1 Corinthians 9 : 17 For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me. 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.

Paul here tells us that he is doing this willingly because he was chosen by God to to carry this message of Christ. He is not saying it was against his will but that God called him  and since it was  God’s choice and will for him he received not a reward but a stewardship. Since he followed the will God he will receive his reward in heaven. Paul is also saying his reward is being able to deliver the Gospel without having to receive anything from the ones he shared the Gospel with.  He had been given great power to deliver the Gospel but he refused to used that power to further himself. If we remember Paul was a tent maker and this helped to share the Gospel freely. We should learn from this that what God has given us to share we should be honored that He chosen us to help share the Gospel and do it knowing that we will receive the best reward when we are in heaven with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 9 : 15 But I have used none of these things: neither have I written these things, that it should be so done unto me: for it were better for me to die, than that any man should make my glorying void. 16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

Paul in theses verses is letting the the people know that he was not in this for the gain he could get out of it but that he wanted them to understand they needed to take care of those that followed after him. He was called by the Lord Jesus Christ to minister and he would not let anything hinder him from doing that. His desire was to do the will of  god and he learned to be content in the good times and bad. Paul goes on to say that he has noting to brag about because he was compelled to preach gospel ans the Damascus road experience. He thought before that experience he was doing the will of God, but he was not fully informed,  and now he is so he has dedicated the rest of his life to preach the good news of Jesus Christ. He winds these up with saying woe to those that who are unfaithful in their ministering. This helps us to see we need to faithful in ministering and be glad we can do this whether we get any reward here on this earth for it or not, but just be glad we have the opportunity to spread the gospel.

1 Corinthians 9:13 Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

Here again Paul is reminding the people that the priest lived off of the crops and animals that the people brought in and even some monetary gifts that were given. The Levitical tribe shared the offerings made at the alter. And continuing in verse 14 he is saying again that if a minister is full time, and doing his job fully as the minister, he should be able to get his needs met by the body of believers he is ministering to. In mos t churches a board decides what the salary of a pastor will be and if it is what they can afford and if the pastor can afford to live of of that. For a true man of God no matter what line of ministry you are called into you should have the faith to know that God is always going to supply your needs  in any situation and there may even be times when you minister for nothing.

1 Corinthians 9 : 12 If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ.

Paul says in this verse it was his right to have his living supplied by those he ministered to but did not require it of them because he did not want the to think that is why he ministered to them. He was trying to teach them a principle here that the people should support the one who ministers the truth of the gospel to them. False teachers are the ones who are in it for the money and so Paul endured not taking any support from the Corinthians so they would know he was bringing them the truth. A lot of ministers today feel it necessary to work outside the ministry in a secular  job but Paul is saying this should not be the case. Ministers should be able to supply all the needs of theirs and their family through the money received for their ministry if they are committed to it 24 hours a day. Some churches today are large enough that this happens but I feel, in the smaller churches, where usually you gain a better understanding of the word of God and it is not just a feel good church to gain more people and money, then the minister may have to have a secular job.  We should always be aware of the needs of anyone who ministers to us to know that they are taken care of if they are truly doing the will of God.

1 Corinthians 9 : 10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, thisis written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

Paul continues to show that when some one works or plants a field they expect to receive either pay or a harvest from the labor they provided. We know that man as a general rule works to feed and cloth his family and a minister should be able to to have his needs met from the ministry he provides. Again those who minister should not minister for great wealth or even for the pay, but they must be paid so they can continue another day. Next he shows us that it is greater to reap those things which are spiritual form what has been sewn into our lives from minister of God’s word. A man gains nothing from reaping the carnal things of this world  but runs the risk of losing his soul.  What shall a man gain, if he win the whole world and lose his own soul?  This is reminding us how much more valuable the spiritual is than the carnal. If we had all the world could offer but did not Christ we would the poorest people in the world. Please attend church today and let God fill your heart with all the love He has for us.

1 Corinthians 9 : 7 Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man? or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

Paul again here is emphasizing how important it is that the minister of God should be provided for by the church he is ministering to. In the world when we work at a job we expect to get paid for the work we do by the people we did the work for, not obtain great wealth but to receive what we deserve for the job done. The same is true for the minister he is not in it to get rich but to receive what is expected for the services rendered. This was even true in biblical times, the  priest lived of of what was brought into the temple. In verse 9 when  he speaks of the ox it is really talking the men who labor for the Lord and how God will see they are taken care of.  We should always take care of the the people minister to us in any way we can, whether it be with money or goods.

3 Mine answer to them that do examine me is this, 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?

As we saw in some of the first verses you get the impression people are questioning Paul’s authority even though he started this church.  He says to them that the apostles living should come from the people he ministers to. There were men and women that traveled with Paul on his journeys as ministers and the journeys could sometimes go on for months. Paul was a tent maker and he was saying that even him and Barnabas could work for what they needed and receive a full financial reward for their work. They did this where  they could pay their own way voluntarily with some help from a few churches but not out of obligation necessity.  To me this is saying that we need to be able to supply our needs in the ministry in case the ones we are ministering to can not supply what we need to accomplished what we feel we are called to do.

1 Corinthians 8 : 12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. 13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

Here in these last two verse of Chapter 8 Paul strongly warns against causing a bother  or sister to sin by something we do. It is not just an offense against the person you make sin but it is a serious offense to the Lord Himself. He goes on to say that he will do nothing to cause another sin. Even if he can no longer eat meat he would give it up to keep a weaker christian from sinning. This has been a good chapter and to me the best thing out of this is that as we grow stronger in Christ  we need to be more aware of the younger Christians and how we act what we do around them. There are a lot things out in the world today to pull people from Christ and as strong Christians we need to be able to identify them and help people to understand the dangers in participating in these things so they do not go in the wrong direction. It could mean sometimes we have to give up something we do not think is wrong but to them it is.

1 Corinthians 8 : 10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

This first verse is saying that someone who is a strong christian may be able to eat meat that may have been offered to an idol without a guilty conscience because they regard the idol as nothing. Now the new christian, who believes it is still wrong to do this, may eat the meat anyway just to show they can do what you do.  So we have to remember what kind of example we are because we would be causing them to sin because of the freedom we feel we have. It is just best to be careful of this for their sake and not for your own sake. Next we see it is not always what we do that is sin but our attitude about what we do is sin. If we do not have faith in our heart that what we are doing is right then it is sin. We have great influence on those who have just received Jesus as their Savior so we must not give even the appearance of evil for their sake. The new Christian is not aware of the privilege of Christianity and thus you might cause him to sin.

1 Corinthians 8 : 7 Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.  8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. 9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to them that are weak.

This first verse shows us two sides of the proverbial coin. If some is eating something offered to an idol, and knows it was, but does it anyway is committing a sin because it goes against their conscience. Now for those who regard the idol as nothing can eat the same thing would not be sinning because they did not regard the idol as anything and be eating it with a clear conscience. Next we see that the meat is really not the issue. If we do anything without a clear conscience is probably going to be a sin.  Anytime we feel in our heart that we are doing something we should not as a christian then it is a sin. As Christians our conscience, the Holy Ghost, alerts us when we are about to do something we should not and we should not do it. Then we see if what we are doing is going to cause someone to sin we should not do it because they could be weaker in their belief and sin. This could cover a lot of subjects, way too many to mention here, and so we should be aware of the weakness of younger believers in Christ.  Sometimes the only example of Christian living that a person has is the one people see us live.