Paul, an Apostle of God

Paul started the church in Corinth, pouring his life into them for 18 months, proclaiming and teaching Christ, discipling them with God’s Word, and now caring for them from afar, from Ephesus, through this letter.

Paul has taken a lot of flack from the Corinthian church, some of them have slandered him, challenged him, and dismissed him as not even being an apostle.

The Corinthian church was a mess spiritually, and Paul was forced to rebuke and reprove them for errors in doctrine and sinful behaviors, they were acting like spiritual babies, jealous siblings, while allowing sin in their midst and doing nothing about it; they should have grown up and matured in the Word of God, knowing good from evil, they should be serving God honorably.

It is no wonder that Paul is somewhat sarcastic with his four questions:

1) Am I not free?

2) Am I not an apostle?

3) Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?

4) Are you not the result of my work in the Lord?

It is not clear in this text, but it seems that some of them were questioning Paul’s apostleship, and as such, were saying they had no responsibility to support him.

Paul makes it very clear that he was called directly by Jesus (v. 1), “Have I not seen Jesus our Lord?” This was a key qualification for an apostle; in fact, Peter, on the day of Pentecost, exhorts the other apostles to replace Judas with one who (Acts 1:22), “must be a witness of the resurrection [of Christ].”

Paul states that the risen Lord called and equipped him for this ministry; Paul is a free man, with rights as both a Roman and Jewish citizen, yet he has become a slave of Christ for the purpose of the gospel, and he proclaimed that message among the Corinthians, so that they are his spiritual children; “the result of [his] work in the Lord.”

This shouldn’t be happening (v. 3), Paul says “his defense to those who sit in judgement on him,” is the undeniable establishment of the church in Corinth, and the salvation brought to them through his apostleship.

Because this is true (v. 4) they should be providing for him so that he can freely do the work to which God has called him; in fact, all those who serve the Lord (pastors, evangelists, missionaries, other Christian workers) should be compensated, supported enough (v. 5), so that their wives do not have to work outside the home, but instead can join them in the ministry, managing the home and caring for their children, without financial burden.

It would seem this was already something known to be true for James, Jude and Peter; expressed in Paul’s sarcasm (v. 6), “do only Barnabas and I not have the right to such support, so that we must work outside of the ministry in order to have food and shelter, and to be able to bring our wives along with us?”

Paul then presents three common examples known to the people, in order to make his case (v. 7): a soldier, a farmer, and a shepherd; all of whom are provided for, so that they might carry out their work.

In the same way, God’s workers ought also to be provided for, because of their work (v. 8), this aligns with common sense and also with the Law of God. Then (v. 9) Paul cites Deuteronomy 25:4, not to muzzle the ox when it is working, for even the ox should reap the reward of its labor, being allowed to eat the grain; yet God isn’t saying this because of a concern for the oxen.

Paul now (vv. 10-13) makes it clear that the one who plows and the one who threshes should expect to enjoy a portion of the crops they have labored over, just as the Priests and the Levites who work in the Temple are given a share of the offerings, i.e., Paul and Barnabas have a right to make their living from the gospel they preach.

Paul is saying, if men working for other men (soldiers, farmers, shepherds, etc.) should expect payment for their labor, then surely those who work for God have the right to be paid for their work, also (v. 14), “the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.”

In 1Timothy 5:17-18, Paul gives this instruction, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, ‘Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.’”

Paul says pastors ought to be paid, then he quotes Deuteronomy 25:4 and adds, "The worker deserves his wages,” and so, the pastor who carries out the ministry of the gospel, like the ox who treads out the grain, are to receive proper payment for their work.

Christ said to the disciples (Matthew 10:9-10), “Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his keep [support].” Clearly, those who serve God in this way should expect support for their work, just as any worker should be paid for what he does.

See Acts 9:1-22. Before his conversion to Christ, Saul, with full authority of the Sanhedrin, was on his way to Damascus to arrest followers of Christ, (v. 2) men and women; but before Saul could do that, he met the risen Lord, was blinded, and then led by the hand into town.

Saul was instructed in a vision that Ananias would come and restore his sight, afterwards Paul was baptized, ate some food, and was strengthened in body and spirit.

Saul began to teach in the synagogues, proclaiming the Son of God, proving Jesus to be the Messiah/Christ.

Saul (Heb.) = “asked for,” “prayed for,” - Paul (Gr) = little

See Galatians 1:1, 11-2:1.

Paul was taught by Jesus for three years in Arabia, after which he goes to Jerusalem for 15 days. From Jerusalem he takes the gospel to the Gentiles in the regions of Syria and Cilicia, near his hometown of Tarsus, where he remained for several years, proclaiming Christ.

Interestingly enough, it wasn’t until 14 years after his first visit to Jerusalem that he goes back to Jerusalem, and was finally accepted by the apostles (Galatians 2:9).

Paul was no doubt the premier example of Christianity in the New Testament, of which he authored 13 books.

Paul’s heart attitude concerning his devotion to the Lord, his steadfastness to the gospel, and his call as an apostle and slave to God, is expressed in the following: 1Corinthians 2:1-5, “When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.”

Romans 1:1-5, “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God-- the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith.” 16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.”

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Galatians 6:14, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

*See Philippians 3:4b-9; Ephesians 2:8-10.