1 Coríntios 9

1 Coríntios 9

Constable has an interesting comment on 1 Cor 9:15-18 - Having argued vigorously for his right to the Corinthians’ support, Paul now proceeded to argue just as strongly for his right to give up this right, his point from the beginning. He explained why he had deliberately not accepted their patronage. This pericope gives the reader a window into the apostle’s soul. We see here what made him tick. But I have used none of these things - I have used (chraomai) is perfect tense which "includes the thought that Paul still pursues this course (Wuest = "and at present continue the same policy") and the pronoun “I” is emphatic, “I for my part,” to say nothing about others whose case is not like Paul’s." (Lenski) What things? In context this seems to refer to the preceding reasons he had just described in 1 Cor 9:1-14 supporting his premise that he had the right to expect financial support. Paul declares he had taken advantage of none of his rights as an apostolic preacher of the Gospel. Barton - He must have felt, however, that to take any money in Corinth would have caused some to think he was after money instead of souls! Paul wanted the Corinthians to see in him integrity and self-denial for the sake of the gospel. So Paul willingly set aside his rights as an apostle, giving up the easier path of voluntary support for hard work, in order to bring more people in Corinth to the Lord. Paul was single-minded—his entire life was focused on advancing God’s kingdom. (LAC) It is not that Paul never accepted or received aid from any of the churches. In fact Paul did accept money from the churches in Philippi (cf. Phil 4:14-19) and Thessalonica (which would have been one of the churches in Macedonia alluded to in 2 Cor 11:9), but only later and not while he was actually present ministering personally to those churches. Alan Redpath - The Lord Jesus was dearer to Paul that anything else, and he could stand before them and say that he had renounced every one of his rights. The test of apostleship is one that many of us will find very difficult to attain. Many of our missionary family, however, have denied themselves the right to a normal life. Of every one of them it can be said that they have a right to an adequate salary, to a Christian home, to good food, to reasonable recreation. But each of them can say, “I have used none of these things for the sake of the gospel.” We could go to any part of the world and find examples of those who come within this test of apostleship today....Paul vindicates his apostleship by pointing out things that were absolutely legitimate, but to which he has said “no” for the Lord’s sake. Within the scope of that test, what counts is not my doctrine or my orthodoxy, or my connections, but that my heart and life bear the brand of the cross: it has cost me something to follow Jesus. In a later letter Paul wrote But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, (Philippians 3:7-8+) And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case - NLT = "And I am not writing this to suggest that I want to start now." MIT = "Nor did I write these things so that I might now start being remunerated." The intent of this present letter was not to coerce or encourage the Corinthians to pay him. As