1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 9 (1)

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1 Corinthians Commentary Chapter 9 (1)

Up to 1 Corinthians 8, he dealt with religious doubts and cultural issues, but from chapter 9, he is talking about a different dimension.

Among them, chapter 9 is a debate on the authority of the apostles.

The authority of the apostles has a great influence on the life of faith.

People around Paul questioned him about the authority of the apostles.

We can get a clear answer about the authority of the apostles through chapter 9 of 1 Corinthians.

There is a lot of talk about a spiritual movement that has recently taken place in the United States because it claims that a certain person can bestow the authority of the apostles on another person.

There are two types of apostolic authority: 1) the apostolic authority given by God, and 2) the apostolic authority (church authority) given by the organization.

And the apostle has a mission to constantly develop himself before God and develop the saints.

For reference, at that time, an apostle

1) had to be called while Jesus was alive

2) had to be called by Jesus himself

3) had to participate in Jesus’ suffering

4) and had to receive the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

In that sense, it was possible for a dispute over Paul’s apostolic authority to arise within the church. Paul did not meet any of these conditions.

Nevertheless, he confidently said that he was an apostle.

Verse 1 "Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you  my works in the Lord?" 

It emphasizes that an apostle must be free.

An apostle is called by the Lord, becomes a disciple of the Lord first, and then becomes an apostle sent by the Lord.

Disciples are free through the truth. (John 8:31-32)

As disciples abide in the word of Christ, they come to know the truth, and that truth gives them freedom.

However, if you say that the Bible is the truth, it is true, but it ends up saying that you have not yet learned the truth.

Christ, the Son, makes you free.

A mature free person is a servant of Christ and a minister who serves others.

However, an immature free person ends up becoming a self-centered free person for himself.

The turning point is between verses 18 and 19 of chapter 9.

Verse 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."

Verse 19: "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant to all, that I might gain the more."

And verse 24 is the conclusion of chapter 9.

“Know you not that they which run in a race run all, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain.”

Up to verse 18, it is mainly a defense of the apostleship.

Paul states its limits and scope.

And from verse 19 onwards, it is a word about a mature free person, a free person who has become a slave of Christ.

The apostle is a free man, but he must have something to do (verse 1).

That is verse 2. The very existence of the Corinthian church is evidence that Paul himself is an apostle.

In this way, an apostle must have a relationship with ministry and must bear fruit.

You must give birth like a father.

The words of his mouth are fruit, and those words must bear seed and become fruit. 

Grain can be food or it can become a seed.

The best varieties become seeds.

Therefore, an apostle is like the seed of grain.

The word of life that he preaches must become a good seed and bear good fruit.

The church of the Old Testament law written in the book of the law gradually declines because it does the work of killing.

Because it is under death.

However, the church of the new covenant gradually develops because it is the word engraved on the heart, the word of spirit and life.

Even now, there are two types of churches and ministers in the whole world.

When the Holy Spirit comes, you receive power and become a witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

If we are not free people who have been redeemed by the death of the Lord and become one life in his blood and go to the throne of God's grace according to the truth, how can we argue for sinners?

Although the word revival is used, biblical revival is a work that occurs when the the dead come back to life with power to raise the dead.

Even if you believe in Jesus,  if you cannot be still born again, become a new creation, become one with Christ in the Holy Spirit and truth, and run so that the Lord's victory becomes your victory, you cannot save people.

That is why Paul says, “I am an apostle.” The evidence is that first, he is a free person, and second, because he is a free person, he has the spirit of revelation to testify to those who are under sin and death about the gospel of Christ and to know that they have been transferred from sin and death to righteousness and life in Christ according to the grace of the redemption of Christ’s cross, so there is fruit.

So Paul boldly tells the church in Corinth that even if he is not an apostle to others, he is certainly an apostle to them. (1 Corinthians 9:2).

In Deuteronomy 18:22, it says that if what a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord does not come to fruition or come true, it is not the word of the Lord, but the prophet speaks on his own initiative.

It is not a prophet who speaks the word of God through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, but a sermon that focuses on moving people by beautifully editing made-up words like a bouquet.

If you don’t know the way to Seoul, and you set out to Seoul with someone who doesn’t know the way to Seoul, you will both end up going the wrong way.

If you are not a free person who has been born again through the redemption of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, who has become a new creation and has obtained righteousness, holiness, and glory, and has gained freedom in the Holy Spirit and the truth, and has become one with Christ and boldly approaches God the Father, then you are just a minister established by an organization or system (denomination) and not an apostle of God.

So before starting to preach the Bible to pastors or missionaries, I ask anyone who can explain the method of true worship (John 4:24) in the Holy Spirit and the truth to come forward.

As far as I remember, I have not seen anyone come forward and explain.

You must know the process through which sinners are made righteous, gain freedom in the truth, become one spirit with Christ, and boldly approach God the Father, and you must be able to explain it to others.

Apostle Paul saw the third heaven and wrote the book of Ephesians, which contains the mystery of the church where anyone can approach God the Father just like he saw the third heaven.

That is why Ephesians is also called the most holy place of Paul's letters.

Therefore, we must know that freedom in the truth is an absolute condition for ministers.

Only then will people hear the words we testify and the biblical evidence and fulfillment will appear  to them.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

To God be the glory.

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