1 Corinthians 9:1-2T

In many of Paul's letters you will find him defending his status as apostle. This is because many false teachers would come to these churches & deny Paul's teaching in favor of their own. Paul would then need to write to rectify the problem. Here he makes his points again:

1. He is not under the authority of anyone but God. This is true of all the apostles.
2. He has personally seen and been called by Jesus Christ.
3. The church is evidence of his work. They exist because Paul came to preach & establish them.

Paul now defends his rights as an apostle. He has the right to receive support for himself and his spouse, if he had one. This right was established in the Levitical Law during the time of Moses. Those who serve in the temple receive their support from the temple. Yet, Paul has not claimed these rights. He prefers to let nothing get in the way of his preaching. So, he pays his own way and he has never married. This distinguished him from those who traveled preaching the gospel just to make money. Now, don't get confused here. Paul isn't saying that preachers shouldn't get paid. This was a personal choice for him. He was directly called & commissioned by Jesus Christ & he lived his life according to that calling. It was everything to him.

Paul ends this section speaking about his attitude. Everything revolved around preaching the gospel. He changed his approach according to the culture he was preaching to, but he never changed his message. If he was speaking to orthodox Jews, he followed their customs. If he was speaking to gentiles, his attitude was more carefree. HOWEVER, he never compromised on Heaven & Hell issues. He dealt with that in the last chapter.

Paul compared himself to an athlete running a race. He was trained, disciplined, and focused on the finish line. He followed the rules and mentored others in them. In that matter, when the race was won, he would receive his prize - eternal life with Jesus Christ.

So, are you prepared to run the race? Are you training through prayer & Bible reading? Are you assessing your attitude? We all know that life can feel like a big, complicated game full of competition. Paul has shared the rules & guidelines he has received with us. Will you finish the race & receive your reward or will you be disqualified? The choice is yours.