Scripture Daily

Context No. 3543 of 4322 · 1 Corinthians

Context · Reflection

1 Corinthians 9:8-12: in context

8Do I speak these things according to the ways of men? Or doesn’t the law also say the same thing? 9For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain.” Is it for the oxen that God cares, 10or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope. 11If we sowed to you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we reap your fleshly things? 12If others partake of this right over you, don’t we yet more? Nevertheless we didn’t use this right, but we bear all things, that we may cause no hindrance to the Good News of Christ.

Paul argues from the law, you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain, that those who labor in the gospel have a right to be supported by it; the worker deserves a share of the harvest. He and his fellow workers had every right to material support from the churches they served.

And yet, Paul says, we have not made use of this right; we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. Here is the striking thing: Paul had a legitimate right, and he willingly gave it up for the sake of the gospel, so that no one could accuse him of preaching for money. He set aside what he was fully entitled to, so that nothing at all would hinder the good news. There is a lesson here about surrendering even our legitimate rights when insisting on them would get in the way of God's work or another person's good. Love sometimes means choosing not to claim what is rightfully ours, for the sake of something larger.

Am I willing, like Paul, to lay aside even my legitimate rights when insisting on them would hinder the gospel or another person's good?

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