Lesson 19 – 1 Corinthians Chapter 9:17-27 & Chapter 10:1-2

So far in chapter 9, we’ve seen Paul extend his focus to himself, not in a self-glorifying way, but to point out that he also had freedoms and privileges… and we saw that he chose not to exercise them.

Paul understood that as a preacher of the good news, it was important how he was perceived by his audience. In the back of his mind, he knew people might categorize him as a religious charlatan. Whenever it was humanly possible, Paul would work at his craft to make money so he would not be a burden to anyone.

In this chapter Paul has brought forth the concept first initiated by God in the Old Testament, which was to support God’s people who work for Him. This support comes from a portion of whatever tithe the people bring. The tithe helps the church be the church and all that goes along with that.

Paul has always been a zealous man. Before his conversion, he was zealous to destroy people of the “Way,” the body of Christ. Jesus changed Paul, just as He changes each and every one of us.

2 Cor. 5:17 (NIV):
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

Now Paul is driven in a new way, to bring people to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, and when given the chance, he refuses any kind of payment for his work.

1 Cor. 9:17:
“For if I do this voluntarily, I have a reward; but if against my will, I have a stewardship entrusted to me.”

Paul has a reward…

1 Cor. 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.”

What is Paul’s reward? Paul was excited in the fact that he could travel from town to town preaching the gospel and not have to beg people for money; for him, that was the coolest thing since cracked matzah.

Paul was indeed compelled by Jesus to spread the good news, but it also gave Paul great satisfaction to do it free of charge.

1 Cor. 9:19:
“For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I may win more.”

What a profound statement from Paul. I am reminded of Romans 12:1, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice – the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” (NLT)

Paul says to us, I have made myself a slave to all… I see this as Paul being a “living sacrifice,” worshiping God with his life. He is sacrificing his life… so that I may win more.

Proverbs 11:30:
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who is wise wins souls.”

Paul wanted to win souls, it didn’t matter what it took on his part, he was willing to do anything to bring people to Jesus. So, what was Paul’s motivation, what was evident in all his actions? Love!

1 Cor. 13:3, 13:
“And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”

“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

1 John 4:11-12:
“Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.”

We see by Paul’s actions that God’s love was perfected in him. Love of God and love of people were his motivation.

1 Cor. 9:20:
“To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law;”

We’re hearing from Paul as if he’s being interviewed, giving details to his holy battle plan. Verse 20 shows how he ministered to the Jews even though he spent most of his time with the Gentiles.

To the Jews I became as a Jew… this wasn’t too hard for Paul because his roots were in Judaism. We can say Paul was a Messianic Jew, being born a Jew and giving his life to Christ. Paul knew all the ceremonies, rituals, and traditions of the Jews, and he could use that knowledge to his advantage whenever he spoke to the Jews.

To those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law…

Paul lived by God’s grace and not under the Law. Paul emphasized living under God’s grace, rather than being bound strictly by the Old Testament Law. According to Paul’s teachings, especially in his letters like Galatians and Romans, grace through faith in Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of a believer’s life. This means that salvation and righteousness come through God’s grace and faith, rather than through adherence to the Law.

When speaking with the Jews, he was able to offer them freedom from the rigid constraints of the Law and inviting them into a relationship with God grounded in faith, love, and grace.

With that, the Law no longer has any bearing over us because its demands have been fully met in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in Christ, who satisfied the righteous demands of the Law, restores us into a pleasing relationship with God and keeps us there. No longer under the penalty of the Law, we now live under the law of grace in the love of God. Paul would try to teach these things to the Jews.

1 Cor. 9:21:
“To those who are without Law, as without Law, though not being without the Law of God but under the Law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without Law.”

To those who are without Law… that would be the Gentiles.

Romans 1:16:
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentiles).”

Who needs to hear the gospel message? Everyone needs to hear the message of salvation!

This obviously includes the Gentiles, those who are without Law. To be clear, Paul is not advocating that people should violate God’s moral law. If anything, being a follower of Christ strengthens God’s laws for us.

Matthew 5:17:
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.”

We know from the Ten Commandments that we are not to murder, but Jesus added…

Matthew 5:22:
“But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”

When Paul says, as without Law… it means he was going to blend in with the Gentiles, he would take on their customs, eat what they ate, dress like them, and if necessary, talk like them. But he would never compromise his obligation to living for Christ… as should we. Paul’s goal, was to win Gentiles over to Jesus.

