The apostle did not make use of his power of being maintained at the
charges of those to whom he preached, that he might give no hindrance
to the gospel. Of running in the race and striving for the mastery.
9:1. Am I not I free? Am not I an apostle? Have not I seen Christ Jesus
our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord?
9:2. And if unto others I be not an apostle, but yet to you I am. For
you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.
9:3. My defence with them that do examine me is this.
9:4. Have not we power to eat and to drink?
9:5. Have we not power to carry about a woman, a sister as well as the
rest of the apostles and the brethren of the Lord and Cephas?
A woman, a sister. . .Some erroneous translators have corrupted this
text by rendering it, a sister, a wife: whereas, it is certain, St.
Paul had no wife (chap. 7 ver. 7, 8) and that he only speaks of such
devout women, as, according to the custom of the Jewish nation, waited
upon the preachers of the gospel, and supplied them with necessaries.
9:6. Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to do this?
9:7. Who serveth as a soldier, at any time, at his own charges? Who
planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feedeth
the flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock?
9:8. Speak I these things according to man? Or doth not the law also
say; these things?
9:9. 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?
9:10. Or doth he say this indeed for our sakes? For these things are
written for our sakes: that he that plougheth, should plough in hope
and he that thrasheth, in hope to receive fruit.
9:11. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great matter
if we reap your carnal things?
9:12. If others be partakers of this power over you, why not we rather?
Nevertheless, we have not used this power: but we bear all things, lest
we should give any hindrance to the gospel of Christ.
9:13. Know you not that they who work in the holy place eat the things
that are of the holy place; and they that serve the altar partake with
the altar?
9:14. So also the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should
live by the gospel.
9:15. But I have used none of these things. Neither have I written
these things, that they should be so done unto me: for it is good for
me to die rather than that any man should make my glory void.
9:16. For if I preach the gospel, it is no glory to me: for a necessity
lieth upon me. For woe is unto me if I preach not the gospel.
It is no glory. . .That is, I have nothing to glory of.
9:17. For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against
my will, a dispensation is committed to me.
9:18. What is my reward then? That preaching the gospel, I may deliver
the gospel without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel.
9:19. For whereas I was free as to all, I made myself the servant of
all, that I might gain the more.
9:20. And I became to the Jews a Jew, that I might gain the Jews:
9:22. To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became
all things to all men, that I might save all.
9:23. And I do all things for the gospel's sake, that I may be made
partaker thereof.
9:24. Know you not that they that run in the race, all run indeed, but
one receiveth the prize. So run that you may obtain.
9:25. And every one that striveth for the mastery refraineth himself
from all things. And they indeed that they may receive a corruptible
crown: but we an incorruptible one.
9:26. I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as
one beating the air.
9:27. But I chastise my body and bring it into subjection: lest
perhaps, when I have preached to others, I myself should become a
castaway.
I chastise, etc. . .Here St. Paul shews the necessity of self-denial and
mortification, to subdue the flesh, and its inordinate desires.