1Cor 9:8-10 | KingComments | STEP | . Paul is still busy to prove his right to support by the churches. In he has given three examples from daily living. By doing so he has, as he says here, spoken “according to human judgment”, thus according to what is common in society. . He doesn’t stop there. He even goes a step higher and quotes something from “the Law of Moses”. He uses an example from the Word of God and of course that is more powerful than what is common with people in society. The instruction he quotes, regards “the ox while he is threshing”. An ox that was threshing the grain was not to be muzzled. That was an instruction from God because He knows the heart of man. A relentless and greedy boss could have muzzled such an animal to prevent it from eating the grain. He would then have had more grain to sell on the market and therefore earn more money. Nevertheless, God had determined that an ox was allowed to eat from the grain he was threshing. So God cares for the oxen. God is concerned about the well-being of all animals ( ). In Jonah 4 God also considers the many animals when He decides to have compassion on Nineveh ( ). . Behind this instruction of God’s concern for the oxen, a higher instruction is hidden, namely God’s concern for His servants. It has been written for them in the first place. Very directly Paul wants to say here that he, as a sower and plowman, i.e. as an evangelist, and as the one who is permitted to see the fruit of this work, certainly can expect that food is given to him. Whether a servant is plowing or threshing, he can be sure that his work will be fruitful. The plowman is preparing the soil so that the seed can be sown in it. The thresher processes the harvest after the seed has grown and has ripened. A person may be standing at the beginning of the work of God, when he, for example, preaches the gospel to another person. Even so a person may also be standing at the end of that work when he, for example, can bring another person to the Lord Jesus. In both cases he is sowing something spiritual. . God shall provide for the means that are needed for the work. You can also provide other servants who have served you spiritually, with something material. Actually it is something you ought to do. Yet it is more beautiful to look at it as a privilege. When brothers have to travel often, you might provide them with money for those journeys. Or others who distribute much literature, you can provide those with money for literature. But even if they don’t have that much expense, you might also support them financially, so that they are able to buy food and drink and pay their housing costs. Here it is about people who have resigned from their job in society to spend their time henceforth on spiritual sowing-work. They are entitled to be provided by us in their living. This is how God has ordained it. . Paul once again brings out the right that he has with the Corinthians in this regard. He says that if others shared this right over them, he even does more. After all, they owed to no one as much as to him, did they? Nevertheless he had not used this right. To him the gospel of Christ was more important than all the rights he owned. He would have abandoned anything that would have been a hindrance for preaching the gospel. He preferred the endurance of being falsely accused by other people rather than that the progress of the gospel would be stopped. Imagine what would have had happened if he had insisted on his rights toward the Corinthians. Then they would have provided him with money and goods, but at the same time they would have boasted about that, as if the great apostle owed it to them that he could do his work. They could have even thought that they had bought the gospel. Paul made every effort to prevent that. . Before he continues on this, he remembers something else. There is one more example in the Old Testament from which it appears that a person who is in the service for God, receives something through that same service to support his life. It is about the priests and Levites. In the Old Testament the priests and Levites were a special class of people among Israel. They had to do tasks in the tabernacle, when the people were still in the wilderness, and later in the temple, when the people lived in the promised land. When an Israelite wanted or had to bring an offering, he gave that to the priest. The latter slaughtered it and put it as an offering on the altar. But God had ordained that the priest was allowed to keep a part of some offerings for himself to eat. In Leviticus 6 for example you read that the priest received a portion of the grain offering ( ). In the same chapter it is written that the priest who brought the sin offering had to eat of the sin offering ( ). The priests put the offerings on the altar and the Levites helped them thereby. In Numbers 18 you find something like that. The priests receive the breast and the right thigh as food ( ). With the Levites it was something different. Also in Numbers 18 the Israelite received the order to give their tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in return for the work which they performed ( ). In Deuteronomy 18 you read once more the way God had ordained how the tribe of Levi had to be provided for. The whole tribe of Levi, so all priests and Levites, had no inheritance in the land while all the other tribes had. The other tribes were able to farm on the land they received as an inheritance and provide themselves with the crop of their land. But the tribe of Levi had no piece of land to receive an income from. Concerning them, the Lord was their inheritance ( ). Therefore the Lord ensured them – through the means of instructions to the people – that the tribe of Levi would receive what they were entitled to. . The conclusion Paul draws from this, is as follows: “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.” Therefore do not shirk your responsibility to support brothers and sisters who go forth for the work of the Lord without receiving a permanent salary. In the third letter of John you find a nice example of someone who acted that way. Gaius supported brothers, whom he didn’t even know, because they “went forth for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles” ( ). If you would look at your involvement in the Lord’s work in that way, you will also be blessed. Just read what is written in Malachi 3 ( ). If you start to give for the work of the Lord, God will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings abundantly over you. Herein lies, as it were, a real challenge from God’s side. Do you dare to accept this challenge? Now read 1 Corinthians 9:8-14 again. Reflection: The law says that you should give your tithes. What do you think ‘mercy’ says?

‏ 1 Corinthians 9:8-10

God’s Concern for His Servants

1Cor 9:8. Paul is still busy to prove his right to support by the churches. In 1Cor 9:7 he has given three examples from daily living. By doing so he has, as he says here, spoken “according to human judgment”, thus according to what is common in society.

