1 Corinthians 9:16-23
During this last season of upheaval and disruption related to the American presidential election, racial strife, and the global virus pandemic, I have been particularly envious of a two or three retired pastor friends who were free to be quite vocal in direct and pointed ways during these controversial and divisive days. They said or posted things publicly that I believe were true and needed to be said, but they were not always things that were warmly received by everyone.
What I envied was their ability to speak openly without really worrying about the consequences. I try to be courageous and faithful to the Gospel at all times, but there is a part of me that knows I still have several years left to go to get to retirement, I still have a family to support, and I have staff members whose livelihood also depend on the continued stability of the church we lead together. Prophetic caution is sometimes a form of wisdom, but sometimes it is (at least in part) born of a deep-seated survival instinct. It would be nice to be completely free.
Freedom is a constant issue in this first epistle to the Corinthian church. They seem to have taken Paul’s proclamation of “freedom in Christ” to extreme places, believing they are freed from many moral obligations connected to their bodies and to the community of Christ to which they now belong.
It is interesting that Paul doesn’t necessarily dispute out of hand their idea of freedom. In fact, in the text, Paul seems to insinuate that he too has made some costly decisions in order to expand his own freedom. In the ancient world, teachers (or in this case apostles and preachers) could earn a living in one of four ways. They could charge fees for their instruction. Of course, if Paul had done this, he might have been accused (like many of the Sophists of his day) of charging too much and being greedy, or of excluding some of the neediest people because they could not afford to pay. Teachers could also be supported by a wealthy patron. If Paul had gone this route, he would have been limited to the location and whims of the one supporting him. A third option would have been to beg (like the Cynics) for a living or constantly advocate for support from the Corinthians themselves. This too would have obligated him in confining ways to the community and likely given many of the people a low view of Paul’s social status. Thus, Paul had chosen a fourth option, to support himself through a secondary trade. This of course meant at times having divided energies. However, it gave him the liberty or freedom to go where he wanted and say what he wanted. He was indebted to no one.
This freedom from human obligation seems to be what Paul is hinting at in 9:18 when he speaks of the rights he is entitled to, not only through the gospel (freedom from the Law), but also the rights and freedoms he has because he offers the gospel without requiring support from the community of faith.
Yet, in the very same space where Paul writes about his freedom from coercion, he is also writing about other obligations he willingly submits himself to; in particular, his obligation to preach the gospel and his obligation to reach people with the good news of Christ’s reign however he possibly can. It is shocking to read Paul – who elsewhere describes all of his heritage and rootedness in the Jewish people and faith – describe submitting himself to the practices of Judaism as an act of accommodation for the sake of the gospel. Paul in his own ministry is exhibiting the mindset of Jesus that he so famously articulated in the hymn of Philippians 2. Although Jesus had the freedom to claim equality with God the Father, he willingly emptied himself, taking on the form of a servant for the sake of our redemption. And he is inviting the Corinthians to do the same.
There are three caveats that probably need to be acknowledged when preaching this text.
First, Paul’s commitment to self-supported ministry does not seem to be the rule that Paul (or the rest of the Scripture) expects to be the practice for all ministers. In fact, Paul seems to imply that if he wanted to, he could rightly have demanded support from the Corinthians. Obviously, much can be said about the unfortunate and sinful ways that some ministers have financially exploited the people under their care. However, there is also much to be said about the character of the Christian community that generously and graciously cares for those they have called to give spiritual and pastoral leadership to the Body of Christ. Paul’s unique exception in this cultural moment certainly may be followed by others if it seems the wisest and best way for ministry to happen. However, it does not necessarily need to become the rule for all ministers in all places.
Secondly, just because Paul is willing here to make accommodations to particular cultural and spiritual practices for the sake of the gospel, it does not mean that those practices are always morally neutral. Practices, both Jewish and Gentile, have deep meaning and significance, but for Paul, they must be constantly viewed through the lens of Christ’s transforming grace and cannot become unnecessary sources of division and exclusion that keep “the weak” or “the immature” from being embraced by the love of Christ. Practices matter. However, the Gospel behind those practices matters even more.
And third, we must be careful not to interpret Paul’s freedom from the Law as giving permission for self-indulgence. It is not unusual to hear (especially young) Christians take Paul’s words in verse 21 (“I act like I’m outside the Law…”) as biblical license to enter into practices that have the potential to be destructive not only to one’s spiritual journey but to also be potentially addicting, habit-forming, and enslaving. The key in this text is that, for Paul, the freedom we are given by Christ is not just a freedom from but also a freedom for. Christian freedom delivers a person from the forces that keep one from living fully into the image of God in order that one might then live for the sake of God’s redemptive purposes.
There are many ways that we need to hear this text in our current context. As I was working through this text again, I was especially thankful for two men in my church who exhibit the mind and heart Paul is writing about here with regularity. They are both young leaders in the church who have been quite successful in their businesses. They are generous with God and with the church in ways that, if they wanted to, could also turn into a source of power and manipulation for them. If either, or both, of them walked into my office and declared that they were withholding their tithes and offerings until we accommodated to their wishes, we would be in a difficult situation. We would either have to give in to their demands or make significant cuts to the personnel and ministries of the congregation.
In this case, their success and means has given them incredible freedom. Freedom to go where they want. Freedom to buy what they want. And freedom to make demands in many areas of life that are usually heeded. Thankfully, neither of them views their success as a reason for self-indulgence and for getting their own way. Both live with generous hearts that receive the blessings they have received as gift and take delight in finding ways to use their temporary wealth as one means, among many, for the gospel to be extended to others – especially those who are in the greatest need. Their generosity is not the product of obligation to law or fear of judgment. Rather, they have become prisoners of hope and slaves to grace. This, for Paul, is the obligation that brings life and unity rather than death and division.
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