1 Cor. 9:22:
“To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.”

Some take this to mean Paul’s talking about both Jews and Gentiles, that neither group is saved.

Romans 5:6 (NIV):
“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.”

But more than likely, he’s referring to their understanding or ability to learn. We do this when we’re teaching young children, we drop down to their level, we don’t “speak over their heads” as we say.

I’m sure Paul would work accordingly to the person’s ability to take things in. It wouldn’t be much different than conversing with someone young in the faith, you wouldn’t talk to them about highly theological topics until they were ready for it. Conversations should be tailored to the individual’s current understanding and readiness, and Paul did just that.

The goal is the same, winning them over to salvation. Paul would do whatever it would take to get his message out, all without making any compromises.

1 Cor. 9:23:
“I do all things for the sake of the gospel, so that I may become a fellow partaker of it.”

A hard question for us is, do we do all things for the sake of the gospel? If we’re honest, this question might cause us to squirm a little bit. It’s impressive that Paul can make such a statement, but that was Paul through and through; his life was centered in living out the gospel for others.

It might be hard to compare yourself with Jesus, but Paul was just a man. I don’t know about you, but when I try to measure myself next to Paul, I find that I fall short. That’s why we would all do well to emulate Paul, because he was all about being more effective for Christ.

So that I may become a fellow partaker of it…

Fellow partaker in the Greek is ‘soon-koy-no-nas’ it’s referring to a joint participation, or joint partner. This is where emulating Paul comes in, Paul wants everyone to be a fellow partaker with him in the benefits and blessing of the gospel. Paul learned this first-hand and is trying to share this with us.

1 Cor. 9:24:
“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.”

We’ve come to another “flagship” verse from Paul, and here Paul is trying to lay out for us the “big picture.” The prize Paul is talking about here is eternal life in heaven, being with God forever and ever, amen.

We know that when you run a race, you have all these other competitors around you trying to win, such as in a marathon. Except that in this race, the only one you’re competing against is yourself.
We know that if we ran a spiritual race against Paul, John, Peter, and all the greats, we would find ourselves falling short, but God doesn’t work that way. We are all on a level track as it were, all having the opportunity to finish well.

Run in such a way that you may win… Paul’s not saying that only one extremely talented person wins, he’s saying that “you may win.”

So, what made Paul come up with this scenario in the first place? There’s no way to know for sure, but one thought might be that he experienced it personally.

2 Cor. 12:2-4:
“I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago… whether in the body I do not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows… such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man… whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows… was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to speak.”

Just like in 2 Kings 6:17 Elisha prayed to God for his servant it says, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.”

God gave Paul a glimpse of heaven, it is so wonderful, so great, that there aren’t any human words that can describe it.

So in this race metaphor, Paul is saying in a way, there’s a finish line in front of you, and once you cross it, it’s going to blow your mind.

Once you give your life to Christ, the starter pistol has gone off… you’re in the race. Instead of being on this immense track, elbow to elbow with millions of other people, you find yourself on the “narrow path,” it’s just you.

Sometimes it feels like the path has no end in sight, sometimes you run into rocks, holes, crevices, storms, and fire. Then other times, the path is smooth and the temperature is just right. The point to be made is, do whatever it takes to cross the finish-line, but do it in such a way that the first thing you hear is, “Well done good and faithful servant.”

One Bible commentary says; “Holding on tightly to liberties and rights is a sure way to lose the race of soulwinning. Many of the Corinthian Christians seriously limited their testimony because they would not limit their liberty. They refused to give up their rights, and in so doing they won few and offended many.”

1 Cor. 9:25:
“Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

Paul is making references to athletes here. One reason might be because of what was called the “Isthmus Games.” They were a series of athletic and musical competitions held in ancient Greece in honor of the sea god Poseidon. They were held in the spring of the second and fourth years of each Olympiad at his sanctuary on the Isthmus of Corinth. Paul, being a witness to these games, understood how athletes conducted themselves.

Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things…

The Corinthian believers watched the athletes arrive a year before the games took place, with the intention of training hard, which Paul points out, took much self-control on their part in order to win the prize. The winner would then receive a laurel wreath, which would be placed on their head.