1Cor 9:9. He doesn’t stop there. He even goes a step higher and quotes something from “the Law of Moses”. He uses an example from the Word of God and of course that is more powerful than what is common with people in society.

The instruction he quotes, regards “the ox while he is threshing”. An ox that was threshing the grain was not to be muzzled. That was an instruction from God because He knows the heart of man. A relentless and greedy boss could have muzzled such an animal to prevent it from eating the grain. He would then have had more grain to sell on the market and therefore earn more money. Nevertheless, God had determined that an ox was allowed to eat from the grain he was threshing.

So God cares for the oxen. God is concerned about the well-being of all animals (Psa 104:27-28). In Jonah 4 God also considers the many animals when He decides to have compassion on Nineveh (Jona 4:11).

1Cor 9:10. Behind this instruction of God’s concern for the oxen, a higher instruction is hidden, namely God’s concern for His servants. It has been written for them in the first place. Very directly Paul wants to say here that he, as a sower and plowman, i.e. as an evangelist, and as the one who is permitted to see the fruit of this work, certainly can expect that food is given to him. Whether a servant is plowing or threshing, he can be sure that his work will be fruitful.

The plowman is preparing the soil so that the seed can be sown in it. The thresher processes the harvest after the seed has grown and has ripened. A person may be standing at the beginning of the work of God, when he, for example, preaches the gospel to another person. Even so a person may also be standing at the end of that work when he, for example, can bring another person to the Lord Jesus. In both cases he is sowing something spiritual.

1Cor 9:11. God shall provide for the means that are needed for the work. You can also provide other servants who have served you spiritually, with something material. Actually it is something you ought to do. Yet it is more beautiful to look at it as a privilege. When brothers have to travel often, you might provide them with money for those journeys. Or others who distribute much literature, you can provide those with money for literature. But even if they don’t have that much expense, you might also support them financially, so that they are able to buy food and drink and pay their housing costs.

Here it is about people who have resigned from their job in society to spend their time henceforth on spiritual sowing-work. They are entitled to be provided by us in their living. This is how God has ordained it.

1Cor 9:12. Paul once again brings out the right that he has with the Corinthians in this regard. He says that if others shared this right over them, he even does more. After all, they owed to no one as much as to him, did they? Nevertheless he had not used this right. To him the gospel of Christ was more important than all the rights he owned. He would have abandoned anything that would have been a hindrance for preaching the gospel.

He preferred the endurance of being falsely accused by other people rather than that the progress of the gospel would be stopped. Imagine what would have had happened if he had insisted on his rights toward the Corinthians. Then they would have provided him with money and goods, but at the same time they would have boasted about that, as if the great apostle owed it to them that he could do his work. They could have even thought that they had bought the gospel. Paul made every effort to prevent that.

1Cor 9:13. Before he continues on this, he remembers something else. There is one more example in the Old Testament from which it appears that a person who is in the service for God, receives something through that same service to support his life. It is about the priests and Levites. In the Old Testament the priests and Levites were a special class of people among Israel. They had to do tasks in the tabernacle, when the people were still in the wilderness, and later in the temple, when the people lived in the promised land.

When an Israelite wanted or had to bring an offering, he gave that to the priest. The latter slaughtered it and put it as an offering on the altar. But God had ordained that the priest was allowed to keep a part of some offerings for himself to eat. In Leviticus 6 for example you read that the priest received a portion of the grain offering (Lev 6:16). In the same chapter it is written that the priest who brought the sin offering had to eat of the sin offering (Lev 6:26). The priests put the offerings on the altar and the Levites helped them thereby. In Numbers 18 you find something like that. The priests receive the breast and the right thigh as food (Num 18:18). With the Levites it was something different. Also in Numbers 18 the Israelite received the order to give their tithes to the Levites as an inheritance in return for the work which they performed (Num 18:21).

In Deuteronomy 18 you read once more the way God had ordained how the tribe of Levi had to be provided for. The whole tribe of Levi, so all priests and Levites, had no inheritance in the land while all the other tribes had. The other tribes were able to farm on the land they received as an inheritance and provide themselves with the crop of their land. But the tribe of Levi had no piece of land to receive an income from. Concerning them, the Lord was their inheritance (Deu 18:2). Therefore the Lord ensured them – through the means of instructions to the people – that the tribe of Levi would receive what they were entitled to.

1Cor 9:14. The conclusion Paul draws from this, is as follows: “So also the Lord directed those who proclaim the gospel to get their living from the gospel.” Therefore do not shirk your responsibility to support brothers and sisters who go forth for the work of the Lord without receiving a permanent salary.

In the third letter of John you find a nice example of someone who acted that way. Gaius supported brothers, whom he didn’t even know, because they “went forth for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles” (3Jn 1:7).

If you would look at your involvement in the Lord’s work in that way, you will also be blessed. Just read what is written in Malachi 3 (Mal 3:10). If you start to give for the work of the Lord, God will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings abundantly over you. Herein lies, as it were, a real challenge from God’s side. Do you dare to accept this challenge?

Now read 1 Corinthians 9:8-14 again.

Reflection: The law says that you should give your tithes. What do you think ‘mercy’ says?