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Commentary on the First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 9:

Paul continues his multifaceted answer to the question of if Christians should eat foods offered in sacrifice to idols (which began in 8:1). Paul uses the example of himself to demonstrate how Christian believers have free choice to discern many areas of personal conduct (vs. 1-6). Paul and Barnabas, for example, could choose to ask for material sustenance from the community at Corinth, but they choose not to (vs. 6-18). Paul and Barnabas make this choice so as to not be an obstacle to belief for others (vs. 12, 19-23), an example of making concern for the impressions of non-believers or “weaker” believers first (8:12-13). They aspire to “become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some,” even if this means not taking all the actions they could freely choose in good conscience were it not for the consideration of others (vs. 22). 

The First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians, Chapter 9:

The Rights of an Apostle

1 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work­manship in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you; for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who would examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to our food and drink? 5 Do we not have the right to be accompanied by a wife, as the other apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Ce­phas? 6 Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living? 7 Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Who tends a flock without get­ting some of the milk? 8 Do I say this on human au­thority? Does not the law say the same? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? 10 Does he not speak entirely for our sake? It was writ­ten for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of a share in the crop. 11 If we have sown spiritual good among you, is it too much if we reap your material benefits? 12 If oth­ers share this rightful claim upon you, do not we still more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we en­dure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ. 13 Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? 14 In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel. 15 But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have any one deprive me of my ground for boasting. 16 For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gos­pel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my preaching I may make the gospel free of charge, not mak­ing full use of my right in the gospel.

The Responsibilities of the Apostle

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews; to those under the law I became as one under the law—though not being myself under the law— that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law—not being without law to­ward God but under the law of Christ—that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings. 24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners compete, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self­ control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Well, I do not run aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; 27 but I pom­mel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

*Daily Lectio Divina Question:

Lord, in what ways are you asking me to ‘become like ______(fill in the blank)’ to help them know and love You?

Biblical Commentary provided by the Catholic Biblical School of Michigan, an adult faith formation apostolate. Catholic Biblical School of Michigan (cbsmich.org/join).

Revised Standard Version; Second Catholic Edition. (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2006). Permission to use the RSV-2CE given for Bishop's Year of the Bible by Ignatius Press. Many thanks to Ignatius for this. If you're looking for a good Catholic edition of the Bible, look no further