggelion) So for Paul preaching the gospel was reward enough. In other words Paul’s pay is that he preaches the gospel as a servant for no pay. This is one reason some churches do not "pass the plate" so people do not feel like they have to pay to hear the preaching.
1 Coríntios 9
MacDonald writes that "In 1 Cor 9:19–22, Paul cites his example of the waiving of legitimate rights for the gospel’s sake. In studying this section, it is important to remember that Paul does not mean that he ever sacrificed important principles of the Scripture. He did not believe that "the end justified the means." In these verses he is speaking about matters of moral indifference. He accommodated himself to the customs and habits of the people with whom he worked in order that he might gain a ready ear for the gospel. But never did he do anything which might compromise the truth of the gospel. For though I am free (eleutheros) from all men - MIT - "For although I am independent of all people" ICB - "I am free. I belong to no man." Paul reiterates the truth in 1 Cor 9:1 " Am I not free?" Paul begins this next section (1 Cor 9:19-23) emphasizing proper Christian freedom or liberty (Cf 1Cor 10:29) In his letter to the Galatians Paul wrote "For you were called to freedom (eleutheria), brethren; only do not turn your freedom (eleutheria) into an opportunity (aphorme) for the flesh, but through love serve one another." (Gal 5:13+) Reformation Study Bible - Paul returns to the first question of 1 Cor 9:1. It appears that Paul must defend himself from the charge of inconsistency: he exercised freedom in his own behavior and therefore should not deprive others from doing the same.
1 Coríntios 9
MacDonald - When he was with Jewish people, Paul behaved as a Jew in matters of moral indifference. For instance, he ate the foods which the Jewish people ate and refrained from eating such things as pork which were forbidden to them. Perhaps Paul also refrained from working on the Sabbath day, realizing that if he did this, the gospel might gain a more ready hearing from the people. As a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul was not under the law as a rule of life. He merely adapted himself to the customs, habits, and prejudices of the people in order that he might win them to the Lord.
1 Coríntios 9:27
MacDonald puts it "Thinking of the false teachers and how they indulged every passion and appetite, Paul sets forth the general principle that if a person does not keep his body in subjection, this is proof that he never really was born again; and although he might preach to others, he himself will be disqualified." (#3) A third interpretation of disqualified is that Paul is not speaking of salvation per se but of service. Paul is not suggesting that he might be lost, but that he might not stand the test as far as his service was concerned and might be rejected for the prize. This interpretation fits the meaning of the word disqualified in the athletic context. Paul is saying that if after having preached to others, he fails to discipline himself which might result in his being qualified from service and subsequent rewards. Most modern commentaries favor this interpretation. Interpretation by John Piper on the meaning of disqualified - Paul will warn the Corinthians in the next chapter (1Co 10:12), "Let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall." Now Paul applies it to himself. "If I do not take heed, if I give way to some of the impulses of my body, I could find myself on the slippery slope of disobedience away from Christ, and get to the end of my life and hear the judge of the race say, 'Disqualified! Yes, you prophesied in my name. Yes, you cast out demons in my name. Yes, you did many mighty works in my name. But you left the racetrack of faith and love and righteousness. You are disqualified. Depart from me. I never knew you (Mt 7:22, 23+).'" The best evidence perhaps that this is what Paul means is the use of the word "disqualified" (adokimos) in 2Co 13:5+. Paul says, "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless you are disqualified." The word is exactly the same one from 1 Corinthians 9:27. To be disqualified means that Christ is not in you. The race has been run in vain. It was a sham. (1Corinthians 9:23-27 Olympic Spirituality 1 - Beyond the Gold) (Bolding added) Clearly Piper holds interpretation #2 which emphasizes the point that excellent expositors are in disagreement on the most accurate interpretation of "disqualified". For what it is worth, I DISAGREE WITH PIPER. Most of the expositors and commentators that I have consulted favor interpretation #3. In truth, both interpretations describe bad consequences, although #2 is far more serious for it speaks of eternal separation from God. But interpretation #3 speaking of loss of usefulness for service and of future rewards is also quite serious. Regardless of the interpretative view we hold, we can all agree that running a disciplined race to glorify God should be the chief end of our existence and our new life in Christ. As we read comments such as these where clearly excellent commentators disagree, may we strive to take the approach of ancient Bereans (Acts 17:11-note)