They then do it to receive a perishable wreath…

It’s funny what the world holds on to, and considers to be of the upmost value.

Then Paul speaks of what is “more valuable” when he says, But we an imperishable… For the Christian, instead of a wreath that will wither and crumble over time, we will receive an imperishable crown.
1 Peter 1:4:
“To obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

In the Scriptures we’re told of five crowns to be had, they are: the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life.

For those who have run the race and finished well, you can look forward to the Bema Seat of Christ… I believe this is when Jesus will present these different crowns to His faithful servants.

To be sure, everyone in heaven will be completely happy and joyful, but the crowns we receive will have a direct link to our role and our capacity to enjoy eternity.

Jon Courson says, “Understand this, Paul knew that a crown isn’t a fashion statement, but rather an indication of what we will be doing for the next zillion years.”

Our take away here is, don’t waste the time God has given you. Don’t remain idle with your spiritual talents, don’t squander away your money and resources foolishly… “run in such a way that you may win.”

1 Cor. 9:26:
“Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;”

Paul is letting us peek over his shoulder so to speak, and look at his game plan. He says, I run in such a way… with this statement, it’s easy to assume he’s in the race, just as all believers are in the race.

Walter Elliot, a member of Parliament in Scottland during the 20th century, said; “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up.”

As not without aim…

Paul has a direction and a purpose, and his main purpose, his aim, is to bring the lost into a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ by any means necessary.

Then Paul changes the athletic metaphor of a runner, into the arena of boxing. I box in such a way, as not beating the air…

He gives us a picture of shadow boxing. It’s where a boxer goes through the motions, perfecting his punching skills and his fancy foot-work. He throws punches into the air, never connecting with anything. Muhammad Ali’s famous quote, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

Paul’s not throwing his punches into the air, but rather each time he delivers the gospel, he gives a “gut” punch to satan, sending him to the canvas.

Paul was always fighting the real fight…

1 Tim. 1:18:
“This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight,”

It takes perseverance and courage to fight the good fight.

Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Fighting the good fight is significant for believers today, because it serves as a stark reminder to us that the Christian life is a struggle against evil. We have a battle within ourselves, in the world, and up against satan.

The Holy Spirit gives us the power to fight the good fight of faith. He is our source of life, strength, and wisdom. More importantly, He empowers us with the ability to persevere through our trials, tribulations, and troubles.

1 Cor. 9:27:
“But I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.”

The American Standard Version uses the word “buffet,” “I buffet my body and make it my slave.”

Buffet: (hoopo-pee-ad’-zo) literally means to hit under the eye. Paul figuratively would give his body a black eye, and knock it out if necessary.

This is strong metaphoric language that Paul is using, but it shows Paul’s awareness to his own fleshly battles. And if Paul has these battles, so do we.

When Paul says he makes his body his slave, this tells us that he is doing whatever it takes to have control of himself, to have a self-discipline.

Phil. 3:13-14:
“Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Are there things in your past that are holding you back from having control over your human appetites?

Paul says, “Fah-get-about-it,” leave it in the past.

How is it we can do that? Because Jesus died and rose from the grave for every one of our sins… past, present, and future. To wallow in the past, is to deny the Blood of Christ.

At this point you might be thinking to yourself, “Okay, this sounds good, but how do I get to the place of self-discipline? Sometimes I feel like I have no control.”

One basic simple way to reel yourself back in is through fasting. I find it interesting that Jesus didn’t say, “If you fast,…” but, “When you fast.” (Matt. 6:16)

This is when you tell yourself (your stomach) when you’re going to eat, and not let the “hungries” dictate what you do. As you fast, each time you get a little hunger pang, that’s your signal to take some time to pray. This works well because we can always pray more.

If you’ve never fasted, start small, do half a day, then work your way up. As you do this, you’ll find that you have the power to say “no” to yourself… that’s self-control.

After I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified…

Here’s another metaphor from the Isthmian games. An athlete who didn’t meet the training requirements was disqualified, plain and simple. They couldn’t run in any race, much less win a race. With this in mind, Paul didn’t want to spend his life preaching the “requirements” to others and then be disqualified for not meeting the requirements himself.

We know what it means to preach to others, but we need to examine the word disqualified (adokimos) which means, “that which does not prove itself such as it ought.”

As we close out chapter 9, we remember Christian liberties and freedoms. The Corinthians were stuck on themselves, insisting on their liberties even if others were hurt in the process. Paul on the other hand, chose the higher path, willing to give up his freedoms in order to be able to minister to another.

Paul knew he was in a “race” of a lifetime, stretching for the finish-line in hopes of gaining an imperishable crown, knowing crowns effect who he will be and what he will do in eternity. He knew that even though he was indeed free to do all things, he didn’t want to be disqualified for not keeping his flesh under control, and causing another to stumble.

Being disqualified isn’t a matter of losing one’s salvation, we do not lose our citizenship in heaven. Being disqualified is whether or not a person will gain heavenly rewards.

Warren Wiersbe writes, “Only one runner could win the olive-wreath crown in the Greek games, but every believer can win an incorruptible crown when he stands before the Judgment Seat of Christ. This crown is given to those who discipline themselves for the sake of serving Christ and winning lost souls. They keep their bodies under control and keep their eyes on the goal.”

It would be wise for us to sacrifice immediate gratification for eternal rewards, and immediate pleasures for eternal joys.

CHAPTER 10

We’ve observed numerous things with the Corinthian believers in chapters 8 and 9. Paul’s been dealing with what we might call an over zealousness for their so-called Christian liberties. It’s important for us as we study the Scriptures to always remain teachable to what the Holy Spirt wants to show us. The Corinthians could be a little stubborn in that department.

We’ve seen how exercising our freedom might give us a bit of spiritual comfort for a time, but that very same freedom can have a negative effect on a lesser “mature” brother or sister in Christ. Paul put himself front and center as the example for us to emulate. Paul teaches us that it is better to give than to receive. What we do really does matter. Paul has taught us that when dealing with other people, we should be ready to have an attitude of self-sacrifice.

The main priority as far as Paul was concerned was to get the gospel message out to as many people as possible. And if restricting his personal freedom meant being able to reach someone, he would do it in a “New York minute.”

As we begin chapter 10, even though Paul is speaking to Gentile believers, he will use the nation of Israel as an example of those who lost their liberty needlessly.

1 Cor. 10:1:
“For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea;”

Looking back in history and studying it, we will always learn something. Paul says…I do not want you to be unaware, meaning there’s something to be learned from what happened to Israel in the wilderness. Some of what Paul is saying might be old to them, as well as being new to them… Paul is teaching them.

That our fathers… there’s a connection here to be observed, every Jew is a descendant of Abraham, and every believer has Abraham as their spiritual father.

Romans 4:16 (NLT):
“So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe.”

Gal. 3:29:
“And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

By Paul referring to our fathers, this applies to Jews and believers alike.

That our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea…

You know the story of Joseph and how he found favor in Pharaoh’s eyes. It wasn’t long after Joseph died that Isreal was enslaved by Egypt for some 400 years. We also know how God miraculously delivered Israel out of slavery after hitting Pharaoh with the ten plagues.

Most of us have seen Charlton Heston in the movie “The Ten Commandments,” where he raises his hands at the Red Sea and the great waters begin to part… Israel passed through the sea.

Our fathers were all under the cloud…

Exodus 13:21:
“The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.”

Jon Courson writes, “I love this because as we journey with the Lord, we’ve got it made in the shade. That’s the way He moves, the way He guides. People sweat and struggle and strive to determine the will of God. “Where should I go? What should I do?” they ask… when in reality, their question simply should be, “Where is the shade?” Oh, the goodness of the Lord. “Keep cool,” He says. “Where the cloud goes is where I want you.”

We now have a spiritual connection between the Old Testament Jews and all believers. You would think with those miracles alone, that Israel would’ve been forever faithful to God… NOT!

1 Cor. 10:2:
“And all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea;”

It can be said that Paul compares Israel’s passing through the sea and under the cloud to the believer’s experience of baptism… meaning Christian baptism identifies the believer with Christ, so Isreal’s baptism identified the people with Moses.

Gal. 3:27:
“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

With Israel, Paul isn’t referring to a physical baptism, but a spiritual identification, in the sense that Israel saw Moses as the Lord’s appointed leader over them. For the Christian, Jesus is without any doubt the leader over all.

This isn’t a good stopping point, but we have to stop here. Next week we will continue to see what we as believers, can learn from Israel’s shortcomings in the wilderness.