1 Corinthians 9:15 The reason for my writing about these issues is not to bring you under any kind of obligation; on the contrary, I want to be very clear about this, the fact that I do things differently by not expecting anyone to pay me for my ministry is to emphasize my urgency to remove any possible excuse from anyone’s mind that I might have ulterior motives! I am dead serious about this Gospel! 9:16 I live to preach; it consumes my total being. Your money is not going to make any difference since this Gospel has my arm twisted and locked behind my back! (anagke) In fact, my life would be reduced to utter misery if it were not possible for me to preach the good news! 9:17 If this was a mere career choice, then surely you could hire or fire me! But I am not for sale; I am employed by the economy of persuasion! 9:18 So what’s in it for me? You may ask! The pleasure of declaring the Gospel of Christ at no expense is priceless! No, I am not cheating anyone or myself by foregoing the rights I might have as a preacher. 9:19 So in a sense I am free from anyone’s expectation or management; yet I have voluntarily enslaved myself to all people. This beats any other motivation to influence people. 9:20 I am like a Jew to the Jew to win them; I am disguised as a legalist to win those stuck under the law! 9:21 To the Gentiles who have no regard for Jewish sentiment, I became like one without any obligation to Jewish laws; to win them! Don’t get me wrong; I am not sinning to identify with the sinners! I am in the law of Christ! (The agape law!) 9:22 I am so persuaded about every person’s inclusion in Christ that I desire to be everything I need to be in order to win everyone’s understanding of their union with Christ. I do not present myself as super strong to the weak, but would expose myself to their weakness in order to win them. I do not distance myself from anyone. My mission is to be exactly what is required of me in every possible situation to bring salvation to every kind of person, whoever they are! (Traditionally translated, “in order to save some;” I do not believe that this is what Paul is saying here! The word, tis, can also suggest every single kind.) 9:23 The gospel explains my lifestyle; it is so much more than a pulpit ministry to me. My life is inseparably joined to you in the fellowship of the good news! Mirror Bible
Posted on: Thu, 08 Jan 2015 08:32:44 +0000